#316 JIG-AI // Grindcore // Jarda a JIG-AI // 31.8.2026

 

 

photos: www.truemetal.it - Davide Sciaky

 

 

JIG-AI BAND INTRO

1. Za dve desaťročia ste prešli od anime goregrindu k pomerne vážnemu konceptu o japonskom pekle. Dozrel žáner, alebo skôr vy ako jeho autori?

Určitě je to souhra vícero faktorů, ne jen jeden jediný. Ten posun je jednoznačně způsoben naším vývojem jako kapely, což je přirozený proces, který se děje kdekoli. A nepochybně se na tom podepsaly i personální změny uvnitř kapely. Japonsko jako téma nám zůstává blízké, jen se na něj teď díváme z úplně jiného úhlu.


2. Väčšina ľudí považuje pig squeal, alebo 'tenor' ako ste ho nazývali v dobách minulých, za vrchol extrému. Na novom albume ste sa rozhodli od neho ustúpiť. Prečo je to tak a akým typom vokálu dnes dopĺňate 'bass'? 

V určitém období byla metalová scéna prostě ‚přepigsquealovaná‘. Je zajímavé, že tuhle techniku zmiňuješ jako vrchol extrému – nám už to tak rozhodně nepřijde. :-) Přijde nám to už spíš absurdně nadužívané, a tím to v našich uších ztratilo tu původní razanci. Dnes sázíme na jiné polohy, které nám k současnému zvuku sedí víc.

3. Predposledný album Entrails Tsunami vznikol tesne pred covidom a v starej zostave? Do akej miery vám covid rozosral plány a zapričinil sa o nový line-up?

Řekněme, že covid nám plány pořádně naboural :D. Kašpy po nahrání desky kapelu opustil a chvíli trvalo, než jsme našli náhradu. Když už pak Jarda naskočil do sestavy a nadrtili jsme celý playlist, abychom mohli vyrazit na domluvené japonské turné s Pig Destroyer a Brujerií, přišel zákaz cestování. Takže Jardův první koncert s JIG-AI byl sice ve městě, jehož jméno začíná na T, ale Tokio to nebylo – skončili jsme v Trutnově :D. Nutno ale dodat, že tenhle ‚malý Obscene‘, kde byla backstage vlastně přímo na stage, byl super zážitek.


4. Do novej zostavy ste priniesli ostrieľaných borcov z death metalovej scény - sú oni príčinou väčšej temnoty zamerania nového albumu na úkor tradičných hentai komiksových gore tém? Ako sa prejavuje deathmetalová temnota v grinde? 

To je zajímavý úhel pohledu a určitě na tom něco bude. Jarda i Rob mají za sebou zkušenosti z kapel, které mají death-grindové kořeny – Rob teď hraje v Taedifer, Jarda zase v Perferii a Noises. Oba ale do JIG-AI přišli s tím, že respektují zvuk a identitu kapely. Nejde tedy o revoluci, ale o přirozenou evoluci. Zajímavostí je, že poslední desku Jigoku nám pochválil i původní bubeník Štefy s tím, že je to podle něj nejpovedenější nahrávka JIG-AI, což nás hodně potěšilo. :-) Určitě je ale potřeba zmínit i Buráka, který jako zakládající člen vždy směřoval kapelu k old-school goregrindu – tedy k té verzi žánru, která vznikla jako evoluce grindcoru v nekompromisní, hutnou a brutální muziku. Tenhle mix všech vlivů se na výsledku zkrátka podepsal.


5. Info pre gear nerdov - na čom sa vyrába zvuk Jig-Ai? Zmenili ste nástroje a aparatúru alebo sa držíte osvedčených nastavení? 

S tím zvukem nejvíc laboruje Rob – řeší zesilovače, efekty, kytary a propojení dvou aparátů. Burák pak vyžaduje nekompromisně ‚bagrující‘ brutální basu a Jarda se zase snaží, aby z těch bicích za tou stěnou aparátů aspoň něco zbylo. :D Ve výsledku bychom ale řekli, že jsme v tomhle ohledu spíš tradicionalisté – držíme se osvědčených postupů, které nám prostě sedí.

NEW ALBUM MYTHOLOGY

6. Ako som už spomínal, Jigoku vnímam ako posun od hentai gore k folk-horrorovej démonologickej támatike. Ako súvisia príbehy Injectatora Kruta s Yōkai, ktorí sa objavujú na novom albume a kde je Kruto-san dnes?

Přímou linii nebo nějaké příběhové propojení v tom úplně nehledej. Je to prostě nová sestava, nová deska a s tím spojený i úplně nový pohled na naši japonskou inspiraci. Nové album JIGOKU se netočí kolem Kruta, ale plně se soustředí na démony ONI a samotné japonské peklo – Jigoku. Deska má celkem 20 songů a každý z nich vypráví svůj vlastní minipříběh. Všechny tyhle příběhy jsou zmíněné už v klasickém obalu CD, ale ve speciální 'long box' verzi CD je navíc ke každému příběhu i samostatný obrázek. Úplně stejně to pak bude vizuálně zpracované i u chystaného vinylu. Celé album je zkrátka koncipované jako komplexní, naprosto samostatné dílo. Není to link na naši předchozí historii, je to zbrusu nová kapitola. ;-)


7. Aké parametre museli spĺňať a čím sa kvalifikovali jednotliví démoni na album Jigoku?

Byla to kombinace ukrutnosti a řekněme jisté výstřednosti. Všem silně doporučujeme se aspoň trochu ponořit do japonské mytologie – je to bezedná studnice divnosti a zvrácenosti, kde narazíte na postavy jako je děsivý Aka Manto, přízrak v červeném plášti, který se objevuje na toaletách a dává lidem na výběr mezi smrtí červeným nebo modrým papírem. Setkáte se tu i s Enmou, mocným králem a soudcem podsvětí, který podle japonské tradice rozhoduje o osudu duší a jejich dalším znovuzrození v pekle Jigoku. A samozřejmě nechybí ani Tanuki, šibalský psík mývalovitý, který je v japonském folklóru proslulý svou schopností měnit podobu a dělat si z lidí blázny – v tradičních zobrazeních je totiž známý tím, že ke svým magickým kejklím a trikům kreativně využíval i svá obří varlata. Všechny tyto příběhy rezonují se všemi pozitivy i špatnostmi lidské nátury. Takže si projděte tracklist našeho posledního alba a schválně si ty jednotlivé démony zkuste trochu zavyhledávat. ;-)


 

8. Keby Enma naozaj otvoril brány pekla dnes, koho alebo čo by podľa vás démoni poslali späť dole ako prvé?

Hele, těch adeptů je tolik, že by to byl nekonečný seznam. Defacto by tam letěla většina politiků, sebestřední narcisté, glorifikátoři moderní doby a všichni ti, co jedou ten tupý, konzumní pohled na svět. Prostě by to byl pořádný humbuk, kdyby se to začalo třídit..


9. Jigoku je japonské peklo, ktoré ale nie je večné - len dočasné, kde po vykonaní trestu môže nasledovať reinkarnácia. Nie sú v udeľovaní trestov kresťania trochu viac dôslednejší a existuje v japonskom folklóre koncept väčného zatratenia?

Tohle je trochu matoucí pohled na věc ;-) Zapomněl jsi totiž na jeden podstatný detail: do Jigoku se v podstatě můžeš vracet donekonečna. Takže se nabízí otázka – co je vlastně horší? Jedno kontinuální, věčné peklo, nebo nekonečný řetězec utrpení, kde sice teoreticky existuje naděje, že to může skončit, ale v praxi se v tom kolečku točíš pořád dokola? Hmmm… Pokud jde o víru, ta je jako taková v pohodě, ale církve a institucionalizované náboženství, to je pro nás naprosté manipulační peklo.


