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úterý 10. března 2026

Interview - IN AETERNUM - A dark and cold black death metal ritual that will curse you forever!


Interview with black death metal band from Sweden - IN AETERNUM.

Answered David "Impious" Larsson (guitars, vocals), thank you!

Recenze/review - IN AETERNUM - ...Of Death and Fire (2026):

Ave IN AETERNUM! Greetings to the Swedish underground. I hope everything is going well for you. It should be, since you have another great album under your belt this year. I must admit that it literally pinned me to the wall. It's dark, energetic, cutting like a sharp knife. It's very clear that you've done a great job and that you have a lot of talent. How do you perceive the new album in relation to your previous recordings? Where did you want to go with it and how do you think the recordings are different?

David: The new album is like doing a debut album all over again. We had that same feeling when we were working on it and when it was finished. So much energy and excitement. Doing an album 20 years after the last one we really had to step up and do our best to not dissapoint ourselves. Honestly it was really easy working on these songs. It was something that needed to be done. We are really happy about all aspects of the album and I would rate this one as our best album together with our debut album. All albums are good so don’t get me wrong on this one. It’s just that for the first time in many years I’ve actually been listening to our album quite alot. We had alot to prove with this album after all these years. We didn’t want to come back and do a mediocre album or a soft album. From the feedback we have got from magazines and fans I can say with pride that we have done the right thing.


"...Of Death and Fire" has all the attributes of good black and death metal. For me personally, it's an album I love to come back to. How did it come about? How does IN AETERNUM compose new material?

David: Happy to hear that from you. We just went for it, if the riffs sounded good we recorded them and started building songs from there. We had some really heavy stuff recorded and we weren’t too sure about using it, but we kept working on it and the results can be heard in songs like Spirits Of The Dead and To Those Who Have Rode On for example. Nothing was off limits pretty much. Also on this album Daniel wrote the majority of the music, having him back in the band was what was needed. He’s a great guitar player.

I found out that Gord Olson is responsible for the mixing and mastering. I have to admit that the sound is literally killer. It keeps making me turn up the volume on my hi-fi system. Gord created a sound that is cruel, raw, dark, and animalistic at the same time. How was it working with him and why did you choose him? In which studio did you record and how did everything go?

David: The recording was done in both Daniels homestudio where we did all guitars and bass plus the vocals. Perra recorded drums at Studio Cave. After that was done we sent all the files over to Gord to be mixed and mastered. A bit different working with someone on the other side of the pond. In the end it turned out great soundwise, and Gord was easy to work with. The reason we choose him was that Perra worked with him on his solo album. I can agree with you that you always want to turn up the volume, the sound is perfect for it.


Sometimes I feel that black and death metal forget about the lyrics. What are the lyrics on "...Of Death and Fire" about? Where did you find inspiration for them?

David: The whole album concept is death. There are some historical stuff that has inspired us as well as spiritual stuff. For the most part we write from our inner self. To put it simple, the album is a hymn to death itself.

An integral part and a kind of bonus for fans today is the CD. You released it on Soulseller Records and it has a macabre cover. Who is the author? Am I right in thinking that it represents the entrance to hell? How did you choose the motif and how does it relate to the music on the new album?

David: Belial NecroArts made the cover, he’s a portugese guy with great skills. I had some ides and he took that and added some of his stuff into the cover artwork. It was important to have a cover with a central figure that would represent the theme of the album, in this case death. The hourglass is running out for all of us, faster than you think. When your time is up the grim reaper will be there to greet you welcome.


I've been wandering around the underworld for over thirty years, and I go to Sweden for music because I know I'll find what I'm looking for. I think we have a similar nature and taste when it comes to metal. I really like your bands and follow your scene closely. Maybe I'm even a little jealous of you, because we only have a few death metal bands that are worth listening to. How do you explain the fact that black and death metal are so successful in your country? How do you perceive your scene, fans, and labels?

David: I have no idea really, Sweden have always had a big music scene in all different styles. Since the 70‘s there has always been bands making heavy music, November is an old band that had a very doomy style. They sang in swedish. Then came the 80‘s and Bathory came out and just changed everything, and after that it kind of exploded with bands. One reason is that we have always had youth centers where you could borrow instruments and play, rehearsal rooms was everywhere, all connected to youth centers and community stuff. So if you wanted to play it was damn easy to do so. I’m 50 now and those places in my town are still there to help kids with a place to rehearse. It’s great to see that. Just the local scene where I live is growing and it’s really big, it’s the same all over the country. I love meeting fans and talk to them.

You play devastating death metal influenced by black metal. Nowadays, bands can't avoid comparisons, but I'd be interested to know how the idea to form IN AETERNUM came about, who your role models were and are, and where you want to take your band next. Are you tempted by any big international festivals, or do you want to tour with a more famous band?

David: I used to play in a death metal band called Adversary that me and a friend started early 1990. When that fell apart in 1992 I started up Behemoth that was more black metal inspired, did two demos and then changed name to In Aeternum when the vocalist quit. Talking about role models is hard, but we were inspired by loads of bands back then, guess we still are. Morbid Angel, Celtic Frost, Slayer, Possessed, Bathory, Dissection to name a few. Right now we are trying to put together a set list for future live gigs. We want to play as much as possible under the right circumstances. Going over to South America would be a cool thing to do. We also would like to do festivals in Europe and spread our music. Touring wise we are up for it if anything good comes our way.


IN AETERNUM can rightly be considered a legend. In the end, only David "Impious" Larsson remained from the original lineup. Was it difficult to find new musicians? From an outsider's perspective, it seems to me that in Sweden, given the population, every other citizen plays extreme metal. But how do you choose the right ones? How did you get together with the current lineup?

David: Yeah I’m the only one left from day one. Perra have been with us on drums for 23 years so he’s not new in any way. Daniel had his first run with the band between 2001 and 2006, then he came back in 2024. The bass player we had was with us from 2005 until 2025. Apart from me there have only been 3 other guitar players since we started releasing albums, and only 3 bass players. There’s lots of good musicians but it can be hard to find the ones that you click with on a personal level. When we got together with Daniel it was cheer luck. We met at a festival called Nordfest in his hometown in October 2024. Him and I started talking about 2025 and that it would mark 20 years since our last album. One thing lead to another and we decided to try and make new music. Exactly one year later we had the album recorded, mixed and ready.

Can you remind us how IN AETERNUM got together in 1994? If I'm not mistaken, you were originally called BEHEMOTH? When did you start playing an instrument, what was your first gig like, and which band did you worship and see live for the first time? I'm curious, what was it like in Sweden in the nineties?

David: After the vocalist left I decided to change the band name and get some new members. I recruited the old Sorcery guitarist as well as their drummer Paul. Paul would later on switch to guitar when we got Jocke on drums around 1997. Paul was originally a guitar player so he wanted to play guitar. Personally I started learning to play guitar when I was around 12 years old. When I started my first band we were called Haunted, this was 1989, so I guess The Haunted should give us some free stuff now, hahahahaha. Then in 1990 we changed name to Adversary and I switched to playing bass. After that I started up Behemoth and picked up the guitar again and also started singing in the band. I did my very first gig with Adversary in the summer of 1990. In 1990 there was a festival in my town where bands like Merciless, Entombed, Mezzrow and Count Raven played, those were the first bands I saw live as a 14 year old kid. I remember buying the debut album directly from the Entombed guys and was blown away by it. I also bought Morbid Angels debut there and that one changed everything, damn what an album that is still to this day. The music scene in the 90‘s was pretty small. Lots of gigs at youth centers and such places and also bigger gigs in the mayor cities like Stockholm. In Fagersta a smaller town there was loads of gigs back then, and they also had the Bergslagsrocken Festival. Seen many good bands in Fagersta.


