“Holy Western Decadence,” this is literally the meaning of Sacrosanta Decadencia Occidental, a very recently formed band stationed between Salamanca and Burgos, in the desolate wastelands in the center of the Iberian Peninsula and committed to playing metallic crust punk that is barbaric and unsparing in its savagery. After being thunderstruck by their first album Caceria Salvaxe, I exchanged a few chats with Edu, Maria, Azofra and Dann, talking with them about different topics concerning the choice to write and sing in the Galician language, the state of health of the diy punk scene in their region and in Spain in general, the reference to the Wild Hunt chosen as the theme of their first album and last but not least, the question that grips all crust punks lost out there in the cruel world: does stenchcore exist?
Beyond the bullshit and the joke about “stenchcore“, Sacrosanta Decadencia Occidental have a lot to say and give us a lot of food for thought about the state of decadence and despair in which “the Western way of life” based on destruction, greed and oppression finds itself. And they point out that punk can be a charge into battle for the modern world we live in!
1) Hi guys and Maria, welcome to Disastro Sonoro. As we can observe more and more clearly in recent times, the West is in an advanced stage of decadence and decline, so the question arises: how did the choice of your name come about? What reflections are behind such a choice?
Hey Stefano! We are really glad you invited us over for a little chat! In regards to the name of our band, we have little to say, as Azofra, our drummer came up with it while we were making up names that strayed a bit further from the usual Crust topics here in Spain and the rest of the world. War, progress and Discharge-influenced names are the norm in this “scene” and so, we decided to go for a name rich in its pronunciation, and intriguing enough to make it worthy of remembrance. It also acts as a nod to the decline of Western values that the far-right and religious bigotry so often cling to, in a desperate attempt to obtain acolytes that can revert the little changes for good that our society has achieved. It translates to “Holy Western Decadence” and it really means that to us.
This decadence of the so-called “Western Way of Life”, will eventually bring about a return to the Old Ways, a profound reverence for nature and the integration of humans within their rightful place (that is, as a PART OF nature, not ABOVE nature), and a ever-growing disdain for all those ideas that have emaciated our spirits, divided our souls and expelled every trace of goodwill, solidarity and love from our daily lives.
2) I read that you were formed in 2022. What motivated you to join forces in a new punk band? What does playing punk mean to you nowadays?
We banded together in the summer of 2022, after Edu, our guitarist, had met María (vox.) and Azofra (drums). María and Azofra also play in a Death Metal band called DYSTOPIAN OMEN, and had known each other for quite some time. Azofra had previously played in Spanish crust stalwarts “SINERGIA”, and a ton of other Grind and Metal bands (ULZERA, AUTHORITY CRISIS, AURAL BUTCHERY, FREAKNATION, LOGICAL END, HELDE, and now touring member with LUCIFUGE…), and Edu also plays in AMHRA, SOLASTALGIA, FLIPE VI, etc. and both wanted to start up a band in the vein of old-school US Crust and early 2000s Metallic Crust. Later on, Dann, our bassist and foremost, our friend, was chosen on the run, with almost all of our EP already composed. He was a great fit from the start, quick hands and nice bass runs!
But getting to the head-splitting part of your question; punk, for us conveys a sense of urgency and violence, an unbreakable oath to the forces of nature and life that constantly battle against the somber environment that surrounds us. It’s our way of breaking up with everything around us that is grey, oppressive, unjust, and boring. It fulfills our necessity to be frontally violent and angry against everything that poses a threat to us and our way of life. Nowadays, it is the only music or “art form” that instills hope in those who seek to bring about the changes that society has to overcome, and the needs of those who long for freedom.
It’s a charge into battle for the modern world we live in.
3) You are from Salamanca, can you tell us about the current state of the punk and diy scene in your city and in Spain in general? What are the most active and interesting realities in your opinion?
Well, actually, we are based between Salamanca and Burgos, two cities situated in the Spanish midlands, and as such, two regions that are inhabited mostly by really old people, with no young people, and the little young people they might have, have little to no interest in Punk, DIY or militant politics. Furthermore, the dry and barren landscape turns everything into a desolate wasteland where trees can be counted with the fingers of a hand, and the moors that once held monuments to our deceased and the life forces that ruled over us, are now infertile soil for the plough and tractor. The very embodiment of a “civilizing desert”.
In the case of Salamanca, there used to be a well-known DIY space called “13 Monos” in which music from all genres (from Screamo, to Trap, to the filthiest Black Metal) had its place, but sadly it was shut down by the local police in June 2018, leaving this place orphan of any kind of alternative music. Now there are some attempts at re-introducing alternatives to mainstream leisure, but they are not even close to what that place was. They lack the militant anarchist background and the altruist mentality that a punk-related place should have.