10. V japonskej kultúre ma fascinujú tzv. jisei - básne písané odsúdenými krátko pred popravou, alebo rituálnou sebevraždou. Predstavte si, že máte 5 minút do popravy - aký jisei vás napadne? 

Safra to není pro nás uplně jednoduché zadání :-) co třeba toto?

Zavírá se backstage a pódium mlčí,
naše cesta krví a řevem je u konce.
Nelitujeme konce a nehledáme ticho.
Slyšíme, jak se z hlubin zvedá bouře
mohutná hradba podladěného bahna,
nekonečný blastbeat a absolutní hluk.
My mizíme v temnotě,
ale ten zvuk tu bude hřmít věčně.

GOREGRIND HISTORY and EVOLUTION

11. Čechy majú už dekády kvalitnú grindovú scénu. Pamätáte si začiatky? Kto boli pionieri scény a ako sa vyvinul a zmenil žáner od jej počiatkov?

Tohle je otázka, která by sama o sobě vydala na celý rozhovor. Důležité je vnímat, jaká to tehdy byla doba – před třiceti a více lety se na nějaké škatulkování moc nehrálo. Kdybych měl někoho vypíchnout, vystřelím jména jako Pathologist, rané nahrávky Malignant Tumor, prapůvod Cerebral Turbulency nebo Ingrowing, kteří to tak pěkně ‚chlívovatěli‘. Do toho další jako Deaf and Dumb, Contrastic nebo Agony Conscience... Určitě jsme na spoustu dalších zapomněli, ale musíme zabrousit i za hranice k naprostým základům, jako jsou Carcass nebo Dead Infection. Je toho prostě mraky.


12. Aký rozdiel je v dnešnej dobe medzi punkovým a metalovým vnímaním a prístupu ku grindu a v čom sa oba prístupy stretávajú? 

Tady se musíme opět vrátit k té době, kdy jsme jako muzikanti i fanoušci začínali. Tehdy se na nějaké škatulkování moc nehrálo, nebo se to všechno míchalo takovým způsobem, že pokoušet se o exaktní odpověď je vlastně nesmysl. Pro nás to nikdy nebylo o tom, jestli jsme víc punk nebo metal – šlo o ten samotný přístup a energii, která se v tom všem potkávala.


13. Čo okrem blastbeatov a krátkych skladieb definuje esenciu grindcore? Ak by ste mali niekomu vysvetliť grindcore bez toho, aby ste pustili jedinú skladbu, čo by ste povedali? 

Tady hrozně záleží na tom, jestli to vysvětlujeme někomu, kdo má aspoň trochu přehled a tuší, že existují i tvrdší verze metalu než Nothing Else Matters, nebo někomu, kdo je úplně mimo... Pokud ale hledáš tu nejuniverzálnější odpověď? Grindcore je prostě čistá, neředěná a agresivní energie.

 

JIG-AI WORLDWIDE ExPERIENCES and PLANS

14. Jig-Ai za dvadsať rokov existencie precestoval kus sveta - koľko času ste strávili na cestách a do akej najväčšej exotiky sa vám podarilo dostať?

To už dneska asi nikdo přesně nespočítá – a to ani za JIG-AI jako celek. Na cestách jsme strávili neuvěřitelné množství času. A ta největší exotika? Amerika, Mexiko, Japonsko nebo Austrálie... vybrat jedno místo je skoro nemožné. Tempo ale rozhodně nepolevuje – teď o víkendu letíme do Španělska, zrovna jsme se vrátili z Itálie a před námi je Německo, Normandie, Švédsko nebo Belgie.


15. V akej krajine má Jig-Ai najväčší fan base?

Bez debat je to Mexiko a další země Jižní Ameriky, pak samozřejmě Japonsko a v neposlední řadě Česká republika.


16. Ktorý extrémny zážitok z ciest vás napadne ako prvý? 

Takhle to bohužel nefunguje :D Nelze vybrat jen jednu věc. Jakmile se na to zeptáš, okamžitě vylítne jedna vzpomínka za druhou. Je to prostě nekonečná koláž šíleností. Máme samozřejmě i plno historek, které jsou nejlepší na vyprávění v backstage nebo u piva, ale úplně je nechceme pálit tady do éteru. Některé z těch ‚publikovatelných‘ kousků se ale objevují v našich vlozích na YouTube, Facebooku nebo Instagramu – stačí nás sledovat a ono se to k vám dřív nebo později nějak dostane. ;-)

17. S ktorými kapelami radi zdielate pódium a ktoré kluby alebo festivaly máte najradšej?

To je zase hrozně široké téma, které nás trochu nutí generalizovat. Jsou kapely, které nás třeba hudebně úplně neoslovují, ale jsou to skvělí lidi. Pak jsou ty, které nás baví hudebně a ještě si s nimi perfektně sedneme lidsky – a stejně to funguje i s kluby a festivaly. Když máme ale vypíchnout jednu konkrétní věc, tak je to italský Frantic Fest. Úžasná atmosféra, skvělí lidé, od backstage až po návštěvníky, a perfektní festivalová crew. Jediný lehčí škraloup jsme tam zažili, když se zvučilo a zvukař tehdy vystupujících Igorrr si stěžoval, že jsme moc nahlas a že náš ‚chlív‘ ruší jejich vystoupení :D :D :D. Tak jsme chvíli počkali, až se jejich veličenstva dohrála, a pak jsme se do toho pustili my. Jsou to zkrátka úžasní lidé a úžasné akce. Někdy je to sice trochu slabší, ale pořád je to dar – můžeme takhle jezdit po světě, hrát, potkávat tuny fajn lidí a mít nezapomenutelné zážitky.


18. Kde uvidíme Jig-Ai najbližšie a aké plány má kapela v 2026?

Jelikož se ptáš na 2026, tak ten máme z hlediska bookingu už prakticky uzavřený – máme odehráno a soustředíme se na to, co přijde v roce 2027. Naší hlavní prioritou bude samozřejmě propagace aktuální desky. Po klasickém CD a limitované edici Long Boxu teď chystáme kazetu a vinyl, který bude zase vizuálně vymazlený. Rozdělaný máme i další klip, takže se fanoušci mají na co těšit. K tomu plánujeme i nový, speciální merch. Co se týče živého hraní, máme v jednání jedno nebo dvě tour a hromadu dalších koncertů. A v neposlední řadě si v kapele říkáme, že je čas začít skládat další materiál, takže nudit se rozhodně nebudeme. Je toho zkrátka hodně, co máme v plánu!

JDØS FINALE

19. Minule sa mi priznal známy, že jeho "guilty pleasure" je Keep the Faith od Bon Jovi. Na to som mu v mobile ukázal svoj 90s dance floorový playlist a on pochopil že peklo nemá len jedno poschodie a pojem hanba je relatívny. Čo sú vaše guilty pleasures za ktoré vás Enma pošle do najhlbšej priepasti Jigoku?

Ten dance floor playlist, to je slušná fajnšmekrovina :D A Keep The Faith je mimochodem super song! :-) Já poslouchám hrozně široké spektrum muziky. Kdybych měl za sebe vybrat něco, co by se od goregrindera úplně nečekalo, tak je to asi záliba v českém rapu nebo trapu. :-) Ve všem se dá najít zalíbení – někdy je ten ‚cringe level‘ takový, že je to vlastně nechutná kokotina, ale nějak tě to magnetizuje a prostě si to musíš pustit. Každý to má jinak – a jak to máš ty? 