When I interview some older bands, some of them complain about how times have changed. Fans, labels, promoters—everything is different. We have new technologies, recording in studios is different, there's the internet, social networks. How has all this affected you as a musician?

David: In a way it has changed for the better being a band. It’s easier to get your music out to people and connect with everyone. At the same time I can miss the days where you send a band money for a demo hoping it came forward, just waiting for the demo to arrive in your mailbox. But all in all I think it’s much better now.

I like to ask musicians what death/black metal means to them. How would they define it, is it more of a philosophy and lifestyle for them or "just" relaxation. What does it mean to you? How do you perceive and experience it?

David: I’ve devoted my life to metal music since I was six years old. So it’s a lifestyle to me. I simply can’t live without it. I love listening to new albums and reading the lyrics while doing so. Looking at the layout and feeling the product in my hands. I buy records all the time, spotify is good for when I’m driving my car. At home I need the physical product.

 

Finally, a classic but important question. What does IN AETERNUM have planned for the coming months? Where can we see you in concert? What about a tour for the new album? If you have something on your mind and would like to say it to your fans, labels, promoters, here's your chance...

David: We have been asked to play at Nordfest Festival in Sundsvall Sweden this year, apart from that nothing is certain yet. For next year we will play Brainchrusher Festival in Germany. So all you out there who wants to see us live, contact your local promotor or festival and demand that they book us. Thanks for buying our stuff and liking our new album. Hail the metal of Death.

Thank you very much for the interview. I wish you every success with the new album and hope that your fan base grows as much as possible. I look forward to seeing you live again and wish you all the best, both musically and personally. I'm going to listen to "...Of Death and Fire" again!

David: Thank you as well, hope to see you out there somewhere.

Recenze/review - IN AETERNUM - ...Of Death and Fire (2026):

Recenze/review - IN AETERNUM - The Blasphemy Returns (2016):

Rozhovor - IN AETERNUM - Temný a chladný black death metalový rituál, při kterém budete navěky prokleti!


Rozhovor s black death metalovou skupinou ze Švédska - IN AETERNUM.

Odpovídal David "Impious" Larsson (kytara, zpěv), děkujeme!

Recenze/review - IN AETERNUM - ...Of Death and Fire (2026):

Ave IN AETERNUM! Zdravím do švédského undergroundu. Doufám, že je u vás vše v pořádku. Mělo by, máte na kontě letos další skvělé album své kariéry. Musím se přiznat, že mě doslova přikovalo na zeď. Je temné, energické, řeže ostrou hranou nože. Je hodně slyšet, že jste odvedli skvělou práci a taky velká porce talentu. Jak vnímáš novou desku v souvislosti s vašimi předchozími nahrávkami? Kam jak jste se chtěli posunout a v čem jsou podle tebe nahrávky odlišné?

David: Nové album je jako znovu nahrávat debutové album. Měli jsme ten samý pocit, když jsme na něm pracovali i když bylo hotové. Tolik energie a nadšení. Dělat album 20 let po tom posledním, to jsme museli opravdu zlepšit své schopnosti a udělat maximum, abychom  nezklamali. Upřímně řečeno, práce na těchto písních byla opravdu snadná. Bylo to něco, co se muselo udělat. Jsme opravdu spokojeni se všemi aspekty alba a toto bych hodnotil jako naše nejlepší album, spolu s naším debutovým albem. Všechna alba jsou dobrá, takže mě v tomto případě nechápejte špatně. Jen jsem poprvé po mnoha letech naše album poslouchal docela dost i já. Po všech těch letech jsme s tímto albem měli co dokazovat. Nechtěli jsme se vrátit a udělat průměrné album nebo jen slabé album. Na základě zpětné vazby, kterou jsme dostali od časopisů a fanoušků, mohu s hrdostí říct, že jsme udělali správnou věc.


„...Of Death and Fire“ v sobě obsahuje všechny atributy dobrého black a death metalu. Pro mě osobně se jedná o desku, ke které se hrozně rád vracím. Jakým způsobem vznikala? Jak skládají nový materiál IN AETERNUM?

David: To od tebe rád slyším. Prostě jsme do toho šli, pokud riffy zněly dobře, nahráli jsme je a začali jsme z nich tvořit písničky. Měli jsme nahrané i opravdu těžké věci a nebyli jsme si moc jistí, jestli je použijeme, ale dál jsme na nich pracovali a výsledky jsou slyšet například v písních jako Spirits Of The Dead a To Those Who Have Rode On. V podstatě nic nebylo tabu. Také na tomto albu napsal většinu hudby Daniel, takže jeho návrat do kapely bylo přesně to, co jsme potřebovali. Je skvělý kytarista.

Dohledal jsem si, že pod mixem a masteringem je podepsán Gord Olson. Musím potvrdit, že zvuk doslova zabíjí. Pořád mě to nutí na hi-fi věži přidávat volume. Gord vám vytvořil zvuk, který je krutý, surový a zároveň temný a živočišný. Jak se vám s ním spolupracovalo a proč právě on? V jakém studiu jste nahrávali a jak vše probíhalo?

David: Nahrávání probíhalo v domácím studiu u Danielse, kde jsme nahráli všechny kytary, basu a vokály. Perra nahrál bicí ve Studiu Cave. Poté jsme všechny soubory poslali Gordovi k mixu a masteringu. Bylo to trochu jiné pracovat s někým na druhé straně. Nakonec to dopadlo skvěle zvukově a s Gordem se dobře pracovalo. Důvod, proč jsme si ho vybrali, byl ten, že s ním Perra spolupracoval na jeho sólovém albu. Souhlasím s tebou, že člověk chce vždycky zvýšit hlasitost, zvuk je na to perfektní.


Občas mi připadá, že se u black a death metalu zapomíná na texty. O čem jsou na „...Of Death and Fire“? Kde jste pro ně hledali inspiraci?

David: Celý koncept alba je smrt. Inspirují nás historické i duchovní věci. Většinou píšeme z vlastního nitra. Jednoduše řečeno, album je hymnou na samotnou smrt.

Nedílnou součástí a jakýmsi bonusem navíc je pro fanoušky dnes CD. Vy jste jej vydali u Soulseller Records a je opatřeno mrtvolným obalem. Kdo je jeho autorem? Vysvětluji si to dobře, že se jedná o vstup do pekla? Jak jste motiv vybírali a jak souvisí s hudbou na novince?

David: Obal alba vytvořil Belial NecroArts, je to Portugalec se skvělými schopnostmi. Měl jsem pár nápadů a on je vzal a přidal do obalu něco ze svého nitra. Bylo důležité mít obal s ústřední postavou, která by reprezentovala téma alba, v tomto případě smrt. Přesýpací hodiny se nám všem krátí rychleji, než si myslíte. Až vám vyprší čas, přivítá vás Smrtka.


