Feature: KRIG – Louder Bark or Bigger Byte?

KRIG: Louder Bark or Bigger Byte?

By Chris Gatto

Brazil has been the birthplace of many heavy metal bands, so many so that years ago when we were still a print publication, Heaven’s Metal magazine dedicated a whole issue to Brazilian Christian metal. One of the greatest of those bands has been Krig, churning out quality technical death metal for almost 20 years now. Guitar virtuoso Isaque Soares and his wife Julia (bass) are the core of the band. Let’s catch up with them as we discuss their brand new album Bite My Byte.

Krig fans have waited a long 4 years since Anthropos for a new album. In that time, you and Julia moved from Belo Horizonte (birthplace of Sepultura) to Quebec. How did the move happen and how has it affected you?
 

We have been living here in Quebec for almost 11 years now.

Oh, wow. I didn’t realize it had been so long already!

It was a big impact for us, because we were born in a tropical, warm country, and then we came to Canada, which has a much harsher climate, especially in the winter. On top of that, there’s the cultural aspect, even though it’s a Western country, the culture is quite different, and it’s not easy to adapt.

And here in Canada, in recent years, the environment has also become more hostile toward Christians. There are reports of people invading churches, attacks involving explosives, and pastors and Christian ministers being taken to prison. There are also discussions about restricting certain Bible verses.

Another concerning point is that more than 100 churches have already been burned, the latest numbers reach around 103 or 104. Many of these fires happen under mysterious circumstances, with no clear investigations, and no one is ever identified as responsible. It’s a complicated situation.

Even so, we believe the Lord has called us to be here at this moment. We continue serving, working in the local church, maintaining our secular jobs, and moving forward with life here.

 
Your new singer is Zack Glaeser of the deathcore band Glae. How did you meet Zack and decide to work together? Zack lives in North Carolina. Will the long distance mean the end of live Krig shows?
 

With Zack, it was interesting because I had already spoken with Ritchy Nail, who is the vocalist of our band Cave Noire here in Canada, I had mentioned to him that I really liked the vocals of Zack, and that I wanted to invite him to be part of Krig, our initial project, not as a full member, but as a guest to record on the new album.

So I told Rich that I was going to reach out to him, and Rich said, “Go for it. Talk to him, if he says yes, that would be great.” I already really liked his work, so I decided to invite Zack. He accepted right away.

We started recording the songs, and the result turned out really great. We were very excited about how everything was coming together. Then, during one of our conversations, we thought: why not have him officially join as a full member?

Since we didn’t have a vocalist, and he was such a great fit for the band, we ended up deciding that he would become an official member.

As for live shows, we don’t have plans for that right now. The band is currently functioning more like an international project, with Júlia and me here in Canada, and Zack in the United States, in North Carolina, so there are no immediate plans to perform live.

I notice no drummer listed among the band members. Did your brother Vinicius play drums on the new album?

 
Vinícius is mentioned in the credits, you can see that he’s listed there. Right now, we’re adding his name more as a session drummer.

This is mainly because the core of the band is now more centered here in Canada. If we ever play live shows, especially in South America, in Brazil, he will definitely be our drummer for those performances.

The way we’re working today has been very effective: we collaborate with drummers in a session format. Even so, Vinícius is always involved with us. He’s usually the first person that comes to mind when we need someone to contribute to the arrangements, especially for the drum parts.

Bite My Byte is by far Krig’s most ambitious album to date. Well done! Progressive, technical, yet ferocious- an intelligent concept album full of sci fi, odd sound bites, instrumentals, and breakneck speed. Do you think death metal has matured out of the gore and violent topics it was known for in the 90’s?

 
If you look at it, most bands today are moving in that direction. Across different styles , even DJs, modern hardcore, and post-hardcore, artists are working with more detailed and layered elements.

To some extent, that’s necessary to capture people’s attention, because everything is so diverse now. There are so many subgenres, and it’s harder to truly engage listeners.

At the same time, I really admire artists who can still create simple, catchy music, that’s actually very difficult to achieve. That formula is rare, and I respect it a lot.

