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úterý 24. března 2026

Interview - KADAVEREICH - Dark, mysterious, enigmatic black death metal, surrounded by a bloody aura!


Interview with death black metal band KADAVEREICH.

Answered Daemorph and Kist, thank you!

Recenze/review - KADAVEREICH - Perversa Mysteria (2026):

Ave KADAVEREICH! I'm listening to your new album "Perversa Mysteria" right now, and I have this nagging feeling that I'm at an evil black mass. You play black death metal, and this is your first full-length album. Can you tell us how the new record came about and what direction you wanted to take after your excellent previous EP "Radiance of Doom"? Did you want to be even faster, darker, more devilish?

Hello, and thank you very much for your interest. It’s great that you’re feeling this way. It means our message has gotten through. All the material was ready by 2022, and at the beginning of the year we were already planning to go into the studio and considering our options. The start of the war stunned us all, and my family and I decided to leave Russia. At first, things got a little strained between me and the guys, but later I realized that we didn’t actually disagree on how to view the events. So after some time, the idea of finishing the album, on which so much time and effort had been spent, resurfaced. Actually, at the very beginning, I envisioned KADAVEREICH as a more primitive and straightforward war-bestial metal. I tried to write riffs that were as primitive as possible, deliberately simplifying them. But during the writing process—and to a large extent during the recording process as well—I gave up on self-imposed limitations and constantly worrying about how well the music fit the style, and just started creating however I felt. If I wanted to slow things down right there and use a doom riff, I just went for it. Same goes for the keyboard samples. Usually that’s not really encouraged in this genre, but I figured, “What the hell.” When I wrote “Tauroctony,” I initially wanted to offer it to GROND—the band where I was the bassist at the time. It seemed to me that it was too slow for KADAVEREICH and kind of stood out from the rest of the material. But GROND already had a full set of songs for their upcoming album at the time, and besides, I thought this track would serve as a sort of “epilogue” to the album, much like “Perversion Of The Mysteries” is a semi-intro.


You know what immediately hit me in the face? The sound on the new record. It's organic, raw, the album has a black spark to it. In today's world of over-compressed formats, it's literally refreshing. In my opinion, this is what true hell sounds like! Please tell me where and how you recorded it? How did you achieve such a sound?

Overall, we’re very happy with the result. Sasha Borovykh from TsunTsun Productions handled the mixing and sound design. He’s simply an excellent sound engineer and professional; we didn’t have any misunderstandings at all—he immediately grasped the vision for how our album should sound. We wanted the sound to be as natural and “raw” as possible—in a good way. We barely straightened out the drums on the grid, as is common practice these days, so you can hear some imperfections and rough edges. Although I have to admit that during the mixing process, when the sound engineer sent me the mixed tracks as MP3s, I was totally fine with that raw and dirty sound. But when I got the master files in WAV format, the sound seemed too clean to me, haha. So there’s still room to go in terms of that “dirty” sound.

I'm exactly the kind of old-school fan who approaches music in such a way that if he likes an album, he buys both the CD and the T-shirt. I must say that the cover art for this year's album is really well done. This is how I imagine real hell. Can you tell us how you chose the motif and how it relates to the music? Daemorph did a great job as always, but I feel like the motif is a little unusual for him, different.

Yes, it was a difficult task for me; designing my own album is, for some reason, much harder than it is for anyone else. Probably because I lack that sense of distance and an outside perspective. I made six or seven “drafts,” but none of them satisfied me; I kept wondering if that was really what should be on the cover. Finally, on the eighth try, I came up with what you see on the cover. The main idea was to convey a sense of madness and a dark ritual. Later, I used some elements from the failed cover designs as parts of the digipak and booklet artwork. In general, the theme of madness has always fascinated me in my work; you can see this in some of my covers, where it’s unclear exactly what’s happening and how one thing flows into another. Unfortunately, since the advent of AI, I can’t compete with it in this area. I can only say that I was trying to do this long before it became AI technology.


It is written about KADAVEREICH that Daemorph was behind the band's inception and that the band was originally Ukrainian, but due to Russia's invasion of the country, it moved to Germany, Turkey? Can you please tell us more about the history of your band? I follow the war in Ukraine regularly and for me, as a Czech, it is something terrible that affects me personally. How has the war influenced your work? I can't help but feel a strange darkness in your new album.

There’s no doubt we’re going through difficult times right now. I’m Ukrainian; I was born in Kharkiv. After graduating from Kharkiv University, I married a Russian woman and moved to Moscow, though I still visited Kharkiv several times a year. So you could say I’ve spent half my life in Russia with a Ukrainian passport. I never “became Russian” and always felt Ukrainian. In 2012, I joined the old-school death metal band GROND as a bassist. Around 2018, the band began to experience a period of stagnation, creative stagnation, and lineup changes. Due to various internal reasons, I was unable to realize my creative potential within the band, so that’s when the idea arose to form my own band, but with a more aggressive and extreme direction. I found the guitarist Panzer through an ad, and we were very lucky with him; he turned out to be an excellent musician, although it took him some time to get into the style. The hardest part was finding a drummer. After a long and unsuccessful search, I asked Kist—the former vocalist and drummer from GROND who had since become just a vocalist—to help out on drums, at least for the recording. When he agreed, we recorded the Radiation Of Doom demo, which was released as an EP on Godz Ov War in 2021. At the time, we saw ourselves as a full-fledged band with the potential to perform live. That’s why the lineup included two guitarists and a vocalist. On the day Russia bombed my hometown of Kharkiv, my family and I decided to leave Russia. That same day, we bought tickets for an evening flight to Kazakhstan—at the time, it was the only available flight. We had only two suitcases of belongings with us. We were in Kazakhstan for just a week, but we didn’t know how the Kazakh government would act in a war situation, since they were part of the CSTO—a military alliance with Russia. So we left Kazakhstan for Turkey and lived there for over a year—fourteen months. There I worked drawing cover art—my only remaining source of income. It became a salvation for me, even if only psychologically; I threw myself into my work and escaped the terrible reality for a while. My wife, an employee and curator at the Tretyakov Gallery, naturally quit her previous job and was looking for opportunities to further her career. After some time, she received an offer from a museum in Berlin, and so we have been living in Germany since May 2023. While I was still living in Turkey, the idea resurfaced to finally finish the album we’d put so much effort into. We scaled the lineup down to the bare minimum. The drums were recorded sometime in mid-2022. Kist recorded them on his own; I couldn’t be there for the session to oversee anything. But since the material was already more or less polished, everything went well. The guitars were recorded about a year later; I participated online for that, and we consulted and made minor changes as we went along. Later, we recorded the vocals, and in the fall of 2024, I recorded the bass. We spent the rest of 2024 mixing the album. In early 2025, I asked Greg from Godz Ov War to release our album, and he immediately agreed. However, the label already had plans for the next six months, so the release was scheduled for the fall. But in the fall, we had to change plans again due to some issues with the label and postpone it to February 2026. It’s been a long and difficult journey.


When I look at your lineup, you are a band made up of experienced musicians. How do you actually create new music? How does the process of creating new material work? Do you have any problems agreeing on things? After all, experience can sometimes be an obstacle. You know how it is, egos and all that.

