PD. What type of artist are you? 

Zach: I hit things with sticks till it seems like art. I’m also a master of multiple realities 

Pete: I make metal strings under tension sound like music 

Joe: The type that plays bass. 

Doug: We are metal artists! 

PD. Tell us the brief history of yourself. 

Zach: A very long time ago, in a Galaxy far far away, I took flight and landed on earth to melt faces 

Pete: I was born, did some stuff, learned guitar, did some more stuff and here I am. 

Joe: I grew up and here I am. 

Doug: Grew up in a small town in Vermont called Satans Kingdom, ran around in the woods for a while but now I’m having the time of my life. 

PD. Who are your musical and non-musical influences? 

Zach: Blake Richardson is my favorite drummer, but I’m a huge Mike Portnoy and Zappa fan too. Bill Dance is my non musical hero. 

Pete: Tosin Abasi from Animals as Leaders, Black Dahlia Murder, Frank Zappa. 

Joe: Metallica, Primus, System of a down. 

Doug: Death Angel, Dissection, Death, Scale the Summit. 

PD. What are your dreams and goals? 

Zach: World domination via Crypitus 

Pete: I want to make music all the time and not have to work a day. 

Joe: World Domination. 

Doug: Where ever it is that I do or am, I just want to be happy doing it. 

PD. Who writes your songs, what are they about? 

Zach: Doug writes the lyrics. I think we have a song about Apple pie. 

Pete: Doug does the lyrics but we all contribute to the instrument portion. They’re about life, volcanoes, the state of the world we live in, apple pie. 

Doug: A lot of my themes are dystopian, songs about the force of nature, and the mind. 

PD. How do you promote your band and shows? 

Zach: We use the internet to harass people into going to our events. We still plaster the town with fliers before a show as well. 

Pete: If we have a show in our hometown, we hang up fliers. Otherwise it’s Facebook for the most part. 

Doug: Social media is a good start, that’s the easiest way to connect with a lot of our fans. 

What do you think about downloading music online? 

Pete: I think online streaming and downloading is great. It lets little known bands get discovered without so much of the work they used to have to do. 

Doug: It opens up a huge door to get your music out there for sure! Bandcamp is my favorite platform to download from because I know that’s one of the best websites for artists to not get destroyed by fees and taxes. CDBABY isn’t bad either. 

PD. What song do you wish you’d written and why? 

Doug: Toto – Africa because holy crap I can’t go anywhere without hearing someone play that. 

PD. What are some of your pet peeves? 

Zach: My biggest peeve is when someone doesn’t put the lid back on one of my jars tight or the cap on the toothpaste. But even worse is the rare occasion when music gets out of sync. 

Pete: Breaking strings in the middle of songs 

Joe: I hate being asked the same question over and over. 

Doug: Unorganized people. 

PD. What is your proudest moment in music? 

Zach: Right now. We just finished our first tour and we are slaying. 

Pete: Playing with Psychostick was amazing 

Doug: The first show we had in Maine was amazing, so many genuine people, and a super packed venue! 

PD. So what are you working on at the moment? 

Zach: We’re working on finding a place to record our first full length album. We always have a bunch of new material in the works. 

Pete: We’re working on finding a studio to record our first full length. One more tour for the summer and Herdflock festival too. 

Doug: We are working on tightening some tunes for the record! Plus a few scattered shows across New England. 

PD. Tell us about your next shows and why we should be there. 

Pete: We’re touring the north east with Black Absence in a couple weeks and playing Herdflock in August. You should be there because we’ll be there and that’s where all the cool kids will be. 

Doug: We play Revere MA on 8/24 with Alions from Maine! We love metal at the beach, who wouldn’t! 

Crypitus links: 

Band location – Rutland, Vermont 

Check out our page for Crypitus 

Find more info about Crypitus on their Website 

Learn more about Crypitus on their Facebook page 

Watch the latest Crypitus videos on their You Tube channel 

Listen to Crypitus music on their Soundcloud page 

Listen to and buy Crypitus music on Bandcamp 

Find info and links for Crypitus on their Reverbnation page 

Buy Crypitus music on their Itunes page 

Listen to Crypitus music on their Spotify page 

Buy Crypitus music on Amazon 

See more about Crypitus on Google 

Discover more about Crypitus at CD BABY

Interview 

Interview: Crypitus 

October 10, 2019 

Jarod 

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today? 