20. Čo počúvate, pozeráte a čítate v týchto dňoch?

Aktuálně jedu staré britské a francouzské černobílé detektivky. I když občas projedu novinky na streamovacích platformách, čím jsem starší, tím víc mě táhne stará kinematografie. Ty filmy totiž nejsou tak polopatické, najdeš v nich skvělé detaily a mají mnohem větší hloubku. A čtení? Mám pár knížek odložených stranou, ale ty si nechávám až na dlouhé podzimní a zimní večery.


21. Je niekto s kým by ste si radi prečítali rozhovor na JDØS?

Určitě by bylo zajímavé dát prostor pořadatelům koncertů, provozním nebo dramaturgům hudebních akcí. Zajímavé osobnosti jsou ale i výrobci merche, designéři, kteří dělají obaly k muzice, kterou všichni posloucháme, nebo tvůrci videoklipů. U undergroundové hudby je skvělé, že ti lidé, na které by ses ptal, většinou dělají víc věcí najednou – a právě tyhle ‚propojky‘ a zákulisní vazby jsou ultra zajímavé.


22. Motto alebo odkaz na záver.

Díky moc za příležitost se “vypovídat” ;-) a Motto? Mějte vlastní hlavu, ověřujte si zdroje informací, poslouchejte muziku, podporujte kapely, choďte na koncerty. Žijte životy mimo obrazovky. Žijte životy! Dík Jarda a JIG-AI

JIG-AI BAND INTRO

1. Over the course of two decades, you've gone from anime goregrind to a fairly serious concept about Japanese hell. Has the genre matured, or have you matured as its creators?

It’s definitely a combination of multiple factors, not just a single one. This shift is clearly caused by our evolution as a band, which is a natural process that happens anywhere. And undoubtedly, the line-up changes within the band played a role as well. Japan as a theme remains close to us, we just look at it from a completely different angle now.

2. Most people consider pig squeals – or "tenor," as you used to call it back in the day – the ultimate extreme vocal technique. On the new album, you've decided to move away from it. Why, and what kind of vocals do you use alongside the "bass" these days?

At a certain point, the metal scene was simply 'over-pig-squealed'. It’s interesting that you mention this technique as the peak of extreme – we definitely don’t see it that way anymore. :-) To us, it feels absurdly overused, and because of that, it lost its original punch in our ears. Today, we bet on different vocal ranges that fit our current sound much better.

3. Your previous album, Entrails Tsunami, was recorded just before Covid and with the old line-up, right? How badly did Covid fuck up your plans, and how much did it contribute to the new line-up?

Let’s just say covid really messed up our plans :D. Kašpy left the band after recording the album, and it took a while before we found a replacement. When Jarda finally jumped into the line-up and we grinded the whole playlist so we could go on a booked Japanese tour with Pig Destroyer and Brujeria, the travel ban hit. So Jarda’s first gig with JIG-AI was indeed in a city starting with a 'T', but it wasn't Tokyo – we ended up in Trutnov :D. But we have to add that this 'little Obscene [Extreme]', where the backstage was literally right on the stage, was a great experience.

4. You've brought some battle-hardened guys from the death metal scene into the new line-up. Are they partly responsible for the darker direction of the new album at the expense of the traditional hentai/comic-book gore themes? How does death metal darkness translate into grind?

That’s an interesting perspective, and there’s definitely some truth to it. Both Jarda and Rob have backgrounds in bands with death-grind roots – Rob currently plays in Taedifer, and Jarda in Perferia and Noises. However, both joined JIG-AI respecting the band's sound and identity. So it's not a revolution, but a natural evolution. An interesting fact is that our original drummer, Štefy, praised the latest Jigoku record, saying it's the best JIG-AI release in his opinion, which really pleased us. :-) But we definitely have to mention Burák, who as a founding member always steered the band towards old-school goregrind – meaning the version of the genre that evolved from grindcore into uncompromising, dense, and brutal music. This mix of all influences simply left its mark on the final result.

5. Some info for the gear nerds – what do you use to create the JIG-AI sound? Have you changed your instruments and amps over the years, or do you stick with tried-and-tested setups? 

Rob experiments the most with the sound – he deals with amps, effects, guitars, and linking two rigs. Burák strictly demands a brutal, 'bulldozing' bass tone, and Jarda just tries to make sure at least something from the drums survives behind that wall of amps. :D But ultimately, we'd say we're more traditionalists in this regard – we stick to proven methods that simply work for us.

NEW ALBUM MYTHOLOGY

6. As I mentioned earlier, I see Jigoku as a shift from hentai gore towards folk-horror and demonological themes. How are the stories of Injector Kruto connected to the Yōkai appearing on the new album, and where is Kruto-san today? 

Don't look for a direct line or any story connection there. It’s simply a new line-up, a new record, and with that comes a completely new perspective on our Japanese inspiration. The new album JIGOKU doesn't revolve around Kruto, but fully focuses on the ONI demons and the Japanese hell itself – Jigoku. The record has 20 songs in total, and each tells its own mini-story. All of these stories are already included in the standard CD booklet, but the special "long box" CD edition also has a separate illustration for each story. The upcoming vinyl will be presented visually in exactly the same way. The whole album is simply designed as a complex, completely standalone piece of work. It’s not a link to our previous history; it’s a brand new chapter. ;-)

7. What criteria did the individual demons have to meet to qualify for a place on Jigoku?

It was a combination of cruelty and, let's say, a certain eccentricity. We strongly recommend everyone to dive at least a little into Japanese mythology – it’s a bottomless well of weirdness and perversion, where you'll come across characters such as the terrifying Aka Manto, a ghost in a red cloak who appears in toilets and gives people the choice between death by red or blue paper. You'll also encounter Enma, the mighty king and judge of the underworld, who according to Japanese tradition decides the fate of souls and their subsequent rebirth in hell – Jigoku. And of course there's Tanuki, the mischievous raccoon dog famous in Japanese folklore for its ability to shapeshift and play tricks on people. In traditional depictions, it's also known for creatively using its enormous testicles in its magical tricks and mischief. All of these stories resonate with both the good and bad sides of human nature. So go through the tracklist of our latest album and try searching for those individual demons yourself. ;-)

8. If Enma really opened the gates of hell today, who or what do you think the demons would send straight back down first?

Look, there are so many candidates it would be an endless list. Basically, most politicians, self-centered narcissists, glorifiers of modern times, and all those pushing that ignorant, consumerist view of the world would fly right in. It would be a massive uproar if they started sorting them out..

9. Jigoku is Japanese hell, but it isn't eternal – it's only temporary, and after serving your punishment you can be reincarnated. Aren't Christians a little more thorough when it comes to punishment? And is there any concept of eternal damnation in Japanese folklore?

This is a somewhat confusing way to look at it ;-) You forgot one crucial detail: you can basically return to Jigoku infinitely. So that raises the question – which is actually worse? One continuous, eternal hell, or an endless cycle of suffering where, theoretically, there's always hope that it might eventually end, but in practice you just keep going around and around in the same circle? Hmmm... As for faith, that's fine in itself, but churches and institutionalized religion, to us, that's absolute manipulative hell.

10. One thing that fascinates me about Japanese culture is the so-called jisei – death poems written shortly before execution or ritual suicide. Imagine you've got five minutes left before your execution. What jisei comes to mind? 

