Interview with Julian Vargas From Cries of Blood
From Bogotá to Montreal, Cries of Blood stands as one of the most uncompromising voices in Latin American extreme metal. In this in-depth conversation, Julián Vargas, guitarist and founding member, opens up about the band’s origins, evolution, lyrical concepts, creative process, and the challenges of keeping the flame alive across continents.
Discover the story behind My Philosophy, the upcoming album Ominous Perception, and the band’s intense Northern Death Tour 2025. Julián also discusses working with German designer Daemorph Art (Deicide, Beneath the Massacre), his European influences, and what it takes to keep metal authentic in both Colombia and Canada.
Good afternoon, morning, or evening to all our beloved Metal Detector followers. Today we have the pleasure of speaking with Julián Vargas, the creative mind and vocalist behind Cries of Blood and guitarist, a project that combines the emotional intensity of extreme metal with a deep sense of introspection and lyrics. From Colombia to Canada, Cries of Blood has built an identity forged in honesty, darkness, and the power of personal expression. Julián's voice is the core of this controlled chaos. With this project, he's been consolidating a solid foundation that reflects his artistic vision and commitment to metal.
So, Julián, welcome to Metal Detector. It's a pleasure to have you on the show. How are you?
Hello, how are you? Thank you very much for the invitation. Super happy to be here with you today.
Perfect. Let's get straight to the questions. So, I have the first one: how Cries of Blood came to be and what you wanted to express from the beginning?.
Well, how did it start? Yeah, the truth is, it was, I mean, it's a bit funny, but it all started with a tribute to Mago de Oz that we had with some musicians back in 2010 or 2011. There was a drummer, Hernandito, a brother of mine, who was a super black metalhead. I was also kind of into death metal, black metal. So, around there, we started saying, "Come on, you play something more than Mago de Oz." And he said, "of course". And we just started rehearsing together. Everything started to emerge, to emerge. We started with covers of Cannibal Corpse, Amon Amarth, and all those kinds of bands. And one day we were like, "Come on, it would be good to put together a band, since we both like black death metal, let's do something between black and death metal." So, thanks to the bro, I met Jonathan, the official vocalist for Cries of Blood in Colombia, and from there we consecutively began finding all the musicians. By 2012, we officially started the band, recorded the first EP, and began to have several live events in Bogota and different places in Colombia. So, technically, that's how Cries of Blood all began.
Okay. let 's move on to the second one. What exactly is your signature as a guitarist within the Cries of Blood sound?
Well, my signature is obviously to be super forceful, but also clean, so I can express that sound we're trying to express with the band, right? We've always had a brutal sound, but one that also borders on melodic. So, you have to have a combination of both to be able to express what we really want to convey on stage and in the album and all the music we make. So, that's why brutality with melodic tilts, you could say, is my signature.
The EP, My Philosophy, is raw and direct, while Shadows Prevail shows another dimension. What marked that evolution?
Yes, of course. We had distinctly anti-Christian connotations and a bit more based on raw black metal, so on the EP, My Philosophy, I wanted to express all those ideals of the band back then through music. Because of that, we can appreciate on that EP that we have a sound a bit more rooted in those. For Shadows Prevail, which is the first single from Ominous Perception, our first official album, we changed, we didn't change, but we decided to add several facets within this concept we were handling. Uh, it's no longer simply criticism of religion, but misanthropy, uh, and other aspects that give us the concept of chaos, uh, as human beings. Obviously the music evolved, so we decided to go for a slightly more technical, symphonic, and melodic approach without losing.. Well, what I was really telling you what we wanted to express with My Philosophy. The first EP was really an anti-Christian, anti-religion ideology, it's super focused on black metal, that's why you listen to that EP and the music is super cool, precisely because of what we want to reflect, uh, that type of idealism. However, for Shadows Prevail, which is the first single from our first album, Ominus Perception, uh, we decided to add several facets, several layers within the concept. We decided to add what is Lovecraftian cosmic terror and more humanism, in addition to expressing everything that is precisely human chaos and misanthropy. Because of that, the musical evolution can also be seen. uh, we also decided to go a little more towards the melodic, symphonic, without losing the accents or the black metal influences that have always characterized us.
