Interviews About Albums: Crucible Of Hate - The Unknown Path (2023)

In this new interview, we sat down with the American Metal band Crucible Of Hate to ask some questions about their new album "The Unknown Path". 

1. What can you say about this new EP/CD?

The Unknown Path is an album we are extremely proud of. It took 5 years to write and record, a lot of which had to do with a big slowdown during the pandemic and a loss of motivation and infrequent practices for quite some time. Fortunately, we overcame those hurdles and came out stronger than we've ever been as a band. We feel the album shows our progression and maturity as a band. The songwriting and style have evolved and become a bit heavier and more concise. The clean vocals from the first album are gone. What we made is a collection of dark, heavy, groove-laden, and at times progressive death metal songs that come out strong and get your head nodding, while also exploring deeper philosophical topics that will hopefully stimulate some and inspire others.

2. What is the meaning of the EP/CD name? 

It is the name of one of the songs, but the theme applied to the lyrics in many of the songs so it seemed a fitting album title. Unintentionally, it turned out that I wrote about finding one's own path or walking a path untrodden in many of the songs, which was funny considering these lyrics were written slowly over a 5-year period of time without a central theme in mind. So it just sort of came to be, but fit perfectly with the album. Find your own path, follow no one, and find the strength within to forge your own way in life.

3. Which one is the composer of the CD/EP?

Our guitar player and founder, Donny, writes about 95% of the riffs. However, the four of us build the songs together and we all have input on the arrangement, transitions, etc. Pete writes all his own guitar harmonies to complement Donny's riffs, which adds a lot to the depth of the music. I (Dan) write all the lyrics.

4. If you had to pick one song, which one would you pick? 

This is the hardest question here, but I'd have to say Legacy. Both for personal and musical reasons, this song is epic and hits so hard on so many levels, at least for me. I hope it will for others too. 

5. Is there a special message in this EP/CD? If there is what it is?

As discussed above, find your own path in life. But also, expanding on that same theme, dare to explore new ground, do the hard thing, or the thing that no one else thinks you should do, or maybe the thing that no one thinks you can do. Leave religion and preconceived notions behind you.

6. Are there some lyrics that you'd love to share?

I'm very proud of all the lyrics on this album, but a passage that stands out is from the song "Eradicate the Thorn of Deceit." In a few lines, it perfectly describes the fallacy of typical mainstream Christian beliefs. I was raised in a fundamentalist Christian family, and while I feel everyone is entitled to believe and worship any way they please, I have a strong disdain for organized religion and consider myself an atheist. But I digress. Here are the lyrics: "Using the blind faith of youth, accepting anything that you say Taking advantage of trust, deceiving, on innocence they prey Building a system of guilt, demanding constant absolution Fear to deny fallacy for fear of consequence so they pray"

7. Which inspirations have been important for this album? Like musically or friends, family, someone you'd love to thank especially?

I had to dig a little deeper for the lyrics on this album, so most of the songs come from concepts I had in my head or things I feel strongly about that I found a way to put into lyrical form. I have to thank my wife for the inspiration for the song "Temporal Paradox." When we wrote that song I was so proud of the music but had no idea what it should be about. I let her hear the practice recording and asked her what the song made her feel. She said simply, "Time, it should be about time." So I went with that and came up with something that I think is really cool and also a bit philosophical: Personifying the concept of time and discussing the irony of humans being a slave to a thing that is merely relative to the solar system we happen to exist in.

8. Something to add? 

I really hope that anyone who hears the album will take the time to listen to the entire thing from start to finish. I think we've created not just cool heavy songs but an excellent piece of music that is greater as a whole than its individual parts.