Brutal, technical, and deeply conceptual, Mindkiller is more than just a death metal project. Founded in 2017 by French-born, Netherlands-based musician Jean-Michel Crapanzano, the band has evolved into a virtual trio with drummer Fabrice Goddi and vocalist Jure Kotnik. Blending crushing riffs with philosophical and esoteric themes, Mindkiller has just released its long-awaited debut EP Technocratic War Machine, available digitally on Bandcamp and soon in physical form via Fetzner Death Records. In this interview, Jean-Michel opens up about the band's origins, influences, creative process, and the ambitious artistic vision driving the project forward.
Serial Metalbums: Could you introduce Mindkiller to our readers? How did the band come together, and what have been the key milestones in your journey so far?
Jean-Michel: My name is Jean-Michel Crapanzano, born in France , I live in The Netherlands. I am the founder and main composer of Mindkiller. I started Mindkiller in 2017 as solo project in my home studio. I started alone with a few riffs and drum beats that I recorded myself. It took me a long time to work out the musical structures. Over time I came to think that adding a real drummer and a singer would give more body to my compositions. So Fabrice Goddi ( from France) joined my project in 2022, and Jure Kotnik ( from Slovenia), the singer, in 2024.
The highlights are, of course, their musical encounters and, above all, their human encounters, because that's very important in defining what a band is.
The second highlight: after so many years of waiting, finally the 4-track EP is out, on my bandcamp version:
The physical version will be available from 11 July on Fetzner Death Records Website, you can already pre-order it
Serial Metalbums: Your sound is an impactful blend of brutal death metal and technical death metal. What are your main musical influences, and how did you manage to integrate these elements while creating your own distinctive sonic identity?
Jean-Michel: At my age ( 51), I've been listening to metal since late 1970. My father and mother were already hard-rock fans (Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, AC/DC), so it was only logical that I should pick up the torch: Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, DIO, Scorpions, Accept in the early 80s. I was 8 years old.
Then came Thrash-Metal, Metallica, Slayer, Exodus, Kreator, Sepultura, then Death Metal / grindcore, Napalm Death, Cannibal Corpse, Death, Morbid Angel, Entombed, Bolt Thrower, Carcass, and then more “modern” bands like Fear Factory and Decapitated, and there you have it. It was all these bands that influenced my guitar playing and my way of composing.
Serial Metalbums: Mindkiller is based between France and the Netherlands, two very distinct metal scenes. How does this dual location influence your music and your workflow, especially regarding rehearsals, recording sessions, and live performances?
Jean-Michel: At the moment, we're what's known as a “virtual” band: I write the tracks, send them to Fabrice who re-records them, adding his own personal touch and his fantastic drumming. We have the same approach to rhythm, so the connection is perfect. Then I write the lyrics and the vocal lines, which I send to Jure, who of course adds his own personal touch to the recordings.
Only time will tell what will become of Mindkiller: whether it will remain a “virtual” project or whether demand will be such that Mindkiller will become a physical band. This EP, the culmination of years of work and perseverance, is a good calling card for the three of us. So let’s hope for the best!
Serial Metalbums: Could you tell us more about the concept behind the EP Technocratic War Machine, its writing process, and the themes explored in the tracks? What can fans expect from this new release?
Jean-Michel: This EP is the culmination of a long artistic journey on my part. I'm a professional visual artist, with music as a parallel passion that I practice solo as a passionate musician let’s say it like this.
It took me a long time to integrate all my musical references into my own style, so I had to transform my initial song’s structures to achieve personal satisfaction: creating riffs that reflect my artistic vision for Mindkiller.
The themes addressed in the EP and in my songs stem from references to the nature of our world: the connection between humans and the original Source, the interference of an entity I call “The Monarch”, a false god who interacts between us and the original Source, and who keeps us in mental, physical and spiritual dependence. I draw inspiration from esoteric texts from Sumerian, Egyptian, Gnostic and Sufi cosmogony to write this story. Where does it come from that we are controlled and manipulated by political and religious belief systems? Are there entities that manage to control us in such a way that we abdicate the notion of freedom and personal self-governance? I'm interested in these questions
I could go on and on, because these questions are the foundations of our relationship with the world, with ourselves and with others. We are part of a great natural ecosystem, but unfortunately we create atrocities that lead to our downfall: wars, suffering, famine, torture. This dark side is counterbalanced in my words by possibilities for escape. Is there any way of escaping from the grip of Monarch, the demiurge? Is the resistance on the march? If so, then the means to break free seem a reality we can use together. Is there any place for harmony ? I'd need an album to tell the story.
I've designed the band's visuals and logo for the EP to match the music: I hope listeners will enjoy the artwork.
Serial Metalbums: Brutal technical death metal is a genre that demands exceptional technical proficiency. How do you, as musicians, maintain that level of precision and intensity while preserving the raw aggression that defines the style?
Jean-Michel: Mindkiller's style borrows from both brutal death metal and technical death metal. Although I don't consider myself a “tech” guitarist at all, my level being well below the masters of the genre, I do incorporate technical parts that give a certain complexity to the structures of the compositions. Fabrice and I have the same way of thinking about rhythms, transitions and fill-in and rolls, so the cohesion is perfect.
We've trained enough on our own to have developed a certain level of our respective instruments. But there's always room for improvement, especially when I hear the many guitarists and musicians in the genre, which is mind-blowing!
I intend to improve my guitar playing and come up with some new technical plans for the forthcoming album.
Serial Metalbums: With the release of your EP, are there any tour plans in France, the Netherlands, or even beyond? What can fans expect from your live shows, and how do you prepare to deliver that experience on stage?
Jean-Michel: I've already answered the third question, so let's wait for the demand following the release of the EP, and see how the public, promoters and festivals react to your music. If Mindkiller has to become a physical band due to high demand, then let's go for it!
Serial Metalbums: The brutal death metal scene has been experiencing a resurgence in recent years. What is your perspective on the evolution of the genre in Europe and worldwide? Do you think digital platforms have contributed to this revival?
Jean-Michel: The Death Metal scene has had an undeniable resurgence. I literally come from the first Death Metal scene from 85-86 that I saw appear, and then these new bands that have appeared since 2010, more brutal, more technical, it's super interesting. I love Psycroptic, Revocation, Soreption, Dying Fetus and, of course, Necrophagist. These ‘new’ bands are almost a fourth generation of bands to have emerged after the masters of the genre: a more modern sound, an approach that's visceral and furious, technical and complex, that I really like, all without it becoming a gratuitous exercise. I'm trying to find a balance in Minkiller: technical riffs, complex passages, but melodies, recognisable choruses, hooks that capture the listener's attention, simpler passages as counterpoint. The intro to « «Requiem for the Gods amongst Evils » , for example, is a tribute to Mozart and his Requiem: I imagined a chord progression with a lot of intertwining guitar parts, and I think it gives a bit of diversity in all this musical fury.
Serial Metalbums: What are Mindkiller's next objectives after the release of this EP? Are you already working on new material, planning a full-length album, or do you have other projects in the pipeline?
Jean-Michel: I've got a compilation of a lot of riffs and structures, which shouldn't take too long to organize as songs this time round. The visuals are also being created, and the theme will be a continuation of what I've been talking about. So yes, hoping for good general feedback, an album is in the pipeline.
As a visual artist, I work on a project called "The Gardens of Eden" in partnership with my wife. It's the total mirror opposite of Mindkiller, harmonious, a resistance to current problems, but just as complex.
Thank you for this interview, it was a great pleasure! Cheers!