Interviews: Lord Gryphus
1. For readers discovering Lord Gryphus for the first time, how would you describe the band's sound and identity?
Lord Gryphus is a death metal band based in Austin, Texas, built around the spirit and sound of early 1990s death metal. Our music is raw, aggressive, dark, and deeply rooted in the primitive side of the genre, with crushing riffs, deep vocals, relentless drumming, and an atmosphere that feels almost ritualistic.
But Lord Gryphus is more than just a musical project. The band's identity is connected to the Andean condor, Vultur gryphus, and to a mythology we created around this powerful creature as a symbol of death, ancestral memory, resistance, and spiritual power. The music, imagery, and concept are all connected. We wanted to create something that feels ancient and violent, but at the same time carries a strong sense of identity and origin.
The executioners are also an important part of this mythology. They are the entities responsible for feeding the bodies of the sacrificed to the Gryphus. They are not simply characters created for the artwork. They are part of a much larger saga that we are developing through Lord Gryphus. Their story will gradually take shape throughout the next couple of albums.
In a way, Summoning the King of Death is only the beginning. There is a much bigger story behind Lord Gryphus, and we plan to reveal it piece by piece through the music, lyrics, artwork, and future releases.
2. What inspired you to record Sepultura's “Troops of Doom,” and why was this the right song to pay tribute to?
We are South American ghouls, and we grew up listening to the old Sepultura. Their early records were a huge part of our musical upbringing, and “Troops of Doom” is an anthem for us. It is simply part of our DNA.
We have always played this song together. We would jam it whenever we got together without rehearsing or really thinking about it. It was one of those songs that everybody knew instinctively, and we just loved playing it.
At some point, we realized that we should take it seriously and bring it to the next level. Instead of just jamming it for fun, we decided to record our own version and make it part of the Lord Gryphus world.
For us, this is more than just covering a classic death metal song. It is a tribute to a band that had a huge influence on us and on the South American extreme metal scene. “Troops of Doom” represents a part of where we come from, both musically and culturally, so it felt like the perfect song for Lord Gryphus to pay tribute to.
3. How did you approach honoring the original version while still making the cover unmistakably Lord Gryphus?
Our intention was never to completely reinvent the song. We wanted people to immediately recognize and respect the original, but at the same time feel that they were hearing it through the world of Lord Gryphus.
We recorded the song live in the studio, keeping it raw and spontaneous. The arrangement actually came together almost at the last minute through a jam session. We didn't overthink it or try to make it perfect. We simply wanted to capture the energy of the three of us playing together and let the song happen naturally.
When we listened back to it, we were really surprised by how good it came out. That's when we started thinking about bringing some guests into the track. We wanted people who could add something special while still respecting the spirit of the original.
That's when Reese Alavi and Mike DeLeon came to mind. We felt they would be a perfect match for this tribute. Reese's aggressive vocal style and Mike's guitar playing brought another layer of energy to the song while still keeping the raw character we captured during that spontaneous studio performance.
So the whole track developed naturally. It started as a last-minute jam, we realized we had something special, and then the idea of bringing Reese and Mike into the song took it to another level.
4. What was it like collaborating with Reese Alavi of Creeping Death and Mike De León of Flesh Hoarder and Soulfly on the track?
We had the pleasure of working with Reese before on one of his shows through his booking company, Blind Dogs Booking. We already knew him and had a great experience working with him, so when the idea of bringing guests onto “Troops of Doom” came up, we saw the opportunity and asked him if he was interested. He immediately said yes, which was awesome.
And with Mike De León, who doesn't know Metal Mike here in Austin? Probably everybody! Mike is such a cool, down-to-earth dude. There is no rock star bullshit with him. He is simply a guy who lives for metal and would probably die for it. That's exactly the kind of person we wanted involved in this tribute.
Having both Reese and Mike contribute to the song was definitely an honor. They each brought their own personality and energy to the track, and at the same time, they completely understood what we were trying to do with the song.
