EPK – Stratuz – Osculum Pacis (2022)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
For fans of Paradise Lost, Tiamat, Moonspell, Crematory, Tristania
Album Title: Osculum Pacis
Release Date: April 26, 2022
Label: Self-Release
“An immersion in our own universe of sound which will lead you to listen to each of the themes repeatedly and thus discover each sound layer and the sensations they awaken.” – Stratuz
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“the fathers of Venezuelan death/doom” – Femforgacs
“For me this material is the best of the Latin scene of 2022” (Osculum Pacis) – Metallerium
“Osculum Pacis is a brutally artistic journey with Stratuz, it loudly demonstrates their abilities and vision, which they stayed true to throughout all the changes and dynamic shifts that we’ve been through on this sonic trip. I loved how packed is it with pure emotions of anger, melancholy, and growing brutality.” – ROCK ERA MAGAZINE
“Fans of doom metal, death metal – even black metal, can find something to appreciate with “Osculum Pacis”. For metalheads who like their metal dark and more mature with its themes, this is a great release to sink your teeth into.” – Team Brutal
It is an album, a record that can captivate anyone who loves music, both for its lyrical content and for its musical enrichment within rock in different trends and trends, along with orchestral arrangements that surround you. Without a doubt, a musical production for export.” – Cresta Metalica
[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]
Album Title: Osculum Pacis
Release Date: April 26, 2022
Label: Self-Release
Track Listing:
1. Intro – 1:58
2. Morning Star – 3:50
3. Father Amorth (e) – 2:58
4. Holy Grail – 4:36
5. Caelibatus – 4:33
6. In the Name of God – 3:06
7. Back to the Sun – 3:09
8. Sodomized – 4:41
9. Dawn – 5:06
10. Left – 4:57
11. Condemned – 5:26
Album Length: 44:22
Album Credits:
• All songs performed by: Stratuz
• All songs written by: Gerónimo Egea / Franklin Berroterán
• Produced by: Gerónimo Egea / Franklin Berroterán
• Mixed by: Arturo Banús
• Mastered by: Arturo Banús
• Album Artwork by: Eugenia Bathoriya
• Member of ASCAP / BMI
Stratuz is:
Franklin Berroterán – Voices and Keyboards
Gerónimo Egea – Guitars
Leonardo Rangel – Bass
Diego Cabrujas – Drums
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The album as a whole:
OSCULUM PACIS
Lyrically, it speaks of the abuses of the church and its deafening silence in the face of so many denunciations of abuse. It speaks of the manipulation of the masses, and injustice, but at the same time, it also speaks of the awakening of consciousness, of death as a process of transformation, and the need to change ourselves in order to rise up and banish our own miseries. It speaks of rising up aware of who we are.
About The Album Artwork:
The art of the album represents all the victims of the church, living or dead. The void of justice, the Kiss of Peace and Mea Culpa with each of their victims.
It is the indelible presence of their excesses, their sins, their demons, their double standards, their contradictions as an institution and of a deep reflection that should come someday.
Track By Track
MORNING STAR
Morning Star’ refers to the first light we see at dawn, that first star reminding us that the first light of the day reaches the spiritually higher men first, just like the last light of the day.
Morning Star’ represents Lucifer as the bringer of light. Light as knowledge. He is the bringer of light on our planet both in the material and spiritual way, and it’s in the hands of each to find their own light and understanding to wake up from so many layers of lies set through time.
FATHER AMORTH(e)
This song is dedicated to the late priest Gabriele Amorth or, as he was known in his lifetime, Father Amorth, who was the most respected and important exorcist in the Vatican. Within the song, there are Latin verses of the ritual used by the Vatican to perform exorcisms and it invites him to exorcise his brothers for all the outrages they have done against innocents, instead of hunting demons in vulnerable people.
HOLY GRAIL
It is arguably a darkly romantic theme, mixing the desire of a religious lady with someone very contrary to her faith, leading to the point of highlighting the weakness of the flesh and the energy that is released through desire, the value of blood and the chalice between her thighs.
CAELIBATUS
This song speaks of the fragility that can reach any religious person who practices celibacy, this tortuous measure to suppress the desires and the unnatural punishment to which his body is subjected.
The flesh is flesh and everything needs a balance, celibacy definitely does not have any attribute that allows that balance, who knows if this is part of the problem within this institution to commit so many abuses.
IN THE NAME OF GOD
It is a story of a priest who abused a child and takes his own life, he speaks of having committed these faults “In the Name of God” and blames the child for this attraction, however, the torment gives him no rest and he takes his own life as a way of escape, however, this is not enough to erase his atrocity.