Damn, that's not exactly an easy task for us :-) how about this?

The backstage closes and the stage is silent,
our path of blood and roaring comes to an end.
We don't regret the end and we don't seek silence.
We hear a storm rising from the depths
a massive wall of downtuned sludge,
an endless blastbeat and absolute noise.
We fade into the darkness,
but that sound will thunder here forever.

GOREGRIND HISTORY AND EVOLUTION

11. The Czech scene has had a strong grind scene for decades. Do you remember the early days? Who were the pioneers, and how has the genre evolved and changed since its beginnings? 

This is a question that could take up a whole interview by itself. It’s important to realize what times those were – thirty or more years ago, people didn’t really care about putting things into boxes. If I had to pick a few names, I'd immediately mention Pathologist, the early recordings of Malignant Tumor, the very beginnings of Cerebral Turbulency, or Ingrowing, who were getting nicely filthy and disgusting with it. Then there were others like Deaf and Dumb, Contrastic and Agony Conscience... We surely forgot a lot of others, but we also have to go beyond the borders to the absolute foundations, like Carcass or Dead Infection. There are just tons of it.

12. What's the difference today between the punk and metal approaches to grind, and where do the two meet?

Here we have to go back again to the time when we started as musicians and fans. Back then, no one really cared about categorization, or it all mixed in such a way that trying to give an exact answer is actually nonsense. For us, it was never about whether we were more punk or metal – it was about the approach itself and the energy that converged in all of it.

13. Apart from blast beats and short songs, what defines the essence of grindcore? If you had to explain grindcore to somebody without playing them a single song, what would you say? 

This heavily depends on whether we are explaining it to someone who has at least some overview and suspects there are harder versions of metal than Nothing Else Matters, or to someone completely clueless... But if you're looking for the most universal answer? Grindcore is simply pure, undiluted, and aggressive energy.

JIG-AI WORLDWIDE EXPERIENCES AND PLANS

14. Over the course of twenty years, JIG-AI have travelled a good part of the world – how much time have you actually spent on the road, and what's the most exotic place you've managed to reach? 

Nobody can probably count that exactly today – not even for JIG-AI as a whole. We have spent an incredible amount of time on the road. And the most exotic? America, Mexico, Japan, or Australia... picking just one place is almost impossible. The pace definitely isn't slowing down though – we're flying to Spain this weekend, we just got back from Italy, and ahead of us are Germany, Normandy, Sweden, and Belgium.

15. Which country has the biggest JIG-AI fanbase?

Without a doubt, it’s Mexico and other South American countries, then of course Japan, and last but not least, the Czech Republic.

16. What's the first extreme experience from your travels that comes to mind?

Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that :D You can't just pick one thing. As soon as you ask, one memory after another instantly pops up. It's just an endless collage of madness. We obviously have plenty of stories that are best told in the backstage or over a beer, but we don't really want to burn them here on air. Some of the 'publishable' bits do appear in our vlogs on YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram though – just follow us and it will reach you sooner or later somehow. ;-)

17. Which bands do you enjoy sharing the stage with, and which clubs or festivals are your favourites?

That is again a hugely broad topic that forces us to generalize a bit. There are bands that might not completely appeal to us musically, but they are great people. Then there are those we enjoy musically and also vibe with perfectly on a human level – and it works exactly the same with clubs and festivals. But if we have to highlight one specific thing, it's the Italian Frantic Fest. Amazing atmosphere, great people – from backstage to the audience – and a fantastic festival crew. The only minor stain we experienced there was during soundcheck, when the sound guy for Igorrr (who were performing at the time) complained that we were too loud and that our 'noise' was disrupting their show :D :D :D. So we waited a bit for their majesties to finish playing, and then we went for it. Simply put, these are amazing people and amazing events. Sometimes it's a bit weaker, but it's still a gift – we can travel the world like this, play, meet tons of nice people, and have unforgettable experiences.

18. Where can we see JIG-AI next, and what plans does the band have for 2026?

Since you're asking about 2026, that year is already practically closed for us in terms of booking – we are done booking and are focusing on what's coming in 2027. Our main priority will, of course, be promoting the current record. After the classic CD and the limited Long Box edition, we are now preparing a cassette and a vinyl, which will again be visually pristine. We also have another music video in the works, so the fans have a lot to look forward to. Along with that, we're planning new, special merch. As for playing live, we have one or two tours in negotiation and a bunch of other gigs. And last but not least, we're telling ourselves in the band that it's time to start writing new material, so we definitely won't be bored. There's just a lot we have planned!

 

JDØS FINALE

19. A friend recently confessed to me that his "guilty pleasure" is Bon Jovi's Keep the Faith. In response, I showed him my 90s dancefloor playlist on my phone, and he realised that hell has more than one level and that shame is relative. What are your guilty pleasures that would make Enma send you straight to the deepest pit of Jigoku?

That dance floor playlist is quite the connoisseur choice :D And Keep The Faith is a super song, by the way! :-) I listen to a huge spectrum of music. If I had to pick something for myself that wouldn't exactly be expected from a goregrinder, it’s probably a fondness for Czech rap or trap. :-) You can find something to like in everything – sometimes the 'cringe level' is so high that it's actually disgusting bullshit, but somehow it magnetizes you and you just have to play it. Everyone has it differently – how about you?

20. What are you listening to, watching and reading these days?

Currently, I'm binging old British and French black-and-white detective movies. Even though I occasionally check out new releases on streaming platforms, the older I get, the more I'm drawn to old cinematography. Those movies aren't so spoon-fed; you find great details in them and they have much more depth. And reading? I have a few books set aside, but I'm saving those for the long autumn and winter evenings.

21. Is there anyone you'd like to see interviewed on JDØS? 

It would definitely be interesting to give space to concert promoters, venue managers, or dramaturgs of music events. But merch manufacturers, designers who create album covers for the music we all listen to, or music video creators are also fascinating personalities. The great thing about underground music is that the people you'd be asking usually do multiple things at once – and exactly these 'connections' and backstage ties are ultra interesting.

22. A motto or final message? 

Thanks a lot for the opportunity to “speak our minds” ;-) And a motto? Have a mind of your own, verify your sources of information, listen to music, support bands, go to gigs. Live lives off the screens. Live your lives! Thanks, Jarda and JIG-AI.

#201 Lord Belial Reviews: Solipsism - Pedagogy for the Existentially Exhausted (2026)

 

Solipsism - Pedagogy for the Existentially Exhausted (2026)
By Lord Belial

 

 „the only dance we dance
is the dance of decadence.“
Gallowswaltz, Solipsism

Je smutným fenoménom dnešnej doby, že mnohí zotrvávajú v svojich životoch, hoci po ňom už dávno netúžia. Najväčšou iróniou takejto existencie je práve to, že vôľa žiť pretrváva aj tam, kde sa vytratila vôľa tešiť sa zo života. Srdce poslušne odmeriava čas vo svojom naučenom rytme, kým telo naďalej strojovo plní príkazy z mozgu. Myseľ podvedome skúma, či ešte pod nohami nájde pevné dno. Smrť sa vtedy prestáva javiť ako nepriateľ. Človek k nej po celý život kráča, no len málokedy si prizná, že bez smrti by život nebol krajší, len by sa donekonečna odkladal. Ľudia vyčerpaní bytím sú smutnými žiakmi beznádejnej existencie. Už ich neoklamú sľuby trvalého šťastia ani predstava, že utrpenie je iba omyl, ktorý sa dá veľmi ľahko napraviť. Nádejou nech je ten zvláštny paradox človeka, že aj keď už pozná svoj koniec, každé ráno znovu vstane a na krátky okamih sa správa, akoby svet ešte stále stál za ďalší nádych. 