For us, it wasn't about simply adding famous names to a track. It was about working with people who genuinely love metal and who we felt were the right fit for this tribute. We are very grateful that both of them jumped on board.
5. The music video expands on the mythology of Summoning the King of Death. Can you tell us about the concept and symbolism behind it?
The video was created as an extension of the world established by Summoning the King of Death. We wanted to recreate the feeling of an ancient ritual taking place inside the artwork of the album.
The condor, the flames, the moon, the darkness, and the executioners all represent different elements of the Lord Gryphus mythology. The flames are almost like a gateway between the physical world and the spiritual world. The condor represents the presence of Lord Gryphus watching over everything.
We also incorporated footage of Reese and Mike into the flames. They appear almost as manifestations within the ritual rather than simply musicians performing in a video. At the end, we also incorporated live footage of Lord Gryphus, connecting the mythology with the physical reality of the band.
6. Your debut album revolves around the mythology of Lord Gryphus and themes of sacrifice, resistance, and ancestral devotion. How did that concept come together?
The concept developed naturally as we began defining what Lord Gryphus was going to represent. We wanted the album to feel like more than a collection of death metal songs. We wanted there to be a world behind the music.
The mythology deals with death, sacrifice, resistance, ancestral devotion, and the idea of remembering where we come from. It also reflects the violence and destruction experienced by indigenous peoples during the conquest of the Americas.
Lord Gryphus represents a force that has witnessed these events from above. The condor becomes a symbol of memory, survival, and resistance. That mythology gave us a foundation for the music, artwork, lyrics, and visual identity of the band.
7. Why did you choose the Andean condor, Vultur gryphus, as the central inspiration behind the band's identity?
The Andean condor is one of the most powerful and symbolic creatures of the Andes. Its presence in the mountains is almost supernatural. It can travel enormous distances, soar above everything, and is closely associated with death and the cycle of nature because of its role as a scavenger.
The scientific name Vultur gryphus immediately caught our attention. The word “Gryphus” became the foundation for the name of the band.
But beyond the name, the condor represents something much deeper for us. It represents ancestry, death, freedom, endurance, and the ability to observe history from above. We wanted to transform those ideas into a death metal mythology.
8. Your music draws heavily from early '90s death metal. What is it about that era that continues to inspire you?
There was something very special about early 1990s death metal. The music was aggressive and extreme, but it was also incredibly creative. Bands were developing completely new sounds, guitar techniques, production approaches, and lyrical themes.
We especially love the Morrisound era. The production coming out of Morrisound Recording in Tampa had a huge influence on the sound of death metal. The massive guitar tones, powerful drums, clarity, heaviness, and overall atmosphere are exactly the kind of sound we love.
We also love the rawness of those recordings. They weren't trying to sound overly polished or perfect. The imperfections were part of the character, and the production served the aggression of the music instead of taking away from it.
For Lord Gryphus, that era represents a time when death metal still felt dangerous, underground, and mysterious. We love that sound, that attitude, and that atmosphere. We want to capture some of that spirit while creating something that is unmistakably Lord Gryphus.
9. Bands like Morbid Angel, Sepultura, Grave, Autopsy, Incantation, and Sinister have influenced your sound. Which albums had the biggest impact on your songwriting?
Those bands are definitely part of the foundation. Albums such as Altars of Madness by Morbid Angel, Sepultura's Morbid Visions and Schizophrenia, Grave's You'll Never See..., Autopsy's Mental Funeral, Incantation's Onward to Golgotha, and Sinister's Cross the Styx had a major impact on how we understand death metal.
What we take from those records isn't simply the riffs or production. It's the atmosphere and attitude. Each of those albums has a very distinct personality, and that is something we value tremendously.
We want our music to have that same sense of identity. We want it to sound like Lord Gryphus rather than simply sounding like a collection of influences.