Toulám se podsvětím již přes třicet let a do Švédska si chodím pro muziku vlastně na jistotu. Myslím, že máme podobnou náturu i vkus, co se týká metalu. Mám vaše kapely hodně rád a pečlivě sleduji vaši scénu. Možná vám i trošku závidím, my máme u nás jen pár death metalových smeček, které stojí za to. Čím si to vysvětluješ, že zrovna u vás se blacku a death metalu tolik daří? Jak vnímáš vaši scénu, fanoušky, labely?

David: Vážně nemám tušení, Švédsko mělo vždycky velkou hudební scénu ve všech možných stylech. Od 70. let tu vždycky byly kapely, které dělaly heavy music. November byli stará kapela, která měla hodně doomový styl. Zpívali ve švédštině. Pak přišly 80. léta a přišli Bathory a všechno změnili, a pak to s kapelami nějak explodovalo. Jedním z důvodů je, že jsme vždycky měli mládežnická centra, kde si člověk mohl půjčit nástroje a hrát, zkušebny byly všude, všechno propojené s mládežnickými centry a komunitními aktivitami. Takže pokud jste chtěli hrát, bylo to zatraceně snadné. Teď je mi 50 a tato místa v mém městě stále existují, aby pomohla dětem se zkoušením. Je skvělé to vidět. Místní scéna tam, kde žiji, roste a je opravdu velká, je to stejné po celé zemi. Rád se setkávám s fanoušky a povídám si s nimi.

Hrajete devastující death metal ovlivněný i black metalovou školou. Dnes se vlastně kapela nemůže vyhnout srovnání, mě by ale zajímalo, jak vlastně vznikl nápad založit IN AETERNUM, kdo byl a je vaším vzorem a kam vaši kapelu chcete ještě posunout? Lákají vás třeba nějaké velké zahraniční festivaly, nebo chcete vyrazit na turné s nějakou slavnější smečkou?

David: Hrával jsem v death metalové kapele Adversary, kterou jsme s kamarádem založili začátkem roku 1990. Když se v roce 1992 rozpadla, založil jsem Behemoth, která byla spíše inspirovaná black metalem, nahrál dvě dema a pak, když zpěvák odešel, změnil název na In Aeternum. Mluvit o vzorech je těžké, ale inspirovala nás spousta kapel z té doby, a myslím, že stále inspiruje. Morbid Angel, Celtic Frost, Slayer, Possessed, Bathory, Dissection, abych jmenoval alespoň některé. Momentálně se snažíme dát dohromady setlist pro budoucí živé koncerty. Chceme hrát co nejvíc za správných okolností. Jet do Jižní Ameriky by bylo fajn. Také bychom rádi jezdili na festivaly v Evropě a šířili naši hudbu. Co se týče turné, jsme připraveni, pokud se nám podaří něco dobrého.


IN AETERNUM lze právem považovat za legendu. Z původní sestavy zbyl nakonec jenom David „Impious“ Larsson. Bylo k sobě těžké sehnat nové muzikanty? Takhle z pohledu z venku mi připadá, že ve Švédsku, vzhledem k počtu obyvatel, hraje extrémní metal každý druhý občan. Jak ale vybrat ty pravé? Jak jste se dali dohromady se současnou sestavou?

David: Jo, jsem jediný, kdo tu zůstal od prvního dne. Perra je s námi na bicí už 23 let, takže není žádný nováček. Daniel měl své první angažmá s kapelou mezi lety 2001 a 2006, pak se vrátil v roce 2024. Baskytarista, kterého jsme měli, s námi byl od roku 2005 do roku 2025. Kromě mě tu byli od začátku vydávání alb jen tři další kytaristé a jen tři baskytaristi. Je tu spousta dobrých hudebníků, ale může být těžké najít ty, se kterými si osobně sednete. Když jsme se s Danielem dali dohromady, bylo to štěstí. Potkali jsme se na festivalu Nordfest v jeho rodném městě v říjnu 2024. Začali jsme se bavit o roce 2025 a o tom, že to bude 20 let od naší poslední desky. Jedna věc vedla k druhé a rozhodli jsme se zkusit dělat novou hudbu. Přesně o rok později jsme album nahráli, mixovali a připravili.

Zavzpomínáš pro nás prosím, jak se vlastně dali IN AETERNUM v roce 1994 dohromady? Jestli se nepletu, tak jste se původně jmenovali BEHEMOTH? Kdy jsi začal hrát poprvé na nástroj, jaké bylo první vystoupení a jakou kapelu jsi uctíval a viděl poprvé naživo? Zajímalo by mě, jaké to bylo ve Švédsku v devadesátých letech?

David: Poté, co zpěvák odešel, jsem se rozhodl změnit název kapely a získat nové členy. Naverboval jsem starého kytaristu ze Sorcery a také jejich bubeníka Paula. Paul později přešel na kytaru, když jsme kolem roku 1997 dostali Jocka k bicím. Paul byl původně kytarista, takže chtěl hrát na kytaru. Já osobně jsem se začal učit hrát na kytaru, když mi bylo asi 12 let. Když jsem založil svou první kapelu, jmenovali jsme se Haunted, to bylo v roce 1989, takže si myslím, že The Haunted by nám teď měli dávat nějaké věci zadarmo, hahahahaha. Pak v roce 1990 jsme se přejmenovali na Adversary a já jsem přešel na basu. Poté jsem založil Behemoth, znovu jsem vzal do ruky kytaru a také jsem začal v kapele zpívat. Svůj úplně první koncert s Adversary jsem měl v létě 1990. V roce 1990 se v mém městě konal festival, kde hrály kapely jako Merciless, Entombed, Mezzrow a Count Raven, to byly první kapely, které jsem viděl naživo jako čtrnáctiletý kluk. Pamatuji si, jak jsem si koupil debutové album přímo od kluků z Entombed a byl jsem z něj unešený. Taky jsem si tam koupil debutové album Morbid Angel a to všechno změnilo, sakra, jaké album to je dodnes. Hudební scéna v 90. letech byla docela malá. Spousta koncertů v mládežnických centrech a na podobných místech a také větší koncerty ve větších městech jako Stockholm. Ve Fagerstě, menším městě, bylo tehdy spousta koncertů a taky tam měli festival Bergslagsrocken. Viděl jsem ve Fagerstě spoustu dobrých kapel.


Když dělám rozhovory s některými staršími kapelami, tak si někteří stěžují na to, jak se dnešní doba změnila. Fanoušci, labely, promotéři, všechno je jinak. Máme nové technologie, ve studiu se jinak nahrává, je tu internet, sociální sítě. Jak tohle všechno ovlivnilo tebe jako muzikanta?

David: V jistém smyslu se to jako kapela změnilo k lepšímu. Je snazší dostat svou hudbu k lidem a spojit se s nimi. Zároveň mi chybí ty doby, kdy jste kapele posílali peníze za demo v naději, že se vám to podaří, a jen čekali, až vám demo dorazí do schránky. Ale celkově si myslím, že je to teď mnohem lepší.

S oblibou se ptám muzikantů na to, co pro ně znamená death/black metal. Jak by jej definovali, jestli je pro ně spíše filozofií a životním stylem nebo „jen“ relaxem. Co znamená pro tebe? Jak jej vnímáš a prožíváš?

David: Metalové hudbě jsem se věnoval od šesti let. Takže je to pro mě životní styl. Prostě bez něj nemůžu žít. Miluji poslouchání nových alb a při tom čtení textů. Dívám se na layout a cítím produkt v rukou. Desky si kupuji pořád, Spotify je dobrý, když řídím auto. Doma potřebuji fyzický produkt.