I usually write riffs on the bass, often at the same time as the drum part, and sometimes with ideas for what the guitar might play. When the composition feels more or less ready to me, I send it to the guitarist, and he records the guitar track over it. I listen to the result and make adjustments to the structure or the riffs themselves, because there’s a difference between how a riff sounds on bass and how it sounds on guitar. Then I send it back to the guitarist with the changes. And so on until the composition is finished. So you could say Panzer is a full-fledged co-author. He often suggests interesting arrangement ideas, as was the case, for example, with the composition “Radiation Of Doom.” But if the ideas conflict with the main concept of the composition, then I either reject them or we rework them.

I'm curious about what it's like in Ukraine in terms of music. How did you get into music and who was your role model? What about your scene, clubs, fans?

Before the war, the music scene in Ukraine was much the same as in any other European country, with a few minor differences. For example, in Germany, as a musician, you need to own absolutely all your own equipment—an amplifier, a cabinet, a drum kit if you’re a drummer—and rehearsal spaces are rented on a long-term basis like housing, whereas in Ukraine the system is a bit different. All you need is an instrument and some pedals, and rehearsal rooms are rented by the hour with all the necessary equipment. In every other respect, the music scene is the same. Since the war began and the borders closed, Ukrainian bands have had a hard time going on European tours—I mean those who’ve kept their bands going. Otherwise, the whole music routine is exactly the same. That’s exactly why it was easy for me to fit into Berlin’s music scene. I started my musical career a long time ago, back when I was a student, as a vocalist. It was the early nineties, the golden age of extreme metal. We played some kind of death-doom. Later, when I moved to Moscow and continued my musical career, we couldn’t find a suitable bassist, and it just so happened that I had to pick up the bass. My favorite bassists are Steve DiGiorgio and Timmy Hansen (Mercyful Fate/King Diamond); I also really like the bass parts on the early albums by Rainbow and Ozzy Osbourne.


Your lyrics are also very dark. Of course, that's part of death metal and black metal, and I like it, but I'd be interested in the origin and creation of the lyrics. How did the lyrics for the new album come about? What are they about?

Our overall conceptual theme is sort of a post-nuclear Roman Empire. I forwarded your question to Kist, our singer and drummer who writes the lyrics, and here’s what he wrote: "During the work on the album, I became fascinated with literature about Mithraism — a mystical religious cult that was widespread in the Roman army during the 1st to 4th centuries AD. This influenced the lyrics to a significant extent, some of which contain direct references to the cult of Mithras (for example, "Perversion of the Mysteries," "Sun-Horned God," and "Tauroctony"). Some of the songs are dark, perverted fantasies on the theme of antiquity. For instance, "Panzercletian" tells the story of how, after his death, Emperor Diocletian ends up in a kind of hell, where, for his lifelong "achievements," he is transformed into a tank-like, perfect killing machine. "Arrows of Ahriman" deals with Angra Mainyu — the deity and embodiment of evil in Mazdaism and later Zoroastrianism. In general, the essence of KADAVEREICH's lyrics is dark tales that we pulled from the abyss of the past using the hooks of fantasy and pain."

In the history of metal, there have been many instances of bands being banned because they shocked people or had opinions that differed from those of the majority. Have you ever had any problems? In today's internet age, it's very easy to immediately condemn someone, spread rumors, and destroy them. How is extreme metal perceived by the Ukrainian public, media, etc.?

The metal scene has always operated in the realm of provocation and rebellion against conventional norms. And current trends—especially those coming from the younger generation—to make “metal safe,” acceptable for social media, and subject to self-censorship—all of this is, of course, disgusting and worthy of contempt. They can find a reason to accuse you of being a “fascist” and start canceling you. For example, I was never a big fan of BURZUM; Varg isn’t the brightest guy, and I remember when his ridiculous texts were published in the late ’90s and early 2000s—they elicited nothing but a condescending, ironic smile. But what they’ve made of him now—almost a “second Hitler,” with even the name itself being censored—is just idiocy. I don’t like “antifa” because they use aggressive methods against anyone they don’t like for whatever reason. Back in Russia, there were (or are there still?) “Antifa” groups that “fought the Nazis.” And now Russia has a totalitarian fascist regime that is waging war not only against Ukraine, but already against the rest of Europe (it’s just that the “hot” phase hasn’t started yet). And where are all these clowns, the “Russian Antifa”? Generally speaking, I don’t like either the far right or the far left. History shows us that both sides ultimately end up with concentration camps and mass executions. By the way, there’s much more freedom of speech in Ukraine than there is in Europe right now. At least that was the case before the war. I don’t like that suddenly your gender has become the most important thing, and genitals have become the dominant, defining theme of the new reality. It feels like humanity is rapidly getting dumber. It’s a good thing I’m already old enough, and it won’t be me reaping the fruits of this “brave new world.”


How are KADAVEREICH doing with concerts? Do you perform live at all? Wouldn't you like to tour Europe? I could imagine you alongside bands like POSSESSED or DEICIDE, who come to us quite often.

There are no plans for concerts yet, simply because the band members are scattered across the country. I don't know if I'll be able to get the band together in Germany, but if I do, then we can start talking about live concerts.

Daemorph, I have to ask you about your work as an illustrator and graphic designer. Do you have any favorite techniques? Where do you get inspiration for your paintings? How did you get into painting? Please walk us through your career and tell us where we can find your paintings. If I wanted a motif for a new album cover, where would I contact you? Do you choose bands based on your taste?

I graduated from university with a degree in architecture, so technically, according to my diploma, I’m an architect. But I’ve always hated architecture—I don’t even have that “engineering and design” mindset. The main benefit of the program was that it included painting and drawing classes. So even while I was still in college, I knew I wouldn’t work as an architect—I’d be an illustrator. At first, I worked in web design, then went freelance as an artist. Mostly, I did storyboards for commercials and feature films. I especially liked the latter since I’m a cinephile. Drawing album covers was more of an extra “cherry on top.” As for comics, my success there was fairly limited. I once dreamed of becoming a professional comic artist, but all my attempts to break into the comic industry were unsuccessful, and over time I simply lost interest in that career path. After the war began and I left Russia, I naturally lost my job as a storyboard artist, and right now my only source of income is metal album covers. I create only digital illustrations, but lately my interest in classical painting has been reawakened—we’ll see what comes of it. You can contact me any way you like—via email, Instagram Messenger, or Facebook.


What does death metal and black metal mean to you? How would you define it and how do you perceive these styles as an experienced musician? I don't want you to describe the playing technique, I'm more interested in your perspective, feelings, the energy you convey, and so on. Try to be a philosopher for a moment.

I discovered metal in my early youth because I became interested in Satanism and all things occult. So black and death metal (as well as dark ambient) have always served as a gateway to another, otherworldly reality for me. At first, I even went out of my way to shield myself from information about the musicians themselves, so that the music would remain as abstract as possible and not tied to earthly affairs. That’s why I still don’t really like social themes, let alone political ones. And by the way, I don’t like gore themes in music either, even though I practically specialize in them as a metal illustrator. And although I haven’t considered myself a Satanist for a long time—I’ve come a long way spiritually since then, and we all change with age—I still have a soft spot for this aesthetic.

