Interview with Radu Zugravu, the guitarist of the Romanian Groove metal band.
Hi Radu, how are you?
Very good! I have my cup of tea and I am ready to answer your questions.
Tell me about Crimena, how the band was founded.
We started in 2012 as a bunch of friends playing Sepultura, Pro-Pain, At The Gates, never been on stage together, we were just getting to know each other. After a while we noticed we had potential for more so we took a shot at writing our own songs. The Bitter Pill was our first song ever and it ended up as our first official video and it marked the beginning of what CRIMENA is today. We had our stage debut in November of the same year.
You guys released an EP entitled ”Genesis VI:XIII” . When was it released?
“Genesis VI:XIII” was released April 22nd 2015. We released it as soon as I finished mixing it and the others gave it the green light. It was quite a challenge as we did it all ourselves, not only the music production but also the video editing for The Bitter Pill.
Who mainly wrote the EP?
The EP and all our songs in general have their instrumental work done by me. Ideas come from each member and as I come up with riffs to complement the initial idea, Vali (Bass) helps me with arrangement and writing the bass and drum parts. Vali is also the one in charge with the theme and image so even though Cosmin (vocals) writes the lyrics usually by himself there have been numerous occasions when Vali had something to say in that regard.
How were the recordings of the EP going?
Recording was a breeze. Guitars all tracked quickly one day and bass the second. Drums are synthesized so they were written the day the songs first came to light so we just needed Cristi (Drums) to come over and make the final adjustments (fills, cymbals, few rhythms).
Did you start to record a new album?
We have started recording the album the moment we have started recording the EP, as it is in fact part of the album. We have our game plan and the album will surely be out this fall. We are revising lyrics and are about to start recording vocals next weekend. We want to get everything done as soon as possible as we have a busy schedule ahead of us.
What are the band’s main influences?
Our main influences are Lamb of God, Pantera and Sepultura. From there we each stray towards our own preferences that include stuff like Carnifex, Pro-Pain, Iron Maiden, Dream Theater. It’s a colorful mix between the 5 of us.
Are there shows confirmed for this year?
Yes, and quite a few! At this moment we are confirmed for 8 festivals, some of which we are headlining. We are very excited for Rockstadt Extreme Fest, Maximum Rock Festival and Rockomotiva and we plan to hit up cities on our way to some of these festivals. We’re also working on an European tour.
Do you have a message for people who are listening to Crimena?
Well I have to start off by saying:”Thank You!”. You guys are the reason we do this and we are happy that there are people out there that may be humming our songs. We are looking forward to seeing you guys at our future events and we are planning a small giveaway. You’re awesome!
Thank you for your time Radu, all the best!
Thank you for considering us and we hope to chat again sometime. Good Luck!
https://www.facebook.com/crimena.official/timeline
(с) Carla Morton
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