KRYN on Rock Attitude
From their beginnings as Downfall to their rebirth as KRYN, the Croatian metal act has never stopped evolving. Refusing to be a copy of anything, they shaped their name by staying true to their vision. With “Risset”, they deliver their most mature and emotional work yet, raw, honest, and powerful, both on record and on stage.
You began as Downfall in 2003, then rebranded as KRYN in 2008 as your sound evolved. Can you walk us through that transition—from lineup changes to musical direction—and how the new name shaped your identity?
– Yes, we evolve and change as individual persons constantly, some people grow up, some don’t… goals and outlooks on life change with time, so it’s normal that the sound of the band changed through the years. We were constantly searching to find our own sound and blend all our influences into our music to be unique as possible, and that is still our goal.
To be authentic as much as we can, because there is no point for this band to be a copy of something. I wouldn’t say that the name shaped our identity, rather it’s the other way around, we shaped the name as a band by being true to our vision.
And as time passes, some people lose interest because being in a band is hard work all around, it takes time, effort and money, so it was natural to find new members as old ones decide to focus on other things in life.
Your debut album Scars Remind Me (2014) helped establish a devoted fan base. What creative and production lessons did you learn from that experience when preparing for Risset a decade later?
– I think “Risset” definitely sounds more mature. We learned how to produce our music and ideas better. We always want to write good, catchy, melodic yet powerful and emotional songs. Risset is a representation of that. But we still haven’t learned to write songs faster… I hope that changes with the next album! We are always very picky, and spend a lot of time on arrangements.
Risset, released in December 2024 via SPV/Install records, touches on themes like depression, anxiety, and renewal. How did the concept of “resetting” influence the songwriting and emotional tone of the album?
– Before putting the album together, we released a few singles, including “Risset,” “Waters,” “The Deceiver,” and “The Riven Heart.”. The themes of those songs influenced the direction for the new album. My songwriting, especially lyrically, is predominantly influenced by my personal mental health battles, which I constantly endure. We decided to put the song “Risset” as the opener of the album and from that I developed the concept of Reset (pronunciation play with the word Risset) and Rewind. Intro for “Rewind” shares the same notes as the intro for “Risset” and the album starts and finishes with the same melody.
Your early EP featured reimagined material from the Downfall era. How has your musical vision changed since those first demos, and where do you feel the band is now compared to your roots?
– Well… we are far away from our roots. In the beginning we were kids who just wanted to play in a band and our songs were in the style of melodic death metal, but now we have more experience and confidence to make our vision a reality. That wasn’t possible back then because we we’re too frivolous and we didn’t know what we wanted. I think we are defining our style album by album and we’re gaining new listeners and fans along the way.
You’ve cited influences ranging from Iron Maiden and Pantera to Tool and Periphery. How do these diverse influences converge in your songwriting and stage energy today?
– These bands shaped us, and left a mark on us, so we try to blend all the small thing into one package in our own way. For example when we think of some mellow or easy part where we want to do some build up that slams your head, we think of Tool and their melodies and progressions, when we want a chorus to be epic we think how Hansi from Blind Guardian would do it, but if Jonathan from Korn sang it… when we want a strong melody we think of Maiden and COB… it really depends on situations, these are only rough examples… our stage energy is just our eagerness to connect with the audience, because we are that audience… we are those metalheads that have found salvation, magic and freedom in heavy music and the culture around it.
Risset was recorded across different studios—from drum tracking in Belgrade to mixing/mastering internationally. How did those collaborations (like with Jovan Kosta Vučetić, Joel Wanasek) shape the album’s final sound?
– Yes, Jay Kay helped a lot, we are grateful for that dude. He’s our friend, we’ve known him for years. Karlo was also with him in his band Subscale for some time. Recording in different places is always a nightmare for the mixing guy. We were jumping around because it was the only way to keep working on songs. Jay Kay was very good at translating our vision into sound and dealing with problems and obstacles that come with this. We wanted a powerful sound. We think he nailed it.
Your live shows are praised for their energy, intensity, and emotional impact across Europe. What elements make a KRYN live show stand out, and how do you ensure consistency across different venues and audiences?
– If there isn’t emotion in your music and in your performance, then why even bother? We write what we feel, we are being honest to ourselves and that translates into live performance. That’s the reason why audience connects to our live shows because in that moment they feel the energy and emotion and they feel like they are a part of it. When I’m on stage I want to pour everything out, like some form of catharsis. Sometimes it even messes up my performance, so I need to control myself.
Consistency is made by years of doing it in all types of venues and clubs, from shitty ones to better ones. A part of a consistent sound is the production. We always bring our stage props, our sound guy and light technician with us to ensure a good quality show.
Songs like “The Riven Heart” and “The Nerve” feature cinematic videos shot in powerful locations like the Kantrida hospital. How do you go about conceptualizing visuals to match your lyrical themes?
– We always aim to match the video with the energy and emotion of the song. Our friend Dubravka Rašić “Doodah” from Belgrade is the creative director behind “The Riven Heart” Her art is also infused with somber, dark and depressive elements which seemed perfect for this video. On the other hand, Filip Gržiničić from Rijeka who is responsible for “The Nerve” music video is also a master of his craft. Since the song speaks predominantly about anxiety, he decided to put it in a spooky hospital environment and portray a battle between “good and evil”.
Being from a smaller market like Croatia, what have been the biggest obstacles and proudest achievements in building KRYN’s international presence?
– The biggest obstacle is making all this work. You have to build your name by yourself and that means finance everything by yourself… we need to do everything by ourselves. No manager, no booking agency, nothing. That’s the biggest problem, finding & making money and constantly investing it in the growth of the band, and dealing with the fact that you get nothing from doing this except the experience of being in a band. Relationships in the band also need to be very healthy in order to strong and focused.
Another obstacle is making your personal life work, because Kryn is not paying the bills and buying you food for your family, we all have jobs and careers that need attention. Our biggest achievement is founding new members Ante, Josip & Rok and keeping this lunatic asylum together.
We mustn’t forget the fans and their constant support they give us throughout the years. Our fanbase slowly but constantly grows larger and larger and all of that positive feedback is what keeps us moving forward.
With Risset out and a stable lineup in place, what’s next for KRYN? Are you focusing on touring Europe more extensively, working on a third album, or exploring a new creative direction?
– Next is probably me going to live in the woods, far away so I don’t have to deal with people anymore. 😊 Joking… next is a support gig with Papa Roach in Opatija, support gig with Bling Guardian in Belgrade, some festivals in Croatia and focusing on booking more shows in EU. New album will have wait a bit more…
OFFICIAL LINKS
https://krynofficial.com/
https://www.facebook.com/krynofficial
https://www.instagram.com/krynband/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4OUkgSJQkianAfCIzM5Y9L
https://www.youtube.com/krynofficial
https://kryn.bandcamp.com/album/risset