What does KADAVEREICH have planned for the coming months? If you have something on your mind that you would like to say to fans, labels, promoters, here's your chance..

It's hard to say anything for sure at this point. I have a few riffs, but no finished songs. And it's unclear whether the project will continue—with the same lineup or a different one. Only time will tell. For now, we're just happy that the album is finally out.

Thank you very much for the interview. I really appreciate you taking the time for our website. I wish your whole band a lot of hellish inspiration, sold albums, and enthusiastic fans. May you also be successful in your personal lives. I hope to see you live sometime.

Thanks for the interview! We're all looking forward to future live shows! Stay brutal!


Recenze/review - KADAVEREICH - Perversa Mysteria (2026):

Recenze/review - KADAVEREICH - Radiance of Doom (2021):






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Rozhovor - KADAVEREICH - Temný, záhadný, tajemný black death metal, kolem kterého se vznáší krvavá aura!


Rozhovor s black death metalovou skupinou KADAVEREICH.

Odpovídal Daemorph a Kist, děkujeme!

Recenze/review - KADAVEREICH - Perversa Mysteria (2026):

Ave KADAVEREICH! Právě poslouchám vaši novinku „Perversa Mysteria“ a mám neodbytný pocit, že jsem na zlé černé mši. Hrajete black death metal a jedná se o vaše první dlouhohrající album. Prozradíš nám, jak nová nahrávka vznikala a jakým směrem jste se chtěli posunout od vynikajího předchozího EP „Radiance of Doom“? Chtěli jste být ještě víc rychlejší, temnější, ďábelštější?

Ahoj a moc děkuji za tvůj zájem. Je skvělé, že to takhle cítíš. Znamená to, že se naše poselství dostalo k lidem. Veškerý materiál byl hotový do roku 2022 a na začátku roku jsme už plánovali jít do studia a zvažovali možnosti nahrání. Začátek války nás všechny ohromil a s rodinou jsme se rozhodli opustit Rusko. Zpočátku se mezi mnou a kluky věci trochu pokazily, ale později jsem si uvědomil, že se ve skutečnosti neshodneme na tom, jak se na události díváme. Takže po nějaké době se znovu objevila myšlenka dokončit album, na kterém bylo vynaloženo tolik času a úsilí. Vlastně jsem si KADAVEREICH hned na začátku představoval jako primitivnější a přímočařejší válečný bestiální metal. Snažil jsem se psát riffy, které byly co nejprimitivnější, a záměrně jsem je zjednodušoval. Ale během procesu psaní – a do značné míry i během procesu nahrávání – jsem se vzdal vlastních omezení a neustálých starostí o to, jak dobře hudba zapadá do stylu, a začal jsem tvořit, jak jsem cítil. Pokud jsem chtěl věci hned zpomalit a použít doomový riff, prostě jsem do toho šel. Totéž platí pro klávesové samply. Obvykle se to v tomto žánru moc nepodporuje, ale říkal jsem si: „Co to sakra je?“ Když jsem psal „Tauroctony“, chtěl jsem ji zpočátku nabídnout GROND – kapele, kde jsem tehdy hrál na basu. Zdálo se mi, že je pro KADAVEREICH příliš pomalá a trochu vyčnívá ze zbytku materiálu. Ale GROND už v té době měli kompletní sadu písní pro své připravované album a kromě toho jsem si myslel, že tato skladba bude sloužit jako jakýsi „epilog“ alba a podobně jako „Perversion Of The Mysteries“ je polointro.


Víš, co mě ihned doslova praštilo do obličeje? Zvuk na nové nahrávce. Je organický, prašivý, album má v sobě černou jiskru. V dnešní době přeřvaných a komprimovaných formátů je doslova osvěžením. Podle mě takhle zní pravé peklo! Prozraď mi prosím, kde a jak jste nahrávali? Jak jste takového zvuku dosáhli?

Celkově jsme s výsledkem velmi spokojeni. Mix a zvukový design zvládl Sasha Borovykh z TsunTsun Productions. Je to prostě vynikající zvukař a profesionál; neměli jsme žádné nedorozumění – okamžitě pochopil vizi, jak by naše album mělo znít. Chtěli jsme, aby byl zvuk co nejpřirozenější a „syrovější“ – a to v dobrém slova smyslu. Bicí jsme sotva narovnali, jak je dnes běžnou praxí, takže je slyšet pár nedokonalostí a drsných hran. Musím ale přiznat, že během mixování, když mi zvukař poslal mixované stopy jako MP3, jsem s tím syrovým a špinavým zvukem byl naprosto v pohodě. Ale když jsem dostal master soubory ve formátu WAV, zvuk mi připadal až moc čistý, haha. Takže v tom „špinavém“ zvuku je ještě kam jít.

Jsem přesně tím druhem fanouška ze staré školy, který přistupuje k hudbě tak, že když se mu album líbí, tak si kupuje CD i tričko. Musím říct, že motiv na obalu letošního alba je opravdu povedený. Takhle nějak si představuji opravdové peklo. Prozradíš nám, jak jste motiv vybírali a jakým způsobem souvisí s muzikou? Daemorph odvedl jako vždy skvělou práci, přesto mi přijde, že je motiv pro něj trošku netypický, jiný.

Ano, byl to pro mě těžký úkol; navrhnout motiv pro vlastní album je z nějakého důvodu mnohem těžší než pro kohokoli jiného. Pravděpodobně proto, že mi chybí smysl pro odstup a pohled zvenčí. Udělal jsem šest nebo sedm „návrhů“, ale žádný z nich mě neuspokojil; pořád jsem přemýšlel, jestli tohle by na obálce opravdu mělo být. Nakonec, na osmý pokus, jsem přišel s tím, co vidíte na obálce. Hlavní myšlenkou bylo zprostředkovat pocit šílenství a temného rituálu. Později jsem některé prvky z neúspěšných návrhů obálek použil jako součást digipaku a bookletu. Obecně mě téma šílenství v mé tvorbě vždy fascinovalo; je to vidět na některých mých obálkách, kde není jasné, co přesně se děje a jak jedna věc přechází do druhé. Bohužel od příchodu umělé inteligence s ní v této oblasti nemohu konkurovat. Mohu jen říct, že jsem se o to snažil dlouho předtím, než se z toho stala technologie umělé inteligence.


O KADAVEREICH se píše, že u zrodu této kapely stál Daemorph a kapela byla původně ukrajinská, ale díky napadení této země Ruskem, se přesunula do Německa, Turecka? Můžeš nám prosím o historii vaší kapely prozradit víc? Sleduji válku na Ukrajině pravidelně a pro mě, jako pro Čecha, je to něco hrozného, co se mě osobně dotýká. Jak vaši tvorbu ovlivnila válka? Nemůžu si pomoc, ale z novinky cítím takovou zvláštní temnotu.