Musím priznať, že banskobystrický Solipsism vnímam na scéne len veľmi krátko, no stihli už u mňa zanechať veľmi silný dojem. Ich melancholicky ladený post black metal hodnotím veľmi vysoko, a to najmä po tom, čo som si vypočul ich druhý full album Pedagogy for the Existentially Exhausted (Pedagogika pre vyčerpaných bytím). Ten vyšiel na CD koncom mája v Sun & Moon Records a na ploche 50 minút prináša témy, o ktorých sa v spoločností ešte stále hovorí oveľa menej, než by sa malo. 

 

Úvodný song K pádom a vstaniam je úžasnou metalovou meditáciou o pádoch, beznádeji a neustálom hľadaní radosti v priestore, ktorý často pôsobí absurdne a bez jasných odpovedí. Namiesto prvoplánového optimizmu ponúka konfrontáciu medzi rezignáciou a vôľou pokračovať. Motívy noci, pádov a smrti vytvárajú nielen temnú lyrickú atmosféru, ale aj hudobnú; kombinujúc tradičné  blackmetalové pasáže s melancholickými je cítiť, že s ľudstvom niečo nie je v poriadku a treba to povedať nahlas, jasne a zrozumiteľne! Napriek smútku, beznádeji, bolesti a nevyhnutnému koncu má význam pokračovať, ak človek nájde svoje vlastné prečo. 

Hľadanie zmyslu žitia namiesto bezcieľneho pôžitkárstva či úniku pred prázdnotou nájdeme v prenádhernej druhej piesni Strive For Meaning. Človek nie je pasívnou obeťou, ak sa správne rozhodne, čím naplní svoj život. Ale čo ak nie? Pieseň sa nesie v o niečo pomalšom tempe s viacerými melancholickými pasážami a zúfalo vykričanom refréne  "Strive, strive, strive for meaning", ktorý dôrazne upozorňuje, že hodnoty nevznikajú len tak samovoľne, ale človek ich musí vytvárať vlastnou vôľou. Súčasne sa tu predstavuje prvý z až piatich hostí tohto albumu, ktorým je A.G. (Gergely Almasi) z Autumn Nostalgie.  Pri tomto sa na chvíľu pristavím, osobne hodnotím veľmi kladne skutočnosť, že scéna drží pohromade a kapely sa podporujú, len takto bude silnieť a prinášať nové hodnotné diela. 

Na tretej On Life’s Belongingness sa spolupodieľal dánsky hudobník, žijúci v Bratislave, Rasmus Ejlersen, známy zo svojho projektu Udånde. Rasmus na nebál nahlas hovoriť o svojich vnútorných démonoch, úzkostných stavoch a depresií, čím sa jeho účasť stáva vysoko autentickou, a tak sa k nám dostáva nekompromisná výpoveď o živote, ktorý človeka neustále skúša, zraňuje a napokon pripraví o všetko. Vykresľuje život ako nemilosrdnú milenku, ktorej človek obetuje všetko čo má napriek tomu, že vie že tento vzťah nevyhnutne vedie ku koncu. Ako kurvu, ktorú neplatí peniazmi, ale vlastnou existenciou. 

Everything is Nothing (With a Twist) sa hneď na úvod pokúša odložiť smrť a získaný čas vyplniť hýrením, kariérou, koníčkami, mechanizmami dnešnej doby, ktorými človek tak často prekrýva úzkosť z vlastnej smrteľnosti. Skladba sa, podobne ako tá predošlá, nesie prevažne v strednom tempe, znie o niečo viac old schoolovo, avšak prináša aj veľmi pestré aranžmá, ktoré v spojení s naliehavým  vokálom vytvárajú atmosféru, ktorú poslucháč musí cítiť aj bez toho, aby poznal motív. Toto je súčasne asi najsilnejšia stránka celého albumu, že znie presne tak akútne, tak brutálne autenticky, ako akútne sú myšlienky vyjadrené v textoch. Neviem, či to viem správne napísať, ale určite to tam cítim. Krásnym príkladom je krátke intermezzo Hovor so mnou, kde melancholicky zvuk klavíra a  sirény na konci vytvárajú doslova husiu kožu. Náladotvornosť Solipsism ma fascinuje! 

K samému sebe je pieseň nasiaknutá tichou bolesťou, v ktorej sa ozýva osamelosť človeka, strateného medzi spomienkami a prázdnotou. Zachytáva chvíle, keď človek bojuje s vlastnými démonmi a zostáva sám so svojou ťažobou. Samota však nemusí byť len nedostatkom spoločnosti. Metaforou vnútornej bolesti je karmínový atrament .. papier neodmieta, nesúdi, neopúšťa.  Človek môže byť obklopený davom a napriek tomu zostať absolútne izolovaný. Každý tón nesie pocit beznádeje, zvlášť akustická melancholická pasáž v druhej polovici, v ktorej zase raz Solipsism dokazuje neuveriteľnú schopnosť hudobne zhmotniť ich myšlienky. Záverečné naliehavé opakovanie „všetko je len v tvojej hlave“ to len neuveriteľným spôsobom dokazuje! K samému sebe považujem za najintímnejšiu výpoveď z celého albumu. Temná sebareflexia o návrate k sebe samému. Pretože vždy sa najväčšia prekážka aj najväčšia šanca na zmenu nachádzajú na tom istom mieste – v človeku samotnom.  Na tejto piesni hosťoval Kverd z brnenskej kapely Heiden, ktorá si prešla svojou cestou od tradičného  black metalu post black až k súčasnému rockovejšiemu štýlu, avšak vzhľadom k životným skúsenostiam samotného Kverda je jeho účasť na albume úplne prirodzená. 

Samuel z Besna a N. z Porenut hosťujú na ďalšom skvoste, V podkroví som našiel lano. Tak ako ľudia zvyknú odkladať rôzne haraburdy na povalu, rovnako odkladajú svoje starosti a žiale; avšak pred vlastnými démonmi sa nedá donekonečna utekať. Lano tu funguje ako veľmi silný ústredný symbol – najprv je obyčajným predmetom v podkroví, potom sa postupne mení na obraz traumy, bezvýchodiskovosti; a napokon jedinej možnosti úniku. Opakujúci sa refrén „V podkroví som našiel lano“ s každým opakovaním dostáva temnejší význam: od obraznej metafory, cez priznanie problému, až po vetu „A nečakám viac ráno.“ Hudobne sa song nesie v melancholickom, ťažkom tempe, skvele zhmotňujúcom jeho zúfalý motív. Pripúšťam isté korelácie s tvorbou Besna, čo je však vzhľadom k žánrovej príbuznosti a hosťovaní Samuela úplne prirodzené a vôbec ma to nevyrušuje. 

On Facing Outwards je vyše osem minútový epos, a je to bezprecedentná ukážka toho, ako ďaleko sa Solipsism posunuli vo svojej tvorbe od debutu. Z pohľadu štruktúry skladby, zmien nálad či striedaní klasických blackových pasáži s melancholickými sa jedná o najkomplexnejší song albumu, a súčasne ma necháva zvedavého, či práve takto bude vyzerať ďalšia tvorba kapely, alebo sa vyvinie niekam ďalej. Vlastne ani neviem, čo by som chcel viac;  dotiahnuť toto k dokonalosti, či nechať sa prekvapiť niečím úplne novým? Priznám sa, láka ma jedno aj druhé. Určite nebudem sklamaný! 

