Interview with death metal band from Türkiye - DIABOLIZER.
Answered Mustafa (guitars), thank you!
Recenze/review - DIABOLIZER - Murderous Revelations (2025):
Ave DIABOLIZER! I couldn't find any interview with you in Czech anywhere. So I'll ask you first to introduce the band to the readers who don't know you yet. You can start from the beginning and take us through the whole history of DIABOLIZER.
Diabolizer is a death metal band formed in 2012 with the desire to perform death metal that is slightly different, faster, more powerful, and more evil than our other musical projects. To date, it has released one EP and two albums and continues on its journey.
This year you released the still fresh new album "Murderous Revelations". Again it is dark, gritty and honest death metal. Did you approach the recording differently than last time or did you go with tried and tested methods?
We haven't really had any conscious method or plan. We simply composed our songs and got them ready for recording. This time, we collaborated with a different studio and sound engineer from our first album. Consequently, you will notice some differences in sound, but we didn't put in an extra efford for different sound intentionally; it just evolved as we went. We simply started the process of the new album and worked our way towards a result that was satisfying to us.
I find the new record an order of magnitude more complicated, maybe less accessible at first, but at the same time incredibly dark and evil. Was that the intention? How was the album actually created and how did you compose the music?
There is never a conscious urge to follow a certain path when writing songs. I just wanted to write a new Diabolizer album, and the material I had on hand evolved into the album you guys are hearing now. When I'm working on new songs, the riffs and parts I wrote in the past and the new ideas somehow find their place in the essence of the song I'm working on at that moment. There's no specific recipe for it. The songs just come together depending on how I feel at that particular moment. After the music composition is complete, we discuss the overall concept of the album with our vocalist Abomination and agree on a direction. Then, we write and shape all the lyrics according to the structure we decided on. We have a good chemistry, and the result always satisfies us greatly.
I have "Murderous Revelations" in my MP3 player and I have to say that I am literally consumed by it. It's not just the great ideas, but the sound, which is in a word devastating. For example, I'm sitting on the tram and suddenly I find myself tapping my foot. I feel like partying. If I wasn't a gentleman of my years, I'd probably do it. Where did you record the album and who is the mastering engineer?
Thank you. We recorded the guitars and basstracks for the album at our home studios. But we don't just plug the guitar into a sound card and record it right away, which has become very common nowadays. After years of experimentation and gaining experience, we've set up our own recording environment in our homes to record our instruments in the most analog way possible. This allows us to record our music in a more relaxed environment using the same equipment we'd use at a professional studio, which has undoubtedly improved the quality of our work over the years. The drums and vocals were recorded at Mezar Sound Studios in Ömerli, Istanbul. The mixing and mastering were done by our friend Emre Bingöl.
Who wrote the lyrics on "Murderous Revelations"? And what are they about? Where do you get your inspiration for the themes?
All of Diabolizer's lyrics are written by our vocalist Abomination. The lyrics and themes we have used so far are in perfect harmony with the structure of the music we have written, and the inspiration behind them cannot be explained in a simple recipe-like manner. Each of us has been involved with metal for over a quarter-century. There are undoubtedly many factors that have inspired the music we create, alongside the countless pieces of music we've consumed over the years, but this is not something that can be simplistically explained or described. I think we would rather it be left to the imagination of those observing from outside.
Who is signed under the cover of "Murderous Revelations"? I like his work a lot. How did you choose the theme for the cover?
The album artwork was created by Indonesian artist Adi Christianize. He was one of the artists I had been following for some time. The concept of the artwork was created by Abomination and myself, in line with the overall lyrical concept of the album and the theme we wanted to convey. We communicated this vision to him, and he truly brought to life exactly what we had imagined. We are extremely satisfied with the result.
If we go back to the beginning... What was the first impulse to put the band together? And why death metal? It's not exactly a style that would get you a lot of "fame".
Actually, this answer is already partly included in my response in the first question. We do this not to gain any particular benefit, but because we derive immense pleasure from performing. If we were seeking fame or recognition, we would have pursued other paths, as everyone in the band has other bandss and projects, and given their talents, it wouldn't be too difficult to achieve to be honest. But we genuinely enjoy what we do, and as long as it remains fulfilling, we will continue to do it.