 

Na závěr klasická, ale důležitá otázka. Co chystají IN AETERNUM v nejbližších měsících? Kde vás můžeme vidět na koncertě? Co nějaké turné k novému albu? Pokud máš něco na srdci a chtěl bys to vzkázat t fanouškům, labelům, promotérům, tak zde je prostor…

David: Letos jsme byli požádáni, abychom hráli na festivalu Nordfest v Sundsvallu ve Švédsku, kromě toho zatím není nic jisté. Příští rok budeme hrát na festivalu Brainchrusher v Německu. Takže všichni, kdo nás chcete vidět naživo, kontaktujte svého místního promotéra nebo festival a požádejte je o rezervaci. Děkujeme, že si koupíte naše věci a líbí se vám naše nové album. Zdar metalu a smrti.

Děkuji moc za rozhovor. Přeji nejen nové desce spoustu úspěchů a ať se co nejvíc rozšíří řady vašich fanoušků. Budu se těšit zase někde naživo a ať se vám daří jak po hudební stránce, tak i v osobní rovině. Jdu si „...Of Death and Fire“ zase narvat do hlavy!

David: Taky děkuji, doufám, že se někde uvidíme.

Recenze/review - IN AETERNUM - ...Of Death and Fire (2026):

Recenze/review - IN AETERNUM - The Blasphemy Returns (2016):

sobota 7. března 2026

Interview - DEFACED - Sophisticated, perfectly polished death metal that will leave a deep bloody mark on you!


Interview with death metal band from Switzerland - DEFACED.

Answered Thomas Gertsch (vocals), thank you!

Recenze/review - DEFACED - Icon (2026):

Ave DEFACED! Greetings to beautiful Switzerland. Just recently, I was making a map of metal Europe at home over the weekend, and next to your country I wrote down CORONER, HELLHAMMER, CELTIC FROST, MESSIAH, and then I thought about someone "younger." You and REQUIEM were the first to come to mind! Your new album "Icon" is excellent, isn't it? How did the album come about and what direction did you want to take? Why did it take you more than ten years to release a new album?

Hi Jakub! Glad to hear you like our newest release! We wanted to progress from our previous album „Forgin The Sanctuary“ but stick to our roots. Meaning it still was supposed to be a death metal album, but we wanted to add more atmosphere overall. So some songs are just all-in shredding with lots of blast beats while other songs carry more black metal elements and a darker tone. We went through some line up changes and in order to become aligned as a group, that naturally takes time. Besides, we wrote this album as a unit and we spent a lot of time working on details. On top of that we had a lot more material which in the end we weren’t super satisfied with, so there were a few songs written that we then threw out. But also we just had some down time here and there a few years ago. I think we probably needed that back then. We all have our personal lives and jobs to commit to, so all these points combined don’t really help to get a new album written within a short period of time.


The new album is packed to the brim with real, aggressive old-school death metal. Yet it is fresh and interesting. You have your own clear and distinct style, you rely heavily on atmosphere, and you're not afraid of grindcore and black metal elements. Who is the main songwriter and how do you create new songs? The album really cuts to the bone! How did you manage that?

As you would expect, the main drivers are of course our guitarists (Marco and Matze), but everyone gets to bring in his ideas. I believe the result emerged organically from that. Not the most efficient, but it got us here and we kept working on those details until everyone was happy with the songs.

With "old" bands, I always really like how they play with sound. This is especially true for death metal. Individual instruments must stand out, and at the same time, I literally hate the "modern" artificial plastic sound. "Icon" sounds raw, old school, dark, cold. Who is responsible for the mastering and mixing? Where did you record?

Everything was recorded, mixed and mastered at HardBeat Studios. Simon and Roman are former band members who were therefore also involved in the songwriting process and thus new our sound better than anyone else. Their studio is also our „old“ rehearsal room and we didn’t want to pressure us into any deadlines, so our choice to record with our friends was the kind of the obvious one. They did a amazing job in our opinion and we are very happy with the result.


They say that good packaging sells, and the packaging for Icon is great. It was designed by Pär Olofsson. I can't help but feel that it was inspired by old sci-fi books. What exactly is it supposed to express, and how does it relate to the music?

Yes, Pär Olofsson is awesome! The lyrics are a inspired by a mix of Orwell’s famous „1984“ and Huxley’s „Brave new world“. Over time, it created some sort of an own world, in which the people is a product and every individual is shaped into what the „Icon“ needs it to be. We specifically didn’t want the Icon to be a person or anything definite, which is why we wanted to have this modern city in the background. And the mass produced people are striving to go there, into that ominous society, to be part of something they crave while being brainwashed or almost programmed from the very beginning. All the while, since this society can’t think for themselves anymore, they forget what can be of actual value. That’s what the left part of the artwork symbolizes, the untouched beautiful nature which gets forgotten. We wanted the artwork to be a gatefold, so you if you’re holding a digipak, you can only see it on back side. Or of course when you look at the full artwork 😊

Lyrics are a very underrated discipline in many death metal bands. It's also very difficult to write lyrics to music, at least in my opinion. They have to fit the phrasing, be understandable, and express some emotion. Who wrote the lyrics for Icon, and where did they get their inspiration?

Most of the lyrics are from myself, but Matze also came up with some ideas. „Betrayer“, the last track on the record is written mostly by him for example. It’s sometimes hard to tell if the lyrics come across the way they’re intended. It’s clear to me as the writer what I mean by something but could be interpreted in a different matter, something I perhaps hadn’t thought about. On the other hand it’s nice to see that people actually invest time to go through the lyrics. And yes, they are provocative here and there, but that was kind our intention, since we decided to write the songs from a „leader’s“ perspective. Over all however, I wouldn’t want it to be seen as anything political. We’re not a political band and we don’t intend to be one.


I'm going through your discography and I've found that you can be relied upon. You've never released a truly weak album. Each album is a little different, but at the same time you stick to your direction and people recognize you after just a few notes. In today's world of overproduction, that's a great gift and skill. But what are DEFACED like as people? I believe that the chemistry between musicians can be felt in their music. Do you go out for beers together, do you meet outside of concerts? From the photos, you seem like a bunch of nice guys I'd like to invite for a drink :).

Well thank you! The development of the band grew naturally whith new members, us all becoming older and more experienced. We are good bunch of friends who share this hobby with passion and found ourselves to work really well as an unit. I see some of the guys outside the band of course, specially Marco, we live in the same area, go skiing in our free time and also organize local BDM/Slam shows together. But when we’re on the road or in our rehearsel room as a band, we of course take our time to have a beer and just chat about pretty much anything. We all have a good time when we see each other. So yeah, I guess you could say we’re a chilled bunch of guys who enjoy a cold beer when it’s not about making music.

What about DEFACED and concerts? Do you enjoy playing and do you play often? I would love to see you somewhere in a club! Maybe you and MESSIAH, that would be a dream come true!

Of course, we very much enjoy playing live shows! We’ll be going take part of India’s Godless tour in June for example, something I’m very excited about, since we haven’t managed to something like that in the past yet. Also, we’re going to play at IL Fest in CZ in September. I’m looking forward to that one! It’s an underground fest, so no Messiah unfortunately but there are other great bands on that line up. Plus, I love Czech beer and from visiting other Czech Festivals such as Brutal Assault for example, I think the metal scene there is great!


