Cosmic Jaguar, formed in April 2022 amidst the war in Ukraine, blends Aztec mythology with Avant-Garde/Technical Thrash, offering a unique and eclectic musical experience.
1. Could
you share the story of how Cosmic Jaguar came together amidst the challenging
circumstances during the active phase of war in Ukraine in 2022?
Cosmic Jaguar was founded in April 2022 by Sergio Lunatico and Denis Tornillo
under random circumstances.Participants from different cities got together to
jam a bit and eventually it turned into a full band.As there was a very active
phase of war in Ukraine at that time, the band rarely got together and didn't
know how long it would exist under such conditions.
Initially the goal was to record 1-2 songs if possible, when we recorded them,
we decided to try to record 2 more songs to make a mini-album. In the end the
band was lucky to create and record a full album in 4 months. For the music of
the album some ideas of Sergio Lunatico were used, which he did not use on the
fourth and fifth albums Bestial Invasion.
2. Your debut album, "The Legacy of the Aztecs," explores themes
of Aztec mythology and culture, which is quite unique in thrash metal. What
inspired you to delve into this particular theme?
Your music has been described as Avant-Garde / Technical Thrash, blending
various genres and incorporating Aztec folk instruments and female vocals. How
did this eclectic style evolve within the band?
We didn't want to be just another stupid thrash band that sings about clichéd
themes like sex, alcohol, partying, and zombies that already make you want to
puke, so we decided to go our own original way. If you check out Bestial
Invasion, you'll also see a lot of history behind those songs. I love the
history of different periods, so I'm trying to use my knowledge in my music to
make it even richer and more interesting. I decided to do the same with Cosmic
Jaguar. The Aztec culture and mythology are very versatile and interesting, so
I thought it would be a perfect concept for our band. Although I had a choice
between the Aztec and Western theme, I decided Aztec would be more original,
because the Western theme was already in thrash, like Desperados.
3. Your music has been described as Avant-Garde / Technical Thrash, blending
various genres and incorporating Aztec folk instruments and female vocals. How
did this eclectic style evolve within the band?
The band calls its style Avant-Garde / Technical Thrash, because Cosmic
Jaguar's music is very versatile. Besides classic thrash metal you can hear
elements of latina, funk, jazz, death metal, black metal, world music and much
more! Also in the arsenal of the band there are Aztec folk instruments and
female vocals!But now we are moving more towards technical thrash/death, we are
moving away from avant-garde a little bit because of the development and
evolution of the band. Anyway we sound original and that's the most important
thing!
4. Can you tell us about your experience working with Metal Warrior Records
for the release of "The Legacy of the Aztecs"? What led to your
decision to part ways with them shortly after the album's release?
In 2021 Metal Warrior Records label reissued the albums on CD of our main band
Bestial Invasion and everything went smoothly and without problems. Then when
we recorded the album Cosmic Jaguar - The Legacy of the Aztecs in 2022 I
decided to contact Mario, the owner of the label, to release the album. He
agreed and I thought it would be cool, because I originally wanted to release
this album in Ukraine, but because of the war it was impossible. In September
2022 we gave him the finished album, the album was to be released on April 30th
in 2023, so we had to wait more than half a year for it to be released. And
still the album came out more than a month late. Also the label didn't make any
effort to promote the album, so I did it myself. Also the boss of this label
didn't fulfill the contract for Bestial Inavasion vinyl reissue and the 5th
Bestial Inavasion album, he also said a lot of nasty things to me. So this
label is an asshole label that fools musicians, signs a contract and doesn't
fulfill its obligations. I advise you not to buy anything from it and music
bands not to cooperate with it, if they do not want to be a victim of a
fraudulent asshole! This label should be called BlaBla Warrior!
5. "Our Lord the Flayed One" and "Temple of the Feathered Serpent" were well-received singles from your debut album. What do these songs represent to you both musically and thematically?
These were our first singles to introduce ourselves as a new band with big ambitions! It was important for us to make ourselves very loud and I think we partly succeeded. Because with these songs we showed the style of thrash in new colors and that there are no limits in this genre. Also the lyrics and concept was something new for the audience. What other thrash band in the world will sing about Quetzalcoatl and Xipe Totec? Definitely not from Ukraine, but no)))))) We surprised everyone!
6. After parting with Metal Warrior Records, you released "The Order of the Jaguar Knights" with a new drummer. How did Alejo Bárbaro's addition influence the band's sound and dynamics?
We started work on "The Order of the Jaguar Knights" back in early 2023, when the debut album "The Legacy of the Aztecs" had not yet been released. We almost had this material recorded with the old drummer, but because of a conflict with him, we had to find a new drummer. I remembered my colleague from another band Lord Erektus and decided to invite him to the band. Alejo Bárbaro brought heaviness, speed and swing to the band, as well as confidence in the future and the future of the band, because he is a serious and hardworking man, who if he takes up something, he does it. He is not hysterical)))) That's why thanks to him the band has reached a new level and it is well heard on the new album El Era del Jaguar.
7. You also paid tribute to Sadist with your cover of "Escogido" and honored Cynic with "Veil of Maya." What inspired these covers and how do they fit into Cosmic Jaguar's musical identity?
We really love these bands, so we were honored to do this! Especially these bands not many people cover, because it's difficult and not popular music, but we are the guys who like to challenge ourselves and we did it! I really like Sadist - Tribe album, you can hear the influence of this release in our music. Also their guitarist Tommy Talamanca played a guest solo on our new album El Era del Jaguar after hearing our cover. Cover of the song "Veil of Maya" has been released in honor of the 30th anniversary of Cynic's legendary album, Focus! It's a great honor for us to celebrate the anniversary of the genius album "Focus" in this way because if it wasn't for the music of Cynic and bands like Atheist and Death, we probably wouldn't exist! The album "Focus" has the power to inspire us forever! Cynic.
8. Considering the diverse musical influences and styles within Cosmic Jaguar, how do you approach songwriting and arranging your music?
It all comes out spontaneously, most of the time me or the guitarists in the band compose/jam something at home and then each of us brings our work and we start working on it and making arrangements. For our songs we sometimes use our own personal developments from 10-15 years ago, which also adds to the charm. When we finish a song, I start writing lyrics and vocal parts. There are actually no super secret formulas or anything like we do here!
9. What are some challenges you've faced as a band, especially during the recording and production of your albums and EPs?
The biggest difficulty then was time, because during the war it is difficult to plan anything even a month ahead. So we were always unsure that we would finish each release. Also the mixing of the new album was delayed because of the rocket attacks, because there were problems with electricity. But then again we're the guys who always find a way to solve any problem that stands in our fucking way! We will tear down anyone and anything that gets in our way!
10. Looking forward, what are your goals and aspirations for Cosmic Jaguar? Are there any new projects or directions you're excited to explore?
On May 29, we released our second album on the French label Soman, so while we are working on it, we also plan to release vinyl of this album at the end of the year, which will have a bonus track with a cover of Celtic Frost. And we don’t yet know what will happen next, because the situation in Ukraine is now very difficult due to the war and we cannot plan something so globally. If everything goes well, we will start working on the third album!
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