Pete: My parents used to play oldies for me like the Beatles and Motown stuff. I love any kind of music and I started playing piano from 5-10 years old. I switched to guitar because I wanted to play something more interesting than classical. If I didn’t get into music I’d probably be doing something with my hands like woodworking. Or just playing a lot more Magic the Gathering. 

Zach: I’ve been into music my whole life. My father was a metalhead and I used to bang my head off of my car seat to the music. I also had a drum set made of phone books and kitchenware. If I never started playing music I’d probably be dead by now. 

Joe: My parents got me into music when I was a kid. Probably wouldn’t be doing much if I wasn’t playing music. 

Doug: I’ve always been a music lover, but I fell in love with playing guitar after watching my older brothers friend play guitar, he let me borrow one of his acoustics for a bit and I never put it down. If I didn’t have music I would be at a total loss, probably wandering through the woods aimlessly. 

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity? 

Pete: I love reading books and comics. I’m a huge DC fan and I love all of Tolkien’s work. That whole fantasyland stuff helps me visualize music in new ways. 

Zach: I fish obsessively and hunt a lot too. I can’t say that it really influences my creativity but the inner peace I get from those activities really helps me not kill my bandmates. 

Joe: I like to go for walks and hang with family and friends. It doesn’t really influence me much though. 

Doug: I love hiking, exploring new places. I’m sure I’ve hummed a tune on a walk that got stuck in my head and got transposed into a metal song! 

How long has your band been around? 

Pete: We’re coming up on 4 years soon. 

Zach: About 3.5 years now as we stand 

Joe: I joined the band around 2 years ago or so. 

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music? 

Pete: We’re from Rutland and Mendon Vermont. There’s not a whole lot to do around here besides hike and fish and play music. 

Zach: We are based out of Mendon VT. It’s not a very populated area, so we don’t have a lot of local musicians to draw influence from and I think that contributes to our unique sound. 

Doug: We hail from Rutland Vermont. Well actually I’m originally from Satan’s Kingdom Vermont, yes it’s real. But growing up in the state has really shown me the importance of the organic world which is often overlooked, lyrically this has impacted me to write songs like “Thunder” a song about mother earth’s vengeance upon the civilized world. 

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you. 

Pete: Doug had the name from a previous incarnation of the band. It means the sound of breaking bones. 

Doug: The name came from a random band in my wilderness first aid class when we were learning about pulling traction on a fractured limb, my teacher turned to me and exclaimed “Do you know what a sick metal band name would be? Crepitus; it’s the sound of breaking bones” I was solid immediately. To me to be Crypitus means to be able to a noise to be heard, a bone-crushing riff crashing drums; Crypitus the noise – we make it 

Tell me about the best and worst shows you have played. 

Pete: The worst was at Metal Metropolis in Brattleboro, Vermont. I got too drunk and I sounded like shit. Our best is RPM fest in Massachusetts this year. We sounded awesome. 

Zach: We’ve had some sick shows lately. We played at Promotorhead Entertainment’s RPM fest. We played a great set and the crowd was super responsive to it. The worst show we’ve ever had was in Brattleboro VT also with Promotorhead and we sucked out bad. I’d rather not talk about it. 

Joe: For our best show I would have to say RPM fest. It had a nice crowd and played pretty good. The worst show would be in Montreal. We played horrible and Pete couldn’t go to Canada with us. 

Doug: For me, one of the best shows still was the very first time we played in Maine, it was Lewiston at The Cage with Last Ones Alive and we had a response that Maine continues to replicate for us; amazing. One of the worst shows we played was in Lowell MA where the promoter was trying to pull a fast one and take money from all the bands, the stage was trash cymbal stands were falling over and drinks were $20…. 

Tell me about your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you haven’t already? 

Pete: My favorite is Herd Flock, a 3 day festival way up in Maine in the middle of the woods. I’d like to play some really big festivals someday like Reading in the UK. 

Zach: That’s a hard one.  I’d have to say my favorite venue that we’ve played is Higher Ground in Burlington VT. It was awesome all the way around. As far as a venue I want to play I’d have to say either the Royal Concert Hall in Boston or Theatre of Living Arts in Philadelphia. 

