Interview with death metal band from Netherlands - FROM THE CRYPT.
Answered Luuk (guitars), thank you!
Recenze/review - FROM THE CRYPT - Born in the Grave (2025):
Ave FROM THE CRYPT! Greetings to the Dutch underground. Let's get straight to the point. You have a new album out, "Born in the Grave," which is literally packed with honest, dirty death metal. How did the album come about and how do you feel about it? How has FROM THE CRYPT moved on since the demo?
Comparing the new songs to the demo tracks there's definitely progress. The new songs are a bit more challenging without losing the band's vibe and sound and they still do justice to the old-school death metal we represent. The drums were recorded in the studio while the guitars and vocals were recorded by ourselves so you could say it was a partly DIY process.
I'm listening to the album right now and I have to say that this time it took me a while to get into it. I put the album in my player and listen to it in my car. I really like the sound. It's lively, organic, old school, and at the same time easy to understand. Where did you record it and who is responsible for the sound?
For us it was important that the album had a raw sound. Many records these days are overproduced and unnatural. We use tube amps, not digital equipment and we didn't use drum samples either. We recorded the way we sound live giving the listener an honest impression of the band. We recorded most of it at Overdose Audio in the Netherlands where everything was ultimately mixed. The album was mastered by Audiosiege in the US. Rawskullrecordz released the album including three early demo tracks on CD and In To It Records released it on cassette tape.
I think you'll agree with me that the cover sells. You've really done a great job with it this year. Who is the author? How did you get together with the author and what exactly is the motif supposed to express in relation to the music?
I really appreciate this question. Yes artwork sells. You can have great music but if your cover is something everyone ignores in the record store it's useless. Unfortunately we're seeing a trend where A.i. covers are slowly taking over. Just like our honest sound we also felt it was important to have an honest cover that matches the record. We searched for artists with a sinister dark vibe. We ultimately approached Adam Burke of Nightjar Illustration. Adam creates hand painted artwork that immediately resonated with us. We were particularly drawn to the color scheme and the inclusion of a big-ass skull in the design that completed the picture for us.
I keep listening to "Born in the Grave" over and over again, and I think what I like most about the album is that hard-to-describe old school death metal feeling. It seems we're cut from the same cloth. Who was and is your role model? Every musician started out somehow, and there are role models who shaped their style. What were yours?
There are so many and it will be different for each band member. As for the style I've developed as a guitar player I admire Allan West (ex. Obituary) and Steve Swanson (ex. Six Feet Under). When it comes to drummers there are only two for me. Dave Lombardo and Nick Barker but perhaps other bandmembers will mention Chris Reifert (Autopsy). Chris Barnes is the ultimate frontman for me. Early days of Cannibal Corpse and Six Feet Under stand out.
What do you think about the current trend, widespread mainly among young bands, where they try to play as technically as possible, often incorporating saxophones and various keyboards into death metal, and generally seeking a very complicated approach? Do you enjoy such bands? For example, when I go to a concert and someone like that is performing, I'm confused. It seems like an exercise in jazz school, but in the end, I don't remember anything. What about you and current trends in death metal?
For us it's all about vibe and groove. No we don't have unfollowable guitar solos, no we don't play 240+ bpm riffs but what makes From the Crypt stand out is its accessibility. You can see at our live shows that people seeing us for the first time easily pick it up. They klick with the band. It's accessible and catchy so the riffs stick and it's almost impossible not to move. We also have bands like Cryptopsy, Immolation and Dying Fetus in our own music collection but I can imagine a first live experience can be confusing if you don't own the album. We keep it simple.
Let's go back to the beginning... What was the initial impulse that led you to form a band? And why death metal? It's not exactly a style that would bring you great "fame." Please walk us through the history of your band.
I think this style has always been like a silent killer within us in a positive sense of the word. In the '90s metal was practically dying. You saw bigger metal bands start making more mainstream oriented music. Then you saw the rise of Nu Metal and a genre like Goregrind was a big hit. When you reach a certain age you go back to basics which is Death Metal for us. The love never went away but it was temporarily put on the back burner. In 2022 this fire has been rekindled and it's wonderful to see that this scene is still alive and that what we do is appreciated.
You come from the Netherlands and play extreme death metal. Our readers would certainly be interested to know how the death metal scene works in your country. To tell you the truth, lately I've been hearing only great bands from you. Does that mean that the scene is currently very strong in your country? What about concerts, how many people go?
I can honestly say that we're spoiled in the Netherlands when it comes to venues. If you want you can go to a show several times a week. There's a distinction between bar shows for up to 100 people, club shows for up to 1.000 people, one day indoor festivals for up to 800 people and multi day outdoor festivals for up to 5.000 people per day. And right there is the problem. There's so much to do that you have to make choices especially considering the prices of these venues have risen considerably in recent years. We already have a great Dutch legacy with Asphyx, Gorefest, Sinister, and Pestilence but it's great to see new bands like Deadspeak and Bloodcrypt taking over the torch. I do see that Slam, Metalcore and anything Post-black/metal related is very popular with the younger crowd.
Your music shows that you are influenced by both the American death metal school and old European bands. How about you as fans? Do you prefer the original death metal of the nineties, or do you also draw inspiration from new albums? If so, I would be interested to know which bands had/have the greatest influence on FROM THE CRYPT.
If you listen to our music you'll undeniably hear influences from pioneers like Obituary, Six Feet Under, and Bolt Thrower. It's all about the groove and catchy riffs with these bands. What's different I think are the slow blunt parts we use which are comparable of bands like Mortician and even Crowbar. It's great to see a kind of new wave of Death Metal emerging in recent years with bands like Gatecreeper, Creeping Death, and Frozen Soul which definitely inspire us as well.
We are approaching the end, and I always ask a slightly philosophical question. How would you define death metal and what does it mean to you? I don't mean the technique of playing, but rather what it brings you, what it takes away, how you perceive it in relation to fans. Did you grow up with it?
Okay, then you'll get a philosophical answer back ;). The heart is pure and clean and from there comes the love and passion for this music. We believe it's important that our music triggers and ignites something in ourselves and in others. In the past when we where young other bands have triggered that in us when we went to a live performance. This is what we want to share with others.
What does FROM THE CRYPT have planned for the coming months? If you want to say something to fans, labels, promoters, or just have something on your mind, here's your chance...
On November 29th we'll be playing a “BORN IN THE GRAVE” release show at our hown town. It's not about us as individuals but about having a great time with the people around us and other bands. In early 2026 we'll hit the studio so we can release new music for you in late 2026 / early 2027. You can listen to our music on all the major streaming services and buy it through Bandcamp or the music labels.
Thank you for reaching out and all the people that had a listen to “BORN IN THE GRAVE”.
Stay brutal en keep supporting the scene.
Thank you very much for the interview. I appreciate it. Now let's let the music do the talking. I'm going to play "Born in the Grave" really loud! I wish you all the best with the new album and hope everything is going well in your personal lives. Thank you!
Recenze/review - FROM THE CRYPT - Born in the Grave (2025):
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