Interview with CRAPULA
!!!THRASH METAL MANIACS FROM CHILE!!!
We had a conversation with Xelo (Vocals/Guitars). Enjoy!
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
Tell us a few things about CRAPULA (Members, Starting Year etc).
Crápula was formed in mid-May 2024 by Xelo War's (guitarist, vocalist, and composer of the band) with the desire to start a project in the vein of Thrash and Speed Metal. For some time, he had been wanting to launch a band in this style but he didn’t have the right people to create what would become Crápula. His motivation also came from the pause taken by “Athai,” a Black Punk project in which both Xelo and Seba were involved. During the first few months, the band played as a power trio: Xelo War on vocals and bass, Seba on guitar, and Cami Rockers on drums. That first lineup debuted on June 29, 2024, in a show in Concepción. Later, our friend Agressor joined—he was also a member of another local Thrash Metal band called “Mortal Crisis”—and took on bass duties, allowing Xelo War to move to vocals and guitar. Currently, since May 2025, Harakiri Javi is in charge of bass and backing vocals. As a fun fact, some of the songs on our latest release “Demo 2025” were composed long before the band officially existed.
You have recently released your demo "Demo 2025". What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
The reception has been great, and it has spread quite well through the underground scene (which is what we aim for and aspire to). Many of the songs had already been played live and worked on since the beginning, so in a way, the local audience where we usually play (Concepción, Chile) is already familiar with our repertoire, concept, and style.
Are you searching for a record label and what do you prefer most, Label or DIY and why?
We released the demo through an independent and DIY label called “Morbid Tapes Records,” run by Möska, who is a member of “Athai” and also took care of the production. We'd love to be released by a bigger label capable of issuing our material on cassette.
Is there any funny or weird story from the recordings or from your live shows that you would like to share with us?
Playing live is always amazing. There's not much to comment on, other than the fact that we enjoy drinking beer and telling occasional funny stories or anecdotes about the songs.
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
Of the physical formats, we really prefer cassettes, since that's the medium through which a lot of the metal we love circulates. Plus, there's a sense of nostalgia for an era we didn't live through due to our age. Still, we don't reject the digital format because it helps us reach people from all over the world more easily.
Your music style is Thrash Metal. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc).
Crápula’s sound has the speed and aggression of Thrash and Speed Metal, but also certain hints of filth and a bit of the roughness of Rock and Roll. We can cite diverse influences, such as German Thrash Metal bands like Kreator, Sodom, Destruction, and Violent Force. Other key bands include: Exciter, Slayer, Motörhead, Venom, Overkill, Violator, and Toxic Holocaust. From the Chilean scene: Disaster, Ripper, Terror Strike, and Devil's Poison. And from Argentina, we’re huge fans of V8 and Hermética.
Which things do you think a band should sacrifice in order to succeed? Have you ever sacrificed anything in your life for a better future for your band?
Rather than sacrifice, it's about dedicating time, being consistent, putting the effort, and having the drive to make music—growing steadily without delusions of grandeur or chasing hollow success. Perhaps each of us has put aside things in our personal lives to rehearse, play, or improve our performance and instrumentation.
Describe your ideal live show as a performance band. Have you already experienced that?
We’re not sure a “perfect” show exists, but we believe the key elements of a great gig are: good sound, a strong lineup, an engaged audience, and a good organization and organizers. As a band, we’ve had the chance to open for some well-established Chilean acts like Panzer and Acero Letal—experiences we consider among the best so far.
What attributes do you think that a new Thrash Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
There are no formulas—only the drive to create a project with identity that, regardless of the reception, fulfills the musical needs of the band members.
Do you believe that Digital Platforms help the new Thrash Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a band to promote its work?
Digital platforms help spread new projects and allow us to discover music from all over.
From your experience in the music industry, what would you tell a new Thrash Metal band to avoid or what to do?
Consistently releasing new music and playing live helps a lot when it comes to getting your name out there—along with your music and what your project stands for. Do what makes you happy. Don’t follow preconceived ideas or associate with people who might take advantage of you or be harmful to the band.
What does Metal mean to you? And give us 10 metal albums that run in your veins.
For us, metal means speed, gathering, and beer. It's what drives us to always want to create something related to it, whether that’s music, live shows, or anything in between. Here are some albums that run in our veins:
● Black Metal – Venom
● Intruder of Reality – Insecurity
● Dios Ha Muerto – Acutor
● Spread Cruelty in the Abyss – Invocation Spells
● Show No Mercy – Slayer
● Thrash Zone – D.R.I.
● Thrash & Roll... A Tu Culo! – Vaginator
● Malevolent Assault of Tomorrow – Violent Force
● Raising the Corpse – Ripper
● Toba – Mayhemic
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in Chile (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
Chile is one of the most metal countries in the world. You can see it when big bands like Iron Maiden play here and sell out stadiums every time they visit the country. International bands are also starting to play in smaller cities, which shows that metal is a profitable genre to promoters . On the underground level, there’s a wide range of bands across different metal subgenres. There's also a noticeable renewal of the scene, with younger people like us wanting to contribute to the genre we love. Xelo, a member of Crápula, organizes a concert series called “MetalThrash Reunión” now in its second edition, which includes a fanzine given to attendees featuring info about the bands performing.
Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
Honestly, we don’t know much about what’s going on in Greece, but we’d love to learn more and get immersed in metal from that distant country.
What are your future plans?
Our plans are to get out of the Eighth Region of Chile and play in other parts of the country, release “Demo 2025” physically, and start working on the writing and production of a future longer release—be it an EP or an LP—with higher quality than the recently released demo.
Thank you very much for your time & keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
We invite everyone reading this interview to check out our material available on Bandcamp and YouTube, and to follow us on social media for updates. We're on Instagram as @crapula_thrash and on Facebook as Crápula. We’re very grateful for the exposure and support from your webzine, which we find to be a valuable source of information for all metalheads.
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
CRAPULA CONTACT:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567938064814
https://www.instagram.com/crapula_thrash/
https://crapulathrash.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2025