Probudím se do ticha. Čeká mě další nudný den obyčejného člověka. Ranní cesta do práce, rozšklebené, naštvané tváře v tramvaji, šedé stíny v ulicích. Továrna plná chladných ševelících strojů. Osamocen v davu, odpovídám na otázky, řeším problémy a celou dobu si připadám totálně mimo. Tisíce nepodstatných informací, pořád mi někdo něco říká. Utíkám pryč, od reklam, od válek, od tupého davu. Hledám nějakou kapelu, která umí říznout do živého, která je jiná, odlišná, která má svůj vlastní originální výraz a obličej.
!T.O.O.H.! se toho stále nebojí. Jsou sví, nespoutaní, hraví. Musím si, jako u každého alba, chvilku zvykat na jejich styl humoru, ale stačí několik poslechů a zjišťuji, že mě stále jejich umně umíchaný energetický koktejl, plný technického death metalu, grindu, avantgardy, touhy ničit hudbou, stále baví. Vítejte ve světě plném úchylů, tupých "dezolátů", zajímavě pojaté češtiny, ale hlavně hudby, která vás dokáže vytrhnout ze šedi všedního dne.
Pokud máte otevřenou mysl, líbí se vám, když si někdo hraje s českým jazykem, pokud máte bohatou fantazii, pokud toužíte po neotřelých chvílích morbidně úchylné poezie, potom jste zde správně. Dovedu pochopit, že ani nové album "Po ovoci poznáte je" nebude pro každého. Někdo se zkrátka rád drží jen zavedených schémat, ale to vůbec nevadí. Stejně se tu hraje spíše pro fanoušky, co rádi přemýšlí, kteří se ještě nestali starci, křičícími na mraky. Hudebně jsou !T.O.O.H.! stále sví, nadále rozvíjejí vlastní styl. Nutno rovnou dodat, že to dělají pořád dobře. Už to sice není nic šokujícího jako kdysi, ale pořád z jejich skladeb cítím vášeň, originalitu, talent i hráčské umění. Osobně se mi líbí, že se nejedná jen o dnes tolik častá technická preludia bez duše. Naopak, z jednotlivých momentů doslova odkapává taková ta poctivá živočišnost. V některých chvílích jsou skladby až "nepříjemné", přesto zvláštně přitažlivé. Jakoby se kapele povedlo do skladeb promítnout problémy dnešního světa. Činěno to je s takovou tou lehkou elegancí, která se dle mého ani snad nedá naučit. Vychovali jsme generaci digitálních zombie, kterým smrdí lidé, nadáváme na ně, místo toho abychom jim podali pomocnou ruku. Hádáme se v diskuzích, stále neodpouštíme, když je někdo jiný. Necháváme se ovlivnit falešnými sliby a věříme růžovým králíčkům v reklamách. Pak přijdou !T.O.O.H.! a všechno nám zbourají jako domeček v satelitu. Zkrátka a dobře, já se pořád bavím, usmívám, jsem nadšený a povznesený. A to i v momentech, když se ráno probudím do ticha. Když mě čeká další nudný den obyčejného člověka. Ranní cesta do práce, rozšklebené, naštvané tváře v tramvaji, šedé stíny v ulicích. Továrna plná chladných ševelících strojů. Svět dovede být někdy pestrý a veselý, tak si to užívejme. Než nás restartují. Technicky intenzivní, avantgardně poetický death grindcore, který řeže do živého!
Asphyx says:
I wake up to silence. Another boring day of an ordinary person awaits me. The morning commute, grinning, angry faces on the tram, gray shadows on the streets. A factory full of cold, buzzing machines. Alone in a crowd, I answer questions, solve problems, and the whole time I feel totally out of place. Thousands of irrelevant information, someone is always telling me something. I run away, from commercials, from wars, from the dull crowd. I'm looking for a band that can cut into the live, that is different, distinct, that has its own original expression and face.
!T.O.O.H.! is still not afraid of it. They are their own, unfettered, playful. As with every album, I have to get used to their style of humor for a while, but after a few listens I find that I still enjoy their skillfully mixed energetic cocktail, full of technical death metal, grind, avant-garde, and the desire to destroy with music. Welcome to a world full of perverts, dull "desolates", interesting Czech, but most of all, music that can pull you out of the gray of everyday life.
If you have an open mind, you like it when someone plays with the Czech language, if you have a rich imagination, if you long for fresh moments of morbidly perverse poetry, then you're in the right place. I can understand that the new album "Po ovoci poznáte je" will not be for everyone. Some people simply like to stick to established patterns, but that doesn't matter at all. Anyway, this is more for fans who like to think, who haven't yet become old people shouting at the clouds. Musically, !T.O.O.H.! are still their own, they continue to develop their own style. It must be added that they still do it well. It's nothing shocking like it used to be, but I still feel passion, originality, talent and playing art from their compositions. Personally, I like that these are not just technical preludes without a soul that are so common today. On the contrary, such honest animality literally drips from individual moments. At times, the songs are even "uncomfortable", yet strangely appealing. It's as if the band has managed to project the problems of today's world into their songs. It's done with such a light elegance that, in my opinion, it can't even be taught. We have raised a generation of digital zombies who stink at people, we curse at them instead of giving them a helping hand. We argue in discussions, we still don't forgive when someone else is there. We let ourselves be influenced by false promises and believe pink bunnies in commercials. Then !T.O.O.H.! comes along and knocks everything down like a house in a satellite. In short, I'm still having fun, smiling, excited and uplifted. Even in the moments when I wake up in the morning to silence. When another boring day of an ordinary person awaits me. The morning commute to work, grinning, angry faces on the tram, gray shadows in the streets. A factory full of cool, buzzing machines. The world can be colorful and cheerful sometimes, so let's enjoy it. Before they reboot us. Technically intense, avant-garde poetic death grindcore that cuts to the living!
