The Crossing

Of all the recent death metal music made by Cubans, few have managed to combine the brutal, the melodic, and the acoustic as seamlessly as Spread the Shadows. At least, in the opinion of this writer. Born in Miami, Florida, in 2019, the project of Cuban-American Ramiro Díaz (Titan Okeanos) has so far released the EP The Crossing (2021) and the single "A Giant’s Dream" (2023), but that has been enough to generate attention in its niche—a modest but respectable number of listeners—and favorable reviews on blogs and webzines.

Three years after the release of The Crossing, Spread the Shadows has decided to re-release that EP in an extended version, including the three original tracks, the aforementioned single, and the instrumental piece "Hidden."

The track order remains the same. "Born for Disaster" hits from the first second with pure battery and guitar force, a deep, truly malevolent growl, and fast, mid-tempo, and faster tempos alternating until the guitar solo. Then, tremolo chords, blast beats, roars that seem to come straight from the abyss, and strings that fade away into silence. Its lyrics, inspired by elements of Greek mythology, reference human mortality and the inevitable fate awaiting all beings. From birth, we seem destined for a future of chaos and destruction. Thus, being "born for disaster" is not just an event in itself but an inherent condition of human nature and its relationship with what is divine and inevitable.

"Continuum" follows closely, with an atmosphere as heavy—or even heavier—and a prominent guitar passage where the strings seem to replace the voice to tell a story of death, loneliness, and oblivion. Spread the Shadows describes eternal condemnation, spiritual torment, and the soul's struggle against death and the desolation of the underworld—a theme that continues in the next track, "The Crossing."

As the title suggests, this song narrates the crossing from the world we know into another realm of condemnation and eternal despair. "Entering now/ into the kingdom/ of the doomed and the dispaired," the protagonist tells us amid death metal distortion, moments before roaring one last time, "I’m crossing!" and fading forever into an acoustic guitar passage.

The journey finally seemed to end... or so it appeared, until the instrumental interlude "Hidden," also on acoustic guitar, appears in the new version of the EP, as if to suggest there is something more: a soul that still suffers, and perhaps, fades away. And that "something more" eventually leads us to the track "A Giant's Dream," now in bonus track format. The track, whether intended as a continuation of the story or not, seems to offer an alternate ending, with a protagonist reciting prayers in search of light, rest, and mercy. In the background, more of that intense, atmospheric death metal, without unnecessary embellishments, extra growls, or speed for speed's sake.

And that, perhaps, is what I like most about Spread the Shadows: that nothing is there "just because." From the prevalence of mythological themes and life after death to the dark, despairing atmosphere that aligns with the lyrics, everything seems intentional and thoughtfully composed (even adding two "extra" songs).

Here, the guitars don’t just accompany but tell their own story. There’s no sonic overproduction, no unnecessary embellishments, and no extra blast beats because the genre calls for them. But there is passion, for sure, and dedication. And just as I write these lines, I remember the first time I spoke with Titan Okeanos, and the phrase he gave me for a lost interview: "My main goal is to archive what I feel through my music and transmit that energy to others." I’d say he’s succeeded. Or at least, that’s how I feel.

Translated from El Friki Periodista (https://elfrikiperiodista.com/spread-the-shadows-resena/)