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sobota 10. května 2025

Interview - DORMANT ORDEAL - A freezing, raw, death metal shadow! Brutality and technique meet absolute darkness!


Interview with death metal band from Poland - DORMANT ORDEAL.

Answered Maciej Nieścioruk (guitars), thank you!

Recenze/review - DORMANT ORDEAL - Tooth and Nail (2025):

Ave DORMANT ORDEAL, greetings to beautiful Krakow! Just last week my friend and I were in a pub reminiscing about your concert in 2023 in Pilsen with SONUM and HEAVING EARTH. I remember standing under the stage the whole time and devouring literally every tune, every note. I forgot to thank you then, so belatedly - thank you very much for the excellent concert! Have you played live somewhere the songs from the new album "Tooth and Nail"? What was the response like? What did the fans actually say about the new album?

Hello, thanks for having us. I remember this gig, solid performances from all the bands and good reception despite rather humble attendance. Pilsen’s a charming city, by the way, we managed to sightsee a bit before the show. And no, we haven’t had the chance to play songs from the new album live yet, that will have to wait. From what we can see and hear online, listeners seem to appreciate the new one, it performs pretty well on streaming platforms and the reviews are mostly positive.


The new album got into my blood immediately. You continue your journey on it. You play death metal, but you don't shy away from technical, black metal and progressive elements. Where did you want to go from the last record? Did you have a vision? And how long did it take to write?

The worst we could do is paint ourselves into a corner and be afraid of change. This album is definitely less technical than previous ones, but still pretty hard to nail performance-wise. All these traits of black, prog, post, dissonant metal are just flavors, we never wanted to call ourselves anything more than a death metal band - and even that is kind of restrictive, although it’s probably the closest to the aesthetics we’re after. At some point after the release of the third album I sat down and said to myself “how do we top The Grand Scheme of Things” and it turned out we only needed to write an album that would be good on its own. And so I wrote Tooth and Nail without ever thinking about the previous one. The “difference” came naturally. It took me about two years to write this one, including all breaks and pauses.

Speaking of creating new songs... How do they actually come about? I'm talking about the process now. When does it come, the idea for a new riff, melody? How does a new song come about with DORMANT ORDEAL?

It starts with the guitar, always has. I just sit and play and while most of the time what I play sucks, sometimes something hits the spot. Then I start to play around it to find out the best root note and at least an approximate place in the song. That’s probably the hardest part. Once I get it, it’s easier to think about the rest, it just has to follow. I was never a riff bank guy, I don’t assemble songs from randomly selected riffs and I hope people can hear it.


When I heard the new song for the first time, I thought it had a "nicer" cleaner sound. Was that the purpose? After some time, I realized that the new one was more powerful, more airy. Was that the intention? I think all the instruments and the atmosphere come out better. Where did you record and who is responsible for the mixing and mastering?

This is our fourth album and except for the debut which was recorded in our rehearsal basement, everything else was recorded/mixed in Warsaw in the same JNS Studio under the watchful eye of Paweł Grabowski. When we went there to record Tooth and Nail we spoke about the sound we’re after and since we also worked together on The Grand Scheme, it was our starting point. I’ve listed what I thought could have been done better and we took it from there. For instance, I wanted a fuller sounding drums, more pumped up and also heavily distorted bass to accompany them. Glad to hear you like the results.

The cover artwork by Morgan Sorensen is also interesting. The first thing I thought when I saw it was that it was loosely inspired by ancient Egyptian or Greek paintings. Or am I wrong? How did you choose the cover and how does it relate to the music on this year's album?

Artwork was something I gave a lot of thought to. I wanted violence, but not gory violence. I can call myself a fan of standard death metal art, I grew up on Cannibal Corpse albums after all, I never wanted that for us. Regarding the Greek paintings remark, I never noticed it until someone asked me the same question. That was never my intention, but I can see where it comes from. It is actually inspired by Zofia Stryjeńska’s painting, but we added some details to underline the message. I think Morgan nailed it, it’s an eye-striking piece and if it sparks any interest then our job is done.


When you performed at the aforementioned concert in Pilsen a few years ago, you were a four-piece band. But in the new promo photos you are always just two. Why the personnel changes? For example, a change of drummer is always very crucial for death metal.

People whom we played this tour with were never a part of the band, they’re just touring musicians we asked for help. They have their own bands where they can realize their potential: Lucass has G.N.I.D.A. and Łukasz plays bass in Cursebinder. The latter also has Dormant’s vocalist in their ranks, if you haven’t heard about them yet. The classic lineup played on the first two albums and since then we lost our longtime drummer and bass player. That’s why there’s only two of us in the photos - that’s the whole band at the moment. Change of any member might be crucial, I agree, but it may end up being pretty liberating and refreshing when it comes to new material.

You play death metal, which is demanding in terms of playing technique. But you're not afraid to experiment and put other influences into your music. When you started out, you must have been inspired by someone. Can you please reminisce for us about your musical beginnings? Did you go to any music schools? Do you have a formal education or are you self-taught? And who was your role model?

I was just ten years old when my older brother brought home a cassette with some Sepultura songs, showed me some of their pictures and in no time I basically wanted to become a Max Cavalera. Pretty quickly my interests expanded onto death metal, mainly classic American bands from the 90’s. And so I borrowed a guitar from someone and started learning how to play it. I’m a self-taught guitarist and never took a lesson. As for the experiments, this style gives me means of expression and some kind of aesthetics that are closest to my heart, but there’s plenty of stuff outside of it that fascinates me and that’s why it might seem like we’re reaching outside the genre, I suppose.


I like Poland, among other things, because we have a common history. I also like watching your movies, TV shows, but especially the whole metal music scene. I think it's very strong. But that's my view from the outside. How do you perceive your death metal scene? I mean now as a fan but also as a musician (what about your labels, promoters)?