Switzerland has a very good reputation here in the Czech Republic. But we usually just pass through your country when we are going somewhere to the sea or the mountains. What is the death metal scene like in Switzerland, with concerts and fans? What is the Swiss underground like?

Well, the mountains are in the middle of our country and call those our home 😉 We have a rather small, but solid and loyal death metal scene here and we are fortunate to get many tours and shows to choose from, since we’re in the middle of Europe. You rarely go to a show where you don’t know anyone, it’s a very familiar scene you could say. Great friendships have evolved from it and it’s always great to see the people at festivals or club shows. I’d say people very relaxed and easy to talk to, so it’s always a good time.

Which bands influenced DEFACED when you were starting out? Did you have any idols that you worshipped? Please reminisce for us about the band's beginnings and take us through your history.

That’s a bit of a though one actually, we all have our favorites, but they tend be to be quite different from what we play ourselves. We didn’t aim to sound like other specific bands and just play what seems right to us. We barely ever talk about other or better known bands during the song writing process and I actually like it that way. I think if you try to implement elements of already existing songs or bands, that may restrict ones creativity or you perhaps limit yourself in what you actually want to do. Of course we weren’t trying to re-invent the wheel and you’ll always pick up stuff you found cool at some point. I guess everyone is a bit different and for me as the vocalist I can admire all those awesome singers from other bands, whether their underground or in major bands. And of course many different musicians will inspire you over time and may have had some sort of influence on our own songwriting, but it was never about copying anything or trying to do the same. So it’s hard to say which bands, songs, musicians or even genres had more or less influence on our sound as it is today.

 

When you say death metal, everyone imagines something a little different. What does it mean to you? How do you perceive this music as an author and what do you want to express with it? Is it anger, darkness, coldness? Other emotions?

For me, death metal is actually a very positive thing. Even if none death metal people wouldn’t understand, would they? ;-) But the sound and the energy always put me in a good mood and so naturally it’s something I enjoy. Whenever I’m a bit down for whatever reason, I mostly don’t feel like working on music, or even listen to it. It then doesn’t fit for me. But whenever I hear those distorded guitars, blast beats and nasty vocals, specially live, it puts me in a „fuck yeah“ attitude. Everyone is different of course, but for me, that’s how i could describe it.

What does DEFACED have planned for the coming months? Will we see you on a longer tour sometime? If you have anything you'd like to say to your fans, labels, or promoters, now's your chance...

We have some shows comping up, yes. Specially the mentioned tour with Godless toward the end of June and the show at IL Fest (https://www.facebook.com/ilfestofficial/) are the currently set dates. We hope to be able to play more cool stuff and finally take our new album to the stage, so time will tell.

And of course, massive shout out to all our fans, turning up too our shows – new or old, Simon & Romano for patiently recording, mixing, mastering the record, for being great mates. Kusi, our former drummer who stuck with us for so long, Massacre Records for taking us under their wings, all the magazines, webzines for investing time and showing interest in us and our new album! Thank you all very much. We are excited for what the future may hold and we hope to see you all at one of our shows and share a beer with you!

Thank you very much for the interview, I really appreciate your time. I'm going to do one thing now. I'm going to play "Icon" really loud! It's a really great album that has really gotten under my skin. Thank you very much for that too. I wish it great sales. All the best in your personal life too!

Thank you very much, Jakub! It was a pleasure and I whis you all the best as well!

Cheers

Tom

Recenze/review - DEFACED - Icon (2026):

Rozhovor - DEFACED - Propracovaný, k dokonalosti vybroušený death metal, který ve vás zanechá hlubokou krvavou stopu!


Rozhovor s death metalovou skupinou ze Švýcarska - DEFACED.

Odpovídal Thomas Gertsch (zpěv), děkujeme!

Recenze/review - DEFACED - Icon (2026):

Ave DEFACED! Zdravím do krásného Švýcarska. Zrovna nedávno jsem si dělal doma o víkendu takovou mapu metalové Evropy a u vaší země jsem si poznamenal - CORONER, HELLHAMMER, CELTIC FROST, MESSIAH a pak jsem přemýšlel o někom „mladším“. Napadli jste mě spolu s REQUIEM jako první! Vaše novinka „Icon“ je totiž vynikající? Jak album vznikalo a jakým směrem jste se chtěli posunout? Proč vám trvalo vydat nové album více než deset let?

Ahoj Jakube! Jsem rád, že se ti naše nejnovější album líbí! Chtěli jsme navázat na naše předchozí album „Forgin The Sanctuary“, ale zároveň se držet našich kořenů. To znamená, že to stále mělo být death metalové album, ale chtěli jsme celkově dodat více atmosféry. Takže některé písně jsou prostě drtící s množstvím blast beatů, zatímco jiné nesou více black metalových prvků a temnější tón. Prošli jsme několika změnami v sestavě a abychom se jako skupina sjednotili, to samozřejmě vyžaduje čas. Navíc jsme tohle album psali dohromady a strávili jsme spoustu času prací na detailech. Navíc jsme měli mnohem víc materiálu, se kterým jsme nakonec nebyli moc spokojení, takže bylo napsáno pár písní, které jsme pak zahodili. Ale také jsme si před pár lety udělali tu a tam nějaký volný čas. Myslím, že jsme to tehdy asi potřebovali. Všichni máme svůj osobní život a práci, kterým se musíme věnovat, takže všechny tyto body dohromady moc nepomáhají k napsání nového alba v krátkém čase.


Nová deska je po okraj narvaná opravdovým, agresivním death metalem starého stylu. Přesto je svěží a zajímavá. Máte svůj jasný a zřetelný rukopis, sázíte hodně na atmosféru, nebojíte se i grindových, black metalových prvků. Kdo je hlavním autorem hudby a jak nové songy tvoříte? Album neskutečně řeže do živého! Jak se vám to povedlo?

Jak se dalo očekávat, hlavními hybateli jsou samozřejmě naši kytaristé (Marco a Matze), ale každý může přinést své nápady. Myslím, že výsledek z toho vzešel organicky. Nebyl nejefektivnější, ale dostal nás až sem a my jsme na těchto detailech pracovali, dokud nebyli všichni s písněmi spokojeni.

U „starých“ kapel se mi vždycky hrozně líbí, jak si hrají se zvukem. U death metalu to platí obzvlášť. Musí vyniknout jednotlivé nástroje, zároveň doslova nesnáším „moderní“ umělý plastový zvuk. „Icon“ zní surově, old schoolově, temně, chladně. Kdo je podepsán pod masteringem a mixem? Kde jste nahrávali?

Všechno bylo nahráno, smícháno a masterováno v HardBeat Studios. Simon a Roman jsou bývalí členové kapely, kteří se proto také podíleli na procesu psaní písní, a proto znají náš zvuk lépe než kdokoli jiný. Jejich studio je zároveň naší „starou“ zkušebnou a nechtěli jsme se tlačit do žádných termínů, takže naše rozhodnutí nahrávat s přáteli bylo celkem jasné. Podle nás odvedli úžasnou práci a s výsledkem jsme velmi spokojeni.


Říká se, že dobrý obal prodává a ten na „Icon“ je skvělý. Podepsán je pod ním Pär Olofsson. Nemůžu si pomoc, ale připadá mi, že je inspirovaný starými sci-fi knihami? Co má přesně vyjadřovat a jak souvisí s hudbou?