Joe: Higher Ground in Burlington, VT is probably one of the best venues we played at and I’d like to play anywhere similar to that. 

Doug: I love playing at Cherry Street Stations in Wallingford CT, great crowds, great staff, great local acts. I would love to do a show at Brighton Music Hall in Allston MA, I’ve seen some great shit there. 

If you could play any show with any lineup who would be on the ticket? 

Pete: Between the Buried and Me and Dweezil Zappa. 

Zach: Between the Buried and Me, definitely. I’ve been told that we’d fit on a Voivod bill too. 

Joe: Primus, not that we would fit in with them. 

Doug: Voivod & Death Angel lets goooo 

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band? 

Pete: Don’t give up when things get difficult. Even after 16 years of playing guitar I still hit plateaus that I struggle to get over. 

Zach: Practice until you are sick of it and then practice some more. Learn theory. 

Joe: Practice makes perfect. 

Doug: Practice Practice Practice Practice 

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be? 

Pete: Learn scales and theory more. I played from tablature and jumped right into learning my favorite bands’ music first, which was helpful for technique, but I’ve had to teach myself a lot of stuff beyond that since then. 

Zach: I’d get my ass to take drum lessons earlier in life. I got kind of a late start. 

Joe: Learn more theory. 

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why? 

Pete: Breakdown is one of the first ones we all played together and it was the first one where I started harmonizing with our other guitar player more. 

Zach: Hmmmm. I’d have to say United Divide. It’s just fun to play and really makes my brain work. 

Joe: Breakdown because it’s a good warm up song and probably the first one I learned. 

Doug: Symphony #1 because it’s the oldest song that we play, I wrote it at age 15. 

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most? 

Pete: My favorites are this new one called Brunswick and Thunder. Brunswick gets very proggy and it always keeps my fingers from getting bored. Thunder just kicks ass and doesn’t let up from the first note. We get requests for one called Tundra but we don’t really play that one anymore. 

Zach: As previously stated I like United Divide a lot. I really like playing Out of Line too. It’s just proggy enough for me. 

Ironically enough our most requested song is off of our demo, Exhibit 1 Prelude to the Dead World, it’s called Tundra and we don’t really play it anymore. 

Joe: Out of Line is cool. Tundra gets requested the most. 

Doug: Our new material is really fun, I really like playing Maniac Highway or as our Maine friends call it Manakaway. Tundra is the most requested and we love teasing our fans. 

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music? 

Pete: We start with a riff and just jam to it from there. 

Zach: The guitarists vomit awesomeness from their instruments and I lay down some slams till we get it together. That’s about it. 

Joe: I just go with the flow 

Doug: We stick with an organic writing process where one idea leads to another and boom music. 

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music? 

Pete: Our album is called Ill World (That’s What You Get) and it’s about the world kind of falling apart right now. 

Doug: I hope to invoke thought and recognition of some of the ailments we face today, whether the issue is global climate change from wrongful actions of humans, political issues resulting in war and submission based on threats of nuclear warfare or the internal conflicts we face day to day, it’s an Ill World and we need to recognize that in order to rectify. 

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them? 

Pete: Oh yeah we do. We just sit down and talk about what’s going on like adults and get through stuff. 

Zach: All the time. Usually over stupid stuff like what were having for dinner or someone throws a chunk of firewood and hits someone in the face, but we are really good at sitting down, talking about it and moving forward. 

Joe: I don’t usually have disagreements very often but we are all friends and can sit and talk about it and move on. 

Doug: If any bands don’t have disagreements they probably aren’t a band or something, we argue from time to time yes. Shit happens we talk about it and we move on. 

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that’s coming up? 

Pete: We’re always writing new music and playing more shows. We’re playing with Exmortus in December which is going to be amazing. They’re one of my favorite bands so I’m really excited and nervous for it. Our first album just dropped too so check that out. 

Zach: Plans for the future include a lot of Shenanigans and tomfoolery and maybe world domination. 

Doug: Theses are the places you will catch us in 2019; 10.13.19 Winooski VT 11.1.19 Mendon VT 11.18.19 Wallingford CT 12.2.19 Waterford NY 12.13.19 Sherbrooke QC 12.14.19 Jewett City CT 

Plus our new albums live and available for purchase here: 

https://crypitus.bandcamp.com/album/ill-world-thats-what-you-get

photogroupie 

Sep 23, 2019 

4 min read 

CRYPITUS INTERVIEW 

We have a chat with American death metal band Crypitus about their new album Ill World (That's What You Get). 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW ALBUM/ PROJECT? 

