To coincide with the release of their third EP, M.T.M.D., scheduled for October 26, we had the opportunity to interview Cristian Salamanca, guitarist and frontman of Montreal thrash/death metal band Chüzo. In this interview, Cristian reveals the meaning of the title M.T.M.D., the band's musical evolution, and the importance of the Montreal metal scene in their career. He also shares his musical inspirations, his diverse influences ranging from Sepultura to Quentin Tarantino.
Serial Metalbums: Your new single from the EP M.T.M.D. is set to release on October 26. What does the title stand for, and what message do you want to convey through this EP?
Cristian Salamanca: Correct, we are releasing the single on Oct 26 and the EP soon after, if all works out. The title stands Maximum Threshold Mininum Decay. As for the meaning of the title, the combination of the four words evokes the image of an individual being grinded down by life with maximum threshold of pain and resistance and minimum decay, it’s like the character Wolverine, who can be burned alive but will slowly heal back again.. and also, it’s a pedal pun, those who know will know.
Serial Metalbums: You’ve released two previous EPs, Land of Rage in 2022 and Land of Anger in 2021. How do you think M.T.M.D. stands out from these earlier works? What has changed in your musical approach between these releases?
Cristian Salamanca: As for the approach, there’s more freedom to compose, more challenging riffs and challenging song structures. Previous band formations were not all that receptive to the evolution of the songs becoming faster and more technical. This EP will cast a shadow on our previous releases because our current formation is tighter than ever, more hungry than ever, and actually enjoying the aspects of composing, writing, and being in a band. All four members are focused on making the best music we can make.
Serial Metalbums: What was the biggest challenge in creating this EP? Were there moments where you had to rethink or adjust your musical direction?
Cristian Salamanca: As for the music, it was not challenging for the remaining members to come up with pretty good ideas and sketches for the demos that eventually would become the songs that all of you will hear on M.T.M.D. The challenge was finding the right musicians after the Mark II formation who are excited to play the songs live and that could contribute to making the songs better.
From the Mark I to the Mark III formation there was a change in direction musically because CHÜZO was being pulled into a musical lane that the band did not belong in. With the upcoming release of M.T.M.D., what the listener will perceive is a small sample of what CHÜZO was actually meant to sound like.
Serial Metalbums: Your music is described as a "sonic assault" with razor-sharp riffs, savage drums, and spitfire vocals. How do you manage to capture this raw energy both in the studio and on stage?
Cristian Salamanca: When I’m writing riffs, I’m looking for what the 15-year old kid inside of me feels good. He’s the judge, the angry, angsty 15-year old kid is the riff commander or riff muse. To quote other musicians around me, there are some simple rules when writing for metal in our style that apply to almost everything I write which are: 1) the more the drums sound like Slayer, the better 2) any angry riff going through the pedal Boss HM-2 sounds better 3) the more the bass lines sound like Suffocation, the better and 4) the more the vocals and vocal patterns, in other words, grunts and screams are inspired and/or are borrowed from Max Cavalera, the better.
Serial Metalbums: Your sound draws from classic thrash and death metal which artists or albums specifically influenced this new EP?
Cristian Salamanca: Off the top of my head, Sepultura’s Roots, Chaos A.D., Arise and Schizophrenia. From At the Gates, there’s Slaughter of the Soul and At War with Reality. There’s Suffocation’s Liege of Inveracity. Definitely Fear Factory, the albums Demanufacture and Obsolete. Also, Brujeria, Matando Güeros, Raza Odiada and Brujerizmo.
That’s for the metal side, as for the hardcore/punk side, His Hero is Gone, with the album Monument to Thieves, was very important for the formation of CHÜZO. And as for any other audiovisual inspiration, Quentin Tarantino movies, all of them.
Serial Metalbums: Montreal is known for having a vibrant metal scene. How has being from this city influenced your music and identity as a band? Metal has many subgenres and is constantly evolving. How do you see the future of the metal scene, and what role does CHÜZO aim to play in it?
Cristian Salamanca: That’s a complicated question. As for myself individually, as the original member I moved back to Montreal for the music scene here. In my early 20s, living in Calgary, at every house party or show, the rumour was that “Montreal is the new Seattle”. As a musician that plays the type of music that I play, in latter years of my life, when I decided to pursue playing the music that I liked and that I wanted to play, Montreal was and still is, in my humble opinion, the only scene in Canada that could allow that to happen. It is absolutely crazy how vibrant and bustling it is in all aspects of music and genres. And as for the hardcore and metal scene itself, as much as it is very vibrant, it is as well very competitive. And within that competition CHÜZO has slowly thrived and risen above obstacles in the most competitive metal city in the world. And to top it off, bands who are in this competition are just making Montreal more attractive in the metal scene in the world. It’s the competitiveness of the city that makes the band better, the scenes more vibrant, and it’s almost like a stamp of approval worldwide, similar to how Swedish death metal has two cities that identify with that genre of music, being Gothenburg and Stockholm, or how Florida has appealed to metal fans around the world with bands such as Death, Obituary, Morbid Angel and Deicide. Montreal is in that same conversation as a city that creates great musicians and great bands. For fuck’s sake, Leonard Cohen is from Montreal.
Serial Metalbums: With the release of M.T.M.D., do you have plans for a tour or live shows to promote the EP? What can fans expect from your live performances?
Cristian Salamanca: As much as we would like to say that we have a tour all planned out, we are still a small band and we’re independent. Right now, we have a few shows coming up, and the plan is to land some more bills, but the reality is that the four members are pooling our resources together to get this going. But as for our live shows, I truly believe that’s our best asset and presentation for our music. You come to our shows, come expecting pure brutality and moshing joy. With the release of M.T.M.D. we hope to get more exposure and interest so we can play more shows for everyone who wishes to come see us live.