Costa Rica’s Crypt Monarch self proclaims their style of metal as “necromantik stoner doom” and since they conjure both Electric Wizard and Sleep on their debut The Necronaut, we’d say they’re right on target. With three tracks in thirty six minutes, there’s plenty of stretched out fuzzy jams that mimic a seance but the band keeps things interesting with tempo shifts and wild riffs at unexpected times. We recently posed our set of Profile questions to the band to gain some insight, so read on below to see how it went down and grab your own copy from the links contained within.
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How did you first get into playing music, and have you achieved the level of success that you hoped for?
We’ve been playing in different projects for a while (Age of the Wolf, VoidOath, Redhead Match), and we sort of built a community of musicians interested in playing metal subgenres such as Doom and Sludge. Right now, our goal is to build a local scene and get more people interested in listening to and playing these genres.
What’s the most you have ever debased yourself to get your band onto a show, into a magazine or otherwise promoted, covered, and praised? (If you don’t have a story, please tell us any funny/embarrassing story.)
Crypt Monarch is a project that was born during the pandemic, and the Costa Rican government is still not allowing casual gigs (we currently have a 9 pm curfew and a lot of traffic restrictions), so we haven’t had a chance to play live yet. With our other projects, we’ve never been in that specific situation, but we’ve been in some sketchy venues. One time a show was canceled because the electric wiring overheated, and there was smoke coming out of the power outlets, so no one dared to plug in their amps.
What do you see as some of the great things happening in metal and what are some of the worst things happening inside the scene right now?
Probably the fact that so many bands are releasing music on their own, that’s pretty great, but it can also be very bad, depending on the listeners’ perception.
It seems that now everyone has a passion for some cause and that those people are very open about displaying their passions. This is probably a very, very good (and progressive) thing socially. What are some of the most important issues (social/political/humorous/etc.) for you and how do you insert those issues into your music?
We try to look at it as a jam band. We do have a theme going on, but we really don’t take it to a serious point, like a social or political commentary. We love different things, such as 80s horror movies, books, video games. We have different tastes, but we’re able to share the same passion for it. Influences come from all media.
What, or who, got you into metal and how old were you? How did your family take the news?
All of our backgrounds are a bit different, some of us were born in the mid-80s, so we grew up listening to the 90s rising underground scene, and that sort of painted the way into more heavy stuff by meeting people who introduced you to new bands. The one thing we’ve all got in common is that we’re very open when listening to new stuff, so probably that’s how/why we all got into music in general.
What advice do you have for aspiring music critics and outlets out there? How can we all better serve the genre in the eyes of a hard-working musician?
This is probably very biased, but of course, we’d like it if more outlets started covering more of the underground scene, wherever it’s from, just be open when listening to music submissions and not think of it in terms of fitting a certain aesthetic. Many outlets already do this, which is awesome.
What’s your goal? You guys thinking world domination? Maybe saving a continent? Maybe invading one? Any interest in starting a cult? Do you guys have day jobs or hobbies you want to share? Whatever it is, please let us know.
We do have day jobs. Costa Rica is a very small country to try to live off of music, but it’s possible. Many musicians who follow this path have other projects and jobs as well. But we definitely want to take the music wherever we can. We hope to be able to tour somewhere, even if it’s a small leg of shows. We just want to keep on playing and doing this for as much as we can.
When you’re not obsessing over your own material, what are some of your favorite albums to listen to currently? (Feel free to include non-metal)
J.C.: Anything Sleep, basically. It’s always a go to. Other albums, it depends on the mood. Sometimes I like listening to Noise, Dark Ambient, Power Electronics stuff like Brighter Death Now, Prurient, Antidiluvean. Other days it could be Death Metal, other days, it’s more Post-Rock like Bark Psychosis, Set Fire to Flames, stuff like that. It depends. If there’s one record I do recommend is Rampton by Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine, which is a project featuring members of Sunn O)), Cathedral, Khanate, Goatsnake. Some really sick Drone/Doom to have your day ruined.
Jose: My current heavy rotation would be something like Louder Than Love (Soundgarden), A Senile Animal (Melvins), Sleepwalking Sailors (Helms Alee), Remission (Mastodon), Jubilee (Japanese Breakfast), Post Pop Depression (Iggy Pop), Sole Creation (Kongh), Meanderthal (Torche), Arc (Agoraphobic Nosebleed), Torn Arteries (Carcass), Psychedelic Realms ov Hell (WHARFLURCH), May Our Chambers Be Full (Emma Ruth Rundle / Thou), T.C.B.T (Black Tusk), Why Aren’t You Laughing (GOLD)
Christopher: I’ve been listening to a lot of Khemmis, Tyler, The Creator, Melvins, Helmet, TERMINUS, Astriferous/Bloodsoaked Necrovoid SPLIT, and way too much YES. My current rotation goes around Mastodon, Acid King, Toadliquor, A Tribe Called Quest, Autopsy… also any day is a Sleep day.
What is the 12-month outlook for you or your band? Any specific events on the horizon that the masses should be aware of?
Well, we plan on working on the second album pretty soon. We have the theme of the album, but right now, we’re just figuring out what sonic pathway we’d like to embark on. Still within the Stoner Doom lore, but with a different approach.
Summarize your band in exactly one word. (Disclosure: If you include additional words, we will select our favorite for the final publication.)
Grifa
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Many thanks to Crypt Monarch for their time!
The Necronaut is available now on Electric Valley Records. For more information on Crypt Monarch, visit their Facebook page.
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