Okay. You were precisely talking about the lyrics. uh, what predominates more in your lyrics, introspection or social denunciation? What do you consider?
Ah, I would say introspection because we use eh satires and lyrics that don't directly address social issues, but if you start to understand them, you'll realize that there is something that connotes that aspect, but we don't directly talk about social, political, or religious issues. We precisely decided to try to do it precisely through satires, stories eh within the album precisely to be able to express ourselves in a slightly more creative and less direct way. Okay. As a guitarist, what influences are impossible to hide in your way of playing? Ah, of course. If you listen to everything Cries of Blood does in Nile, they are one of my favorite bands, the truth is they are a great influence as well as Belphegor, Behemoth, Hate, this whole branch of European Black Death Metal that emerged between the 90s and early 2000s, the truth is that they always influenced me from the beginning. that even I started playing death, deathcore and stuff like that, but I was always fascinated by the European Black Death Metal of that time and well today you can see that it's a big influence on me as a guitarist and on Christ Blood.
What weighs more in Cries of Blood? The precise technique or the brutal atmosphere?
I would say it's a combination of the two because, as I said at the beginning, I've always wanted to maintain the brutality in our sound, but with the incorporation of symphonies and other instruments, it's clear that we have to be super precise. It's evident that, for example, we need to play with a metronome, something we didn't do before. In Colombia, we would go to an event, I would have my guitar, drummer ready, vocalist ready, bass, the other guitar, let's go. It was simply a fusion of how the sound came out between us, but it's a fact that there was always going to be a bit of a time warp and such within the music. Incorporating the new stuff we're doing with samples, orchestrations, and sounds that go through the audio system at the venues, it's a fact that we can't do that, right? We're always human, so we tend to go up and down in tempo. So because of that, Click Track, the metronome, is super important to us. Uh, we use the in-ear system, which is simply the headphones, and we have the metronome there with the orchestrations. Uh, it's just that. Uh, I would say that once again it's the combination of the two: being polished, super precise, without losing the brutality either.
What has been the biggest obstacle to keeping the band going amid country and lineup changes?
Phew! Uh, the pandemic, the truth is, look, when I arrived in Canada in 2019, I didn't even have plans to start Cries of Blood here and uh, I still had the musicians in Colombia ready, I even wanted to return to Colombia and so on, but 2020 came, I managed to go to a couple of metal events here in Canada, I met a couple of characters, we started playing, not even Cries of Blood, from other bands Dismortem. I advertise another Colombian-Canadian band I'm in. We started playing with them. I started to soak up a little bit of music here in Canada. It was going well by March 2020, everything shut down and I don't really know how the process was in Colombia, but here the Canadian government took uh the whole pandemic process very seriously and the truth is It was almost two and a half years in which we couldn't go out. We had to have, like, an ID that allowed us to be outside. The police were everywhere. If they saw us outside, whether we were taking the dog out or something, they would stop us and ask for documentation, masks, and tests . The truth is, the pandemic was a major limitation for all our musical projects. I even started recording some things for the Cries of Blood album in 2020, February, maybe before the pandemic was announced. Imagine, I played those guitar tracks again, I listened to them again almost until 2023 because the studio closed, we didn't have access, we couldn't go. So, the truth is, we were kind of tied up in that regard. So I would say that this has been almost the biggest limitation for the development of the band, both here in Canada and at the end of my departure from Colombia.
When you have a show, you usually have different musicians, or the Colombian musicians travel to Canada?
