5 Min Origin Stories with Cryptonight

You know what nobody does? 

Djent/Doom Metal.

Well, here's a good chance for you to find out more about Djoom Metal. Surely this can be done well right?

Admit it, you're interested now. In your mind, you're starting to wonder if these two opposite ends of the metal spectrum can exist in the same space.

Find out HERE.

While you're finding out, check out what Jekyll thinks about how they started it all.

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?

Jekyll says: Yes, I’ve always been a huge fan of Muhammed Suiçmez from Necrophagist, so much to the point where I chose my first 7-string to be an Ibanez XPT707FX. 

That would have been the guitar that Muhammed would have used on the next Necrophagist record, had he completed it. I really love the neck-through build, the fixed bridge, the chameleon grey finish, the extreme yet comfortable shape, the ultra-thin Wizard II neck, and it came fully loaded with DiMarzio D Activator pickups. 

That’s my favourite guitar. Regarding the 8-string that I use in Cryptonight, I use a Jackson JS32-8Q DKA HT. It was a simple case of falling in love with the guitar after trying it out at the guitar store, and I couldn’t leave without it.

2. How do you write a song?

The Cryptilian says: First i come up with an idea/concept that i want the song to be about, and then I form lyrics explaining in detail the theme through my own perspective.

Jekyll says: Most of my musical ideas come to me while I’m in the shower or when I’m near running water. There is something about the sound of running water which acts as a sort of “white noise” that activates my imagination. 

I begin to hear distinct rhythms and melodies in my head, so I begin humming them to myself, and then I realize that the music that I am imagining does not actually exist yet and that it is an original idea. 

Of course, the last step is to capture these ideas by humming them into my phone and add them to my stockpile of potential musical material.

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

The Cryptilian says: My 2 favourites are "Progression Towards Evil" by Skinless, and “Masticate" to Dominate by Goregasm.

...I like gore.

Jekyll says: Some of my favourite concept records that I own include “The Silent Circus” by Between The Buried And Me, “The Color Clear” by Reflections, and of course “Måsstaden” by Vildhjarta. 

Indeed, it is evident that I can write a concept record myself. Our record “The Black Ritual” is a concept record, I have also written a concept record called “Arrival” for my concept band CNTRL, and I am in the process of writing a concept record for my solo project Vodník.

It’s a lot more fun to write a concept record than it is to write just a regular record.

4. Whose influence is most evident in your music? The least?

The Cryptilian says: I’m influenced by a band called Catacombs which I feel comes through in my music a lot.

Also, as a Vocalist, I am influenced by George Corpsegrinder Fisher, although my Death Metal influence doesnt come through as much in my vocals.

Jekyll says: Clearly for me it would be Vildhjarta, with the intentional combination of heavy passages and unexpected interludes, the grooves that are weird in general yet extremely mentally stimulating, the lack of repeating sections within songs, and the overall atmosphere which is very creepy and intriguing. 

I suppose that the least evident influences are all of the other genres of music that I listen to!

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

The Cryptilian says: The song that I’m the most proud of is "Precariosa". Originally we had planned to have this song be about something else. 

But after a certain personal experience i felt very inspired to write it about a story relative to the Dark Phoenix saga.

Jekyll says: For me, it's “The Black Door”. I feel like I have set a new bar for myself with my vocal performance on this song. 

I’m really proud of the way that I was able to explain exactly what happened in my nightmare and communicate it to the listener in a vivid, descriptive, and concise way.

6. Sum up your latest record for us.

The Cryptilian and Jekyll both say: Our latest/debut record “The Black Ritual” is an audial horror movie, unlike anything you’ve ever heard before. 

The entire album is inspired by actual vivid nightmares experienced by us at various points in our lives. There are also many influences and Easter eggs from video games, such as Bloodborne, Resident Evil, Diablo, and Final Fantasy.