5 Minute Origin Stories with Crucible of Hate

Who out there remembers Crucible?!  Crucible was an amazing metal band that was based out of my delicious hometown of St. Louis, MO.

They were so metal, they had songs called well... A Dying Breed, and...other songs! Their lead guitarist later founded another St. Louis metal institution, Travail!

That man was truly an amazing guitarist, but wait! There's something wrong! We aren't talking about any of those bands and my formative years in The Murder City. 

I left out some words...it's Crucible of Hate. You've liked them on FACEBOOK right?

Keep an eye out for preordering information.

1. Is there an event you can point to you that made you say, wow, that's the instrument I want to play? Not like guitar or drums, but the reason why you play the model you do?

Nothing too exciting. I play a Dean 5-string Rhapsody that was used when I got it 15 years ago. I love its tone. End of story. 

2. How do you write a song?

Donny writes 95% of the riffs. We then play around with arrangements as a band. Everyone composes together, and we shape the riffs into something cohesive. 

Lyrics always come after, and inspiration for the words comes from a variety of places: life situations, philosophical notions, or a fictional scenario I thought would be fun to write about. 

3. How many concept records do you own? Could you ever write one?

Five or six. I love concept albums. And yes, I think we could if we had a strong enough concept to build around. 

It would be an incredible undertaking.

4. Who's influence is most evident in your music? The least?

Most: Probably Carcass, with the style of Donny's riffing. 

Least: I'd say Tool. MJK has had a huge influence on my clean singing style, but musically we have nothing comparable. 

5. Which one of your songs is the one your the most proud of?

It's really hard to pick one, but I'd have to say "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Nothingness." Lyrically, it's about the subjects of impermanence and futility. 

The music has a rather epic feel to it, and the words and sounds flow together to create a certain feeling that (to me, at least) perfectly portrays the sentiment I was trying to conjure with the lyrics. 

6. Sum up your latest record for us. 

Dark Metamorphosis is a heavy hitting death metal album with a very strong groove element. There are catchy hooks in every song, brutal vocals, and even clean singing at times. 

It explores the darker emotions and experiences of our human nature, driven by pounding double bass drums and crushing guitars. It's best when experienced as a whole, and is destined to leave a lasting impact on the listener.