Look, the truth is, I would have loved to keep the lineup, the alignment of the Colombian muscle, but in terms of visas and such, it really becomes a bit problematic. I even tried to bring the vocalist with me, even if it was in a FedEx box, but it was a bit complicated, and visas are just too expensive. So it was like, at least for the events we have here in Canada and whatever, uh, in the United States too, North America, uh, well, there's already an official lineup in North America. However, obviously on the 2023 tour and right now on the tour we're going to have in Colombia in a month, uh, Jonathan Tatán, the vocalist uh in Colombia, he's going to accompany us, he's going to sing a couple of songs and so on. So that's how we maintain a bit of a connection with what was the lineup in Colombia and the lineup we have now here in Canada. Very good. If someone could listen to a Cries of Blood song, which would be the definitive one to understand them? Obviously, we just released the album—the album, excuse me, the song Malédiction Profane. It's like, I don't know how you would say it in Spanish, you know? The profane malediction. Uh, the truth is, we released a super-well-crafted video. It took us several days of work, but I invite everyone to watch it on YouTube; it's on all social media too. If you don't know Cries of Blood, it's official. I invite you to listen to Malédiction Profane. You'll realize all the influences the band has. You'll notice the image we're using and obviously the evolution the band has had since we started this 10 years ago to what it is today.
Yeah. Uh, let's talk about the covers, the logos, all of this, do you make it personal or do you have an artist you go to?
We already announced the cover art. Oh, like the album cover was done by Daemorph Art. He's a super talented guy in Germany. That guy has worked with many bands in Europe, he even did a couple of covers for Deicide, uh, Beneath the Massacre here in Montreal. So, I'm really happy with that guy. Hey, he did some artwork for us, and we were like, he listened to a couple of songs precisely to be influenced, and in the end, he handed us the work. We were like, there's nothing we can do, bro. That's it. For the EP, uh, My Philosophy. The artwork was even done by our first drummer , Hernandito. Hernando, the guy did the cover art for the LP.
Very good. And now, what's next for the band? Album, tour, anything different? Tell me.
All . Hey, the album is coming out, uh, we actually decided to release it as singles. Uh, you know that nowadays, because of streaming platforms and such, uh, the truth is that releasing albums of unfinished songs becomes a bit tedious , and the truth is that we lose a bit of people's connection to listening on these networks. Therefore, we decided to release the album song by song on these streamlines, and as such, we hope that by the end of November, uh, we can publish the full album on YouTube and Bandcamp and all these networks where it's a bit easier to access the entire album in general. With that, uh, we're already starting a tour, which is Canadian and Colombian, the Northern Death Tour. uh, the first two. Dates here in Canada happened, they were very good in Montreal, the city where we live , it was very good, really. It wasn't sold out, it was, I would say, 80% of the room was full. So, the truth is, it went very well for a local band that's really new here in Monterrey, so it went very well for us. Then we went to northern Quebec. Super cold, it's not winter yet, but it's already like minus 20 there. And I arrived like, "No, this is real black metal." So we got there and it went very well for us. The people there are very, even if it's cold, but they are very warm, right? And they are super black metal fans, yes. We arrived and we were super happy, whether it's a small band or a big band. Super happy that they're going to those small cities in northern Canada where no one goes. So, it went very well for us. The third date will be right now in Ottawa, the capital of Canada. It's going to be next Saturday. Hey, very happy about that date. It's very important, since it's the capital of Canada itself. And then we're off to Colombia. In Colombia, we're going to have six dates. It's going to be Tunja, Facatativa, Bogotá, Pereira, Medellín, and Bucaramanga. Hey, we arrive in Colombia on October 21st, and the entire tour actually starts on the 23rd. So, for those of you watching here, I'm inviting you to this tour. We're going to be sharing the stage with some really good bands: Ethereal, Luciferian, Danger in Medellín, Templa in Cinere, Legio Inferi , and others. The truth is, all these incredible things we're going to share are beyond me.
Very cool. Tell me, what's been the main difference you've noticed between the Colombian and Canadian public?
I'd say it's not so much the difference, not that I'm criticizing it, but it's something that's been seen not only in metal, but in general. And it's obviously because of the devaluation of the Colombian currency. That's a fact. It's a little more difficult to sell merchandise, CDs, T-shirts, and more, even tickets to an event in Colombia. I've always experienced it that way. Here, people in the United States and Canada love to support us. They don't even go to the event, but they love to buy T-shirts, CDs, download music, and go to events. If they can't get in, they wait outside, get their shirt signed, and buy two, three for the whole family. It's crazy. Here, the merchandise is sold at an event. Maybe I don't know how things are right now in Colombia. I hope things get better. We hope that the collaboration of our fellow countrymen is evident. It 's not a criticism, and I would say that the energy of the Colombian people is unmatched. Hey, there's nothing better than going there and seeing all those crazy people letting out that metal energy, and it makes you feel good, you know? Here they're more respectful, they even applaud you, and it's a little different, but both are really good, and they're very emblematic experiences for Cries of Blood and for me personally.