You come from Turkey and play extreme death metal. Our readers would be interested to know how the death metal scene works in your country. To be honest, I've been hearing nothing but great stuff from you guys lately. Does that mean that your scene is very strong at the moment? What about the gigs, how many people come?
The Turkish death metal scene features some very good names. This country produces world-class death metal, both in terms of songwriting and live performance. Turkish bands participate in shows around the world as much as they can and release albums on international labels. However, in order for these bands to advance further, the rest of the world needs to take off their blinders, get to know the Turkish metal scene a little better, and give these bands a chance. In my opinion, most of the bands that are currently popular around the world, especially in death metal, are musically mediocre. The fundamental reasons why these names are so popular despite their uniformity and mediocrity are, of course, related to the connections they have, the country they come from, and the comfortable environment there. Of course, there are exceptions. But to be honest, I can say without hesitation that many of the death metal bands from Turkish scene could easily surpass most of the current death metal bands that have made a name for themselves worldwide in terms of musical quality. The shows here are quite wild and brutal. Attendance has been quite good in recent years. Of course, it varies from time to time, but overall, I would say attendance is satisfactory.
I can't help but ask. You live in Turkey, which is considered a heavily Islamic country. Do you have any problems with that? Do you get space on TV, in the newspapers? How is life in your country influenced by Islam at all? Isn't playing death metal more of a stigma for you?
This is not a typical Middle Eastern country. Even though some groups desperately want it to be. Yes, we live in a region where Islam is the official religion, but it would be ignorant to equate us with countries governed by Sharia law. So you need to know that performing metal, listening to it, or having a particular look is never a problem for us here. I think all you need to know is that the biggest challenge is financial. Because our economy has been in a dire state for some time now due to the wrong policies of those in power, and this has had a negative impact on many aspects of music, I would say that this is the biggest challenge. Other than that, people need to stop thinking, “Oh, it's an Islamic country, how can you play metal, how can you wear metal shirts, etc.”
From your music you can feel that you are influenced by the American death metal school as well as old European bands. Where do you stand as fans? Do you prefer the original death metal of the 90s or do you draw inspiration from new records as well? If so, I'd be interested to know which bands had/have the biggest influence on DIABOLIZER.
I would say it's an ideal blend of both sides for us. Since my teenage years, I've always felt closer to the US side since my early youth, yes. But both Europe and America, and the rest of the world, etc. To this day, I've surely consumed a lot of death metal releases and enjoyed them. It would be too simplistic to name just a few. They all surely had an impact on me. What I am trying to do is to present the best examples of death metal in my own style and not copy those bands or try to invent something new.
What about you and gigs in general? Are you a band that goes to shows as much as possible or do you pick and choose a lot? Do you have a dream, like a band you'd like to tour with or a festival, a city you'd like to perform in?
Of course, we want to participate in the right events at the right time, as much as we can. But we only want to do it if we feel passionate about it and it doesn't become a burden for us. Otherwise, we never aim for things like, ‘we wish to go on tour with this band, let's play at that ban's show etc.’It's enough for us to feel a shared excitement with the right people we will play together.
What does death metal mean to you? Is it just a hobby, relaxation or more of a lifestyle. How much does music influence you in your everyday life? Feel free to get philosophical.
Only thing I won’t feel tired of being part of. I’ve moulded my entire life around to this wonderful thing I am part of. That's why I think I can say that I see a positive effect in every sense.
What is DIABOLIZER going to do in the near future? If you have something to say to fans, labels, promoters, here's the space...
We have just wrapped up the local shows for our new album in Türkiye. We are currently busy planning and preparing for the 15-day European tour scheduled for late September to early October 2025. And, as always, ideas for the next release are slowly accumulating and developing. We are continuing to push forward.
I'm going to give your new album "Murderous Revelations" another listen. I have to say that for me personally it is basically a perfect death metal masterpiece. A total inferno. I wish the record to do well, to reach as many fans as possible. It deserves it. I wish you all the best in your personal life. Thank you for the interview and I'm looking forward to seeing you live sometime!
Thank you for your positive words and comments! See you at the shows!
Recenze/review - DIABOLIZER - Murderous Revelations (2025):
Recenze/review - DIABOLIZER - Khalkedonian Death (2021):
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