Interview with death metal band from Poland - ICON OF EVIL.
Answered Grzelo (drums), thank you!
Recenze/review - ICON OF EVIL - Locust Cathedral (2024):
Ave ICON OF EVIL! I couldn't find any interview with you in English 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 ICON OF EVIL.
Hi Jakub, welcome readers. We are very happy! We are Icon of Evil, we come from Poland where strong and good music is still being created and the fight between evil and good and vice versa is an everyday occurrence.
This year you released a fresh new album "Locust Cathedral". Again it is dark, gritty and honest death metal. Did you approach the recording differently than last time or did you go with tried and tested methods?
Thanks for such a great review Jakub. It couldn't have been better! We recorded the album in 2017, the obstacle to completing the production was the lack of inspiration of our vocalist Mokry. By chance we came across Marcin in 2024, who turned out to be a very creative vocalist and sang lyrics written by Folgin for the album. The method of operation was always the same - hours of playing together in the rehearsal room. I know that many bands now play rehearsals online, you can create without leaving home. We have always been old-fashioned, and this album is confirmation that it worked out for us.
I find the new record to be an order of magnitude more complicated than the previous album from 2013 (Syphilis Mentalis), perhaps less accessible at first, but at the same time incredibly dark and evil. Was that the intention? How did the album actually come together and how did you compose the music?
"Locust Cathedral" is definitely a more polished album in terms of sound, arrangement in music. And we are glad you heard it! This music is a reflection of what we listen to, and many heavy moments are an expression of anger and pissed off that we had inside. We have always been closer to old school playing than death core crushing without breath where it gets boring after the second song. Most of the compositions are Folgin's ideas and countless hours of playing on two feet by Grzelo. The rest on the guitar was completed and polished by Rapidfire. Kamil is the author of the song Creeping Corruption. That's how this album was created.
I have "Locust Cathedral" in my MP3 player and I have to say that I am literally consumed by it. It's not just the great ideas, but the sound, which is in a word devastating. For example, I'm sitting on a tram and suddenly I find myself tapping my foot. I feel like partying. If I weren't a gentleman of my years, I'd probably do it. Where did you record the album and who is the mastering engineer?
The mastering engineer is and always has been Jarek Wysocki. Visit our profile iconofevil.bandcamp.com , there is a discography there. An interesting fact is that we have always recorded in the same studio, with the same sound engineer. When you listen to the music from the very beginning and end with "Locust Cathedral" you will experience how we have developed over all these years of cooperation.
Who wrote the lyrics on "Locust Cathedral"? And what are they about? Where do you get inspiration for the themes?
The author of the lyrics is Folgin. The music was recorded in 2017 without vocals. We broke up with Mokry. The period 2020 to 2022 was hard for everyone and our frustration that we had recorded great material and could not release it without a vocal track was growing. The fucking government decided to deprive him of the right to work due to the pandemic (he is a tattoo artist), tattoo studios were closed without the right to fair earnings. In such situations, anger grows and you have more time for various thoughts. Folgin used this bad time and put it on paper.
Who is signed under the cover of "Locust Cathedral"? I like his work a lot. How did you choose the theme for the cover?
The author of the cover is also Folgin. Coldness and evil are part of his interior. (hahaha!)
If we go back to the beginning... What was the first impulse to put the band together? And why death metal? It's not exactly a style that would get you a lot of "fame".
We met once completely by accident at a concert. My band Cohortis was going through a hard time and the guys were playing in Evil, which broke up. That's how Icon of Evil was created. Why death metal? Because it's an absolute love for this genre of music. We never went for fame. We mostly played in places related to the punk and DIY scene. That's true, that's why you couldn't find an interview with us in English.
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 be honest, I've been hearing nothing but great stuff from you guys lately. Does it mean that the scene is very strong in your country at the moment? What about gigs, how many people come?
We come from a country where you have to fight for everything and try very hard to achieve anything. This is reflected in the music. Attendance at concerts is usually a lottery, it all depends on the day of the event and where. However, you can see fewer and fewer young people at concerts, especially on the independent scene. This is bad news in my opinion.
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?
There are indeed many believers, but fewer and fewer practice, which is great news! The Church has earned it. Of course, there is a faction of religious fucktards who pray the rosary before metal concerts. We invite you to a Behemoth concert, maybe you will have a chance to see it.
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 ICON OF EVIL.
The 90s and the millennium were definitely the best for this genre. Bolt Thrower, Deicide, Obituary are bands that are still on my listening list. Let's not forget about the less commercial Amebix, Doom or Extreme Noise Terror. These sounds and "workshop" will probably never come back, thanks to the omnipresent technology today. Today, every now and then you hear a poor copy of a copy, which you forget about after a while.
What about you and gigs in general? Are you a band that goes to shows as much 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?
We broke up in 2018, but the common goal remained - to complete great material. We treat it as the best summary of our activity. We may not be playing anymore, but music has one awesome feature, it stays with us forever. If good reviews appear on top of that, then that's a reason for joy for me.
What does death metal and music in general mean to you? For example, I'm still fascinated by power and darkness, even after more than 35 years. Is death metal a way of life for you? How do you perceive it in relation to your personality and opinions? You can go into the field of philosophy.
I feel the same way as you, Jakub. Music is my companion, for a few hours every day. It is my space without which I cannot imagine life. I have not played the drums for 7 years, but for example when I play "Contact- Wait Out" and the lead guitar riff comes on, the hair on my arms still stands up. I am sure you understand what I mean.
I'm going to listen to your new album "Locust Cathedral" again. I have to say that for me personally it is basically a perfect death metal work. A total inferno. I wish the record to do well, to reach as many fans as possible. It deserves it. I wish you all the best in your personal life. Good luck and the last words are yours. If you have something to say to fans, labels, promoters, you have space. Thank you for the interview and I'm already looking forward to seeing you live sometime!
Listen to the music and never stop! Go to the concerts and buy the bands' merch because that's the only way you can support them. Listening on streaming platforms and likes on social media doesn't really do much. And when some prick prays with a cross under your concert, play louder and harder! Thank you, Grzelo.
Recenze/review - ICON OF EVIL - Locust Cathedral (2024):
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