Interview with grindcore death metal band from Poland - HOSTIA.
Answered St.Anacletus (guitars), thank you!
Recenze/review - HOSTIA - Razorblade Psalm (2025):
Ave HOSTIA! Greetings to the Polish underground and beautiful Warsaw. Let's get straight to the important stuff. You have a new album "Razorblade Psalm" out, which is literally packed with honest, dirty grindcore death metal. How was the album made and how do you feel about it? What direction did HOSTIA move in?
St.Anacletus: Ave Jakub! Greetings to the Czech Republic! Well, it took us a little bit more this time, however we released two albums – EP and LP in 2022, so we didn’t want to push it. Other factor that was very important was welcoming the new Pope behind the drums – St.Silverius. We wanted to get to know each other musically a litle bit and forge in fire of live shows (laugh). As on all the previous albums most of the ideas came from me. I used to work at home, record the demos with programming drums and then test it on St.Sixtus – our vocalist. Then we work on it as a whole band on rehearsals. This time, having Silverius on drums inspired me a lot in terms of arrengements cause I wanted to explore more some elements he brought to the band with the way of his drumming. We‘ve made the most brutal stuff with him we ever done! We also experimented more on rehersals so some of the songs got the new shape from the interaction between us much more than it used to be on previous records.
I'm listening to it right now and I have to write that this time it took a while to get into my blood. I put the album in my player, I listen to it in the car. I like the sound a lot. It's lively, organic, old school, and at the same time very clear. Where did you record it and who is responsible for the sound?
St.Anacletus: Well – thank You! If thats how You feel it – we made it the right way! I had in mind preety clear vision of how I wanted it to sound, but You never know how it will go until it‘s done. In Hostia we always wanted to sound as much lively and raw and natural as possible. And it always has been about the balance between making the sound as dirty and brutal as possible but without loosing the punch. On this album, as we have a little more tight riffs and rythmical playing I wanted it to sound a little more selective. We recorded in JNS Studio in Warsaw with Paweł „Janos“ Grabowski – with who we recorded all the Hostia albums. I know him for over 25 years and I always have a great time in the studio with him. For mix and master of the album we invited Haldor Grunberg – as we did with „Ressurected Meat“ and „Nailed“ albums. He’s really good in making it sound the way I describe it to him. We don’t use any other albums as benchmarks. We want it our way and Janos and Haldor are great in capturing it. You don’t change the team that works great!
You'll probably agree with me that the cover sells. You guys got it bloody and symbolic this year. The author is Łukasz "Pachu" Pach. Personally I like the cover, there's an idea in it. How did you and Łukasz get together and what exactly is the motif supposed to express in relation to music? The razor blades give me chills in my bones...
St.Anacletus: Again – thank You! I do really apreciate your kind words! When Łukasz joined the band it was obvious for me that he will take all the design under his wings. And for the first time in my life – I don’t have to worry about all the conceptual and designing proces. There was no single project he showed me that I wouldn’t want to release (laugh). I guess he had the title „Razorblade Psalm“ in his head for quite a long time so the cover was growing in him. Literally as he painted it with his own blood – and it’s no marketing bullshit. For all unbelievers You can buy the vinyl versions with this art signed by him with his blood also (laugh). No fucking AI here! About the interpretation of it – I prefer for everyone to have his own.
On the new album I was also attracted by the lyrics, which also express my views on the current strange world. Who is their author and where did you get inspiration for them? You quite often speak out against blind faith. Are we who are not from Poland fixated on the fact that your country is very Catholic? Is that really the case? How does Christianity influence your everyday life?
St.Anacletus: All the lyrics as always were written by Łukasz or if You prefer St.Sixtus. However he represents very well my views as well. We have here the toxic mix of ultra catholic church being heavily involved in politics and the politics right wing fuckwits kneeling before the cardinals. So yeah – couple last years after the last elections brought a little hope but I think they will be back in ruling soon. And it’s not about christianity or believing in god. Everyone can believe in fairytails he wants. It’s about politics and church forsing Poland to be religious state instead of laic country – and with that goes no freedon or human right. Fuck then – we could talk about this crap for hours – not wort it (laugh). However that was one of the reasons why Łukasz moved to Czech. So for couple years we are polish-czech band!