I pretty much stopped paying attention to the Polish metal scene some time ago. There’s obviously a vast metal scene in Poland, but mostly due to the post-black genre that appeared a few years ago and, in my humble opinion, has already overstayed its welcome. I’m sure there are many awesome Polish death metal bands out there, I just don’t actively seek them out. If I were to pick one less known death metal band that people should be aware of, that would be Obsidian Mantra, I enjoyed their last record. As for the labels, there are big players like Agonia or Pagan, but we never grabbed their attention. In those circumstances, signing a deal with Willowtip was really a no-brainer.

When you played at our place in Pilsen, the attendance was decent. But it's clear that death metal concerts (unless a really big name is playing) are not part of the mainstream. If you organize an event in beautiful Krakow (I really like your city a lot, even my ancestors lived there), how many people will come? And do you enjoy live concerts? Do you prefer small clubs or big festivals?

Live shows are a complicated matter. First and foremost, we don’t have a drummer and since there’s not many drummers out there interested in playing with us, we need to hire one if we wish to play live and that’s expensive. Second, I don’t like it that much. It’s a sum of small parts like long distance traveling in a small bus, poor sleeping hours, poor food quality or the feeling of losing money every day. 20 years ago I wouldn’t mind, these days I simply prefer writing songs at home. However, the other Maciej, the vocalist, absolutely loves playing live, so I usually agree because of that. I honestly have no idea how many people would come if we played in Kraków these days, the last time we played here was with Decapitated in 2022 and the majority of people came to see them. As for the last question - most of all I prefer playing in the dark and our status doesn’t allow us to do that at festivals. So even the least crowded club show would be better than a festival for me.

 

You're both experienced musicians. You have your fourth full-length album out this year. You're on a very good label, Willowtip Records. Do you have any more dreams? Where do you want to go with the band in the future? Are you tempted to do some bigger tours?

Bigger tours for a band like ours would only come in the form of a support slot for a much bigger band. I wouldn’t mind joining Decapitated for another run across Poland, for example. There’s no agenda, though. This band is our creative outlet and we take it day by day. Right now we have a nice deal with Willowtip which is a significant step forward from being unsigned for so many years. Personally, the only thing that matters to me right now is the fifth album.

How would you define your relationship with music? What does death metal, black metal mean to you? Can you look at it from a philosophical point of view? Is music a lifestyle for you or more of a hobby?

As an artist, metal genres provide me with the tools necessary to visualize the creative intent. As a fan, death metal is energy, an outlet for darker emotions, sometimes even a confidence boost. At this point it is a lifestyle, I’ve been breathing this music for over 30 years now, but these days I no longer feel the need to limit myself within it.

 

What are DORMANT ORDEAL planning in the next few months? If you have something to say to fans, labels, promoters, here is the space…

As I said earlier, there’s no plan. Maybe we’ll book some live shows, I don’t know, we’ll see. The new album’s out and, contrary to what the internet is trying to tell me, it’s not a beginning, but rather an end to a chapter. To all our fans and listeners - we see you and we appreciate you. Thank you for the interview, Jakub.

I have all your albums in my collection. I would really like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your music. And of course for the interview. I really appreciate it. I wish you as much inspiration as possible, packed clubs with fans, the best possible CD and merchandise sales and may you do well in your private life!


about DORMANT ORDEAL on DEADLY STORM ZINE:

Recenze/review - DORMANT ORDEAL - Tooth and Nail (2025):







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Rozhovor - DORMANT ORDEAL - Mrazivá, syrová death metalová stínohra! Brutalita a technika se zde potkávají s absolutní tmou!


Rozhovor s death metalovou skupinou z Polska - DORMANT ORDEAL.

Odpovídal Maciej Nieścioruk (kytara), děkujeme!

Recenze/review - DORMANT ORDEAL - Tooth and Nail (2025):

Ave DORMANT ORDEAL, zdravím do krásného Krakova! Zrovna minulý týden jsme s kamarádem v hospodě vzpomínali na váš koncert v roce 2023 u nás v Plzni se SONUM a HEAVING EARTH. Bylo to skvělé vystoupení. Pamatuji si, že jsem stál celou dobu pod pódiem a hltal doslova každý tón, každou notu. Zapomněl jsem tenkrát poděkovat, tak tedy opožděně – děkuji moc za vynikající koncert! Hráli jste už naživo někde i skladby z nového alba „Tooth and Nail“? Jaké byly ohlasy? Co vlastně říkají na novinku fanoučsci?

Dobrý den, děkujeme za rozhovor. Vzpomínám na tento koncert, solidní výkony všech kapel a dobré přijetí i přes poměrně skromnou účast. Plzeň je mimochodem kouzelné město, stihli jsme si před koncertem trochu prohlédnout památky. A ne, ještě jsme neměli možnost zahrát písně z nového alba naživo, to bude muset počkat. Z toho, co vidíme a slyšíme na internetu, se zdá, že posluchači novinku oceňují, na streamovacích platformách si vede docela dobře a recenze jsou vesměs pozitivní.


Nové album se mi ihned dostalo do krve. Pokračujete na něm ve své cestě. Hrajete death metal, ale nebráníte se ani technickým, black metalovým i progresivním prvkům. Kam jste se chtěli posunout od minulé nahrávky? Měli jste nějakou vizi? A jak dlouho vlastně trvalo skládání?