Ano, Pär Olofsson je úžasný! Text je inspirován směsicí slavného Orwellova románu „1984“ a Huxleyho „Statečného nového světa“. Postupem času se vytvořil jakýsi vlastní svět, ve kterém je člověk produktem a každý jedinec je formován do podoby, jakou „Ikona“ potřebuje. Konkrétně jsme nechtěli, aby Ikona byla člověk nebo něco určitého, a proto jsme chtěli mít v pozadí toto moderní město. A masově produkovaní lidé se snaží dostat tam, do té zlověstné společnosti, být součástí něčeho, po čem touží, zatímco jsou od samého začátku vymývány mozky nebo rovnou programovány. Celou dobu, protože tato společnost už nemůže myslet samostatně, zapomínají, co může mít skutečnou hodnotu. To symbolizuje levá část uměleckého díla, nedotčenou krásnou přírodu, na kterou se zapomíná. Chtěli jsme, aby umělecké dílo bylo rozkládací, takže pokud držíte digipak, vidíte ho pouze na zadní straně. Nebo samozřejmě, když se díváte na celé umělecké dílo. 😊

Texty jsou u mnohých death metalových kapel velmi podceňovanou disciplínou. Ono je taky velmi těžké napsat text na muziku, alespoň já si to myslím. Musí sednout do frázování, zároveň být srozumitelný a vyjadřovat nějaké emoce. Kdo je autorem textů pro „Icon“ a kde pro ně bral inspiraci?

Většina textů je mých, ale Matze také přišel s několika nápady. Například „Betrayer“, poslední skladba na desce, je napsána převážně jím. Někdy je těžké říct, jestli texty vyznívají tak, jak byly zamýšleny. Jako autorovi je mi jasné, co tím myslím, ale dalo by se to interpretovat jinak, na něco, o čem jsem možná nepřemýšlel. Na druhou stranu je hezké vidět, že lidé skutečně investují čas do pročítání textů. A ano, místy jsou provokativní, ale to byl náš laskavý záměr, protože jsme se rozhodli psát písně z pohledu „vůdce“. Celkově bych ale nechtěl, aby to bylo vnímáno jako něco politického. Nejsme politická kapela a ani se jí nehodláme stát.


Projíždím si vaši diskografii a zjistil jsem, že je na vás spolehnutí. Nikdy jste nevydali vyloženě slabou desku. Každé album je něčím trošku odlišné, ale zároveň si držíte svůj směr a člověk vás pozná po několika tónech. To je v dnešní době nadprodukce velký dar a schopnost. Jací jsou ale DEFACED jako lidé? Já zastávám názor, že z muziky je cítit chemie mezi muzikanty. Chodíte spolu na pivo, setkáváte se i mimo koncerty? Podle fotek působíte jako parta sympatických chlápků, které bych rád pozval na panáka:).

No, děkuji! Kapela se přirozeně rozvíjela s novými členy, všichni jsme stárli a nabývali zkušeností. Jsme dobrá parta přátel, kteří sdílejí tento koníček s vášní a zjistili jsme, že jako jednotka fungujeme opravdu dobře. Vídám se samozřejmě s některými kluky mimo kapelu, obzvlášť s Marcem, bydlíme ve stejné oblasti, ve volném čase jezdíme lyžovat a také společně pořádáme místní BDM/Slam show. Ale když jsme na cestách nebo ve zkušebně jako kapela, samozřejmě si uděláme čas na pivo a jen tak si popovídáme o všem možném. Všichni se dobře bavíme, když se vidíme. Takže jo, dalo by se říct, že jsme pohodová parta kluků, kteří si rádi dají vychlazené pivo, když zrovna nedělají hudbu.

Co DEFACED a koncerty? Hrajete rádi a často? Hrozně rád bych vás viděl někde v klubu! Třeba vy a MESSIAH, to by byl splněný sen!

Samozřejmě si hraní živých koncertů moc užíváme! Například v červnu se zúčastníme indického turné Godless, na což se moc těším, protože se nám v minulosti něco takového ještě nepodařilo. Taky budeme v září hrát na IL Festu v České republice. Na ten se moc těším! Je to undergroundový festival, takže bohužel žádný Messiah, ale jsou na něm i další skvělé kapely. Navíc miluji české pivo a z návštěv jiných českých festivalů, jako je například Brutal Assault, si myslím, že metalová scéna je u vás skvělá!


U nás v Čechách má Švýcarsko velmi dobrý zvuk. Většinou ale přes vaši zemi jenom projíždíme, když jedeme někam k moři nebo na hory. Jaké je to u vás s death metalem, s koncerty, fanoušky? Jaký je švýcarský underground?

No, hory jsou uprostřed naší země a říkáme jim náš domov. 😉 Máme tu poměrně malou, ale solidní a loajální death metalovou scénu a máme štěstí, že si můžeme vybrat z mnoha turné a koncertů, protože jsme uprostřed Evropy. Jen zřídka jdete na koncert, kde nikoho neznáte, dalo by se říct, že je to velmi známá scéna. Vznikla z ní skvělá přátelství a je vždycky skvělé vidět ty lidi na festivalech nebo klubových koncertech. Řekl bych, že jsou to velmi uvolnění lidé a je s nimi snadné se bavit, takže je to vždycky dobrá zábava.

Které kapely ovlivnily DEFACED, když jste začínali? Měli jste nějaké vzory, které jste uctívali? Zavzpomínej pro nás, prosím, jaké byly začátky kapely a proveď nás vaší historií.

To je vlastně trochu ošemetné, všichni máme své oblíbené, ale ty bývají dost odlišné od toho, co hrajeme sami. Naším cílem nebylo znít jako jiné konkrétní kapely a hrát jen to, co nám přijde správné. Během procesu psaní písní se o jiných nebo známějších kapelách téměř nebavíme a mně se to tak vlastně líbí. Myslím, že když se snažíte implementovat prvky již existujících písní nebo kapel, může to omezit vaši kreativitu nebo se možná omezíte v tom, co vlastně chcete dělat. Samozřejmě jsme se nesnažili znovu vynalézat kolo a vždycky si vezmete věci, které vám v určitém okamžiku přišly skvělé. Myslím, že každý je trochu jiný a já jako zpěvák můžu obdivovat všechny ty úžasné zpěváky z jiných kapel, ať už z undergroundu nebo z velkých kapel. A samozřejmě vás v průběhu času inspiruje mnoho různých hudebníků a možná měli nějaký vliv na naše vlastní psaní písní, ale nikdy nešlo o kopírování něčeho nebo snahu dělat totéž. Takže je těžké říct, které kapely, písně, hudebníci nebo dokonce žánry měly větší či menší vliv na náš zvuk, jaký je dnes.

 

Když se řekne death metal, tak si každý představí trošku něco jiného. Co znamená pro tebe? Jak tuhle hudbu vnímáš ty, jako autor a co s ní chceš vyjádřit? Je to vztek, temnota, chlad? Jiné emoce?

Pro mě je death metal vlastně hodně pozitivní věc. I kdybych žádnému death metalovému žánru nerozuměl, že? ;-) Ale ten zvuk a energie mě vždycky naladí do dobré nálady, takže je to přirozeně něco, co si užívám. Kdykoli jsem z nějakého důvodu trochu skleslý, většinou se mi nechce na hudbě pracovat, ani ji poslouchat. Pak mi to nesedí. Ale kdykoli slyším ty zkreslené kytary, blast beaty a hnusný zpěv, obzvlášť naživo, tak mě to dostane do nálady „sakra jo“. Každý je samozřejmě jiný, ale u mě by se to dalo popsat takto.