On the other hand, with Krig, we have the opportunity to explore these more complex and detailed approaches. We can experiment more with arrangements, textures, and structure, pushing things further musically while still trying to keep the identity of the band strong.

When it comes to bands from the ’90s, especially those that heavily explored core and more aggressive elements, I think they already pushed those ideas very far. It’s a territory that’s hard to revisit without falling into repetition or sounding like something that’s already been done.

I really appreciate what they created back then, but I believe that today the moment calls for something different. If you want to create something new, you have to bring your own elements into it, to experiment, to innovate, and to build something that goes beyond simply repeating the past.

Isaque, you play guitar in all kinds of genres. Your solo albums span jazz, Latin music, blues, classical, as well as rock. What draws you to death metal music?

 
Of course! So, I really like a variety of styles. I mean, I love classical music a lot, like, a whole lot. I started my musical journey studying classical guitar for about three years of my life. And from there, I really wanted to branch out and learn other styles. So, I also love blues a lot. And rock and sub-styles has always been part of my life since I was 14. So, I ended up mixing all these influences that I love, and I work with them in my solo project, Isaque Soares Solo Project. I have a range of styles that vary within those influences. And of course, some people who listen might find it a bit experimental or a bit odd, but that’s the beauty of a solo project, I have the freedom to do what I want, without fear. And also, with my bands, I’ve had a progressive band in the past, and now I have a band with Rich Nails called Cave Noire, which is more of a punk metal band. So, I’m always varying between these styles. I really love mixing and composing, learning new styles, and it really is a great challenge for me. About death metal, I never used to be a big fan of death metal, but I loved thrash metal, and of course, some classic death metal albums. What got me into death metal, though, was our former vocalist, Daniel, he was a huge death metal fan and sang death metal.

 
The cover art really sets the tone for Bite My Byte (and makes me think of the kind of album covers Rush is known for). Can you explain what you are trying to say with the cover?

 
Regarding the Bite My Byte cover concept, I wanted to move away from the typical death metal clichés, like monsters or overly grotesque and macabre imagery. That aesthetic is very common, and I felt the need to do something different.

Since the album explores themes of technological domination and the growing submission we have to modern tools, I wanted a simpler, more symbolic visual approach. I started searching through stock image archives, and one important decision I made was not to use AI to create the artwork. I think AI can be great if used well, but in this case, I wanted something more organic.

That’s when I came across a vintage advertisement, if I’m not mistaken, from General Electric, from a 1970s magazine. It showed a refrigerator, and a dog staring at it with excitement, almost fascination.

At that moment, it clicked: that was the concept of Bite My Byte. We are that dog, captivated, curious, and amazed by technology. But at the same time, that very thing we admire is what ends up consuming us and taking control over our lives.

So the cover perfectly represents the idea I wanted to express: something that looks harmless and even charming at first, but actually reflects a deeper sense of dependence and domination.

 
In the lyrics you really delve into the idea of Big Tech having mind control over the populace. Did any particular current events lead to you writing for the new album? Covid maybe?

 
Believe it or not, these lyrics were written before COVID. There was already a strong movement of control through social media, even back then. If you look, for example, at a big company’s AdSense program, without naming names, you see in the fine print that there are things you can’t say, or you won’t be able to monetize your product. And within that, you see that freedom of speech is being completely cut off. In fact, even aspects of our Christian faith are things we can’t express. So, basically, what’s happening is… I was writing these lyrics in 2018, in a time of intense creativity. I was inspired and writing a lot. I think some lyrics were even slightly before 2018. So, they were already there before everything happened. But what I see now is that they are shaping us. They are molding us to follow along a certain narrative. If you don’t follow that line, it’s like being erased.

I notice that you don’t just paint this dark dystopian picture of the world. You’re careful to show Christ as the answer to everything that is wrong with it. We all live in this world, with technology, government, and all who would seek to manipulate our minds. How do we as Christians live freely in the world today?

