Cranial Separation Interview
There can have been few finer sights in metal in recent years than the disbelief that spread across the faces of the three members of Cranial Separation when they heard they had earnt a slot on the Jägermeister Stage at Bloodstock this year. A stellar performance in the final catapulted the band towards the best metal festival in the UK. I was able to speak to the band to find out a bit more for your lovely people.
Paul: For the uninitiated, give us a quick history of the band and introduce us to the current line-up.
CS: “The band formed after Ray (Packer -vocals and guitar) created Cranial initially as a solo project, upon leaving Sodomized Cadaver. After a short while he enlisted the help of Ankou (Agrona) on drums and Chris Mächin, on bass and this allowed for a faster work pace, made for easier live shows, and more influences added into the mix.
Paul: Describe the Cranial Separation sound.
CS: “We kind of fit into the Deathgrind genre, however we don’t try to make any specific sound”. Note: They may not try to make any specific sound, but they make an astonishing sound for a three-piece, It’s not something your granny would want played at her funeral.
Paul: Who are the main influences for the band?
CS: “Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus, Brain Drill, Origin, Orator, Carcass, Rammstein, Judas Priest”.
Surprise us with something you also like? What’s the guilty pleasure?
CS: “Well Ankou is a huge fan of Synthwave and other EDM genres on top of metal; Ray enjoys some ambient calming soundscapes and Chris has a slight penchant for Psy...” Indeed, if you check out Soundcloud, you can find some of Sam’s synthwave compositions.
Paul: You worked hard to get through to the final of the M2TM South Wales this year. How did you feel getting through to the final?
CS: It felt great. was completely unexpected, even with the effort we knew we weren’t as established as our competition, so we came out guns blazing to try and make a name for ourselves ready to return next year. When we were announced winning a spot on the Jager stage we were in some disbelief and amazement”.
Paul: The final was an evening full of excitement and I thought that you hit a new high with your performance as a band. You don’t go into any final to lose but the other three bands probably brought more support with them. How did you feel about that performance?
CS: “It was our best performance to date, we pulled out all the stops and thanks to a great sound engineer we were able to sound our best”.
Paul: That winning moment, when Rob announced you were getting the Jager Stage slot, saw Ray, Chris and you look completely amazed. Tell us a bit about how it felt.
CS: “We were amazed, with most of our audience overseas we weren’t expecting anywhere near the response we got, and to make it to the finals was already the goal achieved. The win left us all stunned and ecstatic at the same time”.
Paul: So, Bloodstock 2018. You’ve got the Jager Stage slot whilst we have Welsh bands in Democratus on the New Blood Stage and Sodomised Cadaver on the Sophie Stage. It should be a good party.
CS: “Yeah Man, it’ll make for a tidy weekend. All the booze and metal you can grab with a solid Welsh Presence. It's going to be one hell of a party”.
Paul: What can we expect from you guys – why should those who are undecided come and watch?
CS: “Brutal Blast beats, mosh pits, Heavy Guitars and maybe even some Dildos ...”
Paul: For anyone who has yet to experience Bloodstock, why should you go?
CS: “Bloodstock is the perfect festival, plenty of booze and metal, an atmosphere that is unbeatable. Friendly, accepting and down to party. If you want a good time it is the perfect place, Yeah Man!”
Paul: And after Bloodstock? What next for Cranial.
CS: “We aim to get some more shows around the UK and even something abroad maybe ...”
Huge thanks to the guys at Cranial Separation for their time. The band play on Saturday 11th August on the Jägermeister Stage and will be sandwiched in between two gargantuan acts on the main stage. I expect the Jägermeister Stage to be rammed for these guys, but you should really check them out, with surprises and some sweet ZZ Top moves in store, it promises to be a brilliant show. Yeah Man!!
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