I did this interview with Nate sitting in an empty room at the old Masquerade in 2014. One of the nicest people I’ve ever had a conversation with.

How would you describe Xibalba to someone who had never heard your music?
When we first started this band, half of us had been in a band called Time For Change, which was a very melodic 90’s metalcore-influenced band. We always wanted to do something heavy and a little more metal influenced. When we first started this band I was like “dude, I wanna sound like Disembodied. I wanna sound like bands like that.” We wanted to start something on the heavier side. If someone asked, I’d say we’re a bunch of hardcore kids that play in a really metal-influenced band.

Let’s get a little more in-depth about how it all came together.
Like I said, we all played in bands together and whatnot. The idea for the band started when I got out of high school in 2006. The band formed and put out a demo in 2007.

What’s the overall message behind Xibalba? Is there one?
When Xibalba first started and we released our demo Madre Mia that was a really dark time for me personally as far as things going on in my life. I read it back to myself and it’s like “holy shit—that’s a place I really don’t want to visit again,” and with Hasta La Muerte it’s all personal and angry, but with the new record that we’re writing I want to write some kind of message and feel to it. I hope when people read our lyrics they take it to heart and read it and not just make us some fucking band that’s heavy and people come out and beat each other up to. A lot of the shit’s personal, and to put it on a record and have people hear it is kinda scary. With the new stuff I’m in a better place in life, and I think that’ll show. I’ve been able to do a lot of shit because of this band, and I’m very grateful for that. I want to take these pissed off words and make a change with it.

Between releasing Madre Mia and Hasta La Muerte, how have things changed? Did you approach the last record any differently than you did the first?
The two guys who write most of our music, our drummer and our guitarist, are both very doom metal influenced, so it definitely got a little bit darker. It got a little bit more mature. I think that’s just natural for any band. It definitely got heavier. Lyrically, it was cool to have longer songs and darker tones to it because a lot of the lyrics I write are very dark. It’s cool to put a sound to the lyrics. I’m stoked on it.

Speaking of your lyrics, do you have a process for writing?
I kinda just write—write words, write verses. I kinda just always write stuff and then once we record the music that’s when I start piecing together the lyrics and putting it all together. I write the lyrics after the music is recorded.

Can you talk a little more about this new record? When can we look forward to that coming out?
Interview wise you’re the first person I’ve talked about this new record with. It’s called “Tierra de Libertad” which means “land of liberty.” My idea behind that is this: I’ve been able to do a lot with this band, and I’ve been able to travel, and I think a lot of people become so entitled and so proud about where they come from and whatnot. Like, I’m proud to be a Mexican-American that lives in the States, but I want to make it a point that no matter where you go, everyone is a human. My idea for “Tierra de Libertad” is that no matter where I go, no matter where, I cannot be denied of any land. That land belongs to me. No one can take that away from me because some fuckin’ asshole put some kind of ideals that take away from basic human rights. No matter where I go—that shit’s mine. As far as when it comes out, we’ve started pre-production and whatnot, and we’re hoping to get it out by late summer or early fall.

Any shout outs?
Well, I mean, Atlanta. Definitely Foundation. I fucking love that band. Criminal Instinct. My buddies band Fit For An Autopsy just moved here. Clenched Fist. All bands that are very supportive. It’s cool to see bands and people that care about their music.