Bůh je mlčenlivý. Ďábel šeptá. Je stínem, mužem s hezkou tváří, který se objeví pokaždé, když se stane něco zlého a ošklivého. Australští démoni WEREWOLVES to moc dobře vědí. Když jsem s nimi dělal rozhovor, prozradili mi svůj tajný recept na dobré nahrávky. Metal je prostředek k vyjádření hněvu, vzteku a nenávisti. Letos to opět dokazují a potvrzují. Mám tuhle smečku moc rád. Protože dokáže pomocí své hudby znázornit, jaký obličej má samotný Satan. Sedí na svém trůnu a usmívá se. Není divu, hraje se zde hlavně pro něj.
Pokaždé, když se s touhle smečkou setkám, mám pocit, že stojím uprostřed tsunami. Masivní zvuk, zničující riffy, bicí, které neznají slitování. Hlas bestie. Tohle všechno dohromady tvoří jedovatý koktejl, který když ochutnáte, tak zemřete v šílených křečích. Už ve starých spisech bylo řečeno, že temnota se ukrývá v každém z nás. V případě alba "My Enemies Look and Sound like Me" byla vypálena jako cejch. Přímo do mé hlavy, do mé mysli.
Opět se jedná o třaskavou směs, namíchanou z ingrediencí, které používají kapely jako MARDUK, VADER, PESTILENCE, PSYCROPTIC, HATE ETERNAL, AKERCOCKE, USURPER. Samozřejmě, s vlasním výrazem, invencí a spoustou zkažené krve. Na posluchače je vytvářen tlak a budete mít po celou dobu poslechu pocit, že vám někdo stojí okovanou botou na prsou. Budete se dusit, zalykat vztekem a budete si přát, aby vám konečně někdo vystřelil mozek z hlavy. Nahrávka je velmi intenzivní, dynamická a zároveń si zachovává pestrost. Kombinace death metalu, blacku, thrashe a technických prvků je zahraná s elegancí starých mistrů. Určitě znáte takový ten pocit, když si pustíte nějakou desku poprvé a ihned si říkáte - ano, to je přesně ono, tohle jsem potřeboval. Tak přesně takhle zní "My Enemies Look and Sound like Me"! Nikde nic nepřebývá, ani nechybí. Skladby se mi ihned dostaly do žil. Poslouchat tohle album je jako souboj s nějakou šílenou šelmou. Připomíná mi její hladový řev. Propracované songy si zachovávají živelnost, takový ten primitivní smrad, který mám tolik rád. WEREWOLVES vás vezmou na výlet bez konce. Poznáte spoustu zvrácených myšlenek, černých zákoutí. Jakobych se díval do absolutní tmy. Objeví se žhnoucí oči. Spálí mě na popel, stejně jako tahle nahrávka, která má v sobě velkou sílu a energii, které nejsou z tohoto světa. Zalykám se vlastní zkaženou krví. Neustále přidávám hlasitost. Bůh je mlčenlivý. Ďábel šeptá. Absolutní inferno! Maniakální, blasfemický black death metalový útok na vaše podvědomí!
Asphyx says:
God is silent. The devil whispers. He is a shadow, a man with a pretty face who appears every time something bad and ugly happens. The Australian demons of WEREWOLVES know this all too well. When I interviewed them, they told me their secret recipe for good records. Metal is a vehicle for expressing anger, rage and hatred. This year they prove and confirm it again. I like this pack a lot. Because they can use their music to show the face of Satan himself. Sitting on his throne and smiling. It's no wonder, they're playing for him.
Every time I meet this pack, I feel like I'm standing in the middle of a tsunami. Massive sound, devastating riffs, drums that know no mercy. The voice of the beast. All of this together makes for a poisonous cocktail that, when you taste it, you'll die of insane convulsions. It's been said in the old scriptures that the darkness lies within each of us. In the case of "My Enemies Look and Sound like Me", it was burned like a brand. Right in my head, in my mind.
Again, it's a shaky mix, blended from ingredients used by bands like MARDUK, VADER, PESTILENCE, PSYCROPTIC, HATE ETERNAL, AKERCOCKE, USURPER. Of course, with their own expression, invention and a lot of bad blood. Pressure is put on the listener and you will feel like someone is standing with a shod shoe on your chest the whole time you are listening. You'll choke, gasp with rage and wish someone would finally blow your brains out. The recording is very intense, dynamic and at the same time retains its variety. The combination of death metal, black metal, thrash and technical elements is played with the elegance of the old masters. I'm sure you know that feeling when you listen to a record for the first time and immediately think - yes, this is it, this is what I needed. That's exactly what "My Enemies Look and Sound like Me" sounds like! Nothing is missing or missing anywhere. The songs immediately got into my veins. Listening to this album is like fighting with some crazy beast. It reminds me of its hungry roar. The elaborate songs retain an elemental quality, that primitive stink that I love so much. WEREWOLVES will take you on a journey without end. You'll get to know a lot of twisted thoughts, black corners. It's like looking into absolute darkness. You'll see glowing eyes. They burn me to the ground, just like this record, which has a great power and energy that are not of this world. I'm drowning in my own corrupted blood. I keep turning up the volume. God is silent. The devil whispers. Absolute inferno! A maniacal, blasphemous black death metal assault on your subconscious!