BACK TO THE SUN
It could be said that it is a kind of ritual, where a living master who has left a deep mark among his followers through his teachings is bid farewell, and these, as a sign of respect, prepare his return home, the abode from which we all come. It is the closing of a cycle of transformation, transmutation, life and death or death and life.
SODOMIZED
It reflects the grotesque and disgusting nature of pedophiles within the Catholic Church, as well as the sarcasm with which they have handled the denunciations and the approving looks often given by the parents of some victims who believed more in the aggressors than in their own children.
DAWN
Dawn is a call for the awakening of consciousness, for progress and growth as individuals, to leave aside the manipulation of religions. It’s a call to demolish ignorance so that everyone can raise their voice with strength, but above all with solid foundations. Today we are burdened and saturated by the environment, we live for the sake of living and drifting.
LEFT
This song reflects that emptiness that many people feel internally, that feeling of abandonment, of loneliness, of neglect, that lack of sense for being on this plane, taking refuge in their own sorrow.
CONDEMNED
It is a rather crude and fulminating theme, as it goes against everything established, the political and religious power to manipulate the masses to their will and interests, a race destined to its own misfortune where mistrust, hatred and revenge reign, where competition is a mechanism to cancel the other, where the suffering or failures of others can be the satisfaction of many. It’s a misanthropic song to a certain extent.
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Fun Facts – Story Angles:
1. Stratuz was the first Venezuelan band to write songs against the Catholic Church and in the 80’s it was almost a crime to do so, this stirred up the country’s underground scene and the scandals began.
2. In a major newspaper in the country, a whole column was devoted to discrediting Stratuz and the headline was, Stratuz worshippers of Satan. The effect was the opposite and the band became more popular.
3. An interesting anecdote was a show that took place in a theatre under a Catholic church in 1989, the euphoria of the audience erupted during Stratuz’s performance and they started to set fire to the seats of the theatre, the priests were horrified by the event, but there was no serious damage, fortunately.
4. During one of the band’s performances in the late ’80s, in the middle of the performance, a cross was taken from the stage and someone from the audience asked for it, this cross had been taken from a cemetery and weighed about 10 kilos, however, the fan thought it was made of styrofoam, he couldn’t get up from his seat during the show because he was too small and the cross was too heavy for him.
5. In a concert in Barquisimeto in ’87, we threw a metal cross in the air, this cross was from the coffin of the bass player’s grandmother and we just wanted to use it as decoration, however, the adrenaline made us throw it, but we never imagined that it would fall on the head of one of the assistants producing a deep wound, the good thing about the story is that this boy bought a guitar and started to practice until he became part of a very well known band in the country (the accident was good for something).
6. During the ’98 tour in Spain, in the city of Seville they were about to suspend the concert because there was a problem between the organizers and the sound engineer, however, some of us had some experience in operating equipment and decided to set up the event and fortunately it turned out to be a success, this even got reviewed in some local magazines.
L-R – Franklin Berroteran (Vocals, Keyboard), Geronimo Egea (Guitar), Leonardo Rangel (Baa), Diego Cabrujas (Drums)
Stratuz is a Venezuelan doom-death metal band formed in 1984. The group released their first demo in 1993 and their debut album “In Nomine…” in 1995, helping them to quickly become the most recognized metal band in Venezuela and cementing their place as one of the pioneer bands of extreme metal.
In 1999, Stratuz finished recording the album “The Last Angel” upon their return from a European tour. That same year, they signed with the Belgian label LSP-Company for a new album entitled “Spirit Seduction”.
The band decided to disband in 2006, but in 2019 they reform and start working on a new album titled “Osculum Pacis”, released on 26 April 2022.
Stratuz recently reached number one on the Jacquin Ravens Top 50 Metal on US radio station 99WNRR with their latest album “Osculum Pacis”.
Stratuz is:
Franklin Berroterán – Voices and Keyboards
Gerónimo Egea – Guitars
Leonardo Rangel – Bass
Diego Cabrujas – Drums
Discography:
Stratuz 1993 KCT
In Nomine… 1995 CD
The Last Angel 1999 CD
Spirit Seduction 2000 CD
Without Original Sin 2006 EP(Digital)
Osculum Pacis 2022 CD /Digital
Shared Stage with:
AVULSED, CENTINEX, ANASARCA, ACHERON
Tours and Festivals:
2006 – Ariah Fest (Caracas-Venezuela)
2001- Acheron + Stratuz (Caracas-Venezuela)
1999 – Avulsed + Stratuz (Caracas-Barquisimeto-Venezuela)
1998 – Festival del Sol (Mula – Spain) with Stratovarius
1998 – Repulsive Tour ’98 (Spain – Portugal)
1998 – Komm ’98 Fest (Köln – Germany) Headliner
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