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Marissa from CRETIN: Grindcore, Growth, and the Glory of DIY

By capitalchaostv on June 12, 2013 • ( 0 )

On the second date of the Decibel Tour, featuring Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death and Immolation, I caught up with Marissa Martinez of Cretin, a grindcore band with deep roots and a sound steeped in old-school death metal energy. We talked about their writing process, influences, touring with legends, and the freedom that comes with doing it all yourself.

Back to the Grind(core)

Formed in 1992 as a high school band, Cretin has grown into a cult favorite within the grindcore and death metal scenes. Though life took them in different directions for a while, the passion for heavy music never left. Marissa reflects, “It wasn’t until we were in our 30s that we were actually able to put everything together and make it happen.” And perhaps it was for the best—Cretin returned with sharper focus and lessons learned from watching their peers brave the ups and downs of band life.

Their debut album Freakery, released on Relapse Records, cemented their place among extreme music’s most twisted storytellers. Now, they’re deep into writing their second full-length release—about 70% done, to be exact.

Songs from the Shadows

What can fans expect from the upcoming album? “We’re playing three new songs on this tour—‘Stranger,’ ‘We Live in a Cave,’ and ‘Who Watches Dolores,’” says Marissa. Each song paints a vignette of the bizarre and grotesque. “All our songs are stories about wacky, zany, creepy people in weird situations.”

Matt, the band’s bassist, handles most of the lyrics. “He’s a writer by nature and comes up with these amazing little horror stories,” Marissa adds. “It’s pretty collaborative—we each write on our own, bring it to rehearsal, and then build the songs together.”

From Fans to Openers: Touring with Legends

Touring with Cannibal Corpse has been a full-circle moment for Cretin. “The first death metal show we ever went to was Cannibal Corpse opening for Obituary. Now we’re opening for Cannibal—it’s just wild.”

Alongside Napalm Death and Immolation, the Decibel Tour is stacked with genre-defining legends. Marissa credits Napalm Death as a massive influence, along with Repulsion, Carcass, and Terrorizer. “We’re stuck in that late ’80s to early ’90s era—proto-death metal and grindcore. That’s our sweet spot.”

Slayer, DIY Ethics, and Staying True

While the band is unapologetically grindcore, Slayer’s punk-infused metal occasionally sneaks into their writing. “It helps break up the extremity of it all,” Marissa says. “I don’t sit down and learn Slayer songs, but I’ve been listening to the first four albums forever.”

Cretin handles all their recording in-house. “Matt records, mixes, and probably masters everything,” Marissa explains. “It saves a big bill for Relapse, I’m sure they’re happy about that!” The DIY approach suits their fiercely independent style and allows them to stay creative without compromise.

Speaking of Relapse Records, it’s more than just a label for the band. “When Relapse first came out, we bought everything on their catalog. Back then, labels mattered—Relapse was quality control. And they still are.”

What’s Next?

Once the tour wraps, Cretin is heading straight back into the studio. “We’ve been rehearsing hard the last few months for this tour, so writing took a back seat. But once we’re done, we’re picking up right where we left off.”

With a new album on the horizon and momentum from a killer tour, the future’s looking loud and grim for Cretin—in the best possible way.

Closing Words

When asked if she had any final words for fans, Marissa laughed and simply said: