MAGIC CROSS interview

Hello! MAGIC CROSS came together from members of Wørsen, Galactoid, and the Bellicose Records orbit. Was the idea to deliberately bring those different strains together, or did the sound only reveal itself once the four of you started making noise?

I (Justin) began writing the material at home during COVID but sat on it for a while. Tyler and I later decided to flesh it out into a real project after the stagnation of Wørsen. When we started jamming with John (Galactoid) and Matt (Bellicose Records), the style was already fairly developed. “Holy Bile” was the first track we wrote together, forming the basis of our sound.

You describe the band as black metal, punk and noise rock, but those tags can mean almost anything these days. When you were actually writing the EP, what did not belong in MAGIC CROSS?

We agreed to avoid blast beats and tremolo picking or any generic black metal riffing. We’re not trying to sound exactly like some other band.

There’s something very physical about the description of this band - “street-level grime”, “gutter-bound”, “viscous and vicious”. Was that ugliness something you were consciously chasing, or is it simply what comes out when the four of you play together?

I wanted to make everything sound as mean and filthy as possible, so it was certainly intentional. The grimier, the better.  

The riffs apparently have enough stomp and hooks to stop this from becoming pure noise or abstract filth. How important is the idea of an actual hook in music that otherwise wants to sound hostile?

Balancing memorable riffs and hooks with aggression has always been important. We’ve written many parts at practice that never made the cut because they lacked staying power a few weeks later.

Bone Awl, Carved Cross and Villains are mentioned as reference points, but MAGIC CROSS supposedly has its own character. What do you think is the biggest difference between your version of this sound and the bands people will inevitably compare you to?

Of that list I have only ever listened to Bone Awl, so I can’t say.

The EP was recorded at Peace Corp. Audio and mastered by Dead Air Studios. Did you already know exactly how ugly and abrasive you wanted the recording to sound, or did the studio process change your idea of what MAGIC CROSS should sound like?

Yes—the recording sounds exactly how we sound live, which was always the goal.

Four songs is barely enough time to establish a band before disappearing again. Did you deliberately keep the debut this short, or did these four tracks simply feel like the first necessary statement?

After being a band for over a year and playing lots of shows, we finally got around to recording. These were just the first four songs we wrote that stayed in the set. We wanted to get them recorded and out of the way so we could move on to new stuff.

There’s a phrase in the description that caught my attention: “a taste of evil yet to come”. Is this EP basically a warning shot for something much nastier already taking shape?

We’re working on new material that is cohesive with our current sound while incorporating fresh elements. We hope to record a handful of tracks in the near future to complement this first release.

MAGIC CROSS formed in 2023 but only recorded the first EP in 2026. What happened during those three years? Was the band constantly evolving behind the scenes, or was there simply a lot of underground bullshit getting in the way?

A combination of laziness, scheduling conflicts, writing and tweaking parts, and a handful of shows in between. I also recently moved from Jacksonville to Gainesville and had a baby, which made logistics and planning a little tougher.

You come from other projects and labels rather than appearing from nowhere. Does that existing underground network make things easier for MAGIC CROSS, or does it create expectations you’d rather escape?

I haven’t thought much about it. Matt has a big network of supporters from his label and booking within the punk and hardcore scene, along with any former Wørsen or Galactoid fans. 

The name MAGIC CROSS sounds almost deceptively simple compared with the music described here. Where did it come from, and does it have any significance beyond the obvious occult imagery?

Tyler suggested the name—which is a reference to the movie Deadbeat at Dawn—and it fit. I’m fully against names and images that are too on the nose, like when you see the art or hear the name and probably know what the band is going to sound like. I prefer subversion.

Finally, if this cassette is only “a taste of evil yet to come”, what exactly are you trying to make worse on the next recording - the riffs, the atmosphere, the noise, or the whole fucking thing?

We’re happy with how the recording reflects our live sound, which is the most important part. We’re not really hellbent on changing much: I try to avoid repeating riffs and aim to make each track cohesive with the whole while standing on its own and maintaining the catchiness we’ve achieved thus far. And maybe I’ll play a guitar solo or something on the next one.

https://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/album/self-titled-ep-6