10. Can you walk us through the writing and recording process for Summoning the King of Death?
The writing process started with the riffs and the atmosphere. We wanted the songs to feel direct and aggressive but also connected to the mythology of the band.
Once the songs developed, we focused on arranging them so that each one had its own character while still belonging to the same world. The album was recorded with a very clear vision of what we wanted: an aggressive death metal sound that maintained the rawness and spirit of the early 1990s.
The album was recorded at Red Nova Ranch in Bastrop, Texas, with Jeff Henson, and the mixing and mastering were handled by Andrés Mauricio Gallón at Sound Blast Studios in Armenia, Colombia.
11. The album was recorded across multiple studios in Texas and Colombia. How did that process shape the final sound?
Having the project connected to both Texas and Colombia was very meaningful for us. Texas is where Lord Gryphus was formed and where much of our current musical environment exists, while Colombia is deeply connected to the cultural and ancestral foundation behind the concept.
Jeff Henson helped us capture the performances and energy of the band during the recording process in Texas. Then Andrés Mauricio Gallón brought his experience and perspective during the mixing and mastering in Colombia.
That combination gave the album a connection between where the band exists today and the cultural roots that inspire its mythology.
12. The members perform anonymously behind masks. What role does anonymity play in the overall vision of Lord Gryphus?
The anonymity is part of the mythology. We don't want the individual personalities of the musicians to become more important than Lord Gryphus itself.
The masks allow us to become characters within this world. When we put them on, we are not simply three musicians performing. We are representing something larger.
It also gives the audience room to interpret the mythology for themselves. Lord Gryphus becomes the identity rather than any individual member.
13. You're joining Internal Suffering on select dates of their 30th Anniversary North American Tour. What does it mean to share the stage with such legendary death metal veterans?
It is incredibly meaningful. Internal Suffering has been part of the extreme metal scene since 1996, and being able to share the stage with a band with that history is something we are proud of.
For us, it is also a connection between different chapters of our musical lives. Lord Gryphus is a new band, but the people involved have been part of the death metal underground for many years.
Being able to take Lord Gryphus to different cities and share the stage with musicians and bands that have contributed to the genre is an important part of this journey.
14. What can fans expect from a Lord Gryphus live performance?
They can expect an intense and aggressive death metal performance. We want the live show to feel like an extension of the mythology rather than simply reproducing the album onstage.
The masks, the visual presentation, the music, and the atmosphere all work together. Our goal is to create something immersive and ritualistic while keeping the focus where it belongs, on the music and the energy of the performance.
15. If someone is hearing Lord Gryphus for the first time, which track from Summoning the King of Death would you recommend they start with, and why?
I would recommend “The Grand Spectacle.” It gives you a good introduction to what Lord Gryphus represents musically and conceptually. It has the aggressive guitar work, the atmosphere, and the darkness that define the band.
After that, I would recommend listening to the entire album from beginning to end because the songs are connected by a larger concept. Each track represents another part of the world we created.
16. What do you hope listeners experience after hearing the album from beginning to end?
We hope they experience more than just aggression. Of course, we want the music to hit hard, but we also want listeners to feel the atmosphere and understand the world behind it.
Ideally, the album takes the listener somewhere into something ancient, dark, violent, and ritualistic. We want them to feel the weight of the mythology and perhaps become curious about the history, symbols, and ideas that inspired it.
At the same time, we simply want people to enjoy the death metal. At its core, Lord Gryphus is about creating powerful, uncompromising music.
17. Is there anything else you'd like to share with the readers of Breathing The Core Zine?
We would like to thank Breathing The Core Zine for giving Lord Gryphus the opportunity to talk about the band and the world behind Summoning the King of Death.
This is only the beginning for Lord Gryphus. We are excited to bring the album to the stage, continue developing the mythology, and see where this journey takes us.
For anyone discovering the band through this interview, we invite you to listen to Summoning the King of Death, watch the “Troops of Doom” video, and experience Lord Gryphus for yourselves.
Death is eternal. The condor watches.
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