„Hudba je nejdokonalejší typ umění: neprozradí nikdy svoje tajemství“: napsal můj oblíbený spisovatel Oscar Wilde. Na citát jsem si vzpomněl, když jsem nějaký čas poslouchal nové EP "Premiant" od kapely !T.O.O.H.!. Muzika, texty, atmosféra, nálady, všechno se mi spojilo v jedno. Pro podobné okamžiky mě stále baví o nových deskách psát a podporovat je. Pokaždé si připadám jako objevitel nových světů. Nahlížím do autorovy fantazie a surfuji na zpěněných vlnách spolu s ním.
Určitě to znáte, vzájemné propojení. Když si řeknete, to je přesně ono! Začnete si podvědomě podupávat nohou, utkví vám v hlavě nejdříve úryvky textů a pak, po nějaké době se vyryjí do mozku celé rýmy, spolu s melodiemi a rytmem. No není to krása, říkáte všem okolo a když na vás udiveně civí, tak se raději stahujete do své ulity. Jen já a hudba. Neexistuje nic jiného. Žádný svět, žádné problémy, práce, nic - pouze bicí, vokál, riffy.
Jako bych znovu létal vesmírem a nahlížel do jiných dimenzí. Jsem starým budhistickým mnichem, který ale moc dobře ví, co je pořádná pařba. "Premiant" je dalším zběsilým útokem na vaše podvědomí. To vyplave ve skladbách na povrch jako špína z odpadu. EP je opět velmi pestré, košaté, neučesané a zároveň drží pohromadě. Slova nestačí, lepší je si pomoci ukázkami. Neptejte se, zda je to normální, nechte na sebe songy jen tak působit. Smějte se, vztekejte, nadávejte, ale vězte, že přenesených emocí bude velká spousta. Jedná se sice jen o necelých 11 minut, ale přesto - rochnil jsem si jako růžové prasátko v bahýnku. Novinka mi moc chutná. Broukám si ji, chodím s ní po ulicích, i do postele, než jdu spát. Přetransformovala se i do mých snů. Je to tak! Gradace, legrace, zamyšlení, trepanace, smutek i technické finesy. Vše skvěle zahrané, jdoucí na hranu i kousek za ní. Možná se tentokrát neobjevují úplně nové sféry, vše mi přijde zemitější. Přesto je zajímavé nové rovnice řešit. Parádní zvuk plus spousta zajímavých nápadů, děleno progresí a násobeno velkým tlakem a šílenými texty - výsledek dvakrát podtrhnout! Tohle všechno připomíná větrný vír, ze kterého není úniku. Harmonie zloby, pánové opět dokázali rozvibrovat všechny mé kosti i zubní sklovinu. Prostě lovískuju! Epické, jak by řekla mladá generace. Avantgardní, death grindová mozaika!
Asphyx says:
"Music is the most perfect kind of art: it never tells its secrets": wrote my favourite writer Oscar Wilde. I remembered the quote when I was listening to the new EP "Premiant" by the band !.T.O.O.H.!. The music, the lyrics, the atmosphere, the moods, all came together for me. For moments like that I still enjoy writing about and promoting new albums. I feel like a discoverer of new worlds every time. I look into the author's imagination and surf the foamy waves with him.
I'm sure you know, the interconnectedness. If you say to yourself, that's exactly it! You start to unconsciously stomp your feet, first snippets of lyrics get stuck in your head and then, after a while, whole rhymes are etched into your brain, along with melodies and rhythm. Isn't it beautiful, you tell everyone around you, and when they stare at you in amazement, you prefer to retreat into your shell. Just me and the music. There's nothing else. No world, no problems, no work, nothing - just drums, vocals, riffs.
It's like flying through space again and looking into other dimensions. I'm an old Buddhist monk who knows what a good party is. "The Premiant" is another frantic assault on your subconscious. It comes out in the songs like dirt from the garbage. The EP is once again very colourful, vibrant, unpolished and holds together at the same time. Words aren't enough, better to help yourself with samples. Don't ask if this is normal, just let the songs work on you. Laugh, rage, swear, but know that the emotions transferred will be a great deal. It is only less than 11 minutes, but still - I was crawling around like a pink pig in a puddle. I really like the new stuff. I hum it, walk the streets with it, even go to bed with it before I go to sleep. It's transformed itself into my dreams. That's right! Graduation, fun, reflection, trepanation, sadness and technical finesse. All superbly played, going to the edge and just over it. Maybe this time there are not entirely new realms, everything seems more earthy to me. Still, new equations are interesting to solve. Awesome sound plus a lot of interesting ideas, divided by progression and multiplied by great pressure and crazy lyrics - the result underlined twice! This all feels like a wind vortex from which there is no escape. Harmonies of malevolence, the gentlemen once again managed to vibrate all my bones and tooth enamel. I just love it! Epic, as the younger generation would say. Avant-garde, death grind mosaic!
The Czech prog-grind entity !T.O.O.H.! has arrived to close the year with a brand new, 4-song EP Premiant. The creative outburst of the new material has been crafted with quantum mechanics' perplexity and while getting more frantic, nastier, musically expressive and complex than ever, there's still a contrast maintained with sparkling harmonies and synth-waves which add a memorable boost to the intricacy of new songs. Listen to the complete EP now:
The EP is out now digitally - exclusively available from the !T.O.O.H.! Bandcamp - and will be released as a limited tape edition via Lavadome Productions in January. The tape version can be pre-ordered from Lavadome productions web store or Bandcamp page.