Co chystají DEFACED v nejbližších měsících? Uvidíme vás někdy na nějakém delším turné? Pokud máš něco na srdci, co bys chtěl vzkázat fanouškům, labelům, promotérům, tak zde je prostor…

Ano, máme před sebou pár koncertů. Zejména zmíněné turné s Godless koncem června a koncert na IL Festu (https://www.facebook.com/ilfestofficial/) jsou aktuálně stanovené termíny. Doufáme, že budeme moci zahrát další skvělé věci a konečně přehrát naše nové album na pódiu, takže čas ukáže.

A samozřejmě obrovské díky všem našim fanouškům, kteří se účastní našich koncertů – nových i starých, Simonu a Romanovi za trpělivé nahrávání, mixování a mastering desky a za to, že jsou skvělí kamarádi. Kusimu, našemu bývalému bubeníkovi, který s námi vydržel tak dlouho, Massacre Records za to, že nás vzali pod svá křídla, všem časopisům a webzinům za to, že investovali čas a projevili zájem o nás a naše nové album! Moc vám všem děkujeme. Těšíme se na to, co přinese budoucnost, a doufáme, že se s vámi všemi uvidíme na jednom z našich koncertů a dáme si s vámi pivo!

Děkuji moc za rozhovor, opravdu si vážím tvého času. Udělám teď jednu věc. Pustím si „Icon“ pořádně nahlas! Je to totiž opravdu skvělé album, které se mi pěkně zadřelo pod kůži. Díky moc i za něj. Přeji mu skvělé prodeje. Ať se vám daří i v soukromí!

Moc děkuji, Jakube! Bylo mi potěšením a přeji ti také vše nejlepší!
Na zdraví
Tom

Recenze/review - DEFACED - Icon (2026):

úterý 3. března 2026

Interview - ENNUI - Mesmerizing, cold, and dark funeral doom death metal that will freeze the blood in your veins!


Interview with funeral doom metal band from Georgia - ENNUI.


Ave ENNUI! Greetings to the Georgian underground. I hope everything is going well for you. It should be, since you have released the fifth great album of your career this year. I must admit that it literally pinned me to the wall. It's dark, energetic, gloomy, cutting like a sharp knife. It's very clear that you've done a great job and that you have a lot of talent. How do you perceive the new album in relation to your previous work? Where did you want to go and how do you think the recordings are different?

Thank you for the kind words. It’s always slightly unsettling when someone describes your music that intensely, but of course it’s good to hear.

For me, Qroba feels like a step forward, especially in terms of production and attention to detail. In the past, we sometimes accepted imperfections as part of the character. This time we were far more precise. We took the recording process seriously, almost stubbornly so. Nothing was left to chance.

Musically, I see it as a reconsideration of our earlier work. There is less emphasis on the death metal side and more focus on doom itself. On weight, atmosphere and that slow-burning melancholy that was always there, but perhaps not fully realized. Darkness and atmosphere became more important than aggression.

I wouldn’t say we are trying to evolve in a dramatic sense. It’s more about refining what we already are. The next album will probably be a bit more dynamic again, but I don’t think we’ll ever abandon this atmosphere. It feels too natural to us.


"Qroba" has all the attributes of good death and funeral doom metal. For me personally, it's an album I love to come back to. How did it come about? How does ENNUI compose new material?

Some songs came almost instantly, as if they had already existed somewhere and just needed to be written down. Others took much longer. I had to struggle with them, reshape them, sometimes even dismantle them completely.

The hardest part wasn’t writing the material. It was choosing what actually belongs on the album. There was a lot more music than what ended up on Qroba.

The balance between death doom and funeral doom was something I had to handle very carefully. On one side, I wanted enough melancholy and that sense of deep isolation. On the other, I didn’t want to lose the weight, the harsher riffs, the physical heaviness of doom-death. It’s very easy to lean too far in one direction and lose tension.

In the end, I think the album found its own internal equilibrium. At least it feels that way to me.

Who is responsible for the sound? I have to admit that the sound literally sends shivers down my spine. It always makes me turn up the volume on my hi-fi system. They created a sound that is urgent, raw, dark, and animalistic. How did you work together? In which studio did you record, and how did everything go?

The foundation of the sound was built in Tbilisi. We recorded drums, vocals and the acoustic instruments at Garden Sound Studio with people we trust completely. They approached the sessions with real patience and precision. Nothing was rushed. We spent time searching for the right tones rather than settling for something “good enough.”

After that, the material went to Greg Chandler. He handled the re-amping, mixing and mastering. What impressed me most was how quickly he understood what the album needed. We didn’t have to over-explain anything. In some places he even strengthened the arrangements with subtle decisions that made the music feel more alive and more physical.

So, the process was divided, but very cohesive. Local roots, then an experienced hand shaping the final architecture. That combination gave the album its weight and clarity.


An integral part and a kind of bonus for fans today is the CD. You are releasing it on Meuse Music Records and it has mystical cover art. Who is the author? How did you choose the motif and how does it relate to the music on the new album?

The cover was created by BenJ Winterkeep, an exceptional artist whose work immediately resonated with the atmosphere of the album.

For me, the image reflects the core idea of Qroba. The word itself can be translated as fading or vanishment. The figure stealing the sun became a very natural visual metaphor for that concept. It feels like the death of light, or at least the slow withdrawal of it.

There is also a subtle connection to our debut album Mze Ukunisa. That cover also featured a landscape with hills and a darkened sun. On Qroba, the last track is titled “Mokvda Mze,” which translates as “The Sun Has Died.” So there is a quiet connection between the two records.

The artwork does not explain the music directly, but it carries the same emotional weight. It feels like a funeral for light. Maybe also for certain illusions.

I've been wandering the underworld for over thirty years and, to tell you the truth, I don't know many Georgian bands. How do you perceive your scene, fans, labels? What about concerts?

The Georgian metal scene has always existed slightly in the shadows. Not because there was no talent, but because the country itself has gone through long periods of instability. In the 1990s, when there were wars, economic collapse and social chaos, people were still rehearsing in basements, recording on whatever equipment they could find, and trying to build something heavy and honest out of very little.

Metal here was never fashionable. It was something personal. Almost stubborn.

Today the situation is calmer, and you can feel a new generation growing. There is a strong interest in black metal right now, especially atmospheric and depressive forms. Concerts happen regularly, younger bands are appearing, and the audience is surprisingly dedicated. Compared to some other parts of the Caucasus, Georgia and Armenia probably have the most active extreme metal movement.

At the same time, we still lack infrastructure. There are fewer venues, limited promotion and very few labels that can seriously push heavy music. The scene survives mostly on enthusiasm and personal commitment rather than on any real system behind it. Maybe that’s also why it still feels genuine.

There are bands worth discovering. Askeesi represent a very focused and atmospheric side of Georgian black metal. Psychonaut 4 have built a strong international reputation while keeping their identity intact.

And there are also long-standing bands like Angel of Disease, who have been playing technical death metal for more than twenty-five years. They are a reminder that this scene did not begin yesterday.

So, the Georgian underground is not large, but it is persistent. It doesn’t shout very loudly, but it refuses to disappear. And maybe that quiet endurance is part of its character.