Nejhorší, co bychom mohli udělat, je zahnat se do kouta a bát se změn. Tohle album je rozhodně méně technické než předchozí, ale pořád je docela těžké ho výkonnostně přibít. Všechny ty rysy black, prog, post, disonantního metalu jsou jen příchutě, nikdy jsme se nechtěli nazývat ničím jiným než deathmetalovou kapelou - a i to je trochu omezující, i když je to asi nejblíž estetice, o kterou nám jde. V určitém okamžiku po vydání třetího alba jsem si sedl a řekl si „jak překonáme The Grand Scheme of Things“ a ukázalo se, že nám stačí napsat album, které bude dobré samo o sobě. A tak jsem napsal Tooth and Nail, aniž bych vůbec myslel na to předchozí. Ta „odlišnost“ přišla přirozeně. Napsat ho mi trvalo asi dva roky, včetně všech přestávek a pauz.

Když už jsme u tvorby nových songů…Jak vlastně vznikají? Myslím tím teď samotný proces. Kdy to přijde, nápad na nový riff, melodii? Jak vzniká u DORMANT ORDEAL nová skladba?

Začíná to kytarou, vždycky to tak bylo. Prostě sedím a hraju, a i když většinou to, co hraju, stojí za prd, občas se mi něco povede. Pak si s tím začnu hrát, abych našel nejlepší kořenový tón a alespoň přibližné místo v písničce. To je asi ta nejtěžší část. Jakmile ho získám, je snazší přemýšlet o zbytku, ten už musí následovat. Nikdy jsem nebyl riffová banka, neskládám písničky z náhodně vybraných riffů a doufám, že to lidi slyší.


Když jsem slyšel novinku poprvé, říkal jsem si, že má takový „příjemnější“ čistší zvuk. Bylo to účelem? Po nějakém čase jsem si uvědomil, že je novinka taková mocnější, vzdušnější. Byl to záměr? Podle mě lépe vyniknou všechny nástroje i atmosféra. Kde jste vlastně nahrávali a kdo je podepsán pod mixem a masteringem?

Toto je naše čtvrté album a kromě debutu, který jsme nahráli ve zkušebně ve sklepě, bylo vše ostatní nahráno/mixováno ve Varšavě ve stejném studiu JNS pod dohledem Pawła Grabowského. Když jsme tam jeli nahrávat Tooth and Nail, mluvili jsme o zvuku, o který nám jde, a protože jsme společně pracovali i na The Grand Scheme, byl to náš výchozí bod. Vyjmenoval jsem, co by se podle mě dalo udělat lépe, a od toho jsme se odvíjeli. Například jsem chtěl plnější zvuk bicích, více napumpované a také silně zkreslené basy, které by je doprovázely. Jsem rád, že se vám výsledek líbí.

Zajímavý je i obal, který vytvořil Morgan Sorensen. Jako první, když jsem jej viděl, mě napadlo, že je volně inspirovaný starými egyptskými nebo řeckými malbami. Nebo se pletu? Jak jste obal vybírali a jak souvisí s hudbou na letošním albu?

O výtvarné stránce jsem hodně přemýšlel. Chtěl jsem násilí, ale ne krvavé. Můžu se označit za fanouška standardního deathmetalového umění, koneckonců jsem vyrostl na albech Cannibal Corpse, to jsem pro nás nikdy nechtěl. Co se týče poznámky o řeckých malbách, nikdy jsem si jí nevšiml, dokud mi někdo nepoložil stejnou otázku. Nikdy to nebyl můj záměr, ale chápu, odkud to pochází. Ve skutečnosti je to inspirováno obrazem Žofie Stryjeńské, ale přidali jsme tam pár detailů, abychom podtrhli poselství. Myslím, že Morgan to trefil, je to dílo, které bije do očí, a pokud vzbudí nějaký zájem, pak jsme odvedli dobrou práci.


Když jste před lety vystupovali na zmiňovaném koncertě v Plzni, byli jste čtyřčlennou kapelou. Na nových promo fotkách jste ale vždy už jenom dva. Proč vlastně došlo k personálním změnám? Třeba změna bubeníka bývá pro death metal vždy velmi zásadní.

Lidé, se kterými jsme hráli na tomto turné, nikdy nebyli součástí kapely, byli to jen muzikanti na turné, které jsme požádali o pomoc. Mají své vlastní kapely, kde se mohou realizovat: Lucass má G.N.I.D.A. a Łukasz hraje na basu v Cursebinder. Druhá jmenovaná kapela má ve svých řadách i zpěváka Dormant, pokud jste o nich ještě neslyšeli. Klasická sestava hrála na prvních dvou albech a od té doby jsme přišli o dlouholetého bubeníka a basáka. Proto jsme na fotkách jen dva - to je momentálně celá kapela. Souhlasím, že změna jakéhokoli člena může být zásadní, ale ve výsledku to může být docela osvobozující a osvěžující, pokud jde o nový materiál.

Hrajete death metal, který je náročný na techniku hraní. Nebojíte se ale ani experimentovat a vložit do hudby i jiné vlivy. Když si s hudbou začínal, určitě tě někdo musel inspirovat. Zavzpomínáš pro nás prosím na své hudební počátky? Chodil si do nějaká hudební školy? Máš oficiální vzdělání nebo jsi samouk? A kdo byl tvým vzorem?

Bylo mi pouhých deset let, když můj starší bratr přinesl domů kazetu s písněmi Sepultury, ukázal mi několik jejich fotek a já se v podstatě okamžitě chtěl stát Maxem Cavalerou. Poměrně rychle se mé zájmy rozšířily na death metal, hlavně na klasické americké kapely z 90. let. A tak jsem si od někoho půjčil kytaru a začal se na ni učit hrát. Jsem kytarista samouk a nikdy jsem nechodil na žádné lekce. Co se týče experimentů, tenhle styl mi dává výrazové prostředky a jakousi estetiku, která je mi nejbližší, ale je spousta věcí mimo něj, které mě fascinují, a proto se může zdát, že saháme mimo žánr.


