Interview with death metal band from Poland - ASPERATUS.
Answered Radek (guitars), Piotr (bass), Łukasz (vocals), thank you!
Recenze/review - ASPERATUS - Shrines of Human Waste (2026):
Ave ASPERATUS! Greetings from the Polish catacombs. First, let me pay you a compliment. I’ve been following your band since 2015, when you released your first EP, “Warped Reality,” and you’ve been among my favorites ever since. Here in the Czech Republic, however, you aren’t very well known we’re a small country with a small underground scene. How did you actually get together, and how did ASPERATUS come to be?
Radek: The story really began in 2011 when I came to Kraków in 2009 to study Mechanical Engineering at AGH (Cracow University of Science and Technology). I was already playing guitar, but I had never been in a band. I remember posting on a local Facebook page that I was looking to join or create a death metal band. After some time, Zbigniew Grabowski (drums) reached out to me. We started playing and quickly wrote the material for our first EP. Thanks to Zbigniew’s connections, we formed our first lineup, featuring Olga Proficz (bass), Łukasz Piwowarczyk (guitar), and Piotr Dzik (vocals) (Sothoth, Machines of Dystopia, Lacrima). After recording the EP and playing our first show, things hit a plateau; it was a challenging time as all the members had just finished their studies and "real life"—jobs, family, and responsibilities—set in.
In the meantime, Zbigniew decided to leave the band to focus on his professional career. This was a major setback, as finding a drummer in the death metal scene is like finding a unicorn—they are rare, and most are already juggling multiple bands. After a double challenge, we found a new drummer, Tomasz Drabik. We rehearsed for nearly a year, but Tomasz eventually had to resign due to personal issues, and the whole project stalled for nearly three years. Everyone became busy with their own lives, making it difficult to move forward.
The breakthrough came in 2018 when I reconnected with Bartosz Janczarski (drums). I had known Bartosz since we met at a Vesania show in Kraków in 2010. He had considered joining me early on, but it never came to fruition. We reconnected, had one rehearsal, and that was it—it clicked! We decided to move forward, though, to be honest, we weren't initially sure if we wanted to start something new or continue as Asperatus. Bartosz reached out to Piotr Tokarz (bass - Alienacja, Redemptor, Perihellium) to see if he was interested, and fortunately, he was.
Piotr was the one who convinced us to keep going as Asperatus. Generally speaking, Piotr is the voice of reason in the band. We quickly found Łukasz Ciepała (vocals), who introduced us to Jakub Owczarek (guitar). From that point, it took two years of constant practice, refining our technical approach, and writing new material until Sanctified State of Decay was created in 2020. I’ve always placed great emphasis on technical aspects, both in equipment and solutions for the band. It was a time of significant growth in our rehearsals; we learned so much about using technology to assist us, but also about ourselves.
Five years have passed since then, and we’ve played plenty of shows—it has been a great time for me and the team, though we’ve certainly had our share of tough days. Eventually, Jakub left the crew, and Rafał Żeńczak replaced him just before the recording of Shrines of Human Waste. Rafał is a fantastic person, a true professional, and he’s deeply into the technical side of things, including equipment and stage solutions. Most importantly, he is immensely talented on the guitar and as a bonus, he is also a bass player. And here we are.
This year you released your new album, “Shrines of Human Waste,” which is once again full of pure, authentic death metal. What were your feelings going into the studio? Did you have a plan, for example, for where and how you wanted to evolve from your last album? Personally, the new record strikes me as darker and, at the same time, colder. I have to admit that the atmosphere of the entire album has literally captivated me.
Piotr: Thank you so much for those words! Knowing that the dark, freezing atmosphere of Shrines of Human Waste captivated you is exactly what we hoped for when we were freezing our thoughts into these tracks.
Going into the studio for this debut full-length via Mad Lion Records, the feeling was a mix of pressure and absolute focus. We had the technical foundations from our previous EPs like Sanctified State of Decay, but a full album demands a cohesive universe. Our main plan wasn’t just to play faster or more technical death metal, but to make the music feel more suffocating, calculated, and conceptually grand.
Radek: Piotr is right; we knew that this album had to be produced to the highest standard we could achieve. We applied the lessons learned from our previous recordings to ensure a higher quality. I was deeply involved in the realization and production process, often checking and adjusting tracks until 2 a.m. because I wanted everything to be perfect. My vision was to resurrect the old-school sound mixing the gritty style of Dissenter (highly recommended!) with the technical riffing of the bands I grew up on, such as Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Vader, and Behemoth. I wanted the sound to feel natural, wild, and raw. To be honest, the material wasn't entirely new; the compositions were written over the past five years, but they had to reflect the tough yet dynamic times in my life. Consequently, the pressure to get the sound exactly right was immense.