I put "Razorblade Psalm" over and over again in my head and I think what I like most about the album is probably that hard to describe old school grind death metal feeling. We seem to be of the same blood. Who was and is your role model? Every musician started out somehow, there are role models that have shaped their signature. What were yours?
St.Anacletus: I call it my music DNA (laugh). The bands I grow up listening to had probably the most impact on that DNA. So for sure there is Metallica, Death, Vader, Morbid Angel, Paradise Lost, Slayer, old school Sepultura or Megadeth in my blood. However this old school feeling in me would be thanks to Napalm Death and Terrorizer as well as some more hardcore bands like Hatebreed, Agnostic Front or Biohazard.
If we go back to the beginning... What was the first impulse to start a band? And why grindcore death metal? It's not exactly a style that would have gained you much "fame". Please take us through the history of HOSTIA.
St.Anacletus: I’ve always wanted to play this kind of music. It took me only 20 years to get to it (laugh). Kerry King once said – that Slayer is the exact band he always wanted to be in, and if there was no Slayer he would be in the band like Slayer anyway. I have the same feeling about Hostia. All of it. Music. Buddies in the band. Lyrics. Visual concept. 100%! It is simple – nothing gives me so much fun as playing this kind of music. My precious (laugh)!
You come from Poland, which I've had a soft spot for since I was young, and you play extreme grind death metal. Our readers would definitely be interested to know how your scene works? 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 gigs, how many people come?
St.Anacletus: From the early 90ties when I started listening to metal there was always many great polish metal bands. I don’t want to mention all, cause for sure I will forget about some that suppost to be named and I don’t want that sin on me (laugh). But for sure I encurage You all to dig for polish metal – older and newer. With amount of people on the shows the is no one answer. There are so many shows, especially in biger cities that some are sold out and some have a few people. But it is a normal thing. In general it’s good. But you never should take it for granted.
You can feel from your music that you're influenced by both Swedish, Finnish and British school, kind of those old honest European bands. How are you as fans? Do you prefer the original death and grindcore metal of the nineties or do you draw inspiration from the new records as well? If so, I'd be interested to know which bands had/have the biggest influence on HOSTIA.
St.Anacletus: Ow I guess I kinda already answer to it couple questions ago but – and I can speak only for myself – I am mostly inspired by old school bands that I got into as a teenager. There are many new great bands but it’s much harder for me to really get into sth new these days. Time to time I discover sth I do really like but it’s often really old band that I just missed years ago (laugh).
We are coming to the end and I always ask a slightly philosophical question. How would you define death/grindcore metal and what does it mean to you? I don't mean now the technique of playing, but rather what it brings to you, takes, how you perceive it in relation to the fans. Did you grow up on it?
St.Anacletus: There is no difference between people on stage and in front of the stage! We are all here to enjoy the music we love and have some fun. Grind and brutal music in general is my safety valve. Always been. It’s always playing in the back of my head (laugh). There was no single fucking day since I was 11 years old I wouldn’t think about the music or a band. It is release, it’s freedom and hella fucking fun!
Classic but necessary questions...what are HOSTIA planning in the next few months? If you have a message for fans, labels, promoters, here is the space...
St.Anacletus: Guess what! The first show we will play for the new album will be in Czech Republic in Ostrava 20th of September in Barrack Club with Siberian Meat Grinder and many more great bands! So hope to see some of You there! Then we will visit Danmark in October and after that we will play around Poland in November and December with Hate, Patriarkh and some other guests!
Thank you so much for the interview. I appreciate it. Now let the music do the talking. I'm going to play "Razorblade Psalm" really loud! I wish you all the best for the new release and that all is well in your personal lives. Thank you!
St.Anacletus: We thank You! Much apreciated! Now You will burn in hell with us!
Recenze/review - HOSTIA - Razorblade Psalm (2025):
Recenze/review - HOSTIA - Nailed (2022):
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