"Qroba" is an album with a very special atmosphere. Melancholy meets sadness, but also something else, something interesting and mysterious. It's as if your history and nature are imprinted in the music. Am I wrong? What are the lyrics about and who wrote them? Where did you get your inspiration?

You’re not wrong. Nature plays a much bigger role in this album than it might seem at first glance. When I was writing Qroba, I kept returning in my mind to the landscapes I grew up with. The silence of mist-covered mountains, the density of forests, the mournful beauty of migrating cranes disappearing into the sky before winter. There is a certain melancholy in these images. Not dramatic, not sentimental. Just inevitable.

Two of the texts, Antinatalism and Becoming Void, were written by me. Antinatalism is built almost entirely on negation. It describes existence not through tragedy, but through subtraction. It removes pain, loss, faith, hope, even joy, until nothing remains but the idea of non-being as the only state untouched by suffering. There is no anger in it. It is closer to a cold observation.

Becoming Void approaches the same idea from another direction. It speaks about dissolution. Light dying so that darkness may be born. Eternity collapsing into disappearance. It is less argumentative and more symbolic, almost epitaph-like. The final line, “Lux fuimus, nunc umbra sumus,” says everything in a simple way. We were light. Now we are shadow.

The other three texts are poems by the Georgian poet Konstantine Makashvili, written after the death of his daughter during the Soviet invasion of Georgia in 1921. These poems carry immense grief, but without theatrics. They express loss as something absolute and irreversible.

What strikes me is how little this language of sorrow has changed over a century. Parents still bury children. Wars still erase futures. The album doesn’t comment on politics directly. It just acknowledges that certain forms of pain don’t disappear.


You play old-school-influenced doom death metal. Today, the band can't avoid comparisons, but I'd be interested to know how the idea to form ENNUI came about, who your role models were and are, and where you want to take the band. Are you attracted to big international festivals, are you willing to tour with a more famous band?

I was always drawn to music that combines weight and tragedy. That combination felt honest to me long before we formed a band. In 2012, Serge Shengelia and I decided to create Ennui together. We had known each other for years, and we shared a deep admiration for bands like Esoteric, Skepticism and Khanate.

Esoteric in particular left a strong mark on us. They manage to combine extreme heaviness and slowness with technical complexity and a very oppressive emotional atmosphere. That balance between density, depth and structure is something we have always respected.

Other bands that influenced us include Shape of Despair, Tyranny, Evoken and Mournful Congregation. Outside of doom metal, I have always been a devoted fan of Immolation, while Serge grew up with Death and Cynic, which also shaped his musical thinking.

As for the future, we are open to touring and to sharing the stage with bands we respect. Festivals are of course attractive, but not as a goal in themselves. What matters more is the context and the atmosphere. If the right opportunity appears, we are always willing to consider it.

 

When I started my website ten years ago, I had a vision that I would try to support bands that I felt weren't getting enough attention. To let the world know about them. I think I'm doing pretty well, at least according to the feedback. How do you approach promotion? Do you leave it to the label, or do you send CDs out for reviews yourself? I buy albums that I really enjoy. How about you? Are you also fans who like to support your colleagues often? Do you go to concerts? Do you party?

To be honest, we’ve never personally sent CDs out for reviews. In the past, that was usually handled by the labels we worked with. Our current label, Meuse Music Records, has a solid promotional network and they do their job very professionally.

This time, however, we decided to strengthen the promotion a bit more, simply because of the long silence between albums. After eight years, it felt reasonable to increase the reach wherever possible. It wasn’t about distrust, just about responsibility toward the release itself.

As listeners, we absolutely support the bands we appreciate. We buy records, we buy merchandise, we go to shows. When I attend a concert and genuinely like the band, I almost always leave with a shirt or a vinyl.

Creating music, especially in a niche genre, rarely makes financial sense. Most of it is done at a loss, driven by conviction rather than profit. Because of that, I understand very well how much even a small gesture of support can mean to another band.

 

On the one hand, today's new bands have a lot of opportunities to make themselves known, but on the other hand, there are so many bands that fans get lost in the crowd. Many people just download MP3s from the internet and instead of going to concerts, they prefer to spit venom on Facebook. How does modern technology influence you as ENNUI? What do you think about downloading music, Google metalheads, streaming music, etc.?

We grew up in a part of the world where piracy was not seen as rebellion or theft. It was simply reality. In the post-Soviet space, access to music was extremely limited, especially underground metal. Finding unofficial copies was often the only way we could even discover a band.

Later, as the internet became more accessible and widespread, that culture of unofficial physical copies gradually shifted into digital downloading. The form changed, but the mechanism remained the same.

At the same time, if you managed to get your hands on an original CD, it felt almost sacred. A physical artifact. Something tangible in a world where everything else was unstable. It wasn’t about consumption. It was about devotion.

So, for me, the question of downloading is complicated. I remember very clearly that many people would first download an album just to hear it, and then later try to buy the original if it truly meant something to them. In that sense, piracy once functioned as a kind of unofficial distribution network.

Streaming platforms have partly legalized that experience. They make music incredibly accessible, sometimes almost too accessible. On one hand, that can devalue the effort behind an album. On the other hand, it allows people to discover bands they would never encounter otherwise.

In the end, it separates listeners. Some stay on the surface. Others go deeper, buy records, attend concerts, support the artists they respect. That decision is personal.

As for technology in general, it is just a tool. It amplifies both noise and substance. The real question is not whether music is downloaded or streamed, but whether it is actually listened to.

 

I like to ask musicians what death/doom metal means to them. How would they define it, whether it is more of a philosophy and lifestyle for them or "just" relaxation. What does it mean to you? How do you perceive and experience it?

Death/doom metal is probably music for people who are comfortable sitting with uncomfortable thoughts.

I wouldn’t call it a lifestyle. I don’t schedule despair between breakfast and work. But it’s a space where you don’t have to pretend that everything is meaningful, productive or inspirational. That honesty is rare.

It’s also strangely relaxing. Some people clear their heads by jogging. I prefer ten-minute riffs about human mortality. Same therapeutic effect, fewer injuries. :)

For me it’s not about posing or belonging to a scene. It’s about having a language that doesn’t lie. And sometimes that’s enough.

Finally, a classic but important question. What does ENNUI have planned for the coming months? Where can we see you in concert? If you have a message for fans, labels, or promoters, now is the time...

In the coming months, the focus is naturally on Qroba. The album is out, and we want to give it the attention it deserves.

We’ll be performing at Haunting the Castle in Belgium and then doing a small tour in the Caucasus with Shape of Despair. Those shows mean a lot to us. A few years ago, I wouldn’t have believed we’d be sharing stages with bands we’ve respected for so long.

Beyond that, we’re already working on new material. Slowly, without rushing anything.

As for a message… just listen carefully. If the music resonates with you, support the bands you care about. That’s really all that keeps this world alive.

Thank you very much for the interview. I wish you every success with your new album and hope that your fan base grows as much as possible. I look forward to seeing you live somewhere and wish you every success, both musically and personally. I'm going to listen to "Qroba" again!

Thank you very much for the thoughtful questions and for spending time with the album. It truly means a lot to us.

We appreciate the work you do in supporting bands and giving them space to speak in their own words. Hopefully we will meet somewhere at a show in the future.

Thank you again for the support, and enjoy Qroba.






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