Mám Polsko rád mimo jiné i kvůli tomu, že máme společnou historii. Rád sleduji i vaše filmy, seriály, ale hlavně celou metalovou hudební scénu. Podle mě je hodně silná. Jenže to je můj pohled zvenku. Jak vnímáš vaši death metalovou scénu ty? Myslím tím teď jako fanoušek, ale i muzikant (co vaše labely, promotéři)?

Polské metalové scéně jsem se přestal věnovat už před nějakou dobou. V Polsku samozřejmě existuje rozsáhlá metalová scéna, ale hlavně kvůli postblackovému žánru, který se objevil před několika lety a podle mého skromného názoru už se přežil. Jsem si jistý, že existuje spousta skvělých polských deathmetalových kapel, jen je aktivně nevyhledávám. Kdybych měl vybrat jednu méně známou deathmetalovou kapelu, o které by lidé měli vědět, byla by to Obsidian Mantra, jejich poslední deska se mi líbila. Co se týče vydavatelství, jsou tu velcí hráči jako Agonia nebo Pagan, ale nikdy jsme je nezaujali. Za těchto okolností bylo podepsání smlouvy s Willowtip opravdu významné.

Když jste hráli u nás v Plzni, tak byla návštěvnost slušná. Jasné ale je, že death metalové koncerty (pokud nehraje nějaké opravdu velké jméno), nepatří k mainstreamu. Když uspořádáte akci v krásném Krakově (mám vaše město opravdu hodně rád, dokonce tam žili mí předci), kolik tak přijde lidí? A baví vás živé koncerty? Máte raději malé kluby anebo velké festivaly?

Živá vystoupení jsou komplikovaná záležitost. Především nemáme bubeníka, a protože není moc bubeníků, kteří by s námi chtěli hrát, musíme si ho najmout, pokud chceme hrát živě, a to je drahé. Zadruhé mě to moc nebaví. Je to součet malých částí, jako je cestování na dlouhé vzdálenosti v malém autobuse, špatný spánek, špatná kvalita jídla nebo pocit, že každý den přicházíme o peníze. Před dvaceti lety by mi to nevadilo, v dnešní době prostě raději píšu písničky doma. Nicméně druhý Maciej, zpěvák, naprosto miluje živé hraní, takže kvůli tomu většinou souhlasím. Upřímně netuším, kolik lidí by přišlo, kdybychom dnes hráli v Krakově, naposledy jsme tu hráli s Decapitated v roce 2022 a většina lidí přišla na ně. Co se týče poslední otázky - ze všeho nejraději hraju potmě a to nám náš status na festivalech neumožňuje. Takže i ta nejméně zaplněná klubová show by pro mě byla lepší než festival.

 

Jste oba zkušení muzikanti. Máte letos na svém kontě čtvrté dlouhohrající album. Jste u velmi dobrého labelu Willowtip Records. Máte ještě nějaké sny? Kam se chcete s kapelou v budoucnu posunout? Láká vás třeba nějaké větší turné?

Větší turné pro kapelu, jako je ta naše, by přišlo pouze v podobě předskakování mnohem větší kapele. Nevadilo by mi, kdybych se připojil k Decapitated a projel s nimi například Polsko. Nemáme ale žádný program. Tahle kapela je naše tvůrčí východisko a bereme to den po dni. Právě teď máme pěknou smlouvu s Willowtip, což je významný krok kupředu od toho, že jsme tolik let nebyli pod žádným labelem. Pro mě osobně je teď důležitá jen pátá deska.

Jak bys definoval svůj vztah k hudbě? Co pro tebe znamená death metal, black metal? Klidně se na to můžeš podívat i z pohledu filozofie? Je pro tebe hudba životním stylem nebo spíš koníčkem?

Jako umělci mi metalové žánry poskytují nástroje potřebné k vizualizaci tvůrčího záměru. Pro mě jako fanouška je death metal energií, odreagováním temnějších emocí, někdy i posilou sebevědomí. V tuto chvíli je to životní styl, dýchám tuto hudbu už přes třicet let, ale v těchto dnech už necítím potřebu se v ní omezovat.

 

Co chystají DORMANT ORDEAL v nejbližších měsících? Pokud chceš něco vzkázat fanouškům, labelům, promotérům, zde je prostor…

Jak jsem již řekl, žádný plán neexistuje. Možná nějaké živé koncerty, nevím, uvidíme. Nové album je venku a navzdory tomu, co se mi snaží namluvit internet, není to začátek, ale spíš konec jedné kapitoly. Všem našim fanouškům a posluchačům - víme o vás a vážíme si vás. Děkujeme za rozhovor, Jakube.

Mám ve své sbírce všechna vaše alba. Opravdu od srdce bych vám rád poděkoval za vaši hudbu. A samozřejmě i za rozhovor. Velmi si toho vážím. Přeji vám co nejvíc inspirace, narvané kluby fanoušky, co nejlepší prodeje CD i merchandise a ať se vám daří i v soukromí!

about DORMANT ORDEAL on DEADLY STORM ZINE:

Recenze/review - DORMANT ORDEAL - Tooth and Nail (2025):







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středa 7. května 2025

Recenze/review - UNREAL OVERFLOWS - Slaves of the Inhuman Future World (2025)


UNREAL OVERFLOWS - Slaves of the Inhuman Future World
CD 2025, Great Dane Records

for english please scroll down

Někdy si připadám jako zavřený v obrovské bublině. Ovlivněn světovým řádem, historií i vlastními zkušenostmi stále kroutím nevěřícně hlavou nad lidskou hloupostí. Jako bychom byli jenom pokusnými králíky, které řídí nějaká vyšší moc. Staří autoři sci-fi moc dobře věděli, že existují ještě jiné dimenze, ve kterých se žije zcela jinak. Hraje se tam také hudba, které nejdříve nemůže obyčejný smrtelník rozumět. Jsou zkrátka kapely, které chtějí čas. Musíte si je pouštět v různých denních dobách, v různém stavu mysli a náladě. 