In terms of the Spanish State, DIY still survives in many places in the form of squats and punk venues where the fires of solidarity and friendship roar each night with a different concert, welcoming strangers from all over Europe and beyond. Some notable places include: La Casa (Valladolid), Orbeko Etxea (Laudio), Sala Ásàtrú (Ortigueira), Mogambo (Donostia), Los Bancos de Atrás (Unquera), Tugurio (Córdoba)… And many others that deserve to be in here but of which, sadly, we cannot recall the names.
4) Musically you refer to a metallic crust sound, which calls to mind many different influences. What bands have influenced you directly and otherwise and where did the idea of playing exactly this kind of music come from?
Well, the term “Metallic Crust”, for us, makes reference to Crust Punk that displays more technical and heavier riffs, with denser atmospheres and pummeling rhythms, that are akin to those of earlier extreme metal bands (BOLT THROWER, EXHORDER, ANNIHILATION , ONSLAUGHT…) and those of original crust bands such as HELLBASTARD, DEVIATED INSTINCT, SACRILEGE, etc. that delved in the polluted waters of heavy metal and anarcho-punk. As for our influences, we would say that the two waves of crust that have shaped our sound would be the late 90’s US style of crust such as CONSUME, STATE OF FEAR or DISRUPT, and the early 2000’s Stenchcore Revival championed by bands like GUIDED CRADLE, HELLSHOCK, EFFIGY, INSTINCT OF SURVIVAL… Of course, there are some sprinkles of Old-School Grind, dazzled with a healthy dose of Swedish Hardcore (obviously we play ANTI-CIMEX’S “Warmachine” live) and some Heavy Metal in there.
The seed for S.D.O. was planted when Azofra, wanting to return to his crustier roots, and Edu looking to depart a bit from the Blackened Crust epicness of AMHRA, sought to brew a sturdier brand of crust, with politically charged lyrics, “in-your-face” D-Beat charges and lightning-fast Thrash and Disrupt-esque riffs.
5) Silly question to dampen the serious tone of the interview: metallic crust or stenchcore? What do you think are the stylistic differences? but more importantly, does stenchcore exist in your opinion or is it an urban legend?
Not a silly question at all! Rather, a funny one, hahaha. Even if it started out as a bad joke on the personal hygiene habits of British crusties, “Stenchcore” has become an actual genre by now, and there are certain parameters that one can apply to determine if a band belongs in that category or not, such as the speed at which they play, the structure of their songs, the nature of their lyrics or the inspiration for the artwork they might use, all of the previous being a constant homage to the imagery of ANTISECT, DEVIATED INSTINCT, AMEBIX and all the greats.
Regarding us, we know that most of the youngsters concerned with Crust will label us as Stenchcore, Crust or whatever, we don’t really care as long as people enjoy our noise, hehehe, but Metallic Crust would be – in our opinion – the most accurate term, as we try not to fall in the sonic clichés of actual or elder Stenchcore bands, and tend to have more Thrash, Grind and Hardcore riffage.
6) One of the things that immediately jumps out at one when one comes across you is the carefully curated graphic and aesthetic side that accompanies your music. Who is the author of your graphics and what is the meaning behind choosing a medieval and partly Celtic style and imagery?
The authors of our artwork are María and Edu. We believe in a total DIY approach to band artwork, and as such, it would only be fit for them to be the ones in charge of our aesthetics. Our logo was hand-drawn by Edu on a small piece of paper, during the emission of a radio broadcast revolving around extreme music called “EL ÉXTASIS DEL RUIDO”, in which María and Azofra were participating. The illustration that occupies the center of the “CACERÍA SALVAXE” cover, was beautifully drawn by María, based off of a collage made by Edu in which he combined Warhammer and Lord of The Rings elements to resemble the appearance of what The Wild Hunt could look like. Later on, Edu adapted the illustration and worked on the layout of the tape, adding the rest of the celtic knots and frames, and the Druidess picture that appears on the inside.
Going back to the second question; both of them have great interest and love for Celtic and early medieval imagery, a passion that marries perfectly with the bleak outlook and primitive sound of Crust music. Aside from being a staple in Crust aesthetics, it also is a cultural heritage close to María’s heart, as she is from Galicia, a region rich in Celtic culture and mythology, some of which has also shaped the lyricism contained within our songs. Prehistoric, Late Bronze Age and Early Medieval art also constitute the foundations for Edu’s inspiration when approaching aesthetics and the visual persona of both of the bands in which he plays; S.D.O. and AMHRA, so in that sense it feels only natural to create artwork that stems from those roots and pays homage to the main creative forces behind his work; Paganism, Primitivism and Nature.
7) Lyrically what are the central themes you deal with and why? Do you think lyrics are important as well as music?