Pete: Our new/first album is called Ill World (That’s What You Get) and it’s being released on the 21st of September. We recorded it at a studio in Plattsburgh, New York with BluVudu Productions. 

Zach: Our new album is called "I'll World (That's What You Get)" It has 6 songs with face melting deliciousness and a side of pie. It's being released 9/21 so check it out. 

Joe: Ill World (That's What You Get) is our new album that we will release 9/21. 

Doug: The album will be released on our webstore, CDbaby, ITunes, Spotify, Pandora and more! 

WHAT INSPIRED ANY CENTRAL THEMES ON THE ALBUM? 

Pete: The title reflects some of the ideas in the songs about the world turning to shit due to humans screwing it up. 

Zach: The state of the sickly planet we inhabit. 

Joe: The world is sick and needs medicine. 

Doug: “Ill World (That’s What You Get)” is intended to demonstrate the state of the world today, natural chaos, global war & mental dissonance. 

HOW LONG DID YOU SPEND RECORDING? 

Pete: We did two or three weekend sessions of recording and several months of mixing and mastering. 

Zach: We spent a few days recording in total. 

Doug: We probably did two weekend sessions as a band and one more time alone. It really was a decent set up, John at Bluvudu has a whole band house set up for the bands to get cozy and crash out to ease on the traveling. 

HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT THE SONGWRITING PROCESS? 

Pete: We’ll take a riff or two and jam to them until it resembles a song. Then we’ll fine tune it adding little parts here and there to make it interesting. 

Zach: I just kinda throw some drums on the riffs these dudes put together. We really don't have an organized method of songwriting. 

Joe: I just go with the flow. 

Doug: Songwriting for us has always been a natural organic process. 

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE TRACK FROM THE ALBUM? 

Pete: My favorite track is Thunder. It’s fast paced and pretty in your face from beginning to end. 

Zach: "United Divide" is definitely my favorite from the album with "Out of Line" as a close second. 

Joe: Symphony #1 

Doug: Symphony #1 does definitely holds a special place in my heart, the actual tune is a song I wrote at 15 years old and revamped and play all the time. 

WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES? 

Pete: Frank Zappa, Between the Buried and Me, Intervals, Exmortus, The Sword, Animals as Leaders, and I really like old jazz fusion stuff. 

Zach: My biggest influences are Blake Richardson from Between the Buried and Me, Mike Portnoy and Frank Zappa. I really love the drummer from Night Verses too. 

Joe: Metallica, Primus and System of a Down. 

Doug: I think my two biggest influences musically is Dave Mustaine (Megadeth) & Chuck Schuldiner (Death) the originality of the two groups is one of my driving forces to be different and creative. 

HOW DID YOU FORM THE BAND? 

Pete: Doug and I were roommates and we used to jam to some of his songs from when Crypitus was a band before with him and a drummer. He and I decided to find a drummer and I found Zach on Facebook looking for people to jam with. 

Zach: I was desperately searching the internet for local musicians to jam with. After months of searching, Pete was the first to respond with Doug in tow. We found Joe a year or so later after a revolving door of bassists. 

Joe: I joined after a friend introduced me to the guys. 

Doug: I first created the idea for the band in 2015 with a long time friend, unfortunately due to differences we split our ways, but I was still hungry. When Pete started showing interest in the project after we moved into together it got my blood flowing again and we found Zach. And now with Joe being a solid member we feel whole. 

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ANYONE STARTING OUT? 

Pete: Just keep playing and growing as a musician. It’s totally okay to just play along to songs you like in your room as long as you’re enjoying it. 

Zach: Practice more. Take music lessons. In order to sound good and stand out you gotta get really good at what you want to play. 

Joe: Practice makes perfect. 

Doug: Don’t even let yourself think you can’t progress, the sky’s the limit. 

WHAT IS NEXT? 

Pete: We always try to have shows lined up for the future. We played a couple festivals this summer and we’d love to do more next year. We’re always writing new music too. 

Zach: We're going to keep chugging along. We're writing a bunch of material for a second album which we will most likely record sometime in 2020. After that, we take over the world Pinky. 