Who’s responsible for the sound? Which studio did you record in, and who handled the mastering and mixing of the album? Overall, the sound is great it reminds me of albums from the late ’90s. Was that the goal?
Piotr: Yes, we wanted the music, despite it’s intensity, to sound lively and natural, yet selective at the same time. We were aiming for the sound character of 90’s American death metal bands. Paweł Grobler from TAKE47/mr.g_music (instagram)
was responsible for mixing and mastering, as well as recording all the instruments except the drums. We’ve known each other for ages, so we could work on the sound's character without any stress.
I’m also very particular about the visual aspect of CDs, and I’ve really grown to love your album art. Who designed the artwork for the new album “Shrines of Human Waste,” and what is it actually meant to convey? I really like the motif could you please tell us how it relates to the music and how they’re thematically connected?
Piotr: The graphic design was created by Michał "Xaay" Loranc a well-known Polish graphic designer and illustrator, as well as a close friend of ours. We already had a preliminary concept for the artwork which was created by our Vocalist Łukasz Ciepała, and Xaay turned it into a magnificent masterpiece that perfectly captures the musical content. The cover directly relates to the theme of broadly defined human existence in today's world.
Radek: Yes, Łukasz was a founder of the idea and also creator of the initial artwork basing on the lyrics and the general concept of the album. I think he managed that flawlessly and expressed the message of the present times in this idea.
Also Michał “Xaay” put a significant part of this message into the final artwork. He is a true professionalist in that matter. The work and cooperation with Michał was 100% a great experience.
What are the lyrics on the new album about? Who wrote them, and where did they draw inspiration from?
Łukasz: All of the lyrics, except for Fall, were written by me.
As for the inspiration, it's difficult to point to one specific source because the lyrics were written and revised over a long period of time. If I had to sum it up, they're mostly a reflection of observing the reality we live in, mixed with a deep sense of disillusionment toward many aspects of human behavior and sometimes even toward humanity's very existence.
Books and films also played an important role. They often sparked thoughts and reflections that eventually found their way into the lyrics, even if not in a direct or obvious way.
I’d be interested in the process behind how ASPERATUS creates a new song. Are you the classic type who locks yourselves in the rehearsal room and jams, or do you use modern technology to share ideas with each other? Do you even go out for a beer together?
Piotr: Despite many responsibilities in our private lives, we occasionally manage to go out for a beer together, but it tastes best when we share one after a successful gig…
Radek: When it comes to the music, I’ve been primarily responsible for it so far. I create songs outlines( drums, guitars) in the comfort of my home and then send the ideas to the rest of the guys. Everyone adds their feedback until we all agree it has potential. Then, we rehearse the material together live, making tweaks and changes until we are fully satisfied. We believe this way of working is the most effective for us and aslo keeps the same form and style of composition.
So yes… I am The supreme leader here haha!
I think the biggest reward for any band is the fans’ reaction. I prefer smaller clubs where the musicians and fans are close to each other. How often does ASPERATUS actually perform? Do you go on tour, for example? I searched online and didn’t find many live recordings of your performances. So what’s the deal with ASPERATUS’s concerts?
Piotr: We aren't a band that plays a huge number of shows or goes on regular tours. On average, we play anywhere from a few to a dozen gigs a year, but we only choose the offers that work for us. We've also played a few shows in your country, for instance at the Barrak Music Club in Ostrava, Zkusebna Art Club in Frydek-Mistek, and at the United In Brutality festival in Chribska. This December, we will be visiting the Czech Republic again. As of right now, we have 5 more gigs booked until the end of the year. The metal scene and audience in the Czech Republic are awesome!
Radek: I think the case of shows is quite complex.
There are not many live recordings because mostly people are quite surprised about the music we are giving life… probably haha. But there are few, even the full show from Kraków.
After the State of Decay EP we were playing a lot of small gigs but we were paying much attention not to be below the financial line. This does not mean we were charging a lot for our gigs but always trying to be in balance with the taken costs. We were quite careful about terms but we also did not aim high in case of numbers and the bands we were playing with. It was a time where we wanted to gain more self confidence and test multiple stage solutions. This period gave us quite a valuable lesson when it comes to where to play, to give the best of our skills and provide the best reception of music.