Track list:
1. Premiant
2. choco_afro
3. Na všech životech záleží
4. V lóži
Total time: 10:55
!T.O.O.H.! are:
Humanoid: Guitars, Bass, Vocals, VST Instruments
Schizoid: Drums, Backing Vocals
Premiant was recorded at Studio Šopa, Studio 53 and Studio 27 (2021)
ENTHRALLMENT - Against The Will To Live - Macabre Universe Embrace
CD 2022, Rebirth the Metal Productions
for english please scroll down
Vždycky je nechával ještě trošku žít. Zohavené, ponížené. Bez očí i uší. Pozoroval je. Jak pláčou a trpí, jak marně hledají záchranu. Ve válce by byl možná i za hrdinu. Záleželo by, na jaké straně by stál a bojoval. Svět je někdy hodně krutý, zlý a ošklivý. Snažíme se před špatnými věcmi zavírat oči. Vytěsnit je, zapomenout na ně. Jenže ony se vracejí. Ve vzpomínkách, v nočních můrách. Byl znovu na lovu. Usmíval se. Jeho nikdy nedostanou.
Jako v hororovém filmu si připadám i při poslechu nové desky bulharských brutálních death metalistů ENTHRALLMENT. Ti letos přicházejí s pokračováním nahrávky "Against the Will to Live - Sky Burial" (2021). Šílený vrah zase obchází kolem a ulicemi zní nové skladby. Krutost, šílenství, death metal!
Na ENTHRALLMENTse mi vždy líbilo, že dokáží do svých alb propašovat takový ten staroškolský feeling. Umí být hodně brutální, techničtí, ale nezapomínají ani na atmosféru. Ta je laděná samozřejmě do pestré palety černých a krvavých barev. Jako bych se opravdu procházel špinavými ulicemi na okraji vašeho města. Stahují se sem podivní lidé. Mnozí připomínají už dávno zombie a tak nikomu chybět nebudou. Nálada je na desce hodně podobná. Pochmurná, děsivá. Vše je napsáno velmi surově, syrově. S parádním zvukem i obalem. Některé postupy byly inspirovány smečkami jako IMMOLATION, INCANTATION, MORBID ANGEL, SUFFOCATION. Bulhaři ale samozřejmě původní myšlenky dále rozvíjejí a vy si tak můžete užít opravdu hodně jedovatý a drásavý smrtící kov. Schránka, ve které byly uloženy starodávné choroby, byla znovu otevřena. Po ulicích chodí čím dál tím víc oživlých mrtvol. Během celého poslechu mám pocit, že mi na prsou stojí šílená bestie a tlačí mi na srdce okovanou botou. "Against The Will To Live - Macabre Universe Embrace" je tak pro mě velmi povedenou záležitostí, kterou lze jenom doporučit. Temné, záhrobní vibrace, které snad nejsou ani z našeho světa. Smrt a nekonečná tma! Masivní, brutální death metalové tsunami!
Asphyx says:
He always let them live a little longer. Embarrassed, humiliated. Without eyes or ears. He watched them. Crying and suffering, searching in vain for rescue. In war, he might have been a hero. Depending on which side he fought on. The world can be a very cruel, mean and ugly place. We try to turn a blind eye to the bad things. To push them out, forget about them. But they come back. In memories, in nightmares. He was on the hunt again. He was smiling. They'll never get him.
I feel like in a horror movie listening to the new album of Bulgarian brutal death metallers ENTHRALLMENT. They come this year with the sequel to "Against the Will to Live - Sky Burial" (2021). The mad killer is circling around again and new songs sound through the streets. Cruelty, madness, death metal!
What I've always liked about ENTHRALLMENT is that they can sneak that old school feeling into their albums. They can be very brutal, technical, but they don't forget about the atmosphere. It's of course in a colourful palette of black and blood. It's like really walking through the dirty streets on the outskirts of your city. Strange people are flocking here. Many of them look like zombies, so no one will miss them. The mood on the record is very similar. Gloomy, eerie. It's all written in a very raw, brutal way. With great sound and cover art. Some techniques were inspired by bands like IMMOLATION, INCANTATION, MORBID ANGEL, SUFFOCATION. But of course the Bulgarians develop the original ideas further and you can enjoy a lot of really poisonous and scratchy death metal. The box in which the ancient diseases were stored has been reopened. More and more reanimated corpses are walking the streets. During the whole listening I feel like a mad beast is standing on my chest and pressing on my heart with a shod boot. "Against The Will To Live - Macabre Universe Embrace" is thus a very successful affair for me, which can only be recommended. Dark, otherworldly vibes that are perhaps not even of our world. Death and endless darkness! Massive, brutal death metal tsunami!
Když se setká ocel s kostí, tak železo většinou vyhrává. Výjimkou to nebývá ani u technického death metalu. I u tohoto stylu se mi nejvíc líbí, když je kapela surová, syrová a temná. Když umí natlakovat skladby takovým způsobem, že vám pukne lebka. Vše musí být ve správném poměru. Energie, špína, chlad, zběsilost. Nového už asi moc vymyslet nelze, ale jako vždy samozřejmě nejvíc záleží na přístupu.
