Cretin Frontman Now Officially a Frontwoman

In the early '90s, Cretin were a solid blend of death metal and grind in the northern part of California, and after a few years of dormancy, their comeback in 2003 placed them squarely in the grindcore community. Dan Martinez, one of the Relapse band's founding members, has been a focus of Decibel magazine's attention for the last year, but for something very different from their music. After undergoing a year of gender transformation, Dan became Marissa and has been living with her new vagina for about three months.

"When I first did the interview [with Decibel a year ago], I was nervous about how accepting people would be," Martinez recently told the magazine, "but I've seen way more support than any other type of reaction." She thinks that's no big surprise in the metal scene, noting that it was "founded around the philosophy of 'F--- you! You can't tell me how to live my life."

The interview goes very deep into Martinez's most personal experiences during and following her August operation, with anecdotes that are both humorous and jaw-dropping. She was terrified she'd wake up in the middle of the procedure, but calmed herself down knowing, she said, "that in a short while I was going to be waking up with a vagina."

It shouldn't be long before Cretin return with new material now that the band's lead guitarist/vocalist has undergone such a personal transformation. Martinez stands out as a true individual in the scene.