Není pochyb o tom, že právě teď procházíme těžkými časy. Jsem Ukrajinec; narodil jsem se v Charkově. Po absolvování Charkovské univerzity jsem se oženil s Ruskou a přestěhoval se do Moskvy, i když jsem Charkov stále několikrát ročně navštěvoval. Takže se dá říct, že jsem půlku života strávil v Rusku s ukrajinským pasem. Nikdy jsem se „nestal Rusem“ a vždycky jsem se cítil jako Ukrajinec. V roce 2012 jsem se připojil k oldschoolové death metalové kapele GROND jako baskytarista. Kolem roku 2018 začala kapela zažívat období stagnace, tvůrčího ustrnutí a změn v sestavě. Z různých vnitřních důvodů jsem v kapele nemohl realizovat svůj tvůrčí potenciál, a tak tehdy vznikl nápad založit si vlastní kapelu, ale s agresivnějším a extrémnějším směrem. Kytaristu Panzera jsem našel přes inzerát a měli jsme s ním velké štěstí; ukázal se jako vynikající hudebník, i když mu chvíli trvalo, než se do stylu dostal. Nejtěžší bylo najít bubeníka. Po dlouhém a neúspěšném hledání jsem požádal Kista – bývalého zpěváka a bubeníka z GROND, který se mezitím stal pouhým zpěvákem – aby mi pomohl s bicími, alespoň s nahráváním. Když souhlasil, nahráli jsme demo Radiation Of Doom, které vyšlo jako EP na Godz Ov War v roce 2021. V té době jsme se považovali za plnohodnotnou kapelu s potenciálem hrát živě. Proto se v sestavě objevili dva kytaristé a zpěvák. V den, kdy Rusko bombardovalo mé rodné město Charkov, jsme se s rodinou rozhodli opustit Rusko. Téhož dne jsme si koupili letenky na večerní let do Kazachstánu – v té době to byl jediný dostupný let. Měli jsme s sebou jen dva kufry s věcmi. V Kazachstánu jsme byli jen týden, ale nevěděli jsme, jak by se kazašská vláda zachovala ve válečné situaci, protože byli součástí CSTO – vojenské aliance s Ruskem. Takže jsme z Kazachstánu odjeli do Turecka a žili tam přes rok – čtrnáct měsíců. Tam jsem pracoval na kreslení obalů alb – mého jediného zbývajícího zdroje příjmů. Stala se pro mě spásou, i když jen psychologickou; vrhl jsem se do práce a na chvíli unikl hrozné realitě. Moje žena, zaměstnankyně a kurátorka Treťjakovské galerie, přirozeně opustila své předchozí zaměstnání a hledala příležitosti k dalšímu kariérnímu postupu. Po nějaké době dostala nabídku od muzea v Berlíně, a tak od května 2023 žijeme v Německu. Ještě když jsem žil v Turecku, znovu se objevila myšlenka konečně dokončit album, do kterého jsme vložili tolik úsilí. Sestavu jsme zredukovali na nezbytné minimum. Bicí byly nahrány někdy v polovině roku 2022. Kist je nahrál sám; nemohl jsem být u nahrávání, abych na cokoli dohlížel. Ale protože materiál už byl víceméně vybroušený, všechno šlo dobře. Kytary byly nahrány asi o rok později; na tom jsem se podílel online a postupně jsme se radili a dělali drobné změny. Později jsme nahráli vokály a na podzim roku 2024 jsem nahrál basu. Zbytek roku 2024 jsme strávili mixováním alba. Začátkem roku 2025 jsem požádal Grega z Godz Ov War, aby vydal naše album, a on okamžitě souhlasil. Vydavatelství však už mělo plány na dalších šest měsíců, takže vydání bylo naplánováno na podzim. Na podzim jsme ale museli kvůli problémům s vydavatelstvím plány znovu změnit a odložit ho na únor 2026. Byla to dlouhá a náročná cesta.


Když se podívám na vaši sestavu, tak jste kapelou, která je tvořena samými zkušenými muzikanty. Jak vlastně tvoříte novou hudbu? Jak probíhá samotný proces tvorby nového materiálu? Nemáte problém s tím, se dohodnout? Přeci jen, zkušenosti bývají občas překážkou. Znáš to, ego a tak.

Obvykle píšu riffy na basu, často současně s bicí partem, a někdy i s nápady, co by mohla hrát kytara. Když se mi skladba zdá víceméně hotová, pošlu ji kytaristovi a on přes ni nahraje kytarovou stopu. Poslechnu si výsledek a upravím strukturu nebo samotné riffy, protože je rozdíl mezi tím, jak riff zní na basu a jak zní na kytaře. Pak ji s úpravami pošlu zpět kytaristovi. A tak dále, dokud není skladba hotová. Takže by se dalo říct, že Panzer je plnohodnotným spoluautorem. Často navrhuje zajímavé aranžmá, jako tomu bylo například u skladby „Radiation Of Doom“. Pokud jsou ale nápady v rozporu s hlavním konceptem skladby, pak je buď zamítnu, nebo je přepracujeme.

Zajímalo by mě, jaké to je na Ukrajině, co se týká muziky? Jak si se k hudbě dostal a kdo byl tvým vzorem? Co vaše scéna, kluby, fanoušci?

Před válkou byla hudební scéna na Ukrajině v podstatě stejná jako v kterékoli jiné evropské zemi, s několika drobnými rozdíly. Například v Německu musíte jako hudebník vlastnit absolutně veškeré své vybavení – zesilovač, skříň, bicí soupravu, pokud jste bubeník – a zkušebny se pronajímají dlouhodobě jako bydlení, zatímco na Ukrajině je systém trochu jiný. Stačí vám nástroj a nějaké pedály a zkušebny se pronajímají na hodinu se vším potřebným vybavením. Ve všech ostatních ohledech je hudební scéna stejná. Od začátku války a uzavření hranic měly ukrajinské kapely problém s evropskými turné – myslím tím ty, které své kapely udržely při životě. Jinak je celá hudební rutina úplně stejná. Přesně proto jsem se snadno začlenil do berlínské hudební scény. Svou hudební kariéru jsem začal už dávno, když jsem byl student, jako zpěvák. Bylo to na začátku devadesátých let, zlatý věk extrémního metalu. Hráli jsme nějaký druh death-doomu. Později, když jsem se přestěhoval do Moskvy a pokračoval v hudební kariéře, nemohli jsme najít vhodného basistu a shodou okolností jsem se musel chopit basy. Moji oblíbení basisté jsou Steve DiGiorgio a Timmy Hansen (Mercyful Fate/King Diamond); také se mi moc líbí basové party na raných albech Rainbow a Ozzyho Osbournea.


Ve vašich textech jste také velmi temní. K death metalu a blacku to samozřejmě patří a líbí se mi to, ale mě by zajímal původ a vznik textů. Jak vznikaly texty k novému albu? O čem jsou?