Joe: World domination. 

Doug: Scattered shows in late 2019 and coming back to life in to Spring of 2020 with vengeance. 

ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? 

Doug: Please stay tuned for the future of the band, you can buy our music and merchandise from our website @ Crypitus.com. Our new record will be released on 9.21.19 and if you live if the Plattsburgh NY area come to the Monopole to celebrate with us! 

http://www.crypitus.com/

 

MM: Which two tracks would you play me  to introduce us to your Band 

Zach: "Out of Line" and "Danger". They pretty much sum it up as far as our sound goes. 

Pete: I’d say Danger and United Divide are pretty defining. 

Joe: Out of Line and Symphony #1 are great tunes. 

Doug: “Thunder” and “Symphony #1” for sure. Thunder catches all of our groove and speed parts and Symphony is just a solid instrumental. 

MM: Can you give us details on tours/festivals for the rest of the year and going into 2020 

Zach: We just played a couple of awesome festivals but for the rest of the year, we only have a few shows around New England. This weekend, on 9/21, we're releasing our first album, "Ill World (That's What You Get)" in Plattsburgh NY. After that we have a show in Winooski VT on 10/13 and a private show at Casa Crypitus. We head to Jewett City CT on December 14 and maybe one in Canada the day before but that's about it for the year. 

Doug: We also have a gig in Sunderland MA on 11/31 and have plans for Holyoke MA this year too! 

MM: What can we expect from Crypitus live 

Zach: You can expect a lot of Shenanigans and tomfoolery as well as a very energetic and enthusiastic stage presence, unorthodox drum stuff and cool guitar riffage. Maybe some clowns too. 

Pete: Plenty of headbanging and running around. We have a lot of energy on stage and make it a lot of fun for the audience. 

Joe: Moshing, cool music and a fun time. 

Doug: Headbanging, thrashing around. We encourage a good time. 

MM: Can u tell me what do you like best about touring And worst? 

Zach: My favorite part about touring is that no matter where we go, the metal scene is like a brotherhood. Every band seems to want to support every other band. What I really dislike about touring is that I miss my dog terribly when we're not home. 

Pete: The best part of touring is going to new places that still feel like home. The metal scene everywhere seems to embrace everyone no matter where you’re from. Our friends we’ve made is the best part of touring around. The worst part is long car rides but music is always a-blarin when we’re drivin. 

Joe: Best part of touring is seeing new places, old friends, and playing for people. Worst part is long car drives. 

Doug: I love the road, seeing new places and meeting new people. The shows and the bonds we make with people makes me happy. I’m not a fan of city traffic though. 

MM: Who would be your ultimate bands to tour with 

Zach: I'd love to tour with Between the Buried and Me. I've been told we’d fit well with Voivod too. 

Pete: If Dweezil Zappa toured with anyone I’d want to tour with him. Between the Buried and Me, Intervals, and Plini. 

Joe: I'd like to tour with Primus not that we fit in with them. 

Doug: Throw us on a package with Voivod and Death Angel please. 

MM: With so many Bands out there..How do you intend to stand out from the others? 

Zach: We do whatever we can to make the Crypitus experience memorable. People tend to remember a clown in a top hat. 

Pete: We have a very unique sound. We’re all fans of a lot of different styles of music so we each add our own influences to it. 

Joe: I just try to make decent music and have a fun time doing it. 

Doug: Ultimately I think it’s important to make good music that doesn’t sound like what’s going on right now. A thrash/death influenced band with a modern kick is what we strive to be. 

MM: When did you first realise you had such a musical talent and do you remember your first ever performance 

Zach: I've never really considered myself to be that talented. I'll never forget my first show. I was in highschool and there were a bunch of girls there and they screamed a lot. I felt really special. 

Pete: I started piano when I was 5 or so and played for a few years. I wanted to play guitar because it was cooler than the piano and I just picked out by ear some songs I knew. I learned how to read tablature around 13 and just progressed from there. My first performance was a high school talent show where I played along to a My Chemical Romance song. It was my first time playing a half stack and it was awesome. 