Coming to the lyrics, María decided to deal with social unrest, feminism, poverty, and issues that we have experienced first-handedly, such as eating disorders, the terminal boredom and depression that a life condemned to work produces, or the despair encapsulated within those who cannot achieve the wellbeing for which they eternally strive for. We do not intend to let through a message of hopelessness or futility, but rather one of hate and aggression towards everything that perpetuates our suffering and empowers those on top of us. Within this tape, the words, tone and phrasing, are used violently, with little to no space for metaphors or embellishments, as María did not intend to sweeten a message that is supposed to be as crude as reality itself.
For upcoming works, we are trying to write lyrics that delve in the mysticism of Galician Folklore and Weltanschauung, but that at the same time, meld together narratives of relevant issues such as the horrors of the Civil War in Spain, ecocide and a long etc. Lyrics, as you may gather from what is written above, are really important to us. Music is an excellent vessel for long-term messages that should have an impact on societal changes, and as such, there is no use anymore in being a brutal band with bland lyrics about nuclear devastation or the imminent implosion of the world, because inevitably, punk will then become a joke.
“Dis is getting ridiculous”…remember?
8) I don’t want to be wrong, but reading your texts they seem to me to be written in Galician. Where did the choice to use this language instead of Spanish come from? What meaning does the use of Galician have for you?
Well, María, as we said before, is from Galicia, and for her it is only natural to write, think and sing in her mother tongue. On top of that we wanted her to sing and write in Galician, as we feel that there haven’t been any bands with an Old-School Crust sound – maybe with the exception of EXTINCIÓN – that have sung in Galician, and it seems strictly attached to those that led the NeoCrust wave of the early 2000’s, being MADAME GERMEN the maximum exponent of that kind…
Galician has been a language repressed and punished by the Francoist regime, and has been ostracized from public view and use since the 15th Century, creating wide gaps in its written heritage and a gaping wound within its society, that even today, hasn’t healed yet. In addition, the plasticity of the language, the capability of expressing and condensing concepts that Spanish or English couldn’t do in just one word, or its sound, is remarkably strong, making it a perfect language in which to express rage and discontent.
9) Caceria Salvaxe, the title of your latest work, recalls a legendary tradition in European lore. Why did you choose this title and what do you want to refer to when talking about Wild Hunt? Is it just an intentional reference to folklore or is there some other meaning?
Whoa, there is a lot to unpack here. Firstly, we must clarify that the “Wild Hunt” is a Folk Tale common to all of Europe. From the “Asgardsreien” (Scandinavia) to the “Santa Compaña” (Galicia), the tales of a procession of dead souls tearing through the night sky are many and rich in details. We have used the Wild Hunt as a simile, in which those who are now the living dead, those that have surrendered their lives to this system, martyrs in the living flesh, are back to set ablaze the starless sky for those that have subjugated them for centuries and centuries. We long for those who have fed the machine of progress with their crippled bodies to enter a state of unbounded rage and frenzy.
Let the blood of the rich and treacherous cleanse the polluted waters of our rivers and lakes.
10) As we come to the conclusion, I have to ask: Are you already working on new music or do you have any concerts or tours planned? Are you planning to release physical copies of your records or are you not thinking about it for now?
We played our first gig this last 28th October in Valladolid, and we are playing again the 25th of November in Parla, Madrid. December will see us playing Porto and Lisbon alongside AMHRA, and next year we might play some scattered dates throughout the Spanish state.
As of today, our “CACERÍA SALVAXE” EP is awaiting to be released in tape format through Talaia Records, a Cassette-centered label from the Basque Country ran by our friend Aitzol, – one of the coolest guys we’ve ever met, a complete “zaldun ibiltaria”, who also plays bass in ANCIENT EMBLEM, a band you should definitely check – who has kindly accepted our call to arms on this mission. Big hug to him wherever he is when he reads this!
Right now we have written material for half a record (4 songs that range from the Metal-Punk crossover of SACRILEGE, the Death-Grind of MACHETAZO, or the raging velocity of Swedish classics, and an epic acoustic manifesto in the vein of CAPITE DAMNARE, THE MOB, and that kind of anarcho-moodiness) and we plan on composing more battle-ready tunes that weave together the heathen, mythical and political aspects of our personal visions on life, freedom, and ecology.
Nevertheless, we are working on composing more structured and less spontaneous songs, that better fit all the musical and lyrical nuisances that build our essence, which we feel that somehow may not be fully perceived in this first work.
11) Interview over, I leave all the space for you to add more thoughts! Thank you very much Sacrosanta Decadencia Occidental, see you soon!
Thank you very much, Stefano! We are really happy to be featured here in Disastro Sonoro and be given the opportunity to ramble on about our opinions of Punk and life in general. We also would like to thank our dear friend Faly who took these pictures of us during our last show.
We wish you and everybody reading this a warm winter and a cozy fire to keep your spirits up during these dark times. Safe travels and a big hug to all of you.