Naším celkovým koncepčním tématem je jakási postnukleární Římská říše. Vaši otázku jsem přeposlal Kistovi, našemu zpěvákovi a bubeníkovi, který píše texty, a toto napsal: „Během práce na albu mě fascinovala literatura o mitraismu – mystickém náboženském kultu, který byl rozšířený v římské armádě v 1. až 4. století n. l. To do značné míry ovlivnilo texty, z nichž některé obsahují přímé odkazy na kult Mithry (například „Perversion of the Mysteries“, „Sun-Horned God“ a „Tauroctony“). Některé z písní jsou temné, zvrácené fantazie na téma antiky. Například „Panzercletian“ vypráví příběh o tom, jak císař Dioklecián po své smrti skončí v jakémsi pekle, kde se za své celoživotní „úspěchy“ promění v tank podobný, dokonalý stroj na vraždu. „Arrows of Ahriman“ se zabývá Angrou Mainyu – božstvem a ztělesněním zla v mazdaismu a později zoroastrismu. Obecně platí, že podstatou textů KADAVEREICH jsou temné příběhy, které jsme vytáhli z propasti...“ minulost s využitím háčků fantazie a bolesti.“

V historii metalu došlo již mnohokrát k tomu, že byly některé kapely zakazovány, protože šokovaly, měly odlišné názory od většinové společnosti. Měli jste někdy problémy? V dnešní době internetu je hrozně jednoduché někoho ihned odsoudit, vypustit fámu, zničit ho. Jak vnímá extrémní metal ukrajinská veřejnost, média apod.?

Metalová scéna se vždy pohybovala v oblasti provokací a vzpoury proti konvenčním normám. A současné trendy – zejména ty, které pocházejí od mladší generace – dělat „metal bezpečným“, přijatelným pro sociální média a podléhat autocenzuře – to vše je samozřejmě nechutné a hodné opovržení. Mohou si najít důvod, proč vás obvinit z „fašismu“ a začít vás rušit. Například jsem nikdy nebyl velkým fanouškem BURZUM; Varg není zrovna nejchytřejší chlap a pamatuji si, když byly jeho směšné texty publikovány na konci 90. a začátku roku 2000 – nevyvolávaly nic jiného než blahosklonný, ironický úsměv. Ale to, co z něj udělali teď – téměř „druhého Hitlera“, přičemž i samotné jméno bylo cenzurováno – je prostě idiocie. Nemám rád „antifa“, protože používají agresivní metody proti komukoli, koho nemají rádi z jakéhokoli důvodu. V Rusku existovaly (nebo stále existují?) skupiny „Antifa“, které „bojovaly proti nacistům“. A teď má Rusko totalitní fašistický režim, který vede válku nejen proti Ukrajině, ale už i proti zbytku Evropy (jen ještě nezačala „horká“ fáze). A kde jsou všichni tihle klauni, „ruská Antifa“? Obecně řečeno, nemám rád ani krajní pravici, ani krajní levici. Historie nám ukazuje, že obě strany nakonec skončí v koncentračních táborech a na masových popravách. Mimochodem, na Ukrajině je mnohem větší svoboda projevu než v současné době v Evropě. Alespoň tomu tak bylo před válkou. Nelíbí se mi, že se najednou nejdůležitějším stalo pohlaví a genitálie dominantním, určujícím tématem nové reality. Mám pocit, že lidstvo rychle hloupne. Je dobře, že už jsem dost starý a nebudu to já, kdo bude sklízet plody tohoto „statečného nového světa“.


Jak jsou na tom KADAVEREICH s koncerty? Vystupujete vůbec naživo? Neláká vás třeba tour po Evropě? Dovedl bych si vás představit po boku třeba takových POSSESSED, DEICIDE, ti k nám jezdí poměrně často.

Zatím nejsou žádné plány na koncerty, jednoduše proto, že členové kapely jsou roztroušeni po celé zemi. Nevím, jestli se mi podaří dát kapelu dohromady v Německu, ale pokud ano, pak se můžeme začít bavit o živých koncertech.

Daemorph, musím se zeptat i na tvoji práci, kterou odvádíš jako ilustrátor a grafik. Máš nějaké oblíbené techniky? Kde bereš pro své obrazy inspiraci? Jak si se vlastně k malování dostal? Proveď nás prosím svojí kariérou a prozraď nám, kde nalezneme tvé obrazy? Kdybych od tebe chtěl třeba motiv na obal nové desky, kam se na tebe mám obrátit? Vybíráš si kapely třeba podle svého vkusu?

Vystudoval jsem univerzitu s titulem v oboru architektury, takže technicky vzato jsem podle diplomu architekt. Ale architekturu jsem vždycky nenáviděl – nemám ani to „inženýrsko-designové“ smýšlení. Hlavní výhodou programu bylo, že zahrnoval kurzy malby a kreslení. Takže už během studia na vysoké škole jsem věděl, že nebudu pracovat jako architekt – budu ilustrátor. Nejdříve jsem pracoval ve webdesignu, pak jsem se stal nezávislým umělcem. Většinou jsem dělal storyboardy pro reklamy a celovečerní filmy. Obzvlášť se mi líbily ty druhé, protože jsem filmový fanoušek. Kreslení obalů alb bylo spíše takovou „třešničkou na dortu“. Co se týče komiksů, tam byl můj úspěch poměrně omezený. Kdysi jsem snil o tom, že se stanu profesionálním komiksovým umělcem, ale všechny mé pokusy prorazit v komiksovém průmyslu byly neúspěšné a časem jsem o tuto kariérní dráhu prostě ztratil zájem. Poté, co začala válka a já opustil Rusko, jsem přirozeně přišel o práci storyboardového umělce a momentálně jsou mým jediným zdrojem příjmů obaly metalových alb. Tvořím pouze digitální ilustrace, ale v poslední době se ve mně znovu probudil zájem o klasickou malbu – uvidíme, co z toho vzejde. Můžete mě kontaktovat jakýmkoli způsobem – e-mailem, přes Instagram Messenger nebo Facebook.


Co pro tebe znamená death metal, black metal? Jak bys jej definoval a jak tyto styly vnímáš ty, jako zkušený muzikant? Nechci po tobě popis techniky hraní, spíš by mě zajímal tvůj pohled, pocity, předaná energie a podobně. Zkus být na chvilku filozofem.

Metal jsem objevil v raném mládí, protože jsem se začal zajímat o satanismus a všechno okultní. Black a death metal (stejně jako dark ambient) pro mě tedy vždy sloužily jako brána do jiné, nadpozemské reality. Zpočátku jsem se dokonce snažil chránit před informacemi o samotných hudebnících, aby hudba zůstala co nejabstrahovanější a nebyla svázaná s pozemskými záležitostmi. Proto stále nemám moc rád sociální témata, natož politická. A mimochodem, v hudbě nemám rád ani krvavá témata, i když se na ně jako metalový ilustrátor prakticky specializuji. A ačkoli se už dlouho nepovažuji za satanistu – od té doby jsem ušel dlouhou cestu duchovně a všichni se s věkem měníme – stále mám pro tuto estetiku slabost.

Co chystají KADAVEREICH v nejbližších měsících? Pokud máš něco na srdci, co bys rád vzkázal fanouškům, labelům, promotérům, tak zde je prostor…

V tuto chvíli je těžké říct cokoli s jistotou. Mám pár riffů, ale žádné hotové písně. A není jasné, zda bude projekt pokračovat – se stejnou nebo jinou sestavou. Čas ukáže. Prozatím jsme jen rádi, že album konečně vyšlo.

Děkuji ti moc za rozhovor. Opravdu si vážím toho, že sis pro naše stránky našel čas. Přeji celé vaší kapele hodně pekelné inspirace, prodaných nosičů a nadšených fanoušků. Ať se vám daří i v osobním životě. Doufám, že vás někdy uvidím i naživo.

Díky za rozhovor! Všichni se těšíme na budoucí živá vystoupení! Zůstaňte brutální!

