Interviews: JP Krom

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Astro Metal artist JP Krom from Chile. Check out this artist and follow him on his FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you plan it or come out just like that? 

Crom is the god of “Conan the Barbarian”, the main character of the movie. I randomly decided the name, without taking it too seriously. At that time most of the musicians didn’t their real names and I did that because; my parents gave me the same name as my father, so that was very confusing when people looked for me on the web (because my father was an artist too). I only changed the “c” for “k” and I added the initials of my name to make the difference with other persons using the name Krom. Years later I learned a book called “Krom” and it was the name of a solar god. Maybe the real influence came from that and I didn’t know. I believe there are a lot of ideas that we share in our “collective unconscious”. 

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

Maybe it was the environment in which I was raised, with a lot of classic rock and alternative music, while the other families were listening to popular music, this different music was been injected into the depths of my mind. Also the art in general was very appreciated. I think in my youth I was shocked by rock stars and after that the metal, and their divergent thinking. Music was always my company and drug, a world that I could travel to any time: to different places and through time. In my youth rock and metal were very famous around the world. Youth in its context is something that marks you for life. After that, my ideologies, which tried to be far from the mainstream, kept me in metal when it was not so popular later in our society. I like gothic metal, but it is not my main genre, I like a lot of genres in the same quantity I guess. But I think my voice suits better with gothic metal and its derivatives.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

This is a soloist project, I started it years ago when I was really bored with singers and their egocentrism. I needed a band to promote the songs of this new album that was finally officially released in 2017. No actual member was in that moment. Braulio was in there, back in 2016 (and living in Santiago de Chile, not in Coquimbo, another city of Chile, as nowadays), but just helping with synths, not being part of the band, through the years he became closer to this project. Reynaldo is the second bass player this project has had since 2016. The band was formed to play the songs. Nowadays we work together to have more instances to grow with music, even this it’s still a soloist project. The current members to play live are Reynaldo Catalán and Braulio Morales.

4. Each band member's favorite band?

J.P.: No just one favorite band. There are three: Dream Theater, Guns N’ Roses, and Slayer.

Reynaldo: Metallica.

Braulio: Derek Sherinian.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

I am the composer of this soloist project and I see life through symbolisms, I see patterns in life. It is interesting for me to see all of it through this filter, mainly astrology. My header bands are Slayer, Dream Theater, and Guns N’ Roses, but what I do it’s not similar of that. But if you listen very carefully, you will find those influences.

I really love Bloody Kisses and October Rust from Type O Negative, but they are not my favorite band (maybe if they just have been released those two albums). I love that style and I found it in other bands as well with songs that sound like that, but that the band doesn’t cultivate it. At the same, I love songs from bands that are gothic, but I don’t like most of the songs of the bands. I really like creating. Creating is like being an antenna. All of the ideas are there, as are all of the thoughts we have as humanity. An artist takes that signal and transforms it in relation to what the artist is. The artist is a filter, and each melody is taken to a different style, depending on the person and its influences. I like being on this antenna and traveling to other places/times.

With each melody or riff comes an idea or a color. With each image or lyrics comes a melody or a riff. The process can be started in both ways when I create.

I studied astrology and the path for the lyrics naturally channeled in that. The music had the same inspiration in a more abstract way. I decided to call the style “astrological metal” (after called astrometal) after a conversation with a classmate who called my music like that when I told her that the lyrics and the composition were based on that.

I think for all of us the deepest emotions are our main influences. We all share the same emotions mainly.

6. Where was your last gig? 

The last one I think is the best one was when we played for the opening act to Moonspell this year. The way we sounded and the way the public answered was great. I thank Moonspell for choosing my music. They are great people and great musicians as well. 

7. Where would you like to act?

It is very interesting what gothics do, very creative in what you see in their performances and the way they look. And those festivals are in Europe generally. And of course any famous festival from Germany or the Netherlands. I think my music fits well in those countries and I would like to play in those places.

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

Type O Negative (if Peter were alive, but anyway they could do the same thing as Alice in Chains), The 69 Eyes, Theater of Tragedy (with Liv Kristine), Lacrimas Profundere, and others.

9. Whom not?

I have no blacklist of that.

10. Any of you has ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that?

In one of my first gigs I was so nervous that my leg was shaking, I tried to move so people couldn’t realize that. Musicians are always nervous when are on stage, the thing is how much are you going to be? The only way to get over things in general is facing them, and having a person with experience next to you so he/she can tell you how to face this situation. The only way is to face the problem as James LaBrie says “Let's stare the problem right in the eye”. Each time you’re going to be better on that. If not, you’re going to get over nothing.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

There are three: Dream Theater, Guns N’ Roses, and Slayer. But there are bands as well that inspired me with albums they’ve made: As I said, October Rust and Bloody Kisses from Type O Negative, and other bands as Theatre of Tragedy with albums as “ Aégis”. “Back in Blood”, from The 69 Eyes, is a really good album that inspired me as well. I have a lot of gothic metal bands I am a fan of, but I am a fan of albums of them.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for? 

She wanted me to buy a T-shirt, but one used for me. She wanted me to sleep with it, so the T-shirt would smell like me

13. What do you think of your fans? 

I think just of gratefulness when I think of them. I think that is on both sides.

14. What do you think of our site?

Very good, it looks like a label website. Easy to use. Very good sections with music to buy and download for free. I would like to be in there!

15. Something to add?

ASTROMETAL is coming…