Okay. Before Cries of Blood, had you had any other projects?
Yes, I actually had several, but some that stand out are Fatal Chaos, or at the time, as we called it, Fatal Chaos. A very good partner of mine, Osito Óscar Liscano, currently the vocalist of Encounter Truth, he was the vocalist of Fatal Chaos back then, and so, the Mago de Oz tribute also did relatively well back then. I could say that Hellstorm was also a very good band I had the opportunity to be in, but we're talking about old times, 2008, 2009, playing there at Cuadralegre in Bogotá and all that, but it's part of history.
How do you think those experiences have enriched the musician you are today?
Look, you can't create yourself, believe yourself a superstar and only play on open-air stages with no less than 3,000 people. No, the truth is, it's simply having the opportunity to express your music and your art, even with the other bands you're sharing with at an event where no one is there. You're always going to give the show you need to give to be able to express what you really want to express. So, look, since I started in this metal thing, playing at Cuadralegre, Restrepo, or playing on stages. Outdoors, it's always been the same experience: I have the opportunity to express myself musically. I must be very, uh, how would you say it? happy or glad that people are listening to my music and I'm gaining experience to grow as a musician. So, it's always been a development as a musician, since I was almost 16, 17 years old, playing in small bars until today, when we can now reach events with slightly larger capacity.
Precisely, what advice would you give uh, to musicians who are venturing into starting a new project?,
keep rehearsing, uh, spend uh time building a family within these bands, if you don't want to be soloists, uh, that's true. If you want to have a band where there's trust, respect, and good communication, it's not just about going to a rehearsal room, rehearsing for two hours, and then going off to get drunk and forgetting what you did. The truth is, to form a band these days you have to be fraternal, but responsible, eh, you have to be consistent, and no matter how talented or virtuoso you are, as long as there's consistency, you're sure to get somewhere. So, eh, don't give up, keep working, there's music for everyone. Okay. Hey, what dream venue do you have, like where you'd like to play someday, a festival, a place? It's a fact that the Wacken in Germany has always been a dream for any musician. Even here in Montreal, they do the Wacken battle and all that stuff. Here too, people dream of going to the Wacken, even if it's a muddy pasture, but it's the experience, right? So I'd say that as such, the Wacken would be one of Cries of Blood's dreams, not just as a person, but for the band. I would love for Cries of Blood to be on that tour, at that stage.
I have one last question. And, uh, well, this is a little more.. I always do it at the end of interviews. What non-metal recommendation would you give regarding a book , movie, or artist that you want to give or that you think influences you in some way?
Well, uh, I've always been a science person. uh, accuracy has always followed me. The truth is, I'm not going to recommend uh books or movies or anything that uh pigeonholes a general audience. uh, the only thing I'm going to say is uh, believe in yourselves, uh, think for yourselves . uh, life is always complicated, uh, but I know that we're all going to uh go through these challenges and uh, nothing, simply life experiences will lead us to grow as people, whether you're believers, mathematicians, philosophers, uh doctors, scientists, believe in yourselves,
Perfect. Very well. Well, I think that's all. Thank you very much for participating in this interview. It's been a pleasure to share this time and well, I hope that one day you can come here to the United States on tour. I'd love to see you live.
Of course, it would be an honor, and I hope it happens. Well, let's see what happens with Mr. Trump and all these visa controversies and all that. The truth is, right now going to the United States as a musician costs almost $3,000 to $6,000. So it's a complicated task, but we'll see. Hopefully, we'll see each other there very soon. Thank you very much for the invitation.
Yes, of course. Thank you very much.
