The
Florida band Caveman Cult plays barbaric black/death/war metal that will rip
you to shreds. This interview was conducted with Alvar Antillón, founder,
singer, and bassist.
How
did you come up with the name Caveman Cult? It’s definitely compatible with the
type of music you play. Is it meant to be tongue-in-cheek in any way?
Alvar: Our
guitarist Harold came up with the name. To my understanding the name is
definitely meant to match the nature of the music and the intent behind it. We
definitely are set on being different and much rather have our own style. We
are never concerned about what other artists in the genre are doing, we rather
keep it our own thing.
How
do you think your last album “Blood and Extinction” holds up compared to your
previous recordings? How do you feel about the outcome and response from
critics?
Alvar: In
comparison to our prior efforts the production on Blood and Extinction is
definitely the most clear so far, however it still has that raw quality that we
need for this kind of music. Musically with this one we definitely wanted it to
be the most relentless and cut-throat record so far. There are no slow parts,
more guitar solos, and the songs are kept short and stripped down. We are very
satisfied with how it came out and the response has definitely assisted us to
progress as a band and getting good prospects for more sick shows.
When
it comes to your music, does the word “evolution” have any significance? How would
you define your sound and influences?
Alvar: I think
evolution applies to any artist as one would always want to evolve and progress
rather than remaining stagnant. We take the concept of evolution to our music
in the way of how we can make the songs more stripped down and primal. Rather
than making the caveman smarter we want to make him more ignorant, violent, and
definitely a thicker forehead. We take influences from the classics of metal,
but obviously much more in the vein of the barbaric and bestial. Picking up
from the works of Bathory, Sarcofago, Venom, Bestial Warlust, Blasphemy,
Repulsion, etc. Hardcore and punk also most definitely influences our approach
to just making the filthiest metal possible.
What’s
on your playlist most of the time? If I’m not mistaken, you are a maniac for
old-school black, death, thrash and heavy metal? Do you have any favorite
albums of the year so far?
Alvar: I
mentioned classic bands in the previous question that I regularly listen to
however I listen to all kinds of music that isn’t metal all the time. I feel
you get a wider perspective as a music fan in general and it does get boring to
me just listening to the same thing. Caveman Cult on tour is the same way we
definitely dedicate moments to all kinds of music and even bad music on purpose
just for the fuck of it. We can range from funk to industrial, to jazz to
ignorant rap. We enjoy keeping it fresh. My favorite recent albums so far that
remain relevant to the purposes of this interview would be Abysmal Lord
"Bestiary of Immortal Hunger" (2022) and Shitstorm "Only in
Dade" (2023)
I’ve
noticed some pretty divisive reactions towards Caveman Cult in the past, with
some people even sounding envious of the band for some reason. What do you
think might be the cause of this?
Alvar: Some
people don't like us simply because of our name, I speculate because we don't
fit their satanic bestial war metal cookie cutter mold. Whether it be that or
envy that people dislike us, we couldn't care less. We just do what we do and
if people like it or not that’s not what drives us. It’s good to have haters,
confirms we are doing something right.
Thanks
for your time brother! To wrap up this interview, can you tell us about your
future plans, projects, etc.? Good luck with the tour and cheers!
Alvar: Caveman
Cult is working on a third full length album which we are striving to record
this year, we will also be performing once again at Destroying Texas Fest in
Houston this July coming up. I have a newer project called Ejecutadór in which
I perform guitar and vocals. We play a blend of classic styles along the lines
of death and thrash metal. We just recently released our first EP
"Stalking the Kill" which can be found on YouTube and also physical
copies soon through
www.alternativemia.com