 
If you look closely, the Bible doesn’t promise us freedom, not at all, nor does it promise that we will have some space for prosperity or happiness. These concepts are not biblical. Of course, as humans, we desire freedom, we want freedom to preach the gospel. But, if you look from a Christian perspective, the early Christians, the apostles, apart from John, were all killed in brutal ways. And the early church was the same. When Paul was beginning to establish the church, Christians were being burned alive as torches. They had no freedom to preach, and it was a time when the gospel spread greatly. They were the true Christians of that time. So, if you look at it, in this aspect, we can’t seek freedom. It’s not a Christian aspect. We will be freed from sin, and when we are living with Christ, we will have eternal freedom in glory with Him. But in this album, I truly try to show how all these current currents, if you look at the government, the media, the films, the music, the artists, the labor movements, they all have a huge agenda against Christianity. So, nowadays, I believe, in the United States, there is still a lot of freedom, but if you look at us here, your northern neighbor, Canada, the situation is not easy for Christians. Here, to get a license to open a church, it is very difficult. They deny it without ceremony. There is persecution in Canada. And I believe the U.S. is also a country with a big risk. So, our response, in Krig’s message, is that these things will happen, and the only way out is Christ. This is our clear message, and I made sure to post within the lyrics of ‘Bite my Byte’ all the verse references, showing a bit of the metaphorical idea of the lyric with the reality of the biblical verse within them.”

I’ve been a Krig fan since Target: Human. Mission: Destroy. Was hooked on the drumming that sounded like a marching band on there. Bite My Byte is my favorite Krig album now, though. It’s very cool to finally hear the album in its entirety. Where can fans listen and buy the album digitally and in physical format? Where would you like them to go for Krig news?

 
We have a plan to make an album in the future, following the same line as Target: Human, Mission: Destroy, because it was our best album, the one that had the greatest reception, and we definitely, in the near future, want to return to this style. Answering your question for the promotion and merch we keep all of our material centralized on our website, which is https://krig.fi8.xyz. You can also check it out on the main social media platforms today at @krigdeathmetal. There, you can see all of our materials. 

Much like Rex Carroll always has a guitar instrumental on Whitecross albums, the instrumental series “Foolish Evildoers” has been a running theme on every Krig album, and one of my favorite features. I believe you’re up to 12 of them now? Where did you get the idea to do that?

 
I love Rex Carroll too,  especially on the early Whitecross albums. Regarding the Foolish Evildoers series, at first I didn’t plan to make it a series. I just created an instrumental track for the Stop the Manipulation album. That track didn’t have lyrics, but I wanted to give it a strong name that carried a message on its own.

At the time, I was reading passages from the New Testament. In Matthew 7, Jesus calls certain people “foolish,” and He wraps it up in verse 23, where He says:

“I never knew you; away from me, you evildoers.”

That really made me reflect. I think we are the true “foolish evildoers” ourselves. We have to be very careful, because sometimes we think we are chosen, but if we’re lukewarm, we might realize too late, and then it could happen that He says, “Away from me, I never knew you.” I have a deep fear of the Lord and ask Him to have mercy on my life every day.

On Spotify, I also have a playlist featuring the entire Foolish Evildoers series. You can head over there and listen, just search for it, and you’ll find all the tracks.

Now that the new album is out, what are your plans for the band? What are the advantages and disadvantages to playing in a metal band with your spouse?

 
Julia and I have been really enjoying this dynamic. In the past, when we were doing gigs, it was a bit more complicated we had to bring Daniel or Vinícius in to fill in. But now, it’s really smooth, we practice at home, it’s all flowing. I don’t see any downsides anymore. In fact, the only thing that used to be tough was me teaching her the bass, since I was also her instructor. But now, it’s all positive, we’re super fluid, and everything is just really simple. So, that’s all a big plus!
 
Regarding the album promotion. We’re making sure to get all of our materials out on as many platforms as possible, so, the album is available everywhere, from streaming services to physical copies. We also plan on doing as many interviews as we can, getting reviews out there, and really pushing it beyond just the Christian metal scene, so, we’ve always had this focus on reaching secular music audiences, too. And I’m really happy because I’ve already seen people talking about the album in secular forums, which is really exciting. I also want to thank Heaven’s Metal Magazine, it’s been an amazing opportunity. I’m really grateful for you guys, and for keeping this ministry alive with so much professionalism, care, and love. May the Lord continue to bless you all!

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