SEPTEMBER 13th 2023
THE CRYPTEX
EXCLUSIVE

Our very own, Metal Mom Rita got a chance to do a written interview with Andre-Jean-Henri Mertens (guitar/backing vocals) of the band, THE CRYPTEX. They have a new record, "NIMBUS", coming out on Sept 29th, and we go a chance to talk about the band's inspiration, their upcoming record, and even just simply put, life itself. Check out our interview below for more.

MT - Tell us about the name of the band, when I typed it in on google it first came up as a neologism coined by the author Dan Brown for his 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code, denoting a portable vault used to hide secret messages. But please tell us, how you came to name the band .

Hey there, nice to chat with you! That’s a question we get asked often and a lot hehe. It has nothing to do with the Dan Brown Book or the film. It was just a name that came up to our singer Simon Moskon, who formed the band back in 2008. But If you really think about it, you could  think it has some sort of sense to it. Because the Kryptex of the book and film is some sort of  riddle machine and you could also describe our music in some sort of riddle. Because when you listen to our music, you never know directly what you gonna get, as we have so many different influences and have no blinkers. We just do what we want and so its up to the people and fans to decide what they make out of it. So it is funnily not too wrong when you compare our name to this little riddle machine from Dan Bowns book. Expect the unexpected I would call it.

MT - How did all the members become part of THE CRYPTEX  . . .

Simon formed the band back in 2008 with the original members Ramon Fleig (Drums) and Martin Linke (Guitar). So he’s been the frontman of the band ever since. Andre-Jean-Henri Mertens (guitar/backing vocals)
I joined the band back in 2014, when the band was seeking a new guitar player. So I´m a loyal
member since then. David Silesu was actually more of a roadie, guitar tech and also photographer for the band  initially. So more behind the scenes, he became a full band member at the end of 2021.  Markus Kleiner is the newest member of the band, because we were searching for a new drummer. He became a band member at the end of 2022.

MT - What made you put the band together, and was it something you wanted to do since you were a young child ?

I think I can speak for Simon, who formed the band as mentioned above, that it has always been a dream of him to start a band with own music. So do I, because when I first started playing drums and guitar, I knew immediately that this would be the thing I wanna do in my life as a profession and as a passion and as a job. I think all of the band members are of the same kind, we just wanna do music and get as far as possible with it. Of course its getting harder and tougher every year, but when you really have a big passion for something, you just keep going and  there is no way of stoping it. I am very happy and also proud that I have had the chance to play some great shows all around the world in the last couple of years.

Back in 2011 I won a German guitar competition, the „Robert Johnson Guitar Award“, which really was an eye opening event for me. From that point on. I really knew I have no other choice, but to make music and to get this award was some sort of reward for me, that I´m on the right path. The guitar legend Uli Jon Roth (Ex-Scoprions) was part of the judges and I had my first workshop and sort of lessons there, as I  am an autodidact. That was just epic and some months later, at the end of 2011 he asked me, if Im available for a US tour as a guitarist for his band and tour. So that really was a dream come  true, so the tour started in January 2012 and we did many shows around the states, in cities like New York, Chicago, LA, Phoenix, Seattle and also Canada in Toronto. So I basically learned everything I had to learn in a matter of weeks to survive in the business. I student music (electric guitar/songwriting/producing) from 2013-2018 and thats also the reason I joined Cryptex in 2014. I saw an advertisement in the music university Hannover, that this band Cryptex was seeking a new guitarist. So I applied and the rest is history you could call it.

So I joined the band in 2014, which has now become "The Cryptex". The band already toured extensively around Europe and supported the likes of Pain of Salvation, Threshold, played many festivals and also a support show for rock legend Alice Cooper. When I joined, the 2nd album "Madeleine Effect" was in the final steps and was released in 2015. So since then we toured a lot, did some great festivals, the German Kultrock Festival in 2016 in front of 2.000 people, Metaldays Slovenia in 2016 and the famous 70.000 Tons of Metal in Miami/Florida/Labadee in 2017 and more.

The 3rd album "Once upon a Time" was released in April 2020 via SPV/Steamhammer and the 4th album "Nimbus" is on the rise with the release on the 29th of September 2023. A new lifetime goal for us as a band and also for me as a musician is, that we have the honour to play on the great "Prog Power Festival Atalanta" on there 8th of September, we can’t wait to play there, I have to tell you. So we just keep going and see what happens, we’ll never stop as long this passion drives us.

