Interview with legendary black metal band from Poland - CHRIST AGONY.
Answered Cezar, thank you!
Recenze/review - CHRIST AGONY - Anthems (2025):
1. Ave CHRIST AGONY! Ave Caesar! Greetings to the Polish underworld. Just recently, a friend and I were reminiscing about which foreign bands we saw first, and I told everyone about my trip to Wroclaw in the nineties. I was young, strong, full of life. I remember your performance literally blowing me away. You've been on the scene for 35 years, and when I listen to your new album, Anthems, I still feel enormous power and enthusiasm in your music. Do you have a recipe for that? Where do you get so many ideas?
- Ave! Thank you for your words and for remembering those times - the ‘90s were truly the age of raw passion and spiritual rebellion. For me, the fire has never really faded. Christ Agony has always been more than just a band - it’s a state of mind, a personal ritual that evolves with each era of my life.
The inspiration comes from within - from darkness, solitude, and reflection, but also from the world’s constant duality, where light and shadow coexist eternally. Every chapter of my life brings new emotions, new struggles, and new revelations — and all of that becomes music. That’s probably why, even after 35 years, the energy is still there. Christ Agony was born from inner truth, and as long as I live, this flame won’t go out.
2. Yes, extreme music like black and death metal has a darkness and energy that other styles don't have. Maybe that's why I'm still loyal to it. I also hear and feel coldness in the new album "Anthems." How did the album come about and why did it take nine long years? Were you waiting for inspiration?
- Yes, you are right - darkness and energy are the essence of this form of expression. “Anthems” was born from silence, from a long period of reflection and inner transformation. Those nine years were not just a pause — they were a necessary journey through both shadow and light, a time to rediscover the true voice of Christ Agony.
I never wanted to create music out of routine or obligation. I was waiting for the moment when inspiration would return naturally — when I could again feel that sacred connection between sound, word, and emotion. During that time, I was also working on other projects — FaustuS, Khorumi, and SOLARKVLT - each of them a different facet of my artistic and spiritual path. But when the right moment finally came, I knew it was time to summon Christ Agony once more. “Anthems” is the result of that inner awakening.
3. How do you actually create new songs? I'm interested in the process itself. When does it "come"? For example, when I write, I usually get ideas somewhere outside, in nature, and I make a note on my phone, which I then gradually develop. But as I get older, I have to be more and more careful not to repeat myself. How do you do it? Can you give us a peek into your kitchen?
- For me, the process of creation has always been something mystical - something that cannot be planned or forced. Music comes when the spirit calls. Sometimes it happens in the middle of the night, sometimes during a walk in the forest, sometimes in complete solitude. I usually start with an atmosphere - a vision, a feeling, a certain aura that I want to translate into sound. The riffs, harmonies, and structures come later, almost as if they were dictated by some invisible hand.
I record every idea immediately - a melody, a rhythm, even a whisper. Then I build around it like a sculptor shaping stone. I don’t think about trends, production, or expectations. I let intuition guide me. Each song must have its own soul, its own ritual energy.
Of course, with time, it becomes harder to avoid repetition, but the key is honesty. If you create from the heart, without calculation, the music will always find a new form - because you yourself are changing. Christ Agony has evolved with me. Every album reflects a different chapter of my spiritual journey, and “Anthems” is its most mature incarnation.
4. We both grew up under socialism. You're only a few years older than me, Cezar. How do you remember your beginnings? We had a terrible problem getting hold of extreme music. Incidentally, I found most of my cassettes at black markets just across the border in Poland. Which band first grabbed you and pulled you to the dark side? If I'm not mistaken, you're from the small town of Morąg. Please reminisce for us!
- Yes, I come from Morąg - a small, grey town in northern Poland, surrounded by forests and lakes. In the 1980s it was still the time of communism, a world closed and silent, where everything extreme or unconventional was forbidden or simply inaccessible. But maybe that’s what gave birth to the hunger, the fire. We were searching for something beyond the grey reality - something that could express rebellion, darkness, and freedom at the same time.