Nová deska "Somnambulant Foregoer" se mi dostala do rukou více méně náhodou. Možná mě zaujal obal, možná pár prvních tónů, kdy se mi líbil zvuk. Nakonec to ale byl asi vokál, který připomíná rozzuřenou bestii. Některá setkání bývají nenadálá, ale o to víc překvapivá. Album mě začalo bavit a tak jsem si říkal, že se o něm zmíním i na našich stránkách.
Z "Somnambulant Foregoer" je hodně slyšet, že si u skládání dala kapela hodně záležet. Vše je postaveno na ostrých, nekompromisních riffech. Pak už je to samozřejmě vše o vkusu a náladě posluchače. Zajímavé, spousta dnešních protežovaných a propagovaných technických smeček mě k smrti nudí, ale DELPHIAN v sobě mají něco navíc. Kus jakési zkaženosti, odhodlání, touhy ničit, vytrhnout vám srdce z těla a sníst ho za zvuků jednotlivých songů. Pod jménem skupiny jsou podepsání zkušení muzikanti, kteří přesně vědí, kdy přitlačit na pilu, kdy lehce zvolnit (i když takových pasáží mnoho není). Jako bych se díval na veřejnou pitvu, kde mistři patologové předvádějí nejen řemeslně skvěle zvládnutý koncert, ale dodávají i kusy sebe samého. Cituje se ze starých technických a brutálních death metalových učebnic. Dělá se to ale s elegancí a nadhledem. Možná stačilo napsat, že mě zkrátka baví desku poslouchat, jako to dnes dělá většina lidí v krátkých zmínkách na sociálních sítích. Američané si vás vezmou do parády, vymlátí z vás duši a vy za to budete ještě moc rádi. Odehrávají se tady totiž morbidní hudební orgie. Smrt je někdy ošklivá a zlá. Než ale nastane, vyplatí se poslouchat podobné nahrávky. Technický death metal s černou jiskrou!
sumarizace:
"Somnambulant Foregoer" je přesně tím druhem hudby, která bude znít všude po světě, až nastane apokalypsa. Já vlastně ani nevím, jak podobná alba hodnotit. Jsem novinkou zcela pohlcen, jsem jejím otrokem a užívám si všechny ty pestré okamžiky. Death metal v podání DELPHIAN je takovým jedním velkým šílenstvím. Ostré riffy, složité melodie, všude přítomné zlo. Mé pocity sice byly zpočátku zmatené, ale časem album dozrálo v obrovské monstrum. Všude kolem se vznáší beznaděj, já tápu v nekonečné tmě. Pouštím si nahrávku znovu a znovu a zjišťuji, že se mi do žil dostává hodně temný jed. Technika, progrese a velká přitažlivost. To jsou slova, která mě napadají při poslechu asi nejčastěji. Agresivní, hodně emotivní a zároveň černé album. Absolutní inferno! Technický death metal, který vás smete z povrchu zemského!
Asphyx says:
"Somnambulant Foregoer" is exactly the kind of music that will sound all over the world, when the apocalypse comes. I don't even know how to evaluate similar albums. I'm completely enthrailled by this novelty, I'm its slave and I enjoy all varied moments. Death metal by DELPHIAN is such great madness. Sharp riffs, complicated melodies, ever-present evil. Although my feelings were confused at first, the album got into a huge monster. All around despair is rising, I grope in the endless darkness. I'm listening to the recording again and I find there is coming some dark poison in my veins. Technology, progression and large attraction. These are the words that are coming to my mind most when listening. Aggressive, very emotional as well black album. Absolute inferno! Technical death metal that will sweep you away from the earth!
Tracklist:
01. A Suicide Speech To Persuade
02. Devout Magisterial Form
03. Drip Me Toward The Ground
04. Speaking With The Shadows
05. How I Long For The Oort Cloud
06. Somnambulant Foregoer
07. Meanwhile, More Polemics With Kurt Gurkillis And Scud Moothers
Interview with avantgarde, progressive death grind band !T.O.O.H.!.
Answered Schizoid, thank you!
Questions prepared Jakub Asphyx.
Ave !T.O.O.H.!! Hey, I do experiments like this sometimes – I take some music, in this case your latest CD "Free Speech", and I play it to people who have no idea what it's about. They're pure as a lily, untainted by listening to thousands of metal albums. You know what's interesting? Everybody likes your record! The girl who listens to disco, the old dad who rides a fox tail to the potlucks. At most, somebody had said that it was creepy, but they always say it was great! Can you please explain how that's possible? How do people, listeners, reviewers perceive you anyway? And what kind of response do you get to the record?
Hi Jakub! That's interesting, those experiments of yours. If people who don't listen to metal tend to like our record, that may be because it's musical and it has vocals one can clearly understand. So that's probably the reason. Otherwise, it's nice of you to broaden people's musical horizons. And how do other people perceive us? I don't really know. We've read some reviews, but there haven't been many. The response has been mostly positive. The main thing is to make ourselves satisfied with our efforts. And so we are.
I'll admit it without torture. I have my rituals, like everyone else, I guess. Monday through Thursday at work, I listen to whatever I feel like to, but on Friday I'm so tired that I either put on something totally off metal or !T.O.O.H.!. I return home happy, with a clean head and feeling just fine somehow. I am not afraid to say, your music has literally a chilling effect on me like a way of meditation. What state of mind do you have to be in order to compose music? How did "Free Speech" come about? When do you say to yourself - okay, it's time, let's go, let's compose!?
