Doomed Confessionary: Gustavo Sánchez (Cactus Rojo)
Cactus Rojo is a stoner rock trio from Jalisco, Mexico. They just released their debut full-length album »Dune« on January 17th, 2025 via Smolder Brains Records. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Enrique de la Torre at Circe Records. Cover artwork by Migraña.
Founded in 2012, Cactus Rojo consists of Gustavo Sánchez on guitar and vocals, Ricardo Rodríguez on bass and Gregorio Vera on drums.
Can you say a few words about your band?
We are a stoner rock band from the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
The project started as a one man band. The biggest challenge was matching up with cool musicians to join Cactus Rojo. Now that we are complete we are an amazing sonic brotherhood.
What are you most proud of so far?
I am very proud of our new album »Dune«, we managed to explore sounds and song structures like we never have before. It has been a very enjoyable creative process.
What was your biggest regret?
It has been letting the project sit for 5 years. Everything related to the band was thrown away from 2016 to 2021 and I consider that it was wasted time since music is what I am most passionate about.
What has been the best concert/tour so far and why?
The best tour has been “Los Sonidos del Pantano” tour that we did in 2022 with the friend bands 3 Demos and Electric Cult We traveled through several states of the country throwing dense riffs.
What was the biggest surprise for you in the music scene?
Finding such high quality bands in each state we go to, great bands such as Abyecto, 20W50, Sendero, Patas de Khabra, Bisonte among many others.
What is currently in your strong musical rotation?
I can’t stop listening to bands like Naxatras, The Kings Of Frog Island, Oculto, Desert Mantra, The Mars Volta for example.
What has been the best advice you have been given as a musician?
The best thing I have been told is “Make music for culture, not for money”.
What are your guilty pleasures?
I must admit without any guilt that I am a big fan of 90’s style hip-hop like NWA, Wu-Tang, Biggie, MF Doom among others. I admire their passion and ability to convey messages.
Can you say something more about the current music scene in Mexico?
The Mexican music scene is full of great talents that could easily give great shows at any festival in the world. Unfortunately, there are several factors that hold us back, such as the apathy of the public, the economic situation, and the insecurity that exists in the country.
I am proud of the Mexican scene, but I think that we still need to grow more, be more professional, offer more quality, and keep going, since it is not impossible to make a name for ourselves. I think that this is not a race of strength, but of endurance.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
This year we will once again offer some shows in Mexico City, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Aguascalientes, San Luis Potosí, and other states that invite us to play for them.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
The plans are to continue creating music, we have ideas for more albums, to record an official video, to do a national tour, and to play wherever they want to see us live.
How can people better support your band?
You can help us by attending our shows, buying merchandise and sharing our music.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
We are grateful for the opportunities that have led us to this point. We invite everyone to listen to our new album »Dune« and if you wish, you can buy the CD on the Bandcamp of Smolder Brains Records the label that supported us in the making of this material.
We make music because we love it and we will continue to do so using the resources we have, it will be like this until the last day of our lives.
Many thanks to Doomed Nation for inviting us to this pleasant interview. Greetings to everyone from Jalisco, Mexico.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well