Like many at that time, I started with classic heavy metal - Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Venom. But when I first heard Bathory, Hellhammer, and Celtic Frost - everything changed. That was the revelation. The sound, the atmosphere, the raw spiritual energy - it felt like a calling. It wasn’t just music anymore. It was a path.
In Poland, access to extreme music was like smuggling the sacred fire. We copied tapes, traded them at markets or by mail. Every new recording was like discovering a secret scripture. That underground energy shaped me forever - it taught me patience, dedication, and the value of passion over comfort.
Those early years in Morąg were dark but magical. That’s where Christ Agony was born - from isolation, from hunger for truth and transcendence. From the need to create something real in a false world.
5. In the 1990s, you and CHRIST AGONY were part of a strong wave of Polish bands that influenced me a lot musically. Looking back, I was always fascinated by a certain darkness in the Poles, a kind of hidden anger that your bands had. And also a typical style. How do you explain that? When you hear "Polish black and death metal scene," what comes to mind?
- That’s a very good observation - there really is something unique in the Polish black and death metal sound, and I believe it comes from our collective past and temperament. Poland in the 1990s was a country waking up from decades of oppression, chaos, and spiritual hunger. There was frustration, but also a deep need to express something real, to scream out the truth that had been silenced for too long.
For us, darkness was never just an image or a pose - it was a reflection of our inner landscape. Life was harsh, religion was suffocating, and the system had crushed individuality for generations. So when that first black metal wave came, it wasn’t imitation - it was liberation. It was pure, spiritual rebellion.
Bands like Christ Agony, Behemoth, Graveland, or Pandemonium - we all came from that same soil, carrying the same scars. Each in our own way, we transformed anger, despair, and mysticism into art. That’s why Polish extreme metal has this characteristic depth - it’s emotional, ritualistic, and very personal. It’s not about satanic clichés; it’s about transcendence through darkness.
When I hear the phrase “Polish black and death metal scene,” I think of passion, authenticity, and fire - a scene born from struggle, but one that has always sought spiritual light through the storm.
6. When did you first pick up a musical instrument? Do you have any classical training? What was the first concert you ever went to (if it was TURBO, I'll win a bet with my friend for a beer! :))? And do you remember the first time you stood on stage as a musician?
- your friend might owe you that beer, because yes, TURBO was one of the first bands that really made an impression on me in the early days! That was a different time - pure passion, no technology, just raw sound and emotion.
I first picked up the guitar when I was about 13 or 14. It wasn’t anything serious at first - just fascination, curiosity, and the urge to express what was boiling inside me. I didn’t have any classical training; everything I learned came naturally, by ear and by instinct. I was obsessed with sound, with the atmosphere it could create.
The first time I stood on stage was pure chaos and adrenaline - a small local event, probably in the late 1980s. The sound was terrible, the gear primitive, but the feeling… unforgettable. That moment of connection — when chaos, sweat, and noise turn into something sacred - that’s what I’ve been chasing ever since.
So yes, my roots are simple - no conservatory, no academic background - just pure instinct, fire, and devotion to sound. And maybe that’s what kept the flame alive all these years.
7. But let's move on to the new album, "Anthems"... I've already written about the coldness and darkness, but it also has a great sound. Michał Grabowski is credited as the producer. Did you have any say in how everything should sound? Who had the final say? And how did you find working with Michał?
- Yes, Michał Grabowski once again played a key role in shaping the sound of Anthems, just as he did with Legacy. Most of the recordings took place in the Morąg studio - a place close to my roots, where the atmosphere itself seems to breathe with darkness and nostalgia.
Our cooperation with Michał is based on deep understanding and trust. I always come to the studio with a clear vision - I know exactly what Christ Agony should sound like, the balance between atmosphere and aggression, between mysticism and rawness. Michał understands this perfectly and knows how to capture it technically without losing the spiritual core of the music.