 

Záverečná pieseň Gallowswaltz je jednoducho úžasný hudobný zážitok! Jedná sa o metalový valčík „se vším všudy“, existenciálny tanec na hrane sebazničenia. Smiem prosiť? Ďakujem, neprosím!  Základom je apatia, depresívna úzkosť, sebazápas a fascinácia hranicou medzi životom a smrťou. Tanec na okraji priepasti. Vôbec do nej netreba spadnúť, stačí už len tanec na jej okraji, elegantný valčík na hrane vlastnej skazy. Tanec dekadencie. Už neviem, ako z toho von, tak ma len nechaj chvíľu tancovať. Lebo neustále pozeranie do vlastnej priepasti môže byť samo o sebe pascou schovanou v našich mysliach. 

Black metal býva často vnímaný ako hudba temná, extrémna a provokatívna. O to neobvyklejšie, no veľmi dôležité je, že Solipsism tento priestor využíva na niečo oveľa hlbšie – na skúmanie tém, o ktorých spoločnosť radšej mlčí. Texty o osamelosti,  psychickom utrpení, sebaklame, existenciálnej úzkosti či neustálom pohybe na hrane priepasti nie sú samoúčelnou temnotou, ale obrazom človeka, ktorý zápasí sám so sebou. Práve black metal môže byť pre takéto témy mimoriadne silným médiom. Jeho extrémnosť umožňuje hovoriť o extrémnych vnútorných stavoch bez prikrášľovania a bez potreby predstierať, že všetko bude vždy v poriadku. Takáto hudba môže pomenovať pocity, ktoré mnohí ľudia nedokážu alebo nechcú vysloviť. A už samotné pomenovanie môže byť dôležité – pretože utrpenie, o ktorom sa hovorí, prestáva byť úplne neviditeľné. Zároveň je cenné, že tieto texty neponúkajú jednoduché odpovede. Nesnažia sa rozdávať lacné rady o pozitívnom myslení. Pýtajú sa, čo s človekom urobí príliš hlboký pohľad do vlastného vnútra, kde sa končí sebapoznanie a začína sebadeštrukcia a či je možné nájsť zmysel skôr obrátením pohľadu späť k svetu. Práve táto neistota robí ich posolstvo ľudským. Vďaka za tento album, Solipsism! 

 

 

Solipsism - Pedagogy for the Existentially Exhausted (2026)
By Lord Belial 

 

„the only dance we dance
is the dance of decadence.“
Gallowswaltz, Solipsism

 
It is a sad phenomenon of our time that so many people carry on with their lives even though, deep down, they have long since stopped longing for them. The greatest irony of such an existence is that the will to live persists even where the will to enjoy life has disappeared. The heart obediently measures out time in its familiar rhythm, while the body mechanically continues to follow commands from the brain. The mind subconsciously searches for solid ground beneath its feet. Death then begins to seem less like an enemy. We spend our entire lives walking towards it, yet rarely admit that without death, life would not necessarily be more beautiful — it would merely be postponed forever. People exhausted by existence are sad students of a hopeless existence. They are no longer fooled by promises of permanent happiness or by the idea that suffering is merely some mistake that can easily be fixed. Let there be hope in that strange human paradox: even when we know how our story ends, every morning we get up again and, for a brief moment, behave as though the world were still worth another breath.

I have to admit that I have only been aware of Banská Bystrica's Solipsism for a relatively short time, but they have already managed to leave a very strong impression on me. I rate their melancholic post-black metal very highly, especially after hearing their second full-length album, Pedagogy for the Existentially Exhausted. Released on CD by Sun & Moon Records at the end of May, its 50 minutes explore subjects that society still talks about far less than it should.

The opening track, K pádom a vstaniam (To Falls and Risings), is a wonderful metal meditation on falling, hopelessness and the constant search for joy in a space that so often feels absurd and devoid of clear answers. Instead of easy optimism, it offers a confrontation between resignation and the will to carry on. Images of night, falling and death create not only a dark lyrical atmosphere but a musical one as well. Combining traditional black-metal passages with melancholic ones, you can feel that something is wrong with humanity — and that it needs to be said out loud, clearly and without ambiguity. Despite sadness, hopelessness, pain and the inevitable end, there is still a reason to carry on if you can find your own why.

The search for meaning in life, rather than aimless hedonism or an escape from emptiness, lies at the heart of the beautiful second track, Strive For Meaning. A person is not merely a passive victim if they can decide what to fill their life with. But what if they can't? The song moves at a somewhat slower pace, with several melancholic passages and the desperately screamed refrain, “Strive, strive, strive for meaning,” forcefully reminding us that values do not simply emerge on their own — we have to create them through our own will. This track also introduces the first of no fewer than five guests appearing on the album: A.G. (Gergely Almasi) of Autumn Nostalgie. I'll stop here for a moment because I personally see it as a very positive thing that the scene sticks together and bands support one another. That's how a scene grows stronger and continues producing new and worthwhile music.

The third track, On Life’s Belongingness, features Danish musician Rasmus Ejlersen, now living in Bratislava and known for his project Udånde. Rasmus has never been afraid to speak openly about his inner demons, anxiety and depression, which makes his participation feel highly authentic. What we get is an uncompromising statement about a life that constantly tests us, wounds us and eventually takes everything away. Life is portrayed as a merciless lover to whom we sacrifice everything we have, despite knowing that the relationship must inevitably end. A whore we pay not with money, but with our own existence.

Everything is Nothing (With a Twist) begins by trying to postpone death and fill the borrowed time with partying, careers, hobbies — all those mechanisms of modern life we so often use to cover up the anxiety of our own mortality. Like its predecessor, the song mostly moves at a mid-tempo pace and sounds somewhat more old-school, yet its arrangements are remarkably varied. Combined with the urgent vocals, they create an atmosphere the listener can feel without even knowing what the song is about. This is probably the greatest strength of the entire album: it sounds exactly as urgent and brutally authentic as the ideas expressed in the lyrics actually are. I'm not sure I can put it into words properly, but I can definitely feel it there. A beautiful example is the short intermezzo Hovor so mnou (Talk to Me), where the melancholic piano and the siren at the end literally give me goosebumps. Solipsism's ability to create atmosphere fascinates me!

K samému sebe (To Oneself) is soaked in quiet pain, echoing the loneliness of a person lost somewhere between memories and emptiness. It captures those moments when we fight our own demons and remain alone with the weight we carry. But loneliness does not necessarily mean the absence of other people. Crimson ink becomes a metaphor for inner pain — paper does not reject you, judge you or abandon you. A person can be surrounded by a crowd and still remain completely isolated. Every note carries a sense of hopelessness, especially the melancholic acoustic passage in the second half, where Solipsism once again demonstrate their incredible ability to turn ideas into music. The urgent repetition of “everything is only in your head” at the end proves it yet again in an extraordinary way.

I consider K samému sebe the most intimate statement on the entire album. It is a dark self-reflection about returning to oneself. Because the greatest obstacle and the greatest possibility for change are always found in exactly the same place — within ourselves. The track features Kverd from Brno's Heiden, a band whose own journey has taken them from traditional black metal through post-black metal to their present, more rock-oriented sound. Considering Kverd's own life experiences, his appearance on the album feels completely natural.