O španělských UNREAL OVERFLOWS jsem již jednou psal. Letos se mi dostalo do rukou jejich nové album s příhodně ztvárněným mechanickým skeletonem na obalu. Myslím si, že to nebude trvat příliš dlouho a podobné postavy potkáme běžně na ulici. Pokud se tak již nestalo. Někteří jedinci na mě poslední dobou totiž působí úplně stejně. Odtažitě, chladně, strojově. Hudba španělských maniaků je podobná. Jen má v sobě navíc velkou porci divokosti a živočišnosti.


Jak jsem již zmínil v úvodu, tahle nahrávka potřebuje čas, aby uzrála. Riffů, melodií, různých odboček a temných zákoutí je opravdu mnoho. Zpočátku mi nešly dešifrovat, ale po nějaké době se vše usadilo a já si začal album opravdu užívat. Myslím si, že pokud se vám líbí muzika třeba takových DEATH, ATHEIST, CYNIC, PESTILENCE, GOJIRA, budete určitě spokojeni. Základem je melodický death metal se spoustu technických i progresivních prvků. Zbytečně se nepreluduje ani neexhibuje. Každý tón, nota, úder do bicích, mají své pevné místo. Skladby jsou opravdu velmi pečlivě vystavěny. Poslech tak připomíná setkání s pevným a silným stromem, který má mnoho větví i kořenů, který je košatý a pestrý. Povedl se zvuk, který je masivní a velmi dobře čitelný. Nejvíc si ale užívám celkovou atmosféru, která se během poslechu mění. Někdy jsou UNREAL OVERFLOWS suroví a nekompromisní, jindy zběsile rychlí, ale vše objímá chladná temnota. Nějak takhle si představuji vesmír, případně výstup do prostoru na nějaké neznámé planetě. Lidská mysl má schopnost velké fantazie. Ta je pro společná setkání s "Slaves of the Inhuman Future World" nutná a potřebná. Zvláštní je, že už dnes mám někdy pocit, že jsou některé stroje chytřejší než mnoho lidí. Je to svým způsobem fascinující, ale zároveň děsivé. Je jen na nás, jak se s tím popereme. Zatím to vypadá, že stroje vítězí na celé čáře. A tak je pro mě nové album i takovým mementem, varováním, ale hlavně počinem, ke kterému se budu ještě dlouho a rád vracet. Děsivě chladné, progresivní technické death metalové vize z blízké budoucnosti! 


Asphyx says:

Sometimes I feel like I'm trapped in a giant bubble. Influenced by the world order, history and my own experience, I still shake my head in disbelief at human stupidity. As if we were just guinea pigs being controlled by a higher power. The old science fiction writers knew very well that there are other dimensions in which life is quite different. There's also music playing there that ordinary mortals can't understand at first. In short, there are bands that want time. You have to listen to them at different times of the day, in different states of mind and mood. 

I have already written once about the Spanish UNREAL OVERFLOWS. This year I got my hands on their new album with a fittingly rendered mechanical skeleton on the cover. I think it won't be too long before we'll see similar characters on the street. If it hasn't already. In fact, some individuals have the same effect on me lately. Distant, cold, machine-like. The music of the Spanish maniacs is similar. It's just got an extra dose of wildness and animalism.


As I mentioned in the introduction, this record needs time to mature. There are many riffs, melodies, various detours and dark corners. At first I couldn't decipher them, but after some time everything settled down and I started to really enjoy the album. I think that if you like music like DEATH, ATHEIST, CYNIC, PESTILENCE, GOJIRA, you will definitely be satisfied. The base is melodic death metal with a lot of technical and progressive elements. There is no unnecessary prelude or exhilaration. Every note, every note, every percussion strike, has its solid place. The songs are really very carefully constructed. Listening to them is like meeting a solid and strong tree, which has many branches and roots, which is colourful and colourful. The sound is solid and very easy to hear. Most of all, though, I enjoy the overall atmosphere, which changes as I listen. Sometimes UNREAL OVERFLOWS are raw and uncompromising, other times they are furiously fast, but everything is embraced by a cold darkness. Somehow this is how I imagine the universe, or ascending into space on some unknown planet. The human mind is capable of great imagination. It is necessary and necessary for our encounters with the "Slaves of the Inhuman Future World". The strange thing is that even today I sometimes feel that some machines are smarter than many humans. It's fascinating in its own way, but terrifying at the same time. It's up to us how we deal with it. So far, it looks like the machines are winning all the way. And so for me the new album is also a kind of memento, a warning, but most importantly a piece of work that I'll be coming back to for a long time to come. A frighteningly cool, progressive technical death metal vision from the near future!




Recenze/review - UNREAL OVERFLOWS - Latent (2018):

tracklist:
1. Echoes from the Past
2. Digital Slavery
3. Tearing the Layers of Reality
4. Beyond the Code
5. Visage of Betrayal
6. Averse to Creation
7. Against Our Will, 
8. Consumed By Himself
9. Longing For Silence

Line up:
ZOILO UNREAL :Guitars , Bass , Vocals & Drums
DIEGO BEA BESADA : Guitars



čtvrtek 1. května 2025

Recenze/review - DORMANT ORDEAL - Tooth and Nail (2025)


DORMANT ORDEAL - Tooth and Nail
CD 2025, Willowtip Records

for english please scroll down

Hra stínů a světel. Zmrzlá půda, potok s ledovou vodou. Našlapuji tiše, abych neporušil mrtvolnou atmosféru, která se rozkládá všude kolem. Lesy bez života, řeky bez ryb. Někdy si připadám, jako bych zůstal poslední na celém světě. Červi, které mám ve svých vnitřnostech mě hlodají zevnitř, zakusují se do mého masa. Z očí mi teče krev a pomalu se rozpadám v prach. Cítím se úplně stejně jako když poslouchám nové album polských death metalistů DORMANT ORDEAL.