MT - Who were your biggest influences growing up in the music world ?

My biggest influences have always been Iron Maiden and Deep Purple with former guitarist and songwriter Ritchie Blackmore. He is basically the reason I wanted to become a guitarist and as good as I can be as a player, and I keep going and sticking to it ever since I started when I was young. When I first saw a live video in TV and heard Ritchie Blackmore playing the song "Highway Star" I was like "What the hell is that?" I wanna be as good as him one day. So I began to play and practiced a hell lot and I will never stop. But not just as a guitarist I admire Ritchie ever since, especially as a composter and songwriter, cause he just composed the most famous guitar riff ever created, I think we can all accept this. Who doesn’t want to learn that riff, when starting the instrument ? You know what tune I mean, Smoke on the Water. But he created far more great music over the years and I really admire this.

The other very important influence and at least as important as Ritchie is Iron Maiden. That band really sticked to me when I first heard them. You can really call me a Die Hard Fan. I saw Maiden around Europe 37 times so far and I also play in an Iron Maiden Tribute Band called "Ed Hunters". My favourite composer ever is Steve Harris and you can really say that he is the Boss of Heavy Metal. Everything they do as a band, their credibility, their music, their artworks, their passion,  their live shows, their performances and their abilities as musicians, how they treat their fans, they just have everything. For me it would be a dream come true to support this band with The Cryptex. I think this will never happen, but you can always hope and you never know what the future holds for you. Our singers favourite bands since a young age are The Beatles and Queen. I think you can really hear these influences in our music. On the other hand you hear the metal side of things, especially on this album which come at most times from my impact. Together we really built a force as songwriters I think.

Dave grew up listening also to lots of Metal and Power Metal with bands like Halloween, Iron Maiden and more. But he’s also into more proggy stuff, and guitarists like Steve Vai. Markus is a big Punk rock fan and listens to a lot of German punk rock bands, so this attitude also fits great in terms of drumming style and drive for us.

MT - Was there any music you just didn't like as you grow up, I know I have some.

Yeah, for sure. What comes first to my mind is the genre called "Schlager". Its almost the biggest in Germany, unfortunately. I mean I don’t have something against people listening to it, so fair enough but its just not for me. Also techno is not a music I like and liked when growing up. When I was about 10 I had a time when I liked Eminem, that was a new star back than. But I kept listening to Maiden, Purple and rock music but I liked it a little. So as a Rock and Metal Head you could call it some kind of guilty pleasure. But you know what ? Now, Eminem is almost old school and a lot of guitar students of mine like his older music. So now I often think, hey this fella really got it and is a great artist in his own right. I´m very open minded when it comes to music as I also studied music and guitar and played many different styles with different bands and musicians. So for me there is a lot to discover in different music styles and your ideas when you create own music can really develop from that point of view.

MT - What about a band you listen to now that people would not expect you to listen to ?

Alright, thats tough. Its not really a band, more some singers. The one who comes first to my mind is "The Weeknd". When he released „Blinding Lights“ I was like, wow this is a great, some sort of 80´s sounding pop tune. I listened to his last 2 records quite a lot and you could almost call me a fan. So guilty pleasure ? Not at all, I really like him as a singer and performer and I like his songs. Another band that comes to my mind is the Indie-Alternative band "Alt-J". I really like their sound and I think they are quite unique and influenced a lot of newer other Indie acts, with their sound and approach.

MT - You played in the USA for the first time back in 2017, how did you enjoy that ? Plus did you learn anything for future shows ?

Oh yes. That show was quite a unique experience and for us as a band the first time playing in the USA. It was also great for me, because it was my second time playing in the US and I met Uli Jon Roth again on that ship, cause he played with his band as well. So that was funny, first I was his live guitarist playing his songs and now I played with my own band on the same stages and meeting each other on different perspective. That was awesome and we had some great chats at the pool bar. I have to say, to have a metal festival on a big cruise ship is really madness, in a good way and just great party. There were so many great bands in the Line-Up 2017, with the likes Anthrax, Arch Enemy, Testament, Kamelot, Uli Jon Roth, Axxis, Grave Digger and many more. We drove around Miami with a car and cranked up the music, the 2 shows on that ship have been incredible. It was extremely professional and the singing session also and all the other bands and fans were really friendly. So we became a lot more professional after that experience.

Also to see bands while sitting in a jacuzzi, what a great idea to put something like that together. On the last evening there was a great karaoke session on the pool deck with many great classic rock and metal tunes and we sang along to it, till the morning light. So we just have great memories when thinking about that experience.