Samuel from Besna and N. from Porenut guest on another gem, V podkroví som našiel lano (I Found a Rope in the Attic). Just as people tend to dump unwanted junk in the attic, we also store away our worries and sorrows — but we cannot run from our own demons forever. The rope serves as an incredibly powerful central symbol. At first, it is merely an ordinary object lying in the attic. Gradually, it transforms into an image of trauma and hopelessness, and finally into what appears to be the only possible means of escape. The recurring refrain, “I found a rope in the attic,” grows darker with every repetition: from a figurative metaphor, through an acknowledgement of the problem, until finally arriving at the line, “And I no longer wait for morning.”

Musically, the song moves at a melancholic, heavy pace that perfectly embodies its desperate subject. I can hear certain parallels with Besna's music, but given the stylistic kinship and Samuel's guest appearance, that feels entirely natural and doesn't bother me in the slightest.

On Facing Outwards is an epic running for more than eight minutes and an unprecedented demonstration of just how far Solipsism have progressed since their debut. In terms of song structure, changes of mood and the alternation between classic black-metal passages and melancholic sections, it is the most complex track on the album. At the same time, it leaves me wondering whether this is where the band's future music is heading or whether they will evolve somewhere else entirely. Honestly, I don't even know which I'd prefer: for them to perfect this approach or to surprise me with something completely new. I admit I'm tempted by both. I'm sure I won't be disappointed!

The closing track, Gallowswaltz, is simply an incredible musical experience! It's a full-blown metal waltz — an existential dance on the edge of self-destruction. May I have this dance? Thanks, but no thanks!

At its core are apathy, depressive anxiety, inner conflict and a fascination with the boundary between life and death. A dance at the edge of the abyss. You don't even have to fall into it; dancing along its edge is enough — an elegant waltz on the brink of your own destruction. A dance of decadence. I don't know how to get out of this anymore, so just let me dance for a while. Because constantly staring into your own abyss can itself become a trap hidden somewhere inside the mind.

Black metal is often perceived as dark, extreme and provocative music. That makes it all the more unusual — and all the more important — that Solipsism use this space for something much deeper: exploring subjects that society would often prefer to keep silent about. Lyrics dealing with loneliness, psychological suffering, self-deception, existential anxiety and the constant movement along the edge of the abyss are not darkness for darkness's sake. They are a portrait of a human being struggling against themselves.

Black metal can be an extraordinarily powerful medium for precisely these subjects. Its extremity allows us to speak about extreme internal states without embellishment and without pretending that everything will always turn out fine. Music like this can give a name to feelings that many people cannot, or do not want to, put into words. And the very act of naming them can matter — because suffering that is spoken about ceases to be completely invisible.

It is equally valuable that these lyrics offer no easy answers. They do not hand out cheap advice about positive thinking. Instead, they ask what happens when a person looks too deeply inside themselves; where self-knowledge ends and self-destruction begins; and whether meaning might ultimately be found by turning our gaze back towards the world.

It is precisely this uncertainty that makes their message so human.

Thanks for this album, Solipsism!

#200 Flork! Reviews: HKSPK - Heimkehr (EP, 2026)

 

HKSPK - Heimkehr (EP, 2026)
By Flork!

Some records arrive with unfortunate timing while others seem to acquire an entirely different atmosphere because of it.  As I sit in my corner office of the offices of JDØS and look out at the skyline of Bratislava, I recall that it is September 11, 2026, the 25th anniversary of the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York, and it is impossible for me to listen to Heimkehr today without that date hanging over the experience. And while there is no reason to assume the date was chosen to evoke the attacks, HKSPK‘s music has an unsettling ability to bring back images I remember seeing on the news that day: smoke rising above Manhattan, buildings collapsing, streets filled with people running, and the bewildering experience of watching something horrific unfold live on television. But the release date of Heimkehr is likely more coincidental, as the album‘s lyrical terrain draws on themes of war, loss, friendship (also the demise of friendship), revenge, despair, memory, and certainly mental exhaustion (this one sums up the album best).

Coming from the Northern German state of Brandenburg, HKSPK, or Hello Kitti Scum Porn Killer, the trio formed in 2023, and their particular collision of Black and Death Metal, Doom, melody, and punk directness provides an unlikely, yet fitting soundtrack for those memories. The title Heimkehr, which means „homecoming” or „the return home”, provides the album its emotional centre. To be clear, this is not a „prodigal son“ type of journey back to familiar surroundings, but rather a return of someone who has been altered and slightly destroyed by what they have experienced. Tracks like Torture, Kill the Weak, and Rot in Despair make their intentions clear enough, yet the album is considerably more interesting than its blunt titles might suggest. There is a human thread underneath the aggression, especially in the themes of memory, loss, and also seeking revenge. The band leaves room for the absurdity of the world around them as well, preventing the album from becoming one long exercise in miserable seriousness. For example, Sonnenjaeger and Rain in the Face strengthen the emotional palette, while the title track ultimately brings the album‘s ideas of return and aftermath into focus. And so, instead of functioning as a conventional concept album, Heimkehr is undoubtedly a collection of memories and stories, even impressions that have all been filtered through the band‘s worldview. The result is the description of an existence fragmented in various places, although that fragmentation is certainly forgiven. Memories rarely appear in neat, chronological order.

 

And the music? The individual tracks reveal just how much ground HKSPK cover in such a short space. Prelude is an ominous introduction, creating an atmosphere before the album properly erupts. It feels less like a conventional song than the opening of a dark narrative, presenting the path to the listener and inviting them to take the intial step. Torture then delivers the first real assault: it is fast, hostile, and direct, with the kind of raw vocal attack that makes the song feel genuinely uncomfortable rather than theatrically brutal. Tracks like White Secretions or Sonnenjaeger (Sun Hunter) continue that aggression while demonstrating the band‘s heavier Death Metal side.  Their blunt force is balanced by enough rhythmic variation to keep things moving at a heavy pace. Sonnenjaeger is more intriguing still, since it shifts the mood and allows the band‘s German-language material to add another dimension to the album (although I can’t really tell the difference due to the raunchiness of the vocals, but I’m sure demons and other evil spirits aren’t limited to screaming in English). But I really liked this track, as well as Kill the Weak, which is perhaps the album‘s most immediate punk-inflected moment, because of its brevity and confrontational directness that make it difficult to not respond physically. All of these tracks convince me that HKSPK are at their best when they stop worrying about genre boundaries. Take for example Heimkehr, the six-minute title track and emotional destination of the record. I get the impression that the music has finally arrived at the place suggested by its title, although there is really nothing comforting about the journey‘s end. The track gradually accumulates weight, melody, and atmosphere, bringing together the themes of memory, loss, friendship, and the consequences of violence. Even the closing moments feel more like resignation rather than resolution. But this kind of progression is one of the album‘s strongest qualities. Black Metal supplies the coldness, Death Metal the muscle, Doom the sense of collapse, and punk the directness. The production at Room13 also leaves enough roughness intact to preserve HKSPK‘s underground identity. Written and produced entirely by the band, Heimkehr sounds self-contained and unpolished in precisely the right places. At roughly 25 minutes, it also knows when to stop.

And Flork‘s prognosis? Listening to Heimkehr on September 11th inevitably colours the experience for me, since there are moments when the combination of distorted guitars and an increasingly ominous atmosphere bring those old television images back with uncomfortable clarity. But to be honest, the album is not just a soundtrack to catastrophe, but instead, its real subject focuses on aftermath: what people carry with them, the things they remember, what they lose and whether returning home can ever mean returning to who they were. The closing title track gives that idea a fittingly unresolved conclusion. On an anniversary already filled with memories of smoke, fire, loss and bewilderment, Heimkehr makes for an unexpectedly powerful companion. It is a short, bruising journey and, appropriately enough, one that leaves me wanting to take the trip again.