The music on Free Speech (hereafter FS) was composed quite quickly. Of course, one has to be in a good state of mind, which Humanoid usually was. Composing FS was a continuous process. With Humanoid grabbing guitar and recording his ideas with his phone. Later on, he transcribed those into GuitarPro and I laid down the drum patterns which we programmed into the demo. Everyone of us practiced his parts separately, we didn't even have one rehearsal together. My brother practiced directly with GuitarPro and I practiced with the Wave file he emailed me. We then tweaked and improved the songs for the better here and there. At the end of the day, the drums I recorded on the album turned out to be completely different from the ones we demoed. I improvise a lot...
When I listen to contemporary progressive and technical death metal bads, it's some mad stuff. Seventeen-year-old boys playing like gods. Technically, they're actually perfect. It's just that quite often their music doesn't have any balls. You guys aren't really young anymore, but tell me, how do you actually play so fast and complicated? How much time do you spend practicing? I would see it that you have to sleep with the instruments or am I wrong? Correct me in case I am wrong but I can imagine you even sleeping with your instruments.
We don't overdo it with the practicing. I think the main thing is talent. When working on FS, my brother grabbed guitar and played two to three hours a day, sometimes more if needed. Once the album was done, he played it once or twice almost every day to stay in shape. I practiced as needed and as the mood took me. Sometimes I would sit behind the drums for two hours, sometimes just an hour. Sometimes I sit somewhere else... ie. behind the computer screen where I spend more time than behind my drums... :-) And yes, you're right. Today's youngsters play like gods. It's because there are expanded learning opportunities. That's something our generation could only dream of. Speaking on behalf of drummers, nowadays you can find everything on YouTube – from the way of how to hold drumsticks to learning what techniques to use when playing the snare, drum kicks... Everything. But I listen to these new bands just out of curiosity. The vast majority of them sound very similar. It's as if the music has been manufactured in one and the same manufactory...
All your songs sound different from one another. The mood, the energy differ. Does that mean the songs are composed in different moods or settings? Things coming more aggressive when you're angry, etc.? How does all that you feel, see around you, all the politics, human dullness, but also joy and humility, mirrors in the music you create?
I'm glad you noticed that. In our case, it's a very natural thing. It's not like we would compose only when we were angry or something. My brother sends me a song that's composed from A to Z. With a clearly defined tempo. Occasionally, we may speed up the song during the process but I am not involved in the composing process as such that's all my brother's thing. I'll just run with what he delivers but at the same time, in return, my brother has no say in whatever drum patterns I create for the song. It's a mutual respect and I think it works for us. And the world around us and the emotions it brings, that's rather imprinted in the lyrics...
You are both very talented. And I don't mean just technically, but also compositionally. Plus, you're brothers. Is music in your genes? Did you trace a great-grandfather who composed, let's say, some classical music? Did anyone sing in your family? Oh, and not to forget, I have a brother too, but we don't get along at all, he's completely different from me. Are you arguing with each other? Who does usually have the final say?
Thank you. Music is definitely a part of our genes. When it comes to immediate family, my mom used to sing when she was young. And very well. From the age of 10, she went to a singing teacher once or twice a week. At 16, she was preparing for the State Conservatory. But because it was 1969, the specialization in Musical Comedy she wanted to apply to got cancelled because a lot of people were fired and stuff... In the end, she was offered to enter an Opera Singing course. But my mother declined that opportunity since she always hated opera singing with all her heart. So she joined the Folk-art Conservatory and started singing various (also jazz) songs in Prague. Those songs were written straight to fit her mezzo-soprano. But then she met her dad and... the singing was over. Eventually, she finished medical school and worked in a nursing home. Her singing career was over. Her dad, our grandfather, played mandolin. And his whole family, his sisters, they all played musical instruments. So my mom liked to sing with them even when she was a little girl. On my dad's side, his grandfather, my namesake, played the clarinet. Maybe I'm his reincarnation... hahaha.
It's sad to hear about your brother. I mean, from my point of view. Having a sibling I don't get along with, I don't even want to imagine that... I always got along well with my brother.
You know we argue with each other. But only sometimes. When one of us is irritated which is mostly myself. We had a few fights. But that was a long time ago, and it was always caused by the demon alcohol. My brother's been abstinent and a non-smoker since 2008. So there's no danger of a fight anymore... -)))
I really liked the reaction to your board from an old gentleman at the workshop. He said, dude, that's passion in disguise. And he was smiling like me. I'm telling you straight up, you just have a gift for conveying emotion, for shocking or even more shocking, for captivating. Tell me, what were your beginnings, why and how did !T.O.O.H.! come about? Please dive deep into the history with us.
Thank you very much. My brother and I decided to start a band sometime in elementary school. We discovered a beautiful style of music. We discovered metal. I remember at the cottage, we were fooling around in front of the mirror with badminton bats that represented guitars, swaying to the beat of Kern's "Blízko nás. There was no internet then, it was before 1989 and we had a complete lack of information. When my friends and I were scavenging in salvage yards, I would cut out all the mentions of metal in the press at the time. We knew a lot of bands just by name. It was better just before the revolution. My brother used to go to the Havel market with his friends, so he experienced the police raids on metal record sellers. We didn't have a gramophone at home, so he just admired the covers. Then we found a contact in the Holešovice market. We used to buy recorded tapes from him. Overkill, Sodom, Coroner, Living Death, Laaz Rockit... And of course Polish original tapes... That was after the revolution. There used to be stock exchanges at Letná, at the Sparta stadium. That's where we discovered other bands. After that, it got easier and easier...