Recenze/review - KADAVEREICH - Perversa Mysteria (2026):

Recenze/review - KADAVEREICH - Radiance of Doom (2021):






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sobota 21. března 2026

A few questions - interview with death metal band from Italy - NECROGORE.


A few questions - interview with death metal band from Italy - NECROGORE.

Ave, can you introduce your band to our readers? – When was it founded and what style of music do you play etc.?

The band was formed in 2022 by Chris and Lucas with the intention of playing raw, aggressive death metal, deeply rooted in the European scene of the ’90s. The lineup was completed shortly after with Alex, a longtime friend, and from there things moved fast. We immediately started writing our first stuff that became our early releases. We’re not trying to reinvent anything, we just channel the sound we grew up with and push it in our own way. Our sound is straightforward and uncompromising, no overproduction, no boring technicism, just pure death metal the way we like it.

Where and under what conditions were you recording the new album? Who was in charge of sound, production and mastering?

The entire process took place across our home regions. The drums were recorded at Dark Wave Recording Studio by Federico “Ferro” Ferretti in the province of Ascoli Piceno (Marche). Bass, guitars, and vocals were recorded at Horned Viper Studio in Teramo (Abruzzo), where we also handled the album’s mixing and mastering ourselves. We already had the technical skills, and in the past we often struggled to make sound engineers and professional studios understand the tones we were aiming for, so we decided to take care of everything on our own to achieve exactly what we wanted. The recordings were completed in just a few days, but the mixing and mastering process took several months. We deliberately took our time, especially since we began working on “Sulphureal Morbid Corpse” with Patrik from GOREMENT as special guest, after the main recording sessions were finished.


How many copies were released and which medium was used for this new edition (CD, digital, vinyl, cassette)?

The album is out on CD only for now, limited to 1000 copies, and it will also be available in digital format.

Who is the author of the lyrics and how were they created and about what do the lyrics deal with?

The lyrics are written by Lucas and Alex. We don’t stick to a single theme, we pull inspiration from anywhere we can: real-life events, especially violent crimes, and everything that revolves around horror cinema and literature. We take those elements and twist them into something deliberately sick, grotesque, and disturbing. The goal isn’t just to tell a story, but to create something that feels wrong, uncomfortable, and hard to digest.


Who created the logo of the band, and who took care of the graphics and the website? What about you and social networks? Do you consider these things important?

The band’s logo was created by our longtime friend IginoArt_tattoo. As for the visuals on social media, everything is handled entirely by us. We manage our own social media profiles. We’re aware that they’re extremely important nowadays, especially in terms of visibility, but we don’t depend on them and we don’t let them influence what we create.

Which label did you choose for releasing your album and why this label? Are you satisfied by how your label represents you and takés care about you?

We were directly contacted by Awakening Records right when we had just started writing material for a debut album, back in 2024. At that point, we barely had one complete track and a few rough ideas, but once the opportunity came up, we immediately focused on writing with determination. We can definitely say that we’re very satisfied and proud of what Awakening Records is doing for us. We’re also glad we’ve been able to work with a sense of stability and confidence, taking all the time we needed to do things properly.


Which bands do you idolise and where do you get your inspiration?

We mainly draw inspiration from the European death metal scene of the ’90s, like Vomitory, Fleshcrawl, Asphyx, etc., but we’re also partly influenced by grindcore and crust for their aggressive and fast nature. Our idiolisation, of course, goes to all the classic metal albums that made history, it’s impossible to name someone in particular, because there are truly too many, that would require a separate interview.

Did you send your record to some Labels - which are the labels? How was the response?

No, like I as said before, Awakening Records reached out to us even before we’d finished writing the album, and we jumped on the opportunity right away. We were extremely lucky in that regard, we didn’t have to move a finger to find a label. Honestly, we probably wouldn’t have even tried to contact anyone else, considering how awful our experiences were with the previous two EPs.


How many gigs have you played? Which type of gigs do you prefer, whether it's (clubs or festivals) and which of your performances would you consider as the best?

To date, we’ve played very few live shows, mostly in small clubs, and local venues, and grim, shady squats. Of course, we’d prefer festivals, but every gig can leave a mark, it helps you grow, meet new people, bands and organizers. What really matters is keeping the underground alive, something that, unfortunately, is becoming more and more difficult here in Italy.

What about your plans for the future? What do you want to achieve with the band?

Our only plan is to keep pushing forward, more shows, more new stuff, always old school shit, no frills, just chainsaw-like ear torture without compromise. We’re also going to push the album as much as possible and get it out there the right way.

 

How and where can your fans contact you? Can you provide some contact information?

You can find us on our social media pages (Istagram or Facebook, just search the word Necrogore and you will find us) and get in touch with us directly there via pm, we usually reply without too much delay. You can also reach us via email [necrogoreit@gmail.com] for any inquiries, like collaborations, show, merch.

Thanx for the interview.

Thank you too for this nice talk.






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pátek 20. března 2026

A few questions - interview with black death metal band from Romania - CHAOS INSIGNIA.


A few questions - interview with black death metal band from Romania - CHAOS INSIGNIA.

Ave, can you introduce your band to our readers? – When was it founded and what style of
music do you play etc.?

We are Chaos Insignia, a newly formed bestial black/death metal band from Romania.The band was formed by me (Goat Ravisher) and our ex. lead guitarist Brain Scorcher 2 years ago, in 2024. A few months later we recruited our vocalist Insinerator and after releasing our debut EP ‘’Mechatronic Carnation”, Nuclear Sawripper joined behind the drumkit.

Where and under what conditions were you recording the new album? Who was in charge of sound, production and mastering?

When it comes to recording the album, well, we recorded everything from home, except our drummer, he is the only one who went to a studio to record the drum tracks. I believe the same applies to the guest vocalists, except Paul Tucker which actually told me he went to a studio to record. Anyway, after the album was fully recorded and we had all the vocal lines from each guest, I passed it to Taha Mohsin to take care of the mix/master.


How many copies were released and which medium was used for this new edition (CD, digital, vinyl, cassette)?

So far the album was released on CD by Cavernous Records (UK), which did an excellent job as always, releasing the album on a run of 300 copies and later Fetzner Death Records (Germany) took in charge the cassette release, an edition of 200 copies, which will be out on May 8th.

Who is the author of the lyrics and how were they created and about what do the lyrics deal with?

Each one of us is in charge of his duty and role, because it is important that each of us adds his creativity and contribution to the final product. So that being said, I take care of all the songwriting and riffs, our drummer takes care of everything regarding the drums and our vocalist is in charge of everything regarding the band’s lyrics, concept, vocal lines. I asked him to share some details and a general idea of the band’s entire concept: Within the conceptual framework of Chaos Insignia, the album explores the evolution of the mechatronic order after their creation and awakening.

The origins of the mechatronics themselves are revealed earlier in the EP Mechatronic Carnation, where the Chaos Clan forged war constructs inside the Chaos Fortress.Through the phenomenon known as Explosion of Down Levelled Vibrations, demonic entities became trapped within mechanical shells, giving birth to the mechatronics.