#199 Tom/EZR Reviews 4xMC Tapes: Beherit / Calques & Maltheist / VEC / Neurosis // September 2026

 

Píšem na pokračovanie o kazetách zo svojej zbierky a JDØS Distra. Výbery sú väčšinou náhodné, podľa momentálnej nálady. Niekedy sa snažím písať recenziu a niekedy len tak úvahy o albume pri jeho počúvaní. Kontakt s fyzickým nosičom je pre mňa kľúčový - ak chcete, aby som sa zamyslel aj nad vašou tvorbou, pošlite mi kazetu. Ak vás text v tomto článku z nejakého dôvodu osloví, môžete podporiť label JDØS nákupom v distre - ceny sú odporúčané a orientačné - napíšte mi koľko ste ochotní dať za čokoľvek vás zaujme. Dík za support a feedback, Tom/EZR

 

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SEPTEMBER 2026:

 

1. Beherit - The Oath of Black Blood (1990/2020, Nuclear War Now!)
2. Calques/Maltheist - Split (2021, Orb Tapes) ... IN DISTRO
3. V.E.C. - Mental Dental (1998/2026, Monastyr Records) ... IN DISTRO
4. Neurosis - An Undying Love For a Burning World (2026, Neurot Recordings)

  

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Beherit - The Oath of Black Blood (1990/2020)

Krajina: FI; MC Vydavateľstvo: Nuclear War Now! (ANTI-GOTH 500); 
Zoznam Skladieb: A1 Intro: Temple A2 Metal of Death A3 The Oath of Black Blood A4 Grave Desecration A5 Witchcraft A6 Goat Worship A7 Demonomancy B1 Black Mass Prayer B2 Beast of Damnation B3 Hail Sathanas B4 Dawn of Satan's Millenium  Celkový čas 25:59

V rukách mám americkú poctu kultovému albumu Beherit, ktorú na kazete s katalógovým číslom ANTI-GOTH 500 vydal label Nuclear War Now! pri príležitosti 30. výročia jeho prvého vydania. Toto je opradené legendami, ktoré si v skratke pripomenieme. Beherit založili traja mladí Fíni žijúci v meste Rovaniemi blízko polárneho kruhu s hrozivo temnými pseudonymami Nuclear Holocausto Vengeance (gitara, spev), Sodomatic Slaughter (bicie) a Daemon Fornication (basa). Pseudonymy, vizuál a aj hudba boli inšpirované Kanaďanmi Blasphemy a Brazílcami Sarcófago.  

Beherit v roku 1990 nahrali demo Demonomancy a EP Dawn of Satan's Millenium, ktoré na promo kazetách rozposlali UG labelom. Na tie zareagoval mladý Nemecký label Turbo, ktorý ponúkol kapele zmluvu na LP a poslal im menšie než malé množstvo finančných prostriedkov, ktoré údajne kapela utratila namiesto štúdia za alkohol. Turbo následne bez súhlasu kapely vydali album The Oath of Black Blood s demom Demonomancy na jednej strane a EP Dawn of Satan's Millenium na strane druhej - s pôvodným promo zvukom bez akýchkoľvek úprav ako kompenzáciu za chýbajúci nový materiál. 

Kvôli tejto kontroverzii sa The Oath of Black Blood spomína skôr ako kompilácia a nie ako legitímne oficiálne vydanie. Čo kapela a ani vydavateľstvo zrejme v čase vydania The Oath of Black Blood netušili, bolo aký kultový status album dosiahne. V čase, keď boli na vrchole metalového UG death metalové kapely, ktoré na vznikajúci druhú blackmetalovú vlnu pozerali zhora, bez rešpektu a často s neskrývaným posmechom, mohlo vydanie albumu so surovým a zlým zvukom a rôznymi nedokonalosťami znamenať koniec kariéry mladých hudobníkov. Asi nikto nečakal, že vydanie The Oath of Black Blood bude znamenať pravý opak, a že Beherit napriek všetkému s týmto vydaním položia základy nového extrémneho žánru - bestial black/war metal, ktorý žije dodnes. 

 

 

Na rozdiel od pôvodného vydania so zvukom, na ktorý Nemci Turbo v roku 1991 použili promo kazetu a nie master zo štúdia, americký label Nuclear War Now! spolupracoval s Nuclear Holocausto Vengeanceom, ktorý  vydavateľstvu dodal pôvodný master. Tento bol zreštaurovaný, následne remastrovaný a použitý pre potreby nového vydania. O vizuál sa postaral Dan Fried, známy aj z US doomovej kapely Mortiferum, a spravil ho rešpektujúc estetiku UG kazetových vydaní zo začiatku 90. rokov. Kazeta vyšla v luxusnom prevedení so štvorpanelovým bookletom, kde na vnútornej strane je fotografia s dvojicou Nuclear Holocausto Vengeance a Sodomatic Slaughter. 

Čo sa týka dojmov z hudby, tak o mojom prvom stretnutí s The Oath of Black Blood som napísal pár slov v prvom dieli série A Blaze Through the Vinyl Collection - a všetko platí dodnes. Album sa začína dvoma údermi hromu a končí zvukom organu, ktorý prejde do digitálnej odoznievajúcej ozveny. Všetko medzi tým je mágia, ktorá okrem toho, že prepíše estetické nastavenie jedného teenagera na celý život, obsahuje v sebe esenciu, ktorá vytvára nové žánre a subkultúry, ktoré sa ďalej mutujú v čase a priestore s jasným odkazom na svoju pôvodnú DNA. Interpretov a albumov, ktoré vznikajú len tak niekde na okraji diania a bez väčších ambícií no majú tento magický potenciál je podľa mňa v posledných rokoch ako šafranu (budem veľmi rád ak ma vyvediete z omylu - pošlite mi vaše tipy prípadne nahrávky). Ďakujem, že som mohol byť prítomný v čase vzniku prísahy čiernej krvi a sledovať jej tok naprieč dekádami až sem.  

 

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Calques/Maltheist - Split (2021)

Krajina: US; MC Vydavateľstvo: Orb Tapes (OT_146); 
Zoznam Skladieb: A1 Calques - Consumed A2 Calques - Expiring Mind B1 Maltheist - Subserve B2 Maltheist - Toil B3 Maltheist - Weak Flesh (Godflesh cover) Celkový čas 28:55
 

Moja cesta ku kazetovému splitku dvoch amerických telies Calques a Maltheist bola zaujímavá. Niekedy v zime som si od slovinského labelu Rope or Guillotine kúpil kazetu americkej funeral doom kapely Depleted - Failing (2023). Depleted som predtým nepoznal a na stránke ROG som vyberal podľa obalu - rovnako ako v 90. rokoch z výkladu v pololegálnom kazetovom obchode v Nowom Targu. Failing na mňa zapôsobil hneď pri prvom posluchu - jednalo sa o precítený doom so skvelým zvukom, ktorý som vzápätí recenzoval a tiež napísal kapele či nemá záujem o interview. Na e-mail mi odpovedal Matt Sullivan - recka sa mu páčila a s interview súhlasil. Zároveň mi poslal poštou z Portlandu v Oregone, USA aj balíček s kazetami - medzi nimi aj najnovší album Depleted, ale aj Mattove iné projekty ako Maltheist alebo noiseový Red Boiling Springs.

Dnes už vypredané splitko Calques a Maltheist vyšlo 30. júla 2021 na labeli