Our first project was called VVD. That is: Veselý, Veselý, Dvořák. It was actually pure noise. We made noise on everything and recorded it on a cassette recorder. It had funny names and we screamed, shouted and mutated into all this mess. That was fun. My brother and I still have the tapes. Then me and another friend started a band called Devastator. We had just discovered Napalm Death, so it was clear that we wanted to do the biggest shit of the time. Heavy metal was the style of a different generation, thrash metal was slowly peaking and death metal was coming on the scene. It was clear what direction we were going to go in. It took us quite a long time before we decided to come out with our own work. That was in 1995. Demo You guys are pieces of fucking meat. I think our fans know the story by then. From our online biography.
You went through the beginning in the 1990s, then the turbulent period in 2000-2005, and then suddenly it was gone. You've been coming back at greater intervals since then. Why is that? Have you been consumed by work, families? Or "not so many ideas", the desire? I'm asking because you know, nowadays if you don't see the band, it's like it doesn't exist.
We first came back in 2011. My brother decided to buy a guitar again and rebuild the band. Before that he was always creating, writing electronic music and painting pictures. I had no objections -) The work definitely didn't swallow us or our families. We are both childless. Neither of us has ever been married in our lives. Could you imagine us being bothered by the families with the lyrics we spawn? Maybe so, but it would be very strange... -))
We disbanded in 2013 for the second time. It was because of my brother being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. He just decided to call it quits again. I had no objections whatsoever...
In 2017 we announced a comeback again. The impetus came again from my brother. I'm glad it happened. I think we still have a lot to offer. My brother is just a pioneering soul. Our music and lyrics are constantly evolving, so it makes sense. If I, or my brother felt we lost our drive and inspirations, I'm sure we would put the band to rest.
!T.O.O.H.! You two are Schizoid and Humanoid. But Android, Freedom, Wokis have played with you over the years. Always just for a little while. Why is that? Didn't anyone fit in with you guys?
No, no, we've had guys fit in and get along well with us, but it has usually been the circumstances that did not work to our favour. Pavel Slavíček (Android) started a family and his own band Misogynist. He started writing his own music and playing guitar, something that he enjoyed more doing than just playing bass guitar. And at the time of the release of "Order and Punishment", we were also a great bunch of friends. But again, circumstances didn't favor us. The only one guy who was able to keep up the pace with whatever my brother came up with was the bass player Freedom. Guitarist Wokis was in college at the time and had other hobbies... And then the problems with the label occured and some unpleasantness in personal life. So my brother decided to lay it down to rest.
If I'm not mistaken, you haven't performed in a long time. I think you still have a lot of fans. How about Prague, maybe my favourite Modrá Vopice, invite a few friends to make the possible embarrassment less (joke) and get it back on the boards? How do you feel about gigs? Smaller tours?
We are planning to start playing gigs again. It's going to be a very interesting experience. Since my brother is schizophrenic, he doesn't have as much energy as he used to have. Still, he made the decision to give it a try. We've already started practicing together a compilation of songs from the demo and old albums. We've upped the tempo of the songs by a bit and added synths here and there... We're still figuring out how exactly we're going to perform everything live. We will use playback for electronic bass and the synths. I will be drumming on the electronic drum-kit set. We're going to play to a click which we are used to... We're going to try out the performance at a private event first, to see how things will work out and if my brother can perform the songs live in front of people. After that we'll see. I'm confident he will pull it off. In fact, I can even tell you where our first show will be. It's going to be at our friends' place in Studanka, North Bohemia. The guys have a band called Evil Regiment. We made a promise that our first public performance will také place there and we will keep that promise. And I hope it won't be a shame, don't worry... -)) You can be there if you want. You're entitled to that just for making these great questions. It's going to be an exclusive event and I'm looking forward to it.
It's such a weird time these days, everyone's commenting on everything. The problem is that most of them are people who have not been given much by nature, God or Satan. You're musicians, you must be a little crazy, different, different. Still, do you have anyone whose opinion you'll give? Who's gonna tell you, like, this is over the line, this is too much. Or on the contrary, you can lean into it here?
We are setting that line, that boundary ourselves. But we actually have such a person. It's our publisher, Honza. I think that if he had any problem with our lyrics, which he hasn't had so far, we would definitely take his recommendation or opinion. I recently sent him the titles of our new texts and wrote to him what they are about. He wanted me to send the lyrics over, so he could read them. But then it wouldn't have been a surprise if he knew the content in advance. So we'll see what he'll say when he hears the new madness in the complete package (with music)... -))) We just like it when the lyrics are provocative. And since the boundary is constantly being pushed further (who is shocked by brutal scenes nowadays?), we decided to push it a bit...
!T.O.O.H.! cover arts and the band's sound. Those are the two things that take your band into a whole different realm. I love the cover art for Komouš, I love it, and if I had a gallery, it would take pride of place. Where do you go for those ideas? They're so fresh, fresh, funny. And the sound by the master Standa Valášek. Why him? Is he the one who understands your fuzzy souls the most?
I'm so happy to see how you perceive our band. As for the ideas, I guess we ate a lot of funny porridge... -))) Do you know what it really is? It's a program we have been already born with. I'm very interested in astrology. When I saw our horoscopes, it's all written there... My brother often laughs at me, saying that I'm like an old woman who believes everything... But I see it there. It's all there. My brother's imagination, his energy, his artistic inclinations and, after all, his illness... In my case, it includes artistic inclinations too, of course, and I also got to know that „sarcasm is my second language“, etc. etc. It's a very interesting subject.