Joe: I learned how to play trumpet in middle school. My first performance was with this band at Max Cap in Chicopee, MA 

Doug: It all started with a burning desire to learn guitar I couldn't bring myself to put it down. So when I was in 7th grade I decided to get a band together and time to perform at the talent show for the school. Probably two weeks before our performance everyone backed out so I decided that I would play a cover of Black Sabbath - War Pigs all by myself. It was a big moment for me honestly because that’s the first time I encountered the stage and I realized that stage fright wasn’t a problem I’d face. 

MM: What's the most memorable concert you've been to (other than your own) and why? 

Zach: I got to catch the Between the Buried and Me "Colors" 10 year anniversary tour. It was the coolest thing ever. 

Pete: Seeing Blink 182 and My Chemical Romance was amazing. They suspended Travis Barker 50 feet in the air during a drum solo. 

Joe: Haven't been to a lot of concerts but i saw Between the Buried and Me with Pete and Zach and it was an awesome time. 

Doug: Ah man that’s not fair; I’ve seen plenty of great shows but I can’t say I’ve been to a show as stacked as Anthrax/Testament/Death Angel in Clifton Park NY. That was the ultimate thrash show. 

MM: What do you feel has been your biggest accomplishment so far with Crypitus? 

Zach: Releasing our album feels like a big accomplishment after waiting a whole year after recording for it to get finished. The 2 festivals we played this year were quite fulfilling too. 

Pete: Playing RPM Fest was a great experience. Definitely the biggest crowd we’ve had in a while and it felt good to turn some heads. Putting out a professionally recorded album is really cool too. 

Joe: Playing at RPM fest and releasing an album 

Doug: Releasing our first album is the biggest thing for me. 

MM:  Which are your Two favorite  albums of all time and what they have meant to you personally 

Zach: I just have 1. Between the Buried and Me's Colors changed my life forever the first time I heard it. That is the epitome of awesome in my own musical taste. 

Pete: I’m going to do top 3: Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd, Colors by Between the Buried and Me, and Hot Rats by Frank Zappa. 

Joe: Dethalbum 1 by Dethklok because it was the first album i bought, & And Justice For All by Metallica because it got me into guitar. 

Doug: Ooooofff. Rust in Piece - Megadeth is my all time favorite Megadeth albums it was the first metal album I binge on. Second Exivious - Self Titled that album is a damn MASTERPIECE. 

MM: Where would you like to see yourselves in 5 years time ? 

Zach: I'd like to be playing some tours with some bigger acts. 

Pete: Playing shows with bigger bands and recording some good music. 

Joe: I'd like to play bigger venues with other awesome bands. 

Doug: Continuing to do what I love playing as far and wide as possible 

MM: Four words to describe Crypitus? 

Zach: Psychic thrash metal fusion 

Pete: Progressive Psychedelic Groove Thrash 

Joe: Groovy prog thrash metal 

Doug: Home Grown Vermont Metal 

MM: Can you tell me why we should check out Crypitus? 

Zach: You should check us out because we have a really unique sound. Another reason is because we're cool dudes and it makes us happy when people listen to our music. You never know. You might even like it. 

Pete: You haven’t heard a band like us before. 

Joe: We are cool people with cool music and a distinct sound. 

Doug: We just released our first album Ill World (That's What You Get) it does a great job at capturing what we do!

Getting to Know… Crypitus | Interview ? 

Dec 2, 2019 | Posted by the musical hype

 

For Interview #41 in the Getting to Know… series, The Musical Hype gets the scoop from all four members of Vermont metal band, Crypitus. 

It’s a rarity when one is able to attain an interview where the entirety of the band participates.  That’s exactly what went down for The Musical Hype with the interviewees on hand, Vermont heavy metal collective, Crypitus – what a name, right? Crypitus is comprised of four members: Doug Friend (guitar/vocals), Joe Minard II (bass), Peter Snee (rhythm guitar), and Zach Patch (percussion).  Under the umbrella of metal, Crypitus blends genres, giving them a unique sound.  Pete characterizes the band as “a mixture of thrash and prog metal with some jazzy groove(s) thrown in.”  That’s certainly distinct to say the least.  Without further ado, here is Getting to Know… Crypitus, Interview #41. 

Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype (BF): Let’s get this started off right. For those who may not be familiar with Cryp, what would you say makes your band distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off? 

Pete: We put a lot of energy into our live shows to make it fun for us and the audience. I love nothing in the world more than playing on stage and I try to let that through. We have a unique sound that’s a mixture of thrash and prog metal with some jazzy groove(s) thrown in. 