Tuhle smečku sleduji již dlouhý čas. Byl jsem i na koncertě, na kterém jsem si potvrdil, že tohle je přesně odrůda smrtícího kovu, který koluje i v mých žilách. Spousta zdánlivě nesourodých nápadů a různých motivů, mnohdy komplikované, jsou zde dávkovány velmi přesvědčivým, opravdovým a autentickým způsobem. Lehl jsem si na zem, uprostřed lesa, roztáhl ruce jako padlý anděl a nechat se unášet hudbou do zcela jiných dimenzí. 


Na novince se opět Poláci posouvají do jiných sfér. Jedná se samozřejmě o velmi propracovanou, skvěle složenou a zpracovanou muziku, která má v sobě navíc drive a velkou sílu. Ve skladbách je opravdu spousta takové té neklidné temné energie, která se vám dostane postupně do žil i do podvědomí. Není nutné mluvit o zvuku, ani o obalu a celkové produkci. Všichni odvedli skvělou práci. Hlavní je ale jako vždy hudba a ta je zde volně inspirovaná kapelami jako HATE ETERNAL, MORBID ANGEL, ULCERATE, DECAPITATED, HOUR OF PENANCE, BEHEMOTH. Má slova ale berte spíše jako připodobnění, jinak jsou DORMANT ORDEAL skupinou, která má svůj vlastní výraz, spoustu zajímavých, neotřelých nápadů a schopnost zaujmout již během několika prvních tónů. Vlastně ani nevím proč, ale neustále mi při poslechu v hlavě naskakují vzpomínky na dlouhé výlety do lesů, na staré hřbitovy mezi ruiny dávno zničených domů. Tohle album hoří zevnitř, je po okraj narvané tlakem a energií. Pokud jako já posloucháte hudbu hlavně srdcem, bude vás "Tooth and Nail" určitě bavit. Na téhle nahrávce je totiž vše, co mám na death metalu tolik rád. Temnota, chlad, bolest i utrpení, naděje i strach. Těžko se to definuje, lepší je určitě zase jednou poslouchat, než psát spoustu slov. Nové album je pro mě osobní, niterný zážitek, muzika, která se stala i mojí součástí. Hra stínů a světel. Zmrzlá půda, potok s ledovou vodou. Našlapuji tiše, abych neporušil mrtvolnou atmosféru, která se rozkládá všude kolem. Lesy bez života, řeky bez ryb. Někdy si připadám, jako bych zůstal poslední na celém světě. Červi, které mám ve svých vnitřnostech mě hlodají zevnitř, zakusují se do mého masa. Z očí mi teče krev a pomalu se rozpadám v prach. Mrazivá, syrová death metalová stínohra! Brutalita a technika se zde potkávají s absolutní tmou!


Asphyx says:

A play of shadows and lights. Frozen ground, a stream with icy water. I tread quietly, so as not to disturb the dead atmosphere that spreads all around. Forests without life, rivers without fish. Sometimes I feel like I'm the last one left in the world. The worms in my guts gnaw at me from the inside, biting into my flesh. My eyes bleed and I slowly crumble into dust. I feel exactly the same as when I listen to the new album of Polish death metallers DORMANT ORDEAL.

I've been following this pack for a long time. I've even been to a show where I confirmed to myself that this is exactly the variety of death metal that runs through my veins as well. Lots of seemingly disparate ideas and different themes, often complicated, are dosed here in a very convincing, genuine and authentic way. I lay down on the ground, in the middle of the forest, spread my arms like a fallen angel and let the music take me to completely different dimensions.

On the new album, the Poles again move into other spheres. This is of course very sophisticated, well composed and processed music, which has extra drive and great power. There is really a lot of that restless dark energy in the songs, which gradually gets into your veins and subconscious. There is no need to talk about the sound, the cover art and the overall production. Everybody did a great job. But the main thing as always is the music and it is loosely inspired by bands like HATE ETERNAL, MORBID ANGEL, ULCERATE, DECAPITATED, HOUR OF PENANCE, BEHEMOTH. But take my words rather as a simile, otherwise DORMANT ORDEAL is a band that has its own expression, a lot of interesting, novel ideas and the ability to captivate within the first few notes. Actually, I don't even know why, but I keep having memories of long trips to the woods, to old cemeteries among the ruins of long-destroyed houses, popping into my head while listening to them. This album burns from within, it's packed to the brim with pressure and energy. If, like me, you listen to music mainly with your heart, you will definitely enjoy "Tooth and Nail". Because this record has everything I love about death metal. Darkness, coldness, pain and suffering, hope and fear. It's hard to define, it's better to listen to it again than to write a lot of words. The new album is a personal, intimate experience for me, music that has become a part of me. A play of shadows and lights. Frozen ground, a stream with icy water. I tread quietly, so as not to break the dead atmosphere that is all around. Forests without life, rivers without fish. Sometimes I feel like I'm the last one left in the world. The worms in my guts gnaw at me from the inside, biting into my flesh. My eyes bleed and I slowly crumble into dust. A freezing, raw, death metal shadow! Brutality and technique meet absolute darkness!



about DORMANT ORDEAL on DEADLY STORM ZINE:




tracklist:
01. Wije i Mary, Pt. 1 
02. Halo of Bones 
03. Horse Eater 
04. Orphans 
05. Solvent 
06. Dust Crown 
07. Against the Dying of the Light 
08. Everything That Isn't Silence Is Trivial 09. Wije i Mary, Pt. 2

band:
Maciej Nieścioruk - Guitars, Bass, Songwriting, Lyrics
Maciej Proficz - Vocals



pondělí 28. dubna 2025

Interview - SUPREME VOID - Intense, dark and cold, dissonant, technical death metal opus!