Also, about the ideas which grace the cover-arts my brother paints. It has always been his imagination and his ideas. But on Free Speech we agreed to come up with the content together. So we sat down together in front of the computer screen and had that something going on, I think it's called brainstorming nowadays.
And why Standa Valášek? He's just a professional and a nice person. We've had a great experience with him since the album Order and Punishment. At that time my brother and I wanted to go back to the Hacienda Studio. But the guitarist Wokis was worried about analogue equipment, so he persuaded us to try a digital studio. So we went to the Šopa. In the end it was a very good idea. Dodo from Hacienda Studio was also able to manage the recording process digitally but but he just prefers analogue sound. When we relaunched the band in 2017, we decided to go with Standa again. Although he also does analogue, of course. We wanted to symbolically start where we left off with our most successful period...
My wife is a teacher and she told me that it's starting to scare her how kids today don't read books at all. It's like they're losing perspective, imagination. I don't know, I'm not an educator, but I always liked your lyrics. These are masterpieces! Where do you get the inspiration for them? What influences you?
It's a gift, as I mentioned before. We were born with that gift. When we first started, my brother wrote the majority of lyrics. But he always encouraged me to write something too. Nowadays, he doesn't have to do it anymore. Speaking for myself, it's like when you want to poop... Your stomach hurts, you know you're full of inspiration... -)) Then comes the first rhyme. If I laugh at it and don't forget it by the other day, it's almost certain that something will come out of it. It's stuck in my mind for a day, a week, it doesn't matter. Or things simply happen when the setting is really good, I'll get right at it and if it continues to evolve smoothly, I know it's going to be good. When I finish the lyrics, I am not revising it in any way. It has to be coming out of the same water, so to speak. Well, sometimes I'll fix some details. Or if my brother has a note, we adjust the lyrics.
And the kids are not reading books anymore, it is a plague. It's modern technology. The new people will soon be completely demented... Even monkeys can learn to operate devices at a user level. I've read about how there was an experiment to teach monkeys to use tokens to obtain food when they were hungry and things soon went downhill. Prostitution and shit like that occurred amonst them, just the way like in our society. Humans are still basically animals. Critical thinking is being suppressed. Just be obedient, follow the entertainment...
I'm quite conservative in my personal life, but I do like science fiction, for example, and in music I also sometimes choose things that move me from our stinking planet to higher realms. I love VOIVOD! Who influenced you? What music do you like, do you listen to, do you go to concerts? What about books, movies? Other hobbies?
I totally understand. My brother loves Alien and Terminator. He's still watching those flicks a lot and relaxing. He's seen the last Terminator about 20 times... -)) Or now he's obsessed with Underwater with Kristen Stewart (his other favorite actress)... He's seen that one about six times. I like sci-fi, especially movies. It attracts my attention. I barely read science fiction books.
VOIVOD. The first time I heard them, it didn't grab me at all. I think it was some of their early albums. Compared to what I was listening to back then, they were a flop. So it was a quick resolution and I didn't bother following them. But after some time, Petr Korál played some songs from Negatron on a radio station “Radio 1“ and I liked it a lot. So I am still not a real fan, but they have some great songs.
If I wrote down what music I like, it would be a very long list. I like mostly good music. The genre doesn't matter. I love Depeche Mode. I like all their albums, even the new ones. I also listen to a lot of remixes from different artists. I like classical music. I like rock. I like jazz, especially from the '50s. I appreciate a well-written pop song. I'm pretty picky.
I don't go to concerts. Music occupies most of my time already. And you can't talk much in the noisy environment that live events are about.
I love books. I've always loved to read. Nowadays, I more read the news about what's going on in the current world. Alternative media that brings serious topics. With links to sources of information (evidence based), of course. I'm interested in what's going on around us. I don't follow disinformation news of the mainstream, and when I do, it's just for fun... Corporate media tells you nothing. They just lie, cover up and obfuscate. Filthy stuff.
In your email you told me that we fans can look forward to a new EP from your stable. Can you tell us more? What's it about, where have you been trying to push it, where did you record it, where will you be releasing it? Tell me, exaggerate.
The EP is called Premiant. The recording process was the same as with FS. We recorded the guitars at Šopa Studio, the remaining instruments and vocals were recorded in our home studio. Mixing and general supervision by Standa Valášek.
This material is probably the peak of our work in my opinion. Seriously. I'd probably just be bragging if I had to describe it... -))) And the cover-art my brother painted is just perfect. It's got four songs on it. Compared to FS, the EP sounds different. Everyone would be able to hear the progress. I can't wait for it to be out.
Damn, I'm talking again, but you know, if I like a band, I don't know my brother. Anything you want to say to the fans? To the promoters? To the government? To the Facebook debaters? There's room.
Jakub, first of all, thank you so much for the opportunity to speak out. We could probably have conducted the interview with ourselves, but that wouldn't have been the right thing to do... -)) You did a great job. I like reading your site, you know that.
To the fans I want to say: By supporting Lavadome production, you are supporting us too, thanks. To the promoters: We don't play gigs for the travelling costs anymore -)) I won't say anything to the government. I didn't vote for this bunch. To the FB debaters: Wake up and just be factual. Everyone can just criticize.
Thanks for your time!
Thank you so much for the interview. I appreciate it. I look forward to more music from !T.O.O.H.! or just a beer concert somewhere. I wish you all the best in your personal lives and may strength follow your steps.