Of course, I had the final say on every mix, every reverb, every texture. The sound of Anthems had to carry that essence - cold yet alive, massive yet intimate. Michał helped translate that vision into sound reality. He’s not just a producer; he’s more like a companion in ritual - someone who helps transform emotion into resonance.
8. You compose and write everything yourself. You do have a few guests, such as drummers, but otherwise the new album is entirely your work. Isn't that a bit of a problem? You know how it is, you work on something for so long that you lose perspective. Do you have someone who will tell you, "Cezar, no, that's too much, this needs to be faster, no, this is too long"? Or are you able to maintain perspective?
- Yes, Anthems is entirely my creation - both musically and lyrically. It’s true that when you work alone, the biggest challenge is not technical but emotional: to keep a clear perspective after spending countless hours inside your own world. But over the years, I’ve learned to trust my inner compass. I know when something truly carries the essence of Christ Agony and when it drifts away from it.
Of course, I’m not completely isolated - the musicians I collaborate with, bring their own energy and suggestions. Still, I make the final decisions. For me, Christ Agony has always been a deeply personal expression, not a democratic process. It’s more like a ritual, a reflection of my inner visions and experiences.
Sometimes I let a piece rest for weeks or months before returning to it with a fresh mind - that’s how I keep perspective. I don’t rush. Every song must mature like wine, reach that moment when it truly breathes darkness and spirit. Only then do I know it’s finished.
9. You've been on the scene for many years. A lot has changed. Recordings have gone digital, we have the internet, there are new technologies in the studio. Computers control everything today. Do you try to keep up, do you follow the news? How have these changes affected you as a musician?
- Indeed, the world has changed dramatically - not only musically, but spiritually as well. Today, everything is digital, compressed, and often stripped of emotion. Technology can be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it offers comfort, precision, and speed. On the other, it can sterilize art if you let machines take control over the human element - the soul.
I try to keep a healthy balance. I follow the evolution of technology and use it when it serves the atmosphere and spirit of the music, but I never allow it to dominate the creative process. My recordings are a fusion of the old and the new - analog heart with a digital mind. I still believe that the essence of true sound lies in imperfection, in the organic pulse that comes from human touch, not from quantized grids or samples.
So yes, I move with the times, but my foundation remains timeless. For me, Christ Agony has always been about spirit, not trends - about expressing the eternal struggle between light and darkness through sound, not following the mechanical perfection of the digital age.
10. But it's not just about new technologies, it's about society as a whole. We survived the collapse of the Soviet Union, COVID, people approach music completely differently today. Sometimes I feel a bit like a fossil. But you still manage to record and release great albums. Where do you get your inspiration? I mean for the lyrics? What influences you the most? Do you draw from books? Movies? The world around you?
- Inspiration has always come to me from the depths - from within, not from the surface of the world. I don’t really look for it in pop culture, films, or fleeting trends. What truly fuels me are emotions, experiences, and the spiritual dimension of existence. The world may change - politics, systems, even faiths may collapse - but the essence of human darkness and longing remains the same. That’s the fire I draw from.
My lyrics are a reflection of inner journeys, of confronting the sacred and the profane within oneself. I’ve always been fascinated by the duality of being - light and shadow, spirit and flesh, eternity and decay. These contrasts are the foundation of both my music and my life.
I do read a lot - mostly philosophy, poetry, and esoteric texts. Books by Nietzsche, Cioran, or ancient mystical writings often open new paths of thought. But even more than books, it’s solitude and silence that bring inspiration. When the world becomes too loud, I retreat inward - and that’s where Christ Agony is born, again and again.
11. I last saw CHRIST AGONY in Prague in 2015. That was ten years ago. Time flies. I really enjoy reminiscing about your live performances. Do you still play live? Is it difficult to find musicians? How about a tour, are you tempted? How do you perceive concerts in general, what do they mean to you?