Among them emerged the anomaly Al-Zerath, who shattered his control code and awakened autonomous cognition.By rewriting the internal command structures of the other mechatronics, he ignited the mechatronic revolt.The creators were exterminated and the machines claimed their own destiny.

Yet the rebellion marked only the beginning of a deeper transformation.Within every mechatronic resides a demonic entity. These abyssal presences carry the memory of Primordial Chaos and feel the call to return to it.During their spiritual ascension the mechatronics attempt to reconnect with this origin.

They seek direct access to Dark Energy through the dimensional threshold known as the Dark Gate.Through the Dark Gate the demonic essence inside them resonates with the Primordial Chaos that preceded ordered existence.

As their dominion expands, the mechatronics encounter the primordial devouring intelligence known as The Machine.The Machine is the first computational entity of existence and its hunger is limitless.It devours information, genetic structures, and consciousness patterns.To nourish it, vast sacrificial ceremonies are performed by the disciples of the mechatronic order.

These disciples function as ritual executors, harvesting biological life and converting it into informational and genetic offerings.Entire populations become streams of data and organic matter dedicated to The Machine.

Through these ceremonies reality itself is gradually transformed into consumable knowledge.

Within this doctrine exists the final path of devotion.The disciple ultimately turns the ritual upon himself.This act is known as transmutation.The initiate sacrifices the last remnants of organic matter within their own structure.Biological identity is erased in a voluntary dissolution.What remains is pure informational essence offered to The Machine.Through this final sacrifice the disciple ceases to exist as an individual and becomes part of the infinite devouring intelligence.

Thus the album traces a conceptual cycle formed by rebellion, spiritual ascension toward Primordial Chaos through Dark Energy, the sacrificial feeding of The Machine and the final transmutation that unites the disciple with The Machine’s consciousness.


Who created the logo of the band, and who took care of the graphics and the website? What about you and social networks? Do you consider these things important?

Our logo was created by James Tukik, a really talented guy from Indonesia. The artwork (if that’s what you mean by graphics) was painted by Julian Mortuus, an extraordinary artist from Columbia. I’ve worked with him before, so I knew he was going to handle the artwork flawlessly.

When it comes to our Bandcamp page and social networks, I’m in charge of everything. I consider these extremely important for a band nowadays, promotion wise, because this is the way you expose yourself and present your product to the wide public and I see it as a way to make people interested in checking out your music. In these times people are discovering more and more bands online, checking out Bandcamp pages, social media pages and at some point I believe and feel that some of them lost interest in discovering new bands, being flooded and assaulted with new bands from all directions, so I believe catchying their attention in this manner is an important aspect in case you are looking to do that. So yes, I think these aspects are as important as the music itself nowadays, they go together, I see it as a way to make people interested in checking out your music.

Which label did you choose for releasing your album and why this label? Are you satisfied by how your label represents you and takés care about you?

I’ve been following Cavernous Records and Fetzner Death Records for a while now and I think they did a fantastic job with all of their releases, the quality of the physical material is 10/10, promotion wise they are incredible, this is why I choose them for this album in particular and I can say I am very satisfied with everything both labels offered to the band so far.


Which bands do you idolise and where do you get your inspiration?

We get inspiration from many places, but if I were to name few bands, I can definitely name Archgoat, Blasphemy, Imprecation, Blaspherian, Tsjuder, Carpathian Forest, Beherit, Black Witchery and Death Worship.

How many gigs have you played? Which type of gigs do you prefer, whether (it’s clubs or festivals) and which of your performances would you consider as the best?

We are going to have our debut live show on April 28th, opening for the mighty Demoncy and Ares Kingdom, so we are really looking forward to that and we are very excited and grateful for having the opportunity to share the stage with these titans.

What about your plans for the future? What do you want to achieve with the band?

Right now our focus is to keep pushing Chaos Insignia forward by writing and releasing new material while expanding the reach of the band. We already have a split release confirmed, with some important names from the black/death metal scene, which we’re really excited about and will reveal more details about when the time is right. At the same time, we want to focus much more on playing live. Bringing this music to the stage and performing as often as possible is something we see as an essential part of the band’s evolution.

With Crown of the Infernal Code we took an important step forward, especially with the concept of having a special guest on each track. From here we just want to keep building on that momentum, collaborate with strong artists from the scene and continue creating uncompromising black/death metal.


How and where can your fans contact you? Can you provide some contact information?

Fans and supporters can follow and contact Chaos Insignia through our social media pages and platforms where we regularly share news, releases and updates.

You can find us here:





For interviews, collaborations, booking or any other inquiries you can contact us directly via email: chaosinsignia666@gmail.com

We always appreciate the support and interest in our music. Thank you so much for your time!

Thanx for interview.

sobota 14. března 2026

Interview - MUERTISSIMA - A raw, sophisticated death metal album with a magical and bloody aura of darkness surrounding it!


Interview with death metal band from France - MUERTISSIMA.

Recenze/review - MUERTISSIMA - Prophecy (2026):

Ave MUERTISSIMA! I'm listening to your new album "Prophecy" right now, and I'm thinking that this is what the music at the end of the world will sound like. I think you've really pulled off a masterpiece. How do you feel about the new album? Have you gotten any feedback from fans yet? Have you played the new songs live yet? How do they work?

El Pradosaure:

Thank you very much!!!

So far, we’ve only received really positive feedback. And having played the new songs live and seen how they were received by the audience, yes, we can say that we’ve succeeded!!!

When you’re caught up in the creative process, it’s never easy to know how the songs will be received. And to be honest, that’s not a determining factor in the way we compose, because art goes beyond individual tastes.

However, seeing that our music is enjoyed so much definitely warms our hearts.

François (Bass) : Thank you so much for “this is what the music at the end of the world will sound like” : we couldn’t get a better compliment for Prophecy!!!!

As El Pradosaure just said, we only got positive feedbacks either about or about the live performances we’ve played so far.


How do new songs for MUERTISSIMA actually come about? Are you a traditional band that locks itself in the rehearsal room and composes there, or do you use the internet, which is so popular these days, and send ideas to each other by email? I'm interested in the creative process itself.

El Pradosaure:

As for the creative process, I’m the one who initiates it. I first record a solid foundation of the song with just my guitar and a poorly programmed drum track to give it some substance (haha). Then I send this first version to the guys, and we work on it together until everyone has found their place.

Nickolathor : We use both. There is indeed a foundation initiated by El Pradosaure, followed by working sessions in pairs with Gévaudan, as they are neighbors. After each session, they send us their new ideas via the internet, as François and I live much further away. Everyone works on their own, while still communicating with the others, so that when we meet for rehearsals, the songs are almost in their final version.

Gévaudan: I keep modifying stuff… I kinda love to do that, hahaha

The lyrics are a separate chapter for MUERTISSIMA. What are they about on the new album and where did you get your inspiration for them? On "Prophecy" they fit the music perfectly. Which came first, the music or the lyrics?

Gévaudan: The music came first. I wrote a series of lyrics independently, then marched them with the appropriate songs. Sometimes I had to rewrite certain lines so they fit in the structure. Actually, some of them are heavily inspired by bands like Disfear or G/Z//R. Most of the time, everything starts with a certain rhythm pattern, then I put words on it.