After that period and after recording of Shrines Oh Human Waste we decided to play more valuable shows in little bit better clubs, we are aiming for a good quality of the sound to provide the best of our performance.
The second thing is that we are highly busy people unfortunately… Piotr and I got families and small kids, I am running multiple other activities connected with automotive design, 3D printing, working in R&D automotive industry, Łukasz is running second successful band Mansvara and also trying to spin his professional career, Rafał got two other bands and professional career. So we decided to take the opportunities that could make a significant visibility because the time is short to play multiple small shows in small clubs.
You’re from Poland. I’ve been following your scene since the late ’80s, and I’ve been a big fan of your bands for a long time. From an outsider’s perspective, it looks like your underground scene is still very much alive. What’s it like in Poland when it comes to death metal and other extreme genres? What about the fans, clubs, and so on? What’s your scene like? I’d be interested in your perspective from the inside.
Piotr: It's a tough subject. The scene in Poland is very strong, and underground bands deliver a high standard. However, black metal is largely dominating right now. Unfortunately, concert turnout isn't always satisfying, and the audience consists mostly of the old guard. Putting on a show here isn't the easiest task either: club availability is heavily limited, and the costs are high. This also severely discourages up-and-coming bands.
I’ve always wondered what kind of music musicians actually listen to. Do you have any albums you like to come back to often? And what about any new releases from recent years? Has anything caught your attention enough to make you buy a CD?
Radek: In terms of genres, I listen to everything from movie soundtracks—especially atmospheric or ambient scores like Blade Runner to electronic music, drum and bass, and even Michael Jackson! And of course, there’s death metal, but that’s not all. I was heavily influenced by bands like Cannibal Corpse, Vader, Behemoth, and Morbid Angel during my teenage years. I’m always drawn to a mix of highly dynamic and atmospheric music.
Łukasz: I listen to music from a wide range of genres. Besides extreme metal, I enjoy electronic music, hip-hop, and plenty of other styles. I’m a big fan of Viagra Boys—not just because of their music, but also because I really like their overall concept as a band and the way they present themselves.
That said, I’m usually most drawn to music that sounds strange or unconventional at first listen. Bands like Oranssi Pazuzu are a great example of that. I love records that reveal something new every time you come back to them.
In general, I’m very open-minded when it comes to music. The only thing I really look for is authenticity. If I feel that an artist is creating something honest and genuine rather than following trends, I’m much more likely to connect with the album. That authenticity gives the music lasting value for me and makes exploring it a much more rewarding experience. Those are also the records I’m most likely to buy on CD or Vinyls
Death metal is my favorite music genre. What fascinates me most about it is the darkness that musty stench of old graves. Then there’s the power and intensity. When I listen to a good album, I’m literally charged with energy. What does it mean to you? How does it influence your life, your view of the world, and how you perceive it as a creator?
Łukasz: For me, death metal is a form of catharsis. It's a space where I can process emotions that are often difficult to express in everyday life. Everything surrounding it not just the music itself, but the entire scene, the people, the artwork, and the atmosphere feels like a separate world that I can immerse myself in.
As a creator, I don't see death metal as something that exists purely to be extreme or shocking. At its best, it's an honest emotional outlet. It gives me the freedom to explore darker themes, existential questions, and the more uncomfortable sides of the human experience without having to simplify or censor them.
It has definitely influenced the way I look at the world. Rather than making me more pessimistic, it has made me more reflective. It reminds me that beauty can exist alongside decay, that intensity can be meaningful, and that art doesn't always have to be comforting to be valuable. In many ways, death metal has become a language for expressing things that are difficult to put into words, and it's been an important part of my life for many years.
What does ASPERATUS have planned for the coming months? If you have a message for fans, labels, or promoters, this is the place…
Radek: We are committed to delivering our best performances at our upcoming shows. We want to promote the album as extensively as possible, ideally in venues where our sound can be fully appreciated. If you’re a fan of high-quality death metal, come see us live—we promise not to disappoint!
Thank you so much for the interview! I wish not only the new album “Shrines of Human Waste” but also the entire ASPERATUS band a lot of success. I’m going to listen to the album again! It’s really great. I wish you all the best in your personal lives as well.
Thank you, that was a pleasure to introduce ourselves and we highly appreciate you reaching us!
Recenze/review - ASPERATUS - Shrines of Human Waste (2026):
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