Doomed Confessionary: Franklin Berroterán (Stratuz)

Stratuz is a doom/death metal band from Caracas, Venezuela.

They have released their latest album »Osculum Pacis« in 2022 via Sliptrick Records, which will be reissued in CD format via Wormholedeath.

Stratuz becomes the first extreme metal band in the country to be nominated and win the eleventh edition of the Pepsi Music Awards, specifically in the categories of “Best Rock Artist” and “Best Rock Album” for »Osculum Pacis«.

Stratuz consists of Franklin Berroterán on vocals and keyboards, Gerónimo Egea on guitars, Leonardo Rangel on bass, and Diego Cabrujas on drums.

Can you say a few words about your band?
We are a band born in 1984, we had a break from 2006 until 2019 which is when we regrouped, we handle a somewhat eclectic genre as we mainly seek to make descriptive music, however, our songs move between an atmospheric death doom, although some critics include some symphonic, I would not be surprised if at some point we are called cinematic metal.

What was the biggest challenge for the band last year?
Everything has been a challenge, but the biggest challenge last year was to consolidate the performances in other countries. It occurred to us to look first at Latin America, but it was very complex, as some countries required visas and the process was not as expeditious as it normally should be.

What can you be most proud of last year?
Our greatest pride last year has been to harvest all the ant work we did during the year 2022, it has been worth all the effort and has been well rewarded personally and professionally. We even achieved high accolades that will make local history.

What was your biggest regret?
Every experience leaves a learning experience and that translates into growth, it is not that we look for these events, but that we know how to read each one of them and that allows you to strengthen yourself if you see them with different eyes, otherwise you would leave everything aside and dedicate yourself to other things.

What was the best concert/tour last year and why?
The showcase of our latest album »Osculum Pacis«, as it allowed us to show on stage the complete album accompanied by a string quartet and choir, giving an ideal setting for the concept of the album. We know that this event touched many people and we were very conscious that it would be a very sensitive and emotional performance. We are looking forward to a performance very similar to this one in the coming months.

What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
I haven’t been surprised for a long time, it’s unfortunate, but I haven’t come across anything at the moment to produce that excitement. I’ve heard some great bands or fantastic new work, but nothing magical so far.

Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
We are in talks for this to happen in 2024, but it is too early to make any announcements. We’ve already learned our lesson from 2023, so we’re very cautious on this one.

What are your plans for the this year as a band? What do you personally want the most?
We have a lot of work to do, the year has not ended and we are still working very hard daily, and this will be the case in 2024, however, our main goal is to continue promoting Stratuz during 2024 and then work on the new album.

What are your New Year’s Eve activities like?
I always take advantage of New Year’s Eve to work while everyone else is distracted, it’s a magical time because it allows you to be more productive while everyone else is celebrating their holidays.

How can people best support your band?
Listening to our work and those people who love our music, the best thing they can do for us is to spread it as much as possible in the media they can.

Do you have any message for your listeners?
To you, thank you for reading this confessional, and very grateful for appreciating our music, we wish you the greatest possible happiness, and may your dreams come true.

Links:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well