Fredrik Croona is no stranger to this site; he's been featured with Cynical Existence, Croona, Project Rotten, Menschdefekt, and so many others that the list is becoming hard to maintain. Alas, it is now time for Cynical Existence to shine in the spotlight as they have just released their album "Rebirth". Check out the full interview directly below!

Welcome back once again! Fans of the site should recognize your name by now. Let’s start off with a warm-up question before we get into the thick of things. What is your favorite album of all time? And what is your favorite album of the current year?

Croona: Oh, wow, that's a hard question. My all time favorite album must be Pantera's "Vulgar Display of Power". And my favorite album this year is definitely Soilwork's "Verkligheten".

You have told me that you’ve gained a few new members to the Cynical Existence roster. Who are they, what do they do, and how have theyhelped Cynical Existence grow?

Croona: Haha yes, we've switched our guitarist quite a few times these last two years since becoming a full band. So now Cynical Existence consists of Will on guitar, Rodolfo on bass and Anders on drums. Well, for one they've added parts to the music that wouldn't be there if it wasn't for them. Our style of music has changed and evolved drastically.

You’ve also stated that you completely changed sounds for Cynical Existence. I can hear that just from listening to a few of the songs on the album; you have a much more metal oriented approach. Why did you choose to change the sound from the classic dark electro / harsh EBM sound to this?

Croona: Well, we are a metal band after all. Naturally things have to evolve and move forward or else I get bored. To move from EBM / dark electro to metal just felt natural and its something I've been doing bit by bit.

How has reception from your fans / critics been for “Rebirth” been so far? I’d imagine that at least a few people might be upset at the sudden genre change. On the other hand, maybe your fans aren’t too upset by this at all.

Croona: So far it seems like people are enjoying it and we've reached a new fan base. Some people will always hate your new sound, but we can't let those get in the way of what we want to do. Might be a tough pill to swallow, but either your love it or hate it. Simple as that.

You chose to do a music video for the song ‘No Way Out’ off of “Rebirth”. Why did you choose this song to make a music video out of? What is so special about it? And, to you, what does the music video represent?

Croona: It's a catchy song and it sticks to your brain, so it felt perfect to do a video for. This was also the first real metal track that was written. The video represents how hopeless and lost you can feel and that sometimes there's just no way to escape.

And what is your favorite song off of “Rebirth”? And why?

Croona: Personally, I love 'As We Fall'. It has a nice groove and its very aggressive as it is melodic.

I saw that you worked with Chris Keya on the title track for his next album “System Shock”! That is pretty cool; Keya’s a known producer on the site. What did you add to the song and what was it like working with Keya?

Croona: Chris and I are friends and we also have a project together. I'm a fan of his music and he loves my voice, so it was simple math. I added a few lines and vocals to "System Shock". Chris is super easy to work with and very talented. He makes it easy for me to be creative.

Another one of your projects, Croona, will be releasing an album on Infacted Recordings on January 17th, 2019. Tell me about the album; what is its main theme? How did you go about recording it?

Croona: "Nobody Loves You" is probably my most somber album to date, its pretty dark and melancholic but also very melodic. It's mainly about hopelessness and feeling worthless. Basically I just write, it's hard to explain the process.

And yet another one of your projects, Empyres, recently released an album titled “Cruel Bastards”. Now, the credits list you as the vocalist and lyricist with Justin Thiele as the man behind all the music. Is it hard not being able to create the beats in a project you’re involved in? Or are you fine with taking a backseat to focus on your other projects as well.

Croona: Haha I have a few projects, don't I? Nah, I mean its what we do in Menschdefekt and I trust the people I work with as much as they trust me. This is why I have no problem not being involved in the music. It's actually relaxing.

What else have you planned for the future? Have you any other side projects getting ready to run, any other Eps or remixes in the works? Any live shows planned?

Croona: Right now my focus is finding live shows for Cynical and Croona, as well as writing new songs for Cynical as well. We will see what happens.

Lastly, I would like to thank you for your time and I wish you the best of luck! You can use the space below for any final words. Cheers!

Croona: Thank you for having me. Hope all of you will dig "Rebirth"!
Cynical Existence interview

Steven Gullotta https://www.brutalresonance.com/interview/cynical-existence-nov-2019/ November 23, 2019 November 23, 2019

Brutal Resonance

Cynical Existence

Nov 2019

Harsh EBM, Dark Electro