Interview by: Henk van Nieuwenhoven
OCTO CRURA, the name only sends shivers down your spine. And if you’ve seen any of their videos, you know why. But does that serve them right? Their new album “Aracno Clan”, out on October 18th via darkTUNES Music Group, will prove if these eight legs insects are really a threat. But as they say, forewarned is forearmed, so we faced the two Insect Queens Katlin and Velenia with an arsenal of bugsprays ready to use.
OCTO CRURA have been pretty active releasing singles lately. But first things first, who and what is OCTO CRURA?
KATLIN: “OCTO CRURA is a project that began with our first single “Sangre De Dios” released by darkTUNES Music Group in 2022. In the last two years we have worked hard to improve more and more, on the songs, videos, production and live performances. We are also very good friends and mainly we make music because we have fun, especially when it comes to concerts, where we always try to give our best!”
Scrolling back all the way down to the bottom of OCTO CRURA’s Facebook page, you weren’t there from the beginning, right? When did you and Katlin step into the band?
VELENIA: “I was caught in the trap for a special event about seven years ago. Katlin was expecting a baby. OCTO CRURA contacted me because they had some dates lined up… and then it was all marked by the power of music which creates that sort of potion against all the worst spells. Upon Katlin‘s return, she immediately hit it off and we managed to merge our different styles, but with a perfect fit for us. An opportunity to free our artistic monster!!!”
Your label darkTUNES Music Group call you and Velenia the Insect Queens of the band. What insects do you identify yourselves with?
KATLIN: “Apparantly they call us that because we are true queen arachnids. I personally identify with the Salticidae, from which we took inspiration for our OCTO CRURA logo. Salticidae are spiders that jump (like me on stage), eat only live prey and have a perfect 360º vision. Even though we are very small, I think they are extremely interesting.”
Recently, you and label mates AEVUM released a single and video for “Be A Lady” taken from AEVUM’s 2025 album “Kaleidoscope”. Was this darkTUNES’ idea or did you want to do it yourselves?
VELENIA: “There was an immediate understanding with Aevum. They are wonderful people and top musicians. We already wanted to collaborate with each other for a few years. The label was the means for us to get to know each other and both being Italian bands made it easier to meet. Fortunately, we had this wonderful opportunity to create this beautiful song full of profound meanings.”
As said, you released quite a few singles in 2023 and this year, starting with “Thousand Voices” in February 2023 and tentatively ending with “Sun Wukong And The Spider Demon” only a few days ago. All these singles will also be on OCTO CRURA’s new album “Aracno Clan”. That makes it almost a compilation album.
KATLIN: “Yes, it’s something we planned with our label. Unfortunately, today this is the better choice for a smaller band like us. We need to release new music every 2 or 3 months to keep a decent hype on socials and on Spotify, and still it’s not enough to see some serious feedback from the music industry. It’s not something we prefer, but it doesn’t change the fact that it is a more effective way to value our songs.”
Let’s highlight a few of these tracks so people will get a good idea what the album will sound like. We start with “Thousand Voices”. A comparison with BUTCHER BABIES, JINJER or INFECTED RAIN is easily made. Does this disturb you, being constantly compared with bands like these?
“We wanted to include a piece that gave the idea of how we can revolutionize our style.”
– VELENIA –
VELENIA: “I’m honoured, it makes me nothing but happy, even if in my opinion OCTO CRURA can be defined as more metamorphic. We don’t follow the fashion of the moment and we don’t necessarily try to please one type of listener. We blend many genres, both vocally and musically… Our only rules are to have fun, entertain and put all of ourselves into it.”
KATLIN: “It doesn’t bother me at all to be compared to other metal women on the planet, in fact it’s an honour. However, even if we are similar in some aspects, we all have our strengths that make us unique.”
Next up is “Your Ghost” from a year ago. It has a really creepy, but beautifully crafted video and with mostly clean vocals. The text below the video says: “OCTO CRURA transports you to a universe where circles are drawn with fingers, the sun is a constant muse, and the yearning for a feather on one’s skin becomes a powerful mantra.” Can you please explain this with the help of the lyrics and the video?
VELENIA: “One of my favourite songs, because it talks about the story of Amelia Earhart, the first female aviator who disappeared after leaving Papua New Guinea on her way back to Oakland with her co-pilot. The story talks about the suffering of the husband who searches for his beloved lost in thin air. It was exciting to immerse in this story that sticks to your skin.”
“Kiss The Sun” is a melting pot of groove metal and djent with some progressive metal in it as well. It’s “propelling you towards a climax where pain meets pleasure and darkness meets light. It’s a journey of self-discovery and defiance, where the only way forward is to embrace the flames and let everything burn.” That needs more clarification…
KATLIN: “The song is all about how there is both light and darkness within us and how self-destructive we can be. Imagine it as a love story that ends badly, it’s about a kiss given in the sun, full of passion, but also painful because it burns you and makes your life painful.”
And just when you thought you knew OCTO CRURA, there’s “Shinobi 1987” that drags you right back into retro gaming and 80s nostalgia. “Armed with numchakos, swords, and shurikens, you’ll navigate through the intricacies of each level, all while keeping one eye on the masked man lurking in the shadows.” The video for this track is truly amazing. Where did you get the idea for “Shinobi 1987”?
“We will continue to write single songs and post reels and stories to always stay in touch with all the people who support us and love us.”
– KATLIN –
VELENIA: “It’s a song that brings out the ninja in all of us. The idea and the lyrics were born from the brilliant mind of Katlin. We wanted to include a piece that gave the idea of how we can revolutionize our style. All of us in the group love manga and video games, but above all we love Japan. We wanted to pay homage to this world, that like a seed takes root and will never leave you.”
The last one I want to discuss with you is “Wukong And The Spider Demon” that was released quite recently, on September 20th. When you study the cover art of both “Kiss The Sun” and this one, they seem related. What’s the story behind Wukong and who’s The Spider Demon? And why is there the extra word “Sun” on the cover of “Wukong And The Spider Demon”?
KATLIN: “In “Wukong And The Spider Demon” we talk about the story of Sun Wukong or the Monkey King, and in particular of an episode where he meets a spider demon who transforms into a beautiful woman to lure him into a trap. About the word “Sun”, let’s call that a little… oops!”
What are you going to do in the run-up to the album release on October 18th?
VELENIA: “A bit of well-deserved rest and then we start with creating new songs for the next album, and who knows what surprise 2025 will have in store for us. Surely, we will all put more and more effort into making our energy and the passion we have for music and for our friendship which goes beyond everything more and more known.”
KATLIN: “We will prepare ourselves to face the next concerts in the best possible way. And in the meantime, we will continue to write single songs and post reels and stories to always stay in touch with all the people who support us and love us.”
Will you bring “Aracno Clan” live to the European venues and what will an OCTO CRURA gig look like?
VELENIA: “We already have had the opportunity to play the album live in France, where we played at the Fertois Metal Fest 2024. And it was exciting to see hordes of people of all ages complimenting us and supporting us with their energy. At the live shows you will be able to see our monstrous family in all our completeness. We bring you grit, strength, fun, a show that doesn’t need fireworks because we already have an explosive charge inside!!!” ■