Interview with technical death metal band from Poland - SUPREME VOID.

Answered Exile (guitars, vocals), thank you!

Recenze/review - SUPREME VOID - Towards Oblivion (2025):

1.Ave SUPREME VOID! I couldn't find any interview with you in Czech anywhere. So I'll ask you first to introduce the band to the readers who don't know you yet. You can start from the beginning and take us through the whole history of SUPREME VOID.

Exile: Hails! Thanks for the interview.

Our journey started a long time ago, approximately 8 years ago under the name „Depravity“. As I was busy with different bands, it was to be a solo project, under which I would release new music from time to time. Time passed and many people reached to me and asked to form a full band, which eventually happened. We played some shows, then took a long break. After around 2 years of hiatus I have decided to release the EP „End Of Games“, which we still play live. It was the starter of what’s to come on our upcoming album „Towards Oblivion“.


2.This year you are releasing a new album "Towards Oblivion". Once again it is dark, gritty, technical, dissonant and honest death metal. Did you approach the recording differently than with the last EP "End of Games" or did you go with tried and tested methods?

Exile: It was mostly tried and tested methods, especially with the purely recording aspect, however there were changes. First and foremost, this album contains live drums. „End Of Games“ was basically my solo record, it had programmed drums. Even though I wrote the compositions more or less alone, I was doing a lot of feedback sessions with Cyklon, our drummer.

3. I find the new record to be an order of magnitude more complicated, perhaps less accessible at first, but at the same time incredibly dark and evil. Was that the intention? How was the album actually created and how did you compose the music?

Exile: First of all, I knew how I want the band to sound like, which involved not only the tones of each instrument, but the mood we want to get to, and more importantly – how to achieve that. In our case, the music is clearly guitar-driven, so special attention was paid to the guitar riffs, arrangements, what goes after what, etc. Nothing was done in isolation – there was always an idea how the drums would be played, along with bass guitar. Vocals were planned out after all songs were written.

I was recording every riff at home. Basically the whole album was constructed in studio mode – recording in DAW, sharing the files with band members, creating click tracks.

During that time I also wanted to pre-plan every possible scenario on recording this album and realized that the most critical part to be recorded are the drums. It is the most acoustic instruments of them all, and the sound will vary from studio to studio. Unique sound in metal music is not really possible anymore, but in terms of distinguishable sound – drums are the key.


4. I have "Towards Oblivion" in my MP3 player and I have to say that I am literally consumed by it. It's not just the great ideas, but also the sound, which is in a word devastating. For example, I'm sitting on the tram and suddenly I find myself tapping my foot. I feel like partying. If I wasn't a gentleman of my years, I'd probably do it. Where did you record the album and who is the mastering engineer?

Exile: I’m glad you feel that way, especially that „Towards Oblivion“ was not designed to be an easy listen.

For drums, we were very lucky to be invited to Hertz Studio to re-record one of the songs from our EP. We concluded that this studio is perfect to capture the drum performance, so we went along. We came back there. Scott Elliott led the drum recording session with Karol Andres (sound engineer for band UKĆ).

Guitars and bass were as usual recorded at home by myself. Guitars took around 2 months, because it was daily grind 4-5h after work (also during festival season, so there were days off), because they were quad tracked (each song was basically recorded 4 times). Bass guitar took around 7 days, and was way more chill than guitars. Direct input was captured and sent to Scott Elliott for re-amping purposes.

Vocals were done once again with Blood Run Lodge with Arkadiusz Zieliński (Godbite), the session was very professional and the vibe was as always, fantastic. All vocals were double-tracked.

Everything was put together, mixed and mastered by Scott Elliott from Chernobyl Audio.

Overall, the team which was working with us on the album was highly professional and kept a very high standard.

5. Who wrote the lyrics on "Towards Oblivion"? And what are they about? Where do you get inspiration for the themes?

I wrote all lyrics for the record. It’s mostly my thoughts about how we, as human beings, create the most issues for ourselves and how we are responsible for our failures. It is described from many different motives such as revenge, success, low self-esteem, deceit, lack of common sense… it all crashes down and it’s all our fault.

Inspiration… as cliche as it sounds, it’s just life, however I wanted to share the mentioned topics, because not only I wanted to somehow get them out of my head, but also they fit the music. I observe and figure out a lot of different behaviours and situations. I also am a big fan of certain Star Wars characters, mostly dark side users – Darth Vader, Darth Maul, Starkiller. Their revenge or depressive motives were inspiration for some of the songs as well.


6. Who signed the cover art for "Towards Oblivion"? I like his work a lot. How did you choose the theme for the cover?

I chose Michał „Xaay“ Loranc for the creation of our artwork – it was always my dream to work with him. He works with the greatest bands out there (Behemoth, Nile, Pestilence…) but also he is a member of band Redemptor, which is one of our biggest inspirations. This way I knew that the vision would be not only perfectly understood, but also I could give a lot of freedom for him, as he thinks further than me. It’s really important to give competent people a freedom of thought, this way the combined effort is way stronger.

7. If we go back to the beginning... What was the first impulse to put the band together? And why technical death metal? It's not exactly a style that would get you a lot of "fame".

Exile: At the beginning I had some of my class mates play in a band. I saw their show, and I was like „hell yeah, I want the same!“. The more I played, the more I realized that death metal is the best genre ever. Some people were telling me to „listen to everything“, but after a long time I realized it’s not necessarily true. I didn’t want to force myself to do anything, as music should be fun in the first place. Later I also noticed that death metal is a very inclusive genre! There are death metal bands created with purpose of mixing the genre with jazz, blues, cinematic music or even rap/hip-hop. I never heard of any artist wanting to play jazz, blues with intention of mixing it with metal, especially extreme metal.

