Crucifist Offer Thoughts on Mainstream Metal

"It's all gay, man, especially the breakdowns and band names like 'All That's Left ... Remains.' F--- indie wannabes who act like they're into real metal, too," Crucifist guitarist John Gallo told Noisecreep, offering his thoughts on the current state of mainstream metal. "Long live Cirith Ungol, Saint Vitus and Bulldozer!"

Based on that comment, it goes without saying that Crucifist's brand of metal isn't the type played by the typical suburban kids who get sleeve tattoos, learn a few technical death metal riffs and spend more than a few hours in the mirror trying to look tough. If Crucifist's debut album, 'Demon Haunted World,' isn't enough to separate the men from the boys (which it is), then one needs only to look at their pedigree. Gallo and drummer Mike Waske moonlight in the popular underground doom band Orodruin, and bassist Dan Lilker has more than earned his stripes playing in such bands as Brutal Truth, Nuclear Assault, and Stormtroopers of Death (AKA S.O.D.), amongt others. Vocalist Ron Blackwell does a daily metal radio show/podcast called Sudden Death Overtime, which showcases only the purest of metal. "I get flooded with garbage promos every week, and I just ignore most of it," he explained. "In general, if it's mainstream it's not even on my radar."

While some of the bands that Crucifist cite as influences often went to rather humorous extremes to express their allegiance to the dark lord, Crucifist aren't too concerned with such imagery. Nor do they care about pushing any sort of misanthropic ideology that the black metal hordes commonly indulge in. "For me, it's all about writing kick ass heavy metal riffs nonstop!" said Gallo. "I think that's why I like bands like Venom, Hellhammer, Death SS, Mercyful Fate... just lots of raw punk energy and killer riffs going on."

"We aren't an ideological band overall," Blackwell added. "Like John said, it's mostly about music for us, but I gotta write lyrics about something so the rest of the guys indulge me and let me say whatever I want. But I don't consider myself misanthropic at all, and I think if you look at human history we have had amazing progress as a species. Right now, most people in developed countries are living in luxury compared to what life was like just a few hundred years ago."