Joe: We have a blend of genres that gives us a distinct sound and a high energy performance that is great live show. 

Zach: It’s our energy and unique sound. We really put a lot of effort into making our performance memorable in both a musical way and with our stage presence and antics. Come check it out sometime, you’ll see. 

Doug: We are a high energy, fast paced band that combines progressive drum stylings with thrashing guitars that makes for an original sound! Along with that, we make for an attractive live show, we encourage thrashing around, and our aim is always a good time. 

BF: Awesomeness – ROCK ON! Let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did your Crypitus form and what were some of the goals or the visions you had as a band early on? 

Pete: Doug and I were roommates and started playing some songs together. I found Zach on Facebook looking for people to jam with and we clicked. 

Joe: I joined after a friend introduced me when they were in need of a bassist. 

Zach: Doug and Pete had already been playing together for a bit. At the time, I was desperately searching the internet for musicians to jam with and Pete was the first guy to respond. I didn’t really have any goals or visions at the time. I just really wanted to play music with someone instead of playing with myself. 

Doug: The band formed after Pete and I decided to start working on putting a band together, we took some of the framework for a project that I worked on with an old friend of mine who I unfortunately had a falling out with. We found Zach after searching the internet and the first practice clicked rather well. I didn’t have any specific goals for Crypitus, but I was sick of not doing anything with music and that has taken us to places I never could have imagined playing. 

BF: Let’s dig deeper into goals. Have your goals or your perspectives changed since first starting out? What do your aspirations or goals look like now? 

Pete: I’ve been wanting to be a big band since we started. I want to play shows all over the world. 

Joe: Having a good time making music with friends is the main goal and world domination eventually. 

Zach: I mean, I’d really like to take over the world someday, but my goals are still the same. I want to make cool music with my good friends and share it with the rest of the world. 

Doug: My goals have shifted since the beginning for sure! One big thing I had as a goal was releasing music and we have already released our album.  Another [goal] was playing in every state in New England, now I want to play every state in the country. But if your goals are stagnant, my advice is to give up now. 

BF: No stagnant goals – right on. Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Who would you consider some of your biggest musical influences and how are they influential? 

Pete: Brent Hinds from Mastodon and Frank Zappa are probably my biggest influences. Aaron Marshall from Intervals is great too. 

Joe: Metallica, Primus, and System of a Down are some of my influences. Mostly because I learn how to play music from their songs. 

Zach: Blake Richardson from Between the Buried and Me is my biggest influence. The way he plays just gives me a musical lift in my pants. Terry Bozzio, Mike Portnoy, and Danny Carey are other big influences on my playing as well. 

Doug: My biggest influences are probably Dave Mustaine of Megadeth and Chuck Schuildner of Death. Both of these artists have always stood out to be in how quintessential they made their sound; you could hear just one note of the song and know who it belongs to. 

BF: “The way he plays just gives me a musical lift in my pants” – quite a way to put it, haha! That’s pretty fun, but let’s move on to more fun stuff. What’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance? Feel free to be creative. 

Pete: One of the first shows on last year’s tour I broke a strut on my car and had to drive two hours home then another six to Philadelphia. I don’t think I’ve driven so fast in my life. 

Zach: Well, this one time, at one of our first shows, I counted off for our first song of the night and my drums started to float away. 

Doug: One time, we played a show with the band Psychostick, and I dressed up as a taco for the occasion, so during their song “Do You Want A Taco?”, I crowd surfed towards the front where their bassist, ‘Moose,’ proceeded to summon me, bite my arm, and toss me back into the crowd; good times. 

BF: Wow… I’m a bit speechless with the taco story haha. Up until this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special? 

Pete: “Breakdown” is starting to become my favorite live song. It’s one of the first ones we learned together and we’re so tight with it every time. 

Joe: “Breakdown” is one of my favorites. It’s fun, easy to play, and sounds cool. 

Zach: There are a few I call favorites, but I’d have to say “United Divide” is my favorite. It’s really hard to play and it’s a technical song. It just tickles my musical fancy. 

Doug: “Symphony #1” being recorded is so important to me, I’ve been playing this song since I wrote it in 2011 and having it be incorporated into our album makes me so happy. 

