After a period of inactivity caused by the global pandemic, things had gone far too quiet with Japanese metalcore band Crystal Lake. Yet with new vocalist John Robert Centorrino at the helm and new single ‘BlüdGod’ making waves, it feels as if the band are very much revitalised and ready to take on the world. After performing a killer set at this year’s Download festival (reviewed here), we sat down with Mr Centorrino to get the latest news.

How has your Download experience been so far?

Very muddy, but absolutely exciting. It’s my first time playing here. We were playing on a stage which featured so many of our friends so it’s been very cool. I ditched shoes a long time ago; I’m totally barefoot in this thing.

Did you get a chance to check out any other band’s sets?

Yes, we watched Kerry King, Sum 41 (they were really cool), we saw Bowling For Soup…it’s been really awesome.

This appearance is in the midst of a European tour and includes a mixture of festival and club dates. Which do you prefer?

Actually, I don’t have a preference. They’re equally amazing for me, and for different reasons. I love small shows because they can become wild and they’re intimate, but I also love bigger shows because the energy can be out of control and who doesn’t want to play in front of thousands of people? They’re all amazing for me. I just love playing music.

At festivals there are always people milling around the periphery. How do cope with that?

It’s not something that I let enter my mind. We are at a festival with tons of bands and there’s multiple stages and people are going for a drink or a cigarette and doing what they have to do, so I tend to focus on the people who want to hang out with us. It’s all part of the fun.

You are new to the band. How did that come about and are you surprised they picked a Westerner as a new singer?

I’m not surprised they picked a Westerner. A lot of what of what the previous singer did in this band is very Western in my opinion. But getting picked was a very crazy experience, but very awesome, we clicked right away. I just sent an audition and we kind of linked up through mutual contacts, and when we did the audition process it was a lot of fun. It felt natural for everybody. We vibed hard on stage and their fans were very accepting, so it was a great experience. So much culture and different people. A very great time.

So how do the logistics work? Have you moved to Japan?

No, but I do a lot of travelling. There’s visa restrictions and stuff so we try to work around that as much as we can. But I do have a place I stay out there, and then I have my American home…there’s lots of frequent flyer miles and I get free food on Japan airlines! [laughs]

How do you feel you’ve altered the band’s chemistry?

I don’t know if that’s something I can answer. But personally, stepping into this band felt very natural for me, a lot of stuff they were already playing is stuff that I feel comfortable doing…so I don’t really think about it like that, it’s more that I’m fulfilling the part. If it’s changing the dynamic of the band then that’s a great thing but I didn’t come into this hoping to put on someone else’s shoes. I think the band is continuing on the trajectory it had.

Were you involved in the writing of the new single ‘BlüdGod’?

Yes, me and Y.D. wrote it, it was part of a freestyle I did in the studio. We wrote ‘Dystopia’ together and we also rewrote ‘Denial Rebirth’ because that was something they were already working on.

Would you say that ‘BlüdGod’ is indicative of where the band’s music is heading?

A bit of both. It has a very mechanical sound to it. It wasn’t something that we necessarily planned, but it has a mechanical sound, which is really awesome for the way the song is. I think everything is going to continue they way it is; you’ll get more songs like ‘Watch Me Burn’, but maybe we’ll try to do more heavier stuff.

How do you feel ‘BlüdGod’ went down live?

Personally, I love playing ‘BlügGod’. I think it comes across differently live than on headphones, but live it is one of my favourite songs to play, it is super sick.

What message do you want to convey with your lyrics?

I grew up feeling very alone, like I was in a crowded room yelling and no one really listened. I think a lot of people can relate to that and I want people to understand that they’re not by their self. I know it feels like people are alone, they’re not. I know it sounds so cliché, but it’s not. You have to accept the fact that we are all in this together, some people are more willing to talk than others, but I just want people to feel how I felt when I listened to bands as a kid. They made me feel like I had hope, like I had family, like I had friends, and those were three things I didn’t have growing up, so that’s what I want to give to everybody.

Stereotypically, men aren’t known for talking about their feelings, but it feels like you’ve really opened yourself up.

Yes, but I don’t want people to look at me like I’m on a pedestal; I’m a person and we’re all people together. I’m obsessed with my bands like you’re obsessed with yours, but I was so obsessed that this became my job. I’m a major fan, but I’m a normal person. I answer all the messages I get, it takes me all weekend sometimes, but I don’t agree that some musicians cold-shoulder their fans; we’re all in this together and the only difference is that I loved it so much that it led me to the stage and if you love it so much it’ll lead you to the same place. Just don’t give up.

Hopefully Crystal Lake will reach the biggest stages, but there’ll come a time when you won’t be able to reply to each message.

I just try to have as much connection when we interact; I’m not brief with people, I actually have a conversation and I hear a lot about how people don’t get that very often so I’ll continue being me. I don’t want to lock people out. Crystal Lake is for everyone, we’re the people’s band. It’s a party and you’re all invited.

By being open about your feelings would you hope to be a role model for other men?

Yes, men and women, just to let them know that they have the ability to do the things that they love. A lot of people around the world second guess themselves, and I learned a long time ago that you have to be the fool before you can be the master, you have to fail in order to succeed. So do it, suck at it, whatever you’re doing, it is not going to be amazing right away, some people are evry gifted and they pick it up right away, but you have to fall down and pick yourself up, and picking yourself up is what makes you succeed, so embrace your failures. But ultimately I want people to be inspired; if I can do it then you can do it.

What’s planned for Crystal Lake beyond the summer?

We are going to record more, some Asian tours and just finishing up the album is on the agenda, we need to get it ready and we’ll probably have it out early next year.