Crystal Lake interview with YD: “Believe in yourself. Believe in your bandmates”

Few bands in modern metal have weathered as much internal change while maintaining such a clear sense of purpose as Crystal Lake. More than twenty years into their career, the Tokyo outfit are stepping into a new phase with ‘The Weight of Sound’, their first album under a rebuilt lineup. Now joined by vocalist John Robert Centorrino and backed by a global deal with Century Media Records, the band are entering one of their most pivotal chapters yet.

At the centre of it all is guitarist Yudai “YD” Miyamoto, the band’s sole remaining founding member and primary creative anchor. Rather than viewing Crystal Lake’s recent evolution as a rupture from the past, YD speaks with calm certainty about continuity, belief, and intent, pushing back against nostalgia-driven narratives and reaffirming the values that have guided the band from the beginning.

Speaking with Electric Bloom Webzine, YD discusses the long road to ‘The Weight of Sound’ and the principles guiding Crystal Lake through its latest chapter.

Crystal Lake have gone through huge changes; new members, new vocalist, new label, and now a new album. Where do you feel the band is positioned right now?

The history of Crystal Lake that you know is still being written; we are still in the middle of stacking stones, one by one, to build our legacy.

At the same time, while I appreciate our listeners and fans forming their own image of Crystal Lake, I sometimes notice that individual stereotypes or obsessions create a narrative about our past that feels disconnected from who we actually are. We continue to create music because we believe in our sound and strive to make it our own ultimate truth.

While I am deeply happy that people love the old Crystal Lake, I honestly don’t appreciate it when we are judged solely through a lens of nostalgia. I am always enjoying my own personal challenges, and I cherish new experiences and encounters. The changes and challenges you see are merely ripples created by us charging forward.

The album has been completed for some time while the public has only heard a few singles. How have you handled the pressure that comes with that long lead-up?

I don’t really feel any pressure. I don’t write music with trends or my surroundings in mind, so from the very beginning, I felt that taking our time wouldn’t be an issue.

Furthermore, since this is our first time working with Century Media, I prioritized communication with their staff. It was important to me to respect a timeline that allowed them to work with full confidence.

Another reason for the wait was that I wanted to do everything right and hold off until the perfect moment for a long-awaited release.

When you listen back to ‘The Weight of Sound’, where do you hear the band’s history most clearly?

For me, it’s everything. As I might have mentioned every time, my approach to songwriting and my core beliefs haven’t changed at all. I simply stayed true to my own experiences and the instincts that come to me naturally.

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“Believe in yourself. Believe in your bandmates. Believe in the music you create. And above all, never stop loving the music!”

– Yudai “YD” Miyamoto

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People often talk about how Crystal Lake’s sound evolves from album to album, but how do you personally think about heaviness and precision when writing, including on ‘The Weight of Sound’?

Both now and in the past, I’ve felt that metal and hardcore need a certain ‘accent’ to stand out. For me, that comes in the form of heavy sections and mechanical, sci-fi elements, a natural crossover of influences from film and various musical genres. At the same time, I feel like these extreme endeavors are almost like a joke. I mean, hardcore and metal are a huge part of my identity, but let’s be real, they’re also kind of a joke, right?

You’ve said Japanese musical sensibilities naturally appear in your writing. On ‘The Weight of Sound’, where do you feel that instinct pushed a song in a different direction than it might have gone otherwise?

Not just this time, but throughout all my work, I believe that my Japanese sensibilities—the specific choices in sound, the delicacy, and the elegance—are naturally reflected. In Crystal Lake’s music, I place a lot of importance on the sense of layering from a chordal perspective. I’m always enjoying the creative process by exploring how different impressions emerge when sounds are stacked upon one another.

The band has moved through several eras and vocal identities. What has been the most demanding part of keeping Crystal Lake’s core alive through those shifts?

To me, it wasn’t necessarily hard, but what I truly cherish is this:

Believe in yourself. Believe in your bandmates. Believe in the music you create. And above all, never stop loving the music!

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“Rather than just meeting objective expectations, I focused on the ‘excitement’ of Crystal Lake carving out a brand-new path.”

– Yudai “YD” Miyamoto

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The audition period became a major turning point for the band. What did that process teach you about leadership and about what Crystal Lake needs from a vocalist?

When we were searching for a new vocalist, my perspective shifted—not just toward the singer, but toward the existing members as well. I spent a lot of time talking with the three of them, exchanging opinions and discussing our future. I learned so much from them during that process; it was a crucial turning point that shaped our current path.

Regarding leadership, my focus was to never let my decisions waver. It was about believing in the path I’d drawn for our future and putting every bit of it into action. I made it a point to deliver results for every single detail of that vision. Regardless of the vocalist change, I was certain of a new world and a brighter future for Crystal Lake. That’s why I kept reminding everyone how wonderful and vital it is for us to exist as this band.

I knew that people would inevitably compare the new vocalist to our predecessor. But for me, this was about my own ambitions and a life-long challenge. Rather than just meeting objective expectations, I focused on the ‘excitement’ of Crystal Lake carving out a brand-new path. In Japan, it’s rare to have musicians or business partners with different languages and backgrounds. That’s exactly why I was interested in someone who possessed experiences and perspectives we as Japanese hadn’t encountered. Beyond just musical skill, it was essential to find someone who puts music above all else, someone who could elevate Crystal Lake on a human level.

The upcoming co-headline tour with Miss May I arrives just weeks after release. How are you approaching the new live set to introduce this era of Crystal Lake to both old fans and new ones?

Miss May I are old friends of ours, so I’m stoked to be touring with them! Since this is a co-headlining tour and our album just dropped, the main goal is to let everyone know about the release. That said, rather than just focusing on the new record, I’m putting together a setlist that blends new tracks with deep cuts we don’t usually play at festivals. I want to make sure it’s a set that both long-time fans and new listeners can really enjoy.

You’ve said before that you want Crystal Lake, and Japanese heavy music, to stand on the same level as the biggest bands in the world. From your point of view, what does a band need to reach that level today?

There are already so many incredible Japanese bands killing it on the global stage and making a name for themselves. I truly believe that staying true to our originality as Japanese artists is essential. Beyond that, what’s really necessary is the determination to dive into different music markets around the world and the willpower to take real action.

Crystal Lake’s European co-headline tour with Miss May I begins on February 24th, supported by Great American Ghost and DIESECT, with six UK dates scheduled in March.

Crystal Lake
The Weight of Sound

Release Date: 23/01/2026
Label: Century Media Records
Stream: Links
CD & Vinyl: Pre-order

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