MT -  You played with Horror-Rock-Legend Alice Cooper, that must have been so memorable, what do you remember most from that ?

Unfortunately I joined a little too late, cause the show was the year before I joined the band. But what I heard from Simon is, that it really was an eye opening event for the band and is still the biggest show "The Cryptex" ever did, with 10.000 fans in the audience.

I think the show went fantastic and the reactions were remarkable, so I really have the feeling that when we would get some sort of big arena show support opportunity again, we would be able, to deliver even more, as we have such a great line-up now with Dave and Markus and we would give 110% to deliver the best performance possible.

MT - You have also had appearances on renowned festivals like Metaldays Slovenia, 70k tons of Metal and German Kultrock Festival, those are impressive festivals, does one stick out more than the others, and why ?

You really did your homework, thanks a lot for that, because I really appreciate interviewer and journalists, who inform themselves about the band. Thank you!

For me I thinks its at one point the 70k Tons of metal, because of the explained reasons above and the other is the German Kultrock Festival. That was really special, 2.000 Fans and they just loved our music. And the venue is simply breathtaking. Its an open cave and a stage built within for that event once a year. They are also some more know artists who recorded live dvd´s there.

With all the lights etc, its simply beautiful and really one of the best shows we and also myself as a musician ever did in our and my career.

MT - You have a new album about to be released September 29th, called "Nimbus", how did you come up with the name ?

Our singer Simon came up with the name for it. When you look what Nimbus really means, we just wanted to create something big and epic, something that really stands out, something with glory, proudness. Its not easy to explain it, but its a great feeling looking at the artwork and seeing the lion and also the gold colours, it really is majestic and powerful. And thats what we wanted to create with this album and I think we pulled it off. I don’t want to sound arrogant, but we just gave everything that was in our powers for the songs on that album and the recording and the performance of all our vocals and instruments. So we are very proud, how it turned out and can’t wait to hear and see the fans reactions.

MT - Does everyone in the band have a say when it comes to naming the album ?

Yes. But most comes from Simon and me as you could call us the creative force behind the music. Simon was originally the main composer from 2008-2015. When I joined we realised that we can really collaborate great in terms of songwriting and wrote many tracks together since then. When a band member doesn’t like a title or song or lyric etc. of course we try to get it better and discuss what is possible and what not.

MT - Who writes the lyrics, and where does the ideas come from ?

Most of the lyrics are written by Simon. I also wrote lyrics for some titles but I´m more into composing music and song structures and arrangements. So does Simon as well and we really have the same passion for songwriting. Dave also has some great lyric and arrangement ideas and I think on the next record we will collaborate even more. Markus is also interested in drum arrangements and I´m looking forward when we begin writing for then next album.

In terms of songwriting, sometimes Simon has some sort of piano riff or vocal line and we start from that point, sometimes I come up with a guitar riff and we go from that direction. But also sometimes we have full songs pre-written and recorded as demos and just add everything to it.

When Simon and me are writing together, its really special because we understand each other immediately and normally we start from scratch without any preparation and write a song in a day with demo vocals and demo lyrics. Thats the way it goes.

MT - Was it a long process from writing to the final stages ?

Yes, I think from the writing process to the final stages almost 2 years. So quite a lot and we did many things on our own. We were lucky to find an awesome recording studio, where we recorded everything on that album, the instruments and the vocals. Its all real what you hear on the album in terms of instreumtns and vocals. We recorded real violins, horns, choirs etc. It has been quite a ride, but also a fantastic experience collaborating with different musicians and such a great recording studio. We basically lived there when recording the album and its such a great place.

One of the owners of the studio lives there with his wife and dogs, and horses and even more animals. Its some sort of little farm, where they built a recording studio in it and its just beautiful. When you enter the recording room with its great SSL console, you immediately feel and have the vibe and are ready to go. As long as we can afford it, we are returning to this special studio. And the two owners Tom and Sören are just great and lovely human beings and perfect to work with.

Our recording engineer Fabian Großberg, who also recorded and mixed the last record "Once upon a time" with us was part of the recording crew as well and we recorded lots of instruments and vocals with him. He also mixed the album and surpassed himself. Its the best sounding record we ever had and I think it just sounds brilliant. It can really compete with a lot of big and famous and great sounding records, so big hugs to our brother Fabian.