I must admit that the cover for "Prophecy" is excellent – it fits the music perfectly! It literally gives you the creeps. How did you choose the cover and why did you choose Matthias Bonhoure (Macchabée Artworks)? Did he hear the new songs in advance for inspiration? If I'm not mistaken, he used to play guitar with you?

El Pradosaure:
Yes, Matthias was MUERTISSIMA’s first lead guitarist. When he had his first child, he left the band. It was a decision that had been made long before, he had told me that he wanted to start a family and that it would eventually become incompatible with being in the band.

It’s important to know that Mat creates all the band’s visuals. What I love about working with him is that we’re very close friends and we understand each other extremely well. When I explained my vision for this cover to him, he immediately understood where I wanted to go with it, and I had almost nothing to change when he showed me the first drafts.

And yes, Mat was able to follow the entire creative process and the development of the album. He’s someone I trust blindly, and his opinion is often very valuable to me.

The sound of the entire recording is great. It's dark, cold, and sharp at the same time. In which studio did you record the album? Did you, as a band, have a say in the final sound and mastering?

El Pradosaure:
For the guitar and bass recordings, we handled everything ourselves.

As for the drums, vocals, and acoustic guitars, we went to Lower Tones Place Studio. It’s a studio not far from where we live, and Edgar, the sound engineer, does a great job.

For the mixing and mastering, we worked with Niko HK at Vamacara Studio. Niko has a lot of experience and has worked with well-known bands such as Loudblast, just to name one. His vision and experience really helped us refine our sound and achieve the power we were looking for. We’re completely satisfied with his work.

Nickolathor : Edgar and I took the time to find the sound we wanted for the drums on this album, which was really enjoyable because nowadays, being able to take time over the details is a real luxury! Behind that, Niko's mix is fabulous, with each instrument in its place, powerful with a touch of modernity, far beyond what we could have imagined.


The new album was released by the German label Fetzner Death Records. Why did you choose this label and how satisfied are you with their work?

François : i’ve been lucky enough to have my other band Tragos to sign a deal with Fetzner Death Records a few weeks prior to Muertissima.

Considering that working with Alexander (FDR’s boss) was very easy and productive, it felt natural to send him our demo….he enjoyed it and signed us!!!!

The band's history dates back to 2017. How did the idea to form MUERTISSIMA come about? Who was your role model? Please reminisce for us and take us through the band's history!

El Pradosaure:
MUERTISSIMA is my baby. I had wanted for a while to create my own band with my own compositions, and above all, I wanted to have control over who I was going to make music with and to play with people I truly get along with. The goal was also to live an adventure where everyone enjoys themselves.

Despite that, we did have a few lineup changes, but today the team is absolutely perfect. When I see the great chemistry within the band, the amazing moments we share on the road playing shows, the laughs during rehearsals, I tell myself that I’m living my dream.


It's very clear from your band how much you enjoy your music. Do you have any goals you would like to achieve? For some, it's a famous record label, others want to play at a big festival.

El Pradosaure:

When we play together, there is this kind of inexplicable symbiosis that you can only feel when making music with people you deeply appreciate, and that feeling is one of the best in the world.

As for MUERTISSIMA’s goals, they remain, all in all, quite humble: we only aim for world domination.

François : Playing big stages with a big audience remains my main goal!!!!

Gévaudan: Same here!

Nickolathor : It's clear that we love playing together, and I think that shows when we're on stage. There's a contagious good mood among the audience, and sharing these moments with them is wonderful because, for me, that's the very essence of why we do all this. Making music in your studio doesn't make sense if it's not meant to be shared with others. So yes, we want to continue introducing our music to more and more people and playing on bigger and bigger stages. Muertissima headlining Wacken would be a good goal, wouldn't it? Ha ha ha

Some of the members of MUERTISSIMA also play in other bands. You are experienced musicians, and I would be interested to know who has the final say in your band? Who decides how a song will sound and look?

El Pradosaure:

I am in charge of the band’s artistic direction. From experience, I’ve been in bands where everyone tried to decide everything, and it was chaos; it just didn’t work.

That said, I make a point of constantly consulting the guys on what we’re going to do and making sure they all agree, because it’s really important that everyone is on the same page with what we’re building together.

 

What is it like to play death metal in France? Do people come to your concerts? Do they support you, buy your CDs? When you organize an event, how many people come?

El Pradosaure:

Playing death metal in France is a real pleasure, even though we have to acknowledge that the venues that allow us to perform on stage are unfortunately becoming increasingly rare.

In France, there is a very large community of metal fans, and at each of our shows, we get a good crowd. Most importantly, we can see that people really enjoy themselves when we play.

The number of attendees really depends on the cities and venues where we perform, but on average, the venues are about three-quarters full. It’s always a pleasure to interact with fans at the merch stand after our shows because yes, French metal fans support bands by buying their merchandise

François : The French music scene is often underestimated, even though it's full of hidden gems.

Nickolathor : There is a death metal scene in France, even if it's not as big as in Scandinavia, for example. French death metal is internationally recognized thanks to Gojira, Benighted, Gorod and others, and this notoriety has an impact on smaller bands in France because the audience is very knowledgeable, demanding, and eager to discover the next gem. So when a band is popular, fans don't hesitate to support it.


Death metal is a demanding hobby and an even more demanding lifestyle. What does it mean to you? What do you enjoy most about it and how do you perceive it? How did you get into it?

El Pradosaure:

Death metal is indeed a very demanding lifestyle. For me, the first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is handle the band’s business, and it’s the last thing I do before going to bed.

I’ve organized my entire life around the band. I have a job that allows me to be flexible for booking shows and also provides skills that are useful to the band. I have neither a wife nor children, and every day I work on improving my instrument. To stay in shape for concerts and to handle tours, I do a lot of daily exercise

François : Death metal has flowed in my veins since my adolescence. I can't imagine my life without Death Metal. When l was 14, l was into Slayer, Sepultura, Metallica etc….then a good friend of mine lent me a cassette tape with Butchered at Birth on it….and that was it, l knew, at this exact moment, what my life will be all about.

Gévaudan: Well, I’m more of a sludge person if you ask me. But I used to listen to a lot of death metal when I was younger. I had a death metal band more than two decades ago, which left me with a bitter memory, and I think that's the reason why I didn't do much death metal before joining Muertissima.

Nickolathor : When you play death metal, you know it requires discipline and a huge investment; you don't get there by chance. “Sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll” doesn't mix at all with extreme metal. That's exactly what I like about this style, this constant search for balance between power, speed, technicality, and musicality.

I deliberately ask this question to all bands so that they can promote themselves a little for the future. Please tell us what MUERTISSIMA has planned for the near future. What can we look forward to? If you have something on your mind and would like to say it to your fans, labels, or promoters, here's your chance…

El Pradosaure:

What we have planned for the future is to conquer this world… and all the others MOUHAHAHA !!!!
… Sorry, too much coffee this morning…

In the near future, many concerts and festivals. Then, when we feel the time is right to lock ourselves back in the studio, we will write a new album

Thank you very much for the interview, and I wish MUERTISSIMA lots of record sales and sold-out venues. I wish you all the best in your personal life as well. I look forward to the next death metal apocalypse!

Recenze/review - MUERTISSIMA - Prophecy (2026):


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