BF: Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left of center the world should know about you? Secret talents or surprising tidbits? 

Zach: I’m an outdoors man. I feed myself and my lady with the food I grow or procure while fishing and hunting. We eat a lot of roadkill too. I really enjoy a long walk on the lake or a relaxing boat trip through the woods. Other than that, I’m pretty lame. 

Doug: I spelled my name incorrectly for 15 years unbeknownst to me and I suffered a nerve injury in 2014 that left half of my tongue completely numb for 6 months, the feelings back, I’m just not completely normal haha. 

BF: Closing this thing out, what Crypitus currently working on, promoting that you can share with us or want us to know about? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure. 

Pete: We just put out our first full length album. We’re also playing with Exmortus, which is exciting. We always have new songs and shows in the works so keep your eyes and ears out. 

Zach: Doug would love to tell you about the awesome album we just released – Ill World (That’s What You Get) and where you can buy and stream it. We also have a killer show in Waterford, NY with the mighty Exmortus on December 2nd that we are all more than excited for. 

Doug: We have our album available for purchase from our website, our bandcamp, and streaming on Apple Music, Pandora, Spotify and more! The album is a culmination of the past three years of Crypitus, and we hope it helps define our sound. The tickets for Exmortus in Waterford are also available on our bandcamp. And the very last exciting tidbit is we will be playing in support of In Flames in Worcester MA at the Palladium on 12.6.19! Trying to end the year with a bang so come on out and have some fun with us!

Review: Death metal band Crypitus reinvents itself with new EP 

Madeline Laguaite | Staff Writer 
Oct 24, 2017

Crypitus has only been active since 2015 and yet it has already established itself as a heavy metal band.

Crypitus, a death metal band based out of Vermont, recently released its debut demo, “Exhibit 1: Prelude to the Dead World.” This is Crypitus’ first EP since the band reinvented themselves with a new lineup in 2016. 

Though the band has only been active since its founding in 2015 by musician Doug Friend, it has already been shaped and molded into the heavy, black metal group that it is today. Crypitus began taking New England by storm, performing in states like New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut. However, it was only this year that the band was able to release “Exhibit 1: Prelude to the Dead World,” a small taste of the sheer intensity and contemplative themes with a universal perspective that the band puts out through their songs. 

The band’s first track on the demo, “Breakdown,” is an ideal song to introduce the EP. Upon listening, a seasoned metal fan can tell Crypitus is more than just “noise.” Friend takes angry, desperate emotion and channels it into intense lyrics. Right away, listeners get a taste of his pure, incredible vocal stamina. While Friend does not sing the entire five minutes and 40 seconds, he does demonstrate his ability to push through voice-grating verses. The guitar and bass truly work together to expand “Breakdown” into the loaded track that it is. The guitar riffs, which become somewhat familiar towards the end of the song, are complex and would be hard for an average person to emulate, yet are not out of place. The wild, fast-paced riffs coupled with Friend’s clear interjections of “breakdown” quite literally works to describe a mental breakdown of sorts. 

Friend described “Breakdown” in an interview with the blog MusicBoxPete as being about “mental conflict” and “insanity.” 

With the second track, “Tundra,” the intensity remains, albeit a little more muted. Even the vocals are toned down with the repetition of “tundra,” throughout the track. Friend said the track was playing around with concepts like “transcendentalism and isolation.” Lyrics like, “Enter the bitter abyss, can’t get better than this” and “tundra, tundra, let me have this!” 

“Thunder” starts hot, with a very heavy emphasis on drums and guitar before the vocals come in, raw and filled with emotion as ever. The guitar melody is catchy and somewhat bouncy, something that complements Friend’s voice. The song’s theme, however, is what sets it apart from the rest of the album. Possibly one of the less prevalent themes of black metal is the concept of saving and respecting the Earth, but Friend said, “‘Thunder’ is basically a warning to the world. If you don’t respect Mother Earth, she’ll bite back.” 

The up-and-coming death metal band, Crypitus, officially introduced themselves to the world with “Exhibit 1: Prelude to the Dead World.” This EP debut of three songs offers just enough of the taste for the listener to want to order the whole meal. Crypitus does not plan to stop with “Exhibit 1” either — the band has set up tour dates and is actively traveling and pursuing its passion for heavy metal.