Interview with black death metal band from Poland - DEVILPRIEST.
Answered Necro Docre, thank you!
Translated Duzl, thank you!
Questions prepared Jakub Asphyx.
Ave DEVILPRIEST! Greetings to the Polish underground. I hope everything is fine with you. It should be because this year you have released a second full-length album in your band's career. I have to admit it has literally blown my mind. It is dark, energic and as if it cuts by the sharp edge of the knife. I can hear from the record you did a really good job and you added a big portion of the talent, too. How do you perceive the new album in comparison to the previous one? Where did you want to move and in what are these two records different?
Hailz from the Chapel od the Devil. We appreciate your admiration with our new album, we are very pleased with what we have managed to accomplish. The previous album was composed by three men, each of whom had a slightly different view of what our music should look like. Thus, the songs were more varied in style. This musical discrepancy resulted a in reduction of DEVILPRIEST's line-up. "In Repugnant Adoration" was composed by the two of us whose vision was more convergent. The new album is therefore not only more coherent, but also more focused on Blackened Death Metal while abandoning the influence of the so-called modern Death Metal that emerged in the early 2000s.
“In Repugnant Abortion“ includes all attributes of good death metal. For me personally, it represents the record, which I really like to listen to. How did you produce it? How look the writing process of new material in the case of DEVILPRIEST?
The general rule we follow during the writing process says "no weak or overcomplicated riffs". We work on a particular song until we are fully convinced that nothing more can be done. The song is usually built from scratch, from two or three riffs that sounds good together. Then we apply the next layers, accents, bridges, transitions, tempo changes etc. Lyrics are usually written in the last step. All of the rehearsal version are recorded, so we have time to listen, analyze and improve.
I found out that Haldor Grunberg is signed under the mix and mastering of the new record. I have to confirm that the sound is literally killing. It still makes me add volume to the player. Haldor has created a sound that is cruel, raw and at the same time dark and organic. How went the work with him and why did you choose him? In which studio did you record it? How did the recording process look like?
The recording session was conducted in several places depending on how we perceived the ideal sound for a given instrument. When all the tracks were layered, we made a rough mix which was then used as a guideline for the final mix with Haldor, who was proposed by Odium Records as the right person to help to achieve our goals.
An important part and a kind of extra bonus for fans today is the physical CD. You released the new album at CD through Odium Records, and it has a corpsy cover art. Who is the author? Do I explain well the picture when I would think it is entrance to hell? How did you choose the motif and how does it relate to the music at the record?
We consider the physical formats (CD, LP, MC) as the main medium for spreading the gospel of the Devilish Priest. The album is released by Odium Records as well by Spreading the Pest Productions from Chile, who will cover mainly the American market. Both releases have the same artwork, but differ in colorization. The artwork was done by BMS Illustration. The idea was to depict the lyrical content of the album. Similarly to the music it was done step by step by adding different layers. This artwork is a medium, an intermediary between the listener and his inherent darkenss. A medium to be used during the journey for repugnant adoration. It may be an entrance to hell for some.
I have been wandering the underground for over thirty years and I still go to Poland for music with certainty. I think we have a similar nature and taste when it comes to metal. I like your bands a lot and I monitor your scene carefully. Maybe I envy you a little, because we only have a few death metal bands that are worth it. How do you explain that black and death metal are doing so well in your country? How do you perceive your scene, fans, labels?
I have no explanation for this, it seems like there are some favorable countries, nationalities or geographical regions for certain metal genres. Over the last few years I have been a bit off the stage without following it with any special commitment. In the past most of the Polish bands were seeking for international labels but now some of our labels grown to a size that they are able to release reputable bands from abroad. In result there is more money to promote local bands which significantly strengthens the Polish scene.
You play devastating death metal influenced by, among other things, the American school. Today, the band can't avoid comparisons, but I would like to know how the idea to start DEVILPRIEST was born, who was and is your metal idol? Where do you want to move your band? Are you attracted to large foreign festivals, for example, are you willing to go on tour with a more famous band?
It just happens that musicians sometimes start a new band to embody the ideas not suitable for their current projects. And it did happen with the Devilpriest. Our goal is to deliver high quality Satanic Blackened Death Metal, regardless current or future trends in the metal scene. If it brings us a profit, fine, but for now, we are not going to stop, whatever the outcome. We don't mind big festivals or being a support on tour, as long as we support the right headliner.
When I started my blog six years ago, I had a vision that I would try to support bands that are not so much popular, or they are lost in underground. To let the world knows about them. I think I'm doing quite well, at least according to the responses. How do you approach the promotion of your music? Do you rely upon the label or do you send the CDs for various reviews by yourself? For example, I buy albums that I really enjoy. What about you? Are you also fans who often support your colleagues? Do you go to concerts?
We mostly rely on the label as well as our social media platforms and youtube streaming channels, but we also exchange a lot of our stuff with other labels and bands. It is just impossible to send a physical copy to every zine. Besides being musicians we are of course fans, so we support the bands buying their stuff and going to shows.
On the one hand, today the new band has a lot of opportunities to make themselves more known, but on the other hand, there are a huge number of groups and the fans are getting lost in this big metal sea. A lot of people just download mp3s from the internet and instead of to visit the concert they prefer to spit poisonous saliva on Facebook. How do modern technologies affect you as DEVILPRIEST? What do you think about downloading music, google metalists, streaming music, etc.?
Due to the overwhelmingly large number of bands, it is imperative that there is streaming and downloading. I mainly use bandcamp or youtube to find new bands. When I find something brilliant, I start looking for physical media. But you still can't buy everything you want. At the same time, I don't care about discussions on social platforms or forums. I don't need to exchange my views on music with others.
I like to ask the musicians what death metal means to them. How would they define it, whether it is more the philosophy and lifestyle thing for them or "just" relaxation? What does it mean for you? How do you perceive and experience it?
Well, I wouldn't narrow it down strictly to Death Metal. What drives me in music is the Devil, no matter if it's DM or BM. Personally I consider this a lifestyle.
Finally, a classic but important question. What is DEVILPRIEST planning in the upcoming months? Where can we see you at the stage and when will you visit the Czech and Slovak Republics?
We finally got the line-up together and we can fully promote the new album live. We do not have consolidated plans yet, but we assume that after the album's premiere, there will be more playing offers. I'm looking forward for the offers especially from Pilsen as the Urquell is one of my favorite beers. A lot of time has passed since the last album and we need to remind the world of our existence again.Luckily, you won't have to wait that long for the next album. We are wasting no time and are already working on the successor to "In Repugnant Adoration".
Thank you so much for the interview. I wish a lot of success to the new album and let the number of your fans expand as much as possible. I will look forward to seeing you somewhere live again. I wish you a lot of success both musically and personally. I'm going to push " In Repugnant Abortion" into my head again!
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