Formed in a small Spanish town in 2017, Boltok have carved out a raw and uncompromising path in the underground death metal scene. Seven years after their debut Release the Disease, the trio returns with Unleash the Deceased, a ferocious second EP steeped in horror, grim sci-fi, and twisted cinematic references. In this exclusive interview, the band reflects on their humble beginnings, the challenges of evolving in isolation, their DIY production ethos, and the bizarre and brutal stories behind each track.
Serial Metalbums: Boltok was formed in 2017, and since then you've steadily built your name within the Spanish death metal underground. Could you take us back to the origins of the band—how did the project begin, what were your initial goals musically and thematically, and how have those evolved over time, especially between your first and second EPs?
J. Cabezas: The project began as a duo between Carpio (bass) and me (guitars and vocals). We lived in a small town, and it's really hard to play extreme music in a place like that, there is no chances. We didn't even knew more people to play with, so we decided to do our best together, and record what we could, and how we could, to show what we wanted to do and recruit someone else. Since the very beginning we knew that we didn't want to fall in the main topic of gore-horror-satan, and tough we don't deny all those thematics, we just didn't want to get tied to any of that. Between both of our EPs, it's ben almost seven years... and we haven't been as steady as we wanted, for personal reasons mostly. In this time, we have always wanted to improve as musicians, composers, and get better in every aspect possible.
Serial Metalbums: Since the release of your debut EP Release the Disease in 2018, several years have passed before your new material saw the light of day. What have been the main changes—musically, personally, or in terms of lineup—that shaped the sound and direction of Unleash the Deceased?
J. Cabezas: Shortly after the Release the Disease, we met Vaeliko, drummer from another small town with the same problem we had, so we did a perfect match, even as friends at a personal level. We had a lot in common, both in and out of the music, and the different musical tastes we have are a huge influence, although not consciously. One of us listens to more black metal, the other listens some deathcore... and we are not conscious of those influences, but there they are.
Serial Metalbums: Your new EP Unleash the Deceased presents a powerful blend of classic and modern death metal elements. Can you describe the conceptual and musical ideas that guided the writing process? Were there specific influences, themes, or real-world events that shaped the tone and intensity of the EP?
J. Cabezas: Musically, everything we listen to is an influence, classic or new. In our writing process, we always take every song as a different horror story to tell, and we are heavily influenced by all kind of grimdark, obscure sci-fi, slasher movies... we don't really have a main theme, each song is like a different story in our own horrific universe, not related between them, but it's like our own world of madness. We don't like to rely on real-world events, because music, as every other way of art, should be a scape route from reality, altough we don't discard to get some real case inspiration in the future, as real life is the greatest horror story to tell.
Serial Metalbums: Could you share details about the recording process—where and how it was recorded, any challenges you faced in achieving the sound you wanted, and what kind of sonic impact you aimed for?
J. Cabezas: The recording, and the whole production process, was handled by me, as I have been learning about all that stuff for a few years. The sound may not be perfect, but it fits what we wanted: raw and straight to the point, aggressive, and not an ultra-processed modern sound. We don't despise that trend, but it's not for us. The classic vibe in the production wasn't something intentional, but his every day music is old school death metal, so that influence, as in the compositions or lyrics, is also present in the production. This will be our last recording in this way, because it takes so much time and headaches, and we all want to invest all that effort in improve musically and create new songs.
Serial Metalbums: Death metal has always dealt with dark, satanism, gore... or also socio-political themes. Could you tell us more about the lyrical direction on Unleash the Deceased—what topics did you explore, and how do they reflect your vision of death metal today?
J. Cabezas: As I mentioned before, each song is a different horror story for us, heavily influenced by all the content we consume: movies, videogames, comics, books... and we always want to take some morbid elements, and twist them even more. In the Unleash the Deceased, Exterminatus is inspired by a mass destruction weapon of the Warhammer 40k universe, but from the cynical point of view of the Kubrick's classic film Full Metal Jacket, even with the Sgt. Hartman sampled at the end of the song, but he praises the Emperor of Mankind instead of God.
Chainsaw Philosophy is, obviously, about the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, also with some lines of the movie intro at the beginning of the song, and a chainsaw engine revving along the solo. It's also a very personal song, as we managed to include the name of the three only death metal bands that ever existed in our hometown, long before us, as an easter egg. In A.G.S., the lyrics are more casual and informal.
The song summarizes all that bullshit that all we heard in our teen years: listening to heavy music would turn us into murderers, reading comics would make us satanic, and watching wrestling would make us a bunch of violent degenerates. In this song, all of those ridiculous statements are true. And we finish with Sickphony, the longest song of the EP (due to it’s outro), where the lyrics, filled with dark puns, take us to a macabre theatre where even the instruments are made with human remains, and the cadaveric audience silently claps with their stench. Basically, it’s Ed Gein conducting the Vienna’s Philharmonic Orchestra.
Serial Metalbums: The artwork of a release often gives listeners their first impression. Can you tell us about the visual concept behind the cover of Unleash the Deceased—who created it, and how does it tie into the music or lyrical themes of the EP?
J. Cabezas: The artwork depicts a desolated war scene, and a dark sci-fi inspired fallen soldier over barbed wire, haunted by zombies. The closest lyrical theme to this scene would be Exterminatus, both for the war and destruction and the grimdark inspiration, but given that each song is son different from the others in themes... it's impossible to frame everything in one single picture. The zombies in the background are directly related to the title of the EP, they are the Deceased, and they had to be there, as the titles of both EPs were like a catchphrase together, "Release the Disease, Unleash the Deceased", and we even used it in the designs of that first job. We hired Bakart Illustrator for this cover artwork and he really caught every detail of our madness in his art.
Serial Metalbums: Boltok’s music captures a raw and aggressive energy that feels both old-school and refreshed. Which bands or scenes have influenced your sound the most, and how do you balance paying homage to your influences with developing your own distinct musical identity?
J. Cabezas: We can't say certain bands or scenes, as each one of us has different musical tastes, some of them even out of any metal genres, but of course, our junction point is death metal, the music we really dig and want to play. We just trust our instincts, and if it sounds good for us, we twist it and adapt it to what we want. In Chainsaw Philosophy, some certain melodies could almost sound as black metal, but in A.G.S. you can find even a rock'n'roll riff. It's hard for us to think of specific influences, as there are many.
Serial Metalbums: With Unleash the Deceased now out, what are your next steps—are you working on a full-length album, planning live shows or tours, or exploring new musical directions? And how do you envision the next phase in Boltok’s evolution as a band?
J. Cabezas: Unleash the Deceased has been already unleashed (sorry), and it's like the second part of our first EP. With this, we conclude our first phase as a band, and we will focus on the creation of a full-lenght album. Meanwhile, we would like to play live as much as possible, altough it's not really easy now, at least in our country, but we are already beginning to work on that future full-lenght, with the same contrast of influences that we'll always take to our death metal. We had some difficult times that delayed this EP, and there will be more difficult times to come, but we are focused and the Boltok's gears keep turning.