- Yes, Christ Agony is still performing live - though not as often as in the past. After the long silence and the release of Anthems, the time has come to return to the stage and reconnect with the essence of what this music truly is: ritual, emotion, and energy. The first concerts are already confirmed, including several in Poland before the end of the year - the first one taking place on October 25th in Łódź.
Finding musicians is always a challenge, especially when the music demands not just technical skill, but also spirit - an understanding of the atmosphere and philosophy behind Christ Agony. Fortunately, I’ve found people who share that vision. On drums now is Dmitry Kim, and I feel that this current lineup has a very strong chemistry, both musically and emotionally.
Concerts have always meant something more to me than just playing songs. They are rituals - moments of transcendence, where the border between performer and audience disappears. Every show is an offering, a summoning of energy that connects us all, even if only for an hour. That’s the essence of Christ Agony on stage — communion through darkness and sound.
12. The Polish scene is still strong when it comes to bands. I get a lot of new music from you guys to review. You have great labels. But how do you perceive it as a veteran? In our country, fewer and fewer people are going to concerts. Sometimes it seems to me that everyone just sits at home on the internet... How is it with you?
- Polish black metal has remained remarkably strong and vibrant over the years. As a veteran, I see a scene that is constantly evolving, with younger bands bringing fresh energy while respecting the essence of what black metal is. It is true that the way people engage with music has changed - streaming, social media, and digital content dominate, and fewer attend concerts than in the past.
However, for those who truly connect with the music, the live experience is irreplaceable. Concerts are still rituals, moments of communion and intensity that cannot be replicated online. I see this even in Poland — while attendance may be smaller in numbers, the energy and dedication of the audience at shows is profound. For me, this makes every performance even more meaningful.
13. This is my favorite question. What does black metal mean to you? How do you perceive it? Is it your hobby, your lifestyle? Feel free to engage in philosophical reflections.
- For me, black metal has never been just music - it is a spiritual path. A manifestation of inner rebellion, reflection, and transcendence. It is the voice of the soul that refuses to conform, that seeks truth in darkness and wisdom in solitude.
From the very beginning, black metal was for me a form of sacred art - a ritual, not entertainment. It carries within it both destruction and creation, despair and illumination. Over the years, I have understood that this darkness we embrace is not about evil - it is about the search for freedom, identity, and the divine essence hidden in shadow.
So, no - it is not a hobby. It is life itself. A philosophy that grows, evolves, and consumes you entirely if you truly understand it.
14. What are your plans with CHRIST AGONY in the coming months? If there is anything on your mind or anything you want to say to your fans, labels, promoters, here is the space…
- At this moment, the priority is to bring “Anthems” to life - through live rituals, visuals, and special editions that will truly capture its atmosphere. I want Christ Agony to return to the stages of Europe with full strength, performing both new hymns and the classics that shaped our path.
We are in the process of preparing concerts and festivals for 2025 and 2026. I also plan to release several reissues and archival materials, because I believe that the past and present of Christ Agony form one spiritual continuum - a dark flame that has never gone out.
To all fans, promoters, and labels who still believe in Christ Agony - thank you. You are part of this journey. After so many years, we still walk through the shadows together.
15. Thank you very much for the interview. I really appreciate it. While writing these questions, I listened to CHRIST AGONY and will continue to do so. You are my favorite band, and you know, you can't just change your blood! I wish you the best of luck with the new album and in your personal life!
- Thank you sincerely for your words and for this inspiring conversation. It’s always an honor to connect with someone who has followed Christ Agony for so many years and still feels the same dark pulse that drives our music. These bonds - forged through sound, spirit, and time - are what give meaning to this path.
Black metal is not only music; it’s blood, devotion, and eternal rebellion. I deeply appreciate your support, and I dedicate this new chapter, “Anthems,” to all those who still believe in the power of darkness and transcendence.
See you in the shadows - Ave!
about CHRIST AGONY on DEADLY STORM ZINE:
Recenze/review - CHRIST AGONY - Anthems (2025):
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