I do not do it for fame, I do it because I want to do it. This kind of extreme metal resonates with me in 100%. This guarantees honesty, fun for the creator and great results for the listener. If it gets or doesn’t get attention, that’s fine. I am very grateful for what is currently happening around the album though, I just wanted to release music and contribute.


8 .You come from Poland and play extreme death metal. Our readers would be interested to know how the death metal scene works in Poland. To tell you the truth, I've been hearing nothing but great stuff from you lately. Does it mean that the scene is very strong in your country at the moment? What about gigs, how many people come?

Exile: Your question has reminded me of my first European tour with American/British bands, where I was the only Polish person on board. Everyone was screaming names Behemoth, Mgła, Vader, Hate, and so on. But I guess you already know the big names, I’d like to mention some maybe less known bands, which do not have as much publicity: Redemptor, Dormant Ordeal (their new album kicks major ASS!), Godslut, Varmia, Trauma, Symbolical, Infernal Flame, Hellspawn, MorD, Obsidian Mantra, Everything Is Fire, Blind Salvation.

Show attendance… big bands obviously attract attention, so we’ll go to smaller bands. In Poland there is basically no point to play outside of Friday/Saturday. Once you do play on weekend, you should have people on your show, given you and booker did promote the show well (which I consider a basic thing to do). If you book and that’s it – nothing can help you. Proactiveness is the key.

9. I can't help but ask. You live in Poland, which is considered a strongly Catholic country. Do you have any problems with that? Do you get space on TV, in the newspapers? How is life in your country influenced by Christianity at all?

Exile: Honestly, I skip main media at all. There is are talent shows on TV and stuff like that, but not many metal bands are there. Personally, I wouldn’t even try to get there. It’s a waste of time, it is not our target group. Given that Supreme Void releases are intended to be difficult, thought-provoking listens, it would be counter-productive to force our way to environments which do not appreciate such work. Same with main newspapers. There are media dedicated to metal music and it’s great – everyone has their space.

Christianity, as all other religions are, is a point of view. Being limited to only one point of view doesn’t work – doesn’t matter which God you worship. It can get you somewhere, but one needs to embrace a larger view in order to be excellent. Christianity somehow is a part of Polish culture, whether we want it or not – historically and politically. Sometimes it can be difficult to break from, depending in what kind of family you are born in – fortunately, I don’t come from purely Christian family, so I didn’t experience this issue. My path is my own.


10. From your music you can feel that you are influenced by the American death metal school as well as old European bands. How are you as fans? Do you prefer the original death metal of the 90's or do you draw inspiration from new records as well? If so, I would be interested to know which bands had/have the biggest influence on SUPREME VOID.

Exile: I’ll answer in reverse order: the biggest influences for Supreme Void are: Ulcerate, Gorguts, Redemptor, Ad Nauseam, Hate, Dormant Ordeal, and many other bands in the genre. I have to strictly mention Beyond Creation for the album „Earthborn Evolution“, because their approach to 8-string guitars motivated me to start exploring this instrument, creating our sound, blending very low tuned guitar with completely different riffs.

Personally, and I think it mostly applied to other band members as well – I draw mostly from new bands. I look forward for new releases, as we are trying to push ourselves further. It wouldn’t happen with old bands by definition – it’s something already done, repetitive. I want something new, fresh, ambitious, but at the same time no forced originality – just good’ol riffs. I like the old bands, don’t get me wrong, but I listen to them only for entertainment. I started from bands such as Behemoth (Demigod era), Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel. I love them, but later on discovered that new bands have much more to offer in the long run. Old bands have 2 things – great music and sentiment. While it’s great value, I simply want more.

11. What about you and concerts in general? Are you a band that goes to as many shows as possible or do you pick and choose a lot? Do you have a dream, like a band you'd like to tour with or a festival, city you'd like to perform in?

Exile: There are many ways to book a show – DIY, pay to play, getting invites from contacts, and so on. Since we all work, we have to book everything in advance, also the time slots are limited – as mentioned, only weekends in Poland are viable to play. So far we are mixing DIY approach with networking with other friendly bands. This approach seems to be the best combination of quality show and sustainability for the band.

 

12. What does death metal and music in general mean to you? Is it your hobby or lifestyle? Feel free to get philosophical.

It is definitely a lifestyle. I was fortunate enough to pay attention to what I want to do with my life from young age, and I decided to pursue this lifestyle. I travel for a lot of shows, I was 10 times on Brutal Assault festival. Of course, I work for this like everyone else, I do not make a living from music. However, I did think this through a long time ago and decided to not pursue some other certain things, in order to be able to be in music as deep as I am.

13. What are SUPREME VOID planning in the coming months? What about some tour, will there be? If you have something to say to fans, labels or promoters, here's the space...

Exile: Currently we have some shows booked in Poland. Already we have a weekend in May, including Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses eliminations. The rest shows are not yet announced, so let’s wait for those ones. We also book some shows on our own with friendly bands. Of course, we aspire higher to tour not only in Poland, so if you’re a promoter/booker and want us to play in your city – please reach to us.

We will see how it will go with the album promotion cycle, but so far it looks promising!

14. I'm going to give your new album "Towards Oblivion" another listen. I have to say that for me personally, it's pretty much the perfect death metal masterpiece. A total inferno. I wish the record to do well, to reach as many fans as possible. It deserves it. Thank you for the interview and I'm looking forward to seeing you live sometime!

Exile: Thank you so much for the interview and kind words! I will make sure to play in Czechia, as I really rezonate with your culture – I just returned from holiday in Prague (and enjoyed a good Pilsner Urquell from the tank), I hope to come back with the rest of the pack. Make sure to blast „Towards Oblivion“ as loud as you can!

Recenze/review - SUPREME VOID - Towards Oblivion (2025):

https://doloremrecords.bandcamp.com/album/towards-oblivion




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