Welcome to my interview with the man behind the one-man band Crux EX, which fuses multiple genres to create a truly deep-rooted, depressive, and visceral soundscape. After listening to The Pain of Silence for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised. The production is unpolished in a deliberate way—raw and atmospheric, yet still clear enough for the music to hit properly. It’s pretty rare to find bands that nail this sound, so hearing an album that does exactly that is a real treat.

"The Pain of Silence" is my most intimate work to date—a descent into silence, desolation, despair, and utter hopelessness. It is a cruelly beautiful world, void of anything bright or comforting. This is my pure vision of silence: when the rawest emotions surge from the deepest core of our being, and we are left utterly alone, with nothing but ourselves to bear witness."

Before we dive into the album, I’d love for listeners to get to know you a little better. Could you share a bit about your background, your journey into music, and the personal influences that led you to create under the name Crux EX?

Okay, so I'd like to start with the basics. My name is Gabriel, and I'm the person behind Crux EX. I've always been someone who enjoys music, especially singer-songwriter music, which has grown in popularity over time. I'm a big fan of music that evokes darkness, in any genre. I really enjoy British electronic music, for example, Depeche Mode, although I have a particular fondness for extreme metal (Celtic Frost, Venom, Vader), especially black metal (Darkthrone, Mayhem, Satyricon, the original and later Burzum) and all its subgenres. In 2013, I decided to contribute my vision of this darkness with the Crux EX project.

What does the name Crux EX represent for you, both in its literal meaning and in the personal significance it holds? And why did you choose it as the identity for this project?

Crux EX represents opposition; its meaning would be "outside the cross" or "he who is outside the cross." I was never a big fan of the direction metal in general, or extreme metal in particular, was taking. Based on clichés, image, and little substance, this has unfortunately spread to limits I never imagined, where image takes precedence over essence and the reality of how things are done. The music has, in many ways, taken a backseat, and ridiculous images of swords and corpse paint are still commonplace. Emperor never needed this to give us "In The Nightside Eclipse," hahaha. So... that's Crux EX, and it represents me and my way of doing things!

How did the themes of desolation, despair and solitude (as mentioned in the album description) come to the forefront during writing?

First, I would say that this is a process of observation, of the current world and the decadent society we live in. I've always preferred solitude to connect with myself and my way of perceiving the world, which isn't in harmony with the way society is moving,increasingly superficial, spiritually empty, and detached from culture and spiritual life. It's then, when I start creating, that everything becomes recurrent: loneliness, despair at a resurgence of values that never arrives, having to deal with our contemporaries, etc. It doesn't stem from the typical "Depressive" poser issue of DSBM; it's more of a general existential question, not so much a personal one. I am a very positive and very happy person.

Can you tell us about some fond memories you had whilst writing and recording this album?

I don't really remember writing this album. I do remember writing the album "Love U All." "The Pain of Silence" was born during the downtime of the recording sessions for that album, "Love U All"—more introspective, even more personal music. "Love U All" speaks of hatred and contempt, while "The Pain of Silence" speaks of the despair and pain of being unable to do anything, and the nostalgia for better times, for childhood, for example, when these issues weren't on one's mind. One positive thing I could say is that the final feeling of hearing all that residual music from those sessions make sense to me when I listen to it together; it's music for me.

You’ve described this work as your “most intimate” — could you talk a bit about what makes it so personal for you?

This work, as I already mentioned during the recording sessions for "Love U All," was born as an escape. It's music that was born by and for me. Practically everyone in these genres boasts about promoting negative emotions under a ridiculous guise, but behind those feelings or emotions lies sorrow. It's impossible to feel only pleasure when promoting anger, hatred, contempt... This is where "The Pain Of Silence" becomes so important and personal for me. It's a work that screams that behind so much anger, hatred, and so on, there's a genuine sorrow that things have to be this way.

What kind of listening experience did you want to create for someone who plays this album from start to finish?

This time, I didn't intend to create anything for anyone, unlike what I've done and will continue to do in the future. But if someone can find something, perhaps I hope some kind of nostalgia, some acceptance of feelings and thoughts. These don't have to be easy; sometimes we have to accept, face, and understand unpleasant things. I also hope they might find melodies that, for 35 minutes, allow them to focus on themselves through reflection and the disconnection that this might bring.

Do you play all instruments on this album and project? If so, what was the hardest to record throughout this release would you say?

Yes. In Crux EX, I play all the instruments, handle the songwriting, recording, production, and absolutely every single aspect of this project. It has to be this way, and it could never be any other way. Crux EX is and will be my road to express and explore the darkest corners of my own being. I wouldn't say that one instrument is more difficult than another to record, since I don't worry too much about it. I try to capture the essence and magic of the moment, and I strive to record in a single take, unlike what many do nowadays, which I find ridiculous in a genre that was born to be transgressive of the commercial way of making music at the time.

If so, can you walk us through your writing process for a track—do you start with an atmosphere, a riff, vocals, lyrics?

The way I compose, record, and produce for Crux EX is a method that works for me and that I'll continue to use because I think it aligns quite well with my understanding and approach to this. I approach a recording session like a blank canvas, with no preconceived notions. One riff leads to another. I try to record all the riffs without copying and pasting so that you can really hear the musician's touch. These days, everything is just copy and paste, and it's utter garbage. I don't overcomplicate things with structures. I use a few effective riffs, and once I have the rhythm section of drums and guitars, I usually add the bass line right away, which is a part of the process I really enjoy. I record the vocals in one take without rehearsal, leaving breaths and mistakes, and often I don't adjust all the volumes. I want everything to sound human. I also don't do much post-production work on the instruments. I apply the basics and achieve a unique atmosphere, in my opinion.

You’ve mentioned that you’re already writing a new album. Can you share a bit about where it’s headed & How does this next chapter differ from what you explored on the current record?

The new album, the one from 2026, is completely finished. There's a folder with the final renders that will be released, and I'm eager to share it. The album will be titled "Wickedness and Violence." I've maintained the rawness, perhaps even taken it to another level. The album will deal with three basic convictions: man is rotten, nature remains untamed, and black metal is dead. I'm proud of how it sounds, and I might be able to reveal some of the album titles, such as "Graveyard Posers" or "Rotten To The Core." I'm really feeling anxious about not being able to release it yet.

What are your plans for the future with Crux EX?

The immediate future is 2026, where I have three releases scheduled. On January 15th, "Nietzsche's Descent into Madness," a 25-minute EP, will be available. It will be a true Drone Doom experience for those who enjoy the genre. I've gone for something that can only be found in musical acts such as Sunn O))), Boris, or even Earth. Two and a half months later, you'll have a second EP titled "SCORN," where I explore a more Blackened Crust sound, which I've thoroughly enjoyed composing and recording. Around the middle of the year, to avoid oversaturating the market, the new album "Wickedness and Violence" will be available. I'm completely focused on studio music; I'm not a big fan of live music and I don't plan to bring Crux EX to the stage. I want it to be a conceptual, studio-based experience for the few who come to see it.

Thanks for taking part in this interview! Your music is great, keep doing what you are doing. You are doing an amazing job!  If you’d like to say anything to the readers, please post them below 

Thank you so much for this interview. It was truly an honor to answer these questions, and I'd be delighted to return in the future. Thank you so much for connecting with my music and asking these excellent questions. I encourage your readers to stay true to the underground spirit, to support websites like this one, emerging artists, and to listen to lots of music. Hugs to all! Love you all!