MT - Do you yourself have a favourite song, and why that one ?  I know when I listen to an album, I usually have a favourite one.

Yes. I have one favourite song I think that stands out for me, cause of many different reasons and got me through lots of hard and tough times over the years. Its Blood Brothers from Iron Maiden. I really feel a connection with this song and its my favourite maiden tune, but I also think one of my favourite or my all-time favourite song. When I had struggle back in the day, also with school and other stuff, I just kept listening to it over and over again. Also in the last couple months I changed so many things in life and this song always helps me to get through it, no matter if its positive or negative. In fact, I am listening to the song at this very moment, while answering the questions, it really is my favourite tune. So music really is the healing and thats the reason why I became a musician myself and will never stop making and creating music, period

MT - Who designed the album cover, and how was it chosen ?

The album artwork is from Jonathan Noor, from Freatkshot Films. He did all the artworks in our band history and just surpassed himself with that album artwork ! Its splendid and magnificence! The basic ideas for it came from our singer again and Jonathan took it and transported it to the Artwork you see now. He and his companion and co-owner of Freakshot, Steffen Flügel did also shoot four videos for the singles "Cobra" "Fall Down“ "Devils Casino" and the Title Track "Nimbus" and did the Promo Photos for the new album.

MT - Will you plan to do a tour in support ? If so where ?

Yeah, we hope so! There is nothing planned so far and we keep looking for opportunities, but we hope to play as much as possible promoting this great album. For me there wouldn’t be any greater band to support, as Iron Maiden. But it maybe remains a dream but you never know, sometimes dreams come true.

MT - Tell us something about the band that we might not know about.

Oh, thats tough haha. Okay, so I have to tell you that we are all very crazy motherfuckers. When we´re together, working, writing, playing, rehearsing, preparing or waiting to hit the stage, we are so crazy and freaky I have to tell you. It’s almost as we got lost or we broke out of the funny farm. But if we want, we are extremely focused and work really hard, by just switching the button. But sometimes you have to let go and make crazy, stupid things. Otherwise I think, its hard to keep going as a musician because as many people know, music is the hardest and toughest business there is.

MT -  What is your favourite moment in being in THE CRYPTEX ?

My favourite moment in being in The Cryptex is at one point to have great friendship and brotherhood within the band, on the other its writing the music and the third thing and the most important, why we all do this and create music, is to perform it live in front of an audience.

Thats unbeatable and I´m in my own little world, when I´m on stage and I give 110% every time. So we do all. I can’t describe this feeling, but its really special and I can’t imagine something else doing as a profession like this. I just go for it and nobody can stop me. It doesn’t matter if there are 2 people or 2,000 fans in the audience, its always special !

MT - The best moment in life is  . . . .

When you are surrounded by people you love and by people who are loving you. Family, girlfriend, own children, animals. This is always the best moment in life. The next one for me is of course when being on stage and playing music you love.

MT - Best advice you could give your fans . . .

Just enjoy life. Don’t think too much about money and problems and what other people think about you. Just be honest to yourself, do what you wanna do, love what or who you wanna love, celebrate life to the fullset. Don’t get me wrong, for me drugs are a no go but I can give you the advice with my 33 year old self, that life is just too short to waste your time, worrying about those wasted years. As said and written by Adrian Smith from Iron Maiden.

MT - Now that your album is done, what is the next thing you will be doing ?

The next thing that is on our list is the great Prog Power Festival on the 8th of September, after that we will have a big anniversary show, our 15th year anniversary as a band, which is also the official album release party that will take place at the Musikzentrum, Hanover on the 29th of September 2023. After that we hope to play as many shows as possible, reach more fans online and in the real world of course and will keep writing new music.

MT - Is there anything you would like to add that I might have missed asking but you want your fans to know about?

I really have to say, that your questions have been incredible. It is always a lot of fun for me when interviews come in, but I really appreciated it doing here for MetalTitans. Also big thanks to Markus Eck from Metal Message for his support.
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview, and we wish you much success with your new album "Nimbus".I have to thank you! It was an honour and I hope to catch up with you again for the next record or tour, thank you very much ! I wish you also lots of success, whatever you do and good look, health and love for the future !

MT: Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview, and we wish you much success with your new album "Nimbus".

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/cryptex.band
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/CryptexMusic
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@Cryptexchannel

Words, views and opinions expressed in answers are those of the authors and do not reflect necessarily the official position, attitude or position of 𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗚𝗘 ᴳᴸᴼᴮᴬᴸ