Interrogation subjects: CULT SIEGE
Conducted by: R Ibanez
For uninitiated metal legions, the name CULT SIEGE might sound new. However, the members of this East Manila Metal stronghold have played in various underground bands for decades. They have cut their teeth in some of the heaviest, gnarliest local bands.
In part 2 of the promotions for the Sex Messiah Live in Manila concert scheduled on June 7, 2026, THC Zine owner R Ibanez does an exclusive Q&A with the thrash/crossover quartet who will be playing at this exclusive show…
THC Zine: Hails Cult Siege! Tell us about your upcoming demo/EP, which you will release at the Sex Messiah show. What brought you guys together to play your brand of ripping thrash/crossover?
Redrico – Hails THC zine! Ah, the demo – actually, when we formed Cult Siege, we didn’t have any timeline, although we knew we would need to put out a demo soon. When our good friend Chester invited us sometime in 2025 (he actually invited our old band, TOW -Traces of War -which is unfortunately in a bad state of coma), we were still tinkering with our sound, like most new bands, I think. But we told him to get back to us early the following year. Then there it was, we decided to go for it, and we thought the Sex Messiah show would be a good catalyst to push us to stop thinking and start doing. Nah means! Haha.
As for the demo, we wanted to keep it old-school, like us, haha. And because people are so used to AI and all that, we decided to put out a raw rehearsal demo, ala 2010s, you know.
As for forming Cult Siege, the idea started way back in 2012/13, when Jules (Bautista) and I thought of forming a side project aside from TOW. So fast forward to 2025, TOW may have completely lost its steam, and with the new guys from TOW, Jules and I thought of forming a sort of TOW version 2, but it was just too much work. So we formed Cult Siege.
The name is an idea against the heavily politicized landscape that social overlords have crafted. Political camps and loyalty to politicians: big-time cult.
Thrash, crossover thrash, you can say it’s a reflex, but we’re learning to execute our other (later) influences. Our sound may change over time, but that’s just natural—we’re products of our season.
Reality check: as fathers and heads of our families, Cult Siege is meant to keep us sane.
Bautista – Hails! We’ve been meticulously crafting this demo, and having it ready for our debut live show this coming June 7th in Cainta is the perfect strike. While our foundation is built on uncompromising, anti-system crossover thrash, we’ve evolved into a more nuanced sound. We brought the band together to explore a dynamic contrast—mixing ripping, high-velocity crossover riffs with an atmospheric, heavy slow rock approach. We utilize a slow, mid-tempo thrash concept that allows the weight of the music to truly settle in, creating a dark, crushing atmosphere that goes beyond just playing fast.
Castro – The demo is the first offering from Cult Siege and we couldn’t think of a better way than launching it on June 7 at the Sex Messiah event! I believe the main reason behind the creation of Cult Siege is our love of music. All of us have previous bands that are into thrash which is the main catalyst of Cult Siege!
Ponce – This demo is a first coming of Cult Siege, spawning from crossover thrash influenced heavily by old school thrash, death, punk and hardcore. The sinister potion of raw over raw recording is what we aim for.
THC Zine: Are there influences from your previous/other bands (Traces of War, Polymerase et al) that you brought over to Cult Siege? What are your thoughts of playing a power trio lineup?
Redrico – I think the thrash and the hardcore is just natural on the get go. It was originally a power trio not because we want to be a power trio, the idea sounds cool though. But for us at that time of our incarnation it’s just convenient, also part of the reason why I took the bass vox duty (or Jules may have convinced me haha) because it’s hard to look and keep bandmates or bros who not only clicks musically but also personality wise. That’s why it’s cool that Elan (Ponce) got in with us just 2 jams ago and clicked. We don’t have any big plans to conquer the world and this Cult Siege is a way for us to stay connected and keep us alive. Stay Alive!
Bautista – Definitely. The experiences in Polymerase and Traces of War built our musical backbone, especially in understanding how to weaponize heavy, dragging grooves. However, we’ve actually moved beyond the power trio format. To fully capture the thick, atmospheric layers and the mid-tempo weight we’re aiming for, we needed more sonic firepower. We recently added Ed Ponce as our second guitarist. He brings a massive amount of underground history from his time as the bassist for Living Maggots (’93-’94) and guitars for Machine Gun Poetry (’94-’99). Having his second guitar in the mix is a game-changer; it allows us to weave those dark, heavy rock textures while keeping the rhythm section completely punishing.
Castro – Coming from a doom, stoner influenced band the slow, heavy, draggy drum parts is what I brought to Cult Siege. We recently enlisted Ed Ponce as our second guitar player which added more attck and textures to our sound.
Ponce – I listen to every dark music as my ear allows that translates to my music. I consider Cult Siege as my medium of influence at this point.
THC Zine: Influences of hardcore punk and thrash creep into your music. What is it about combining riffs from both punk and metal that appeal to you? Are there any bands and artists not related to your sound that have influenced your music and lyrics?
Redrico – eventually you will arrive to the idea that they are the same, -in spirit. Well when you first started listening it all feels the same -it’s heavy, fast, and loud, so you’re going full circle. Yeeha!! I listened to a lot of hip-hop like Vinnie Paz, AOTP, Ill Bill etc. which may have influenced how I write the lyrics, I know it did in TOW. Also last year I was listening to Interpol’s Antics album and I think it did have an effect on the riffs I wrote, a lot of it is still in the bank though hehe. Also, Conan – just got into that beast of a unit just recently, maybe and hopefully we get to emulate some of their vibes.
Bautista – Hardcore punk brings the raw protest and sheer velocity, while thrash provides the razor-sharp precision. But when you drop that into a heavy, slow rock march, the context shifts. Combining them allows us to express aggression not just through speed, but through sheer sonic oppression and atmosphere. Outside of metal, the daily grind of surviving and the weight of being a provider for a family here heavily impact the bleak vibe of our music. I’m also massively influenced by analog, and lo-fi recording technology—getting that gritty, unpolished atmosphere out of lo-fi gear.
Castro – Thrash is basically a direct descendant of Hardcore punk as both types of music relies on speed and aggression so it’s not a surprise that our sound reflects the same aggression and speed. Also, all of us are into hardcore too!
Ponce – Whatever music reeks of a dark dissonant sound my ear catches and applies to my strings.
THC Zine: When songwriting, which do you prefer creating first, the music or lyrics? Are you still pissed off at the state of the world and of the Philippines? Do these topics influence your lyrics and songwriting?
Redrico – Most of the time it’s the riff. But personally, I wish it’s the lyrics as I just started doing bass and vox, but over time I am getting the hang of it and hope it gets easier haha. Pissed no way! Beyond that! It’s just hopeless man, the belief that election as an illusion becomes more real when you see those political actors getting along, aren’t that dude the antithesis of what you’re supposedly fighting for? Why can’t those who believe for change can’t hear from you anymore after you have lost the election? Is it just a game that you play? You know – those questions get you. Conspiracy theory used to get a bad rap but most got vindicated over time to be legit as the light of day. Of course, as with all avenues of life, some are straight up kooky! Once you watch closely you see the pattern or notice something. I used to heavily smoke weed before I got kids and reading conspiracy history/news as I call it and smoking weed is a pretty heavy trip. I think the effects stayed with me, so when I write on a subject matter that lens is available on call. Although recently maybe due to age, I am writing some introspective stuff.. I know, I can’t help it, I’m sorry.. aaaahhhhhh!!!
Bautista – The riffs are always the genesis. The guitars dictate whether a track needs to be a fast crossover assault or a heavy, atmospheric slow rock slog. Once that sonic landscape is built, the lyrics follow. And yes, absolutely still pissed off. The systemic failures and the blatant inequalities we face here fuel the fire. Our anti-system lyrics are a direct reaction to our reality. The slow, dragging sections reflect the heavy hopelessness of the current state of things, while the fast thrash sections are the active rebellion against it.
Castro – It all starts with the music! The lyrical theme our songs project is directly related to what’s happening around us like constant wars, corruptions that destroy both our government and the society itself and the medium we chose to air our opinion is thru our music.
Ponce – What the boys write I follow. The world is Hell since creation, it is up to man choosing what drives them, influence by and what the fuck to do next.
THC Zine: Speaking of the Philippines, what are the challenges of playing dark crossover thrash in a 3rd world country?
Redrico – Writing songs and playing is actually the easy part. We have the tools to keep it DIY, but eventually we want a proper recording to give justice to our sound. Most of the studios that are somewhat affordable, though, when you hear a sample of their output, it sounds too clicky. Still, we’re positive that maybe they just haven’t had the right client yet, but they know how to do it. When we started, we were actually thinking of recording at Joy’s studio because his output sounded good to us. However, he passed away – RIP, Joy.
Bautista – Time, resources, and pure survival. Getting the right gear to achieve a biting crossover tone alongside a massive, heavy rock atmosphere isn’t easy here. Balancing a demanding graveyard job and household responsibilities with the dedication required for extreme music is a daily war. But that struggle breeds authenticity. We rely heavily on the DIY ethic out of necessity, and embracing lo-fi methods. You use exactly what you have, and that resulting grit organically becomes part of the dark atmosphere in our music.
Castro – I’d say the available resources! It is hard to find gears/equipment, studios, people that we need to create the type of sound we are aiming for especially since we are into lo-fi sound. As for the music itself, thrash/crossover is still not a mainstream artform which could be a good thing as it’s still considered as “pure!”
Ponce – It is always the resource, the capacity to acquire your needs as a musician is tough here in PH unlike those spoiled mama’s boys who play rock and roll poses as rock stars, get drunk and laid with their groupies by the evening take note… Never get their hands dirty from the job since birth.
THC Zine: What are your plans after releasing the demo/EP?
Redrico – Get back to writing, getting into the visual of things, we don’t have a schedule per SE, but we hope not to let the year pass without being productive. Productivity keeps you alive!
Bautista – The immediate goal is to circulate the demo heavily in the underground, pushing the cassette and CD-R formats to keep that old-school, tangible spirit alive. After the June debut, the focus is on tightening our live assault with Ed’s second guitar in the fold. We want to make more releases and start crafting heavier, more expansive riffs to build toward a full-length release that further explores this atmospheric mid-tempo concept.
Castro – Continue honing and improving our craft, continue creating more music and gigs!
Ponce – Play more music.
THC Zine: What do you think of the lineup for the upcoming Sex Messiah show? Pyre, Ataul, Mass Hypnosia, DN Aideath, and Sex Messiah?
Redrico – Holy smokes, right? And it’s going to be our first show! Even the local acts are forces to be reckoned with. We’re greatly honored to play with these bands, especially opening for Sex Messiah and DN Aideath – it’s going to be really special for us.
Bautista – The lineup is completely lethal. Sharing our first live stage with a Japanese underground powerhouse like Sex Messiah is incredible. Throwing local titans like Mass Hypnosia and Ataul into the mix, along with Zenabi, Pyre and DN Aideath, makes it a massive honor for us to be on the bill. It’s going to be an unforgettable night of pure, uncompromising extreme music in Cainta. See you in the pit!
Castro – Awesome line up! The bands aren’t the “run off the mill” bands that we used to see! Sex Messiah and DN Aideath are international acts that already have their niche in the international scene. While the local acts Masshypnosia, Pyre, Ataul are established bands in the local scene. And we are honored to be included and to play alongside these bands! Respect to the organizer for putting up such an event!
Ponce – If a gig would pull up hell, this is it.
Sex Messiah Perversion de la Carne Tour will desecrate Davao and Manila, a JOINT effort by THC Zine in hellish fn conspiracy with Davao Hellbangers Production!
Exclusive THC Zine online tickets at 800 pesos each until May 31, 2026
Door price: 1000 pesos
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CULT SIEGE
Country of origin: Philippines
Location: Marikina
Status: Active
Formed in: 2025
Genre: Crossover Thrash
Lyrical themes: Anti-system, Social struggle, Rebellion
Current label: Independent
Band History:
Cult Siege was formed sometime in the middle of 2025 by members of the Philippine extreme metal underground. Based in the Metro Manila and Rizal regions, the band was established as a focused vehicle for aggressive Crossover Thrash blended with a heavy, slow rock sensibility.
The band’s conceptual foundation lies in its “slow thrash mid-tempo” approach, which seeks to contrast high-velocity hardcore punk energy with crushing, atmospheric passages influenced by early to modern heavy rock structures. This sonic direction is heavily reinforced by a strict DIY and lo-fi ethos to maintain a raw, unpolished underground aesthetic.
Originally conceived as a power trio, the lineup expanded in 2026 with the addition of second guitarist Ed Ponce, a veteran of the 1990s scene (ex-Living Maggots, ex-Machine Gun Poetry). This expansion allowed the band to further explore thick, atmospheric textures while maintaining the rhythmic, punishing force of their crossover roots.
Cult Siege is scheduled to release its debut demo in June 2026, coinciding with their first live appearance in Cainta, Rizal, supporting the Japanese band Sex Messiah. The band remains committed to physical formats, prioritizing cassette and CD-R releases within the local tape-trading circuit.
Current Lineup:
Redrico: Bass Vocals (2025-present) (see also traces of war)
Bautista: Guitars (2025-present) (see also traces of war)
Castro: Drums (2025-present) (see also: ex polymerase, ex man monster machine)
Ponce: Guitars (2026-present) (see also: ex-Living Maggots, ex-Machine Gun Poetry)
Discography:
Debut Demo (Demo, June 2026)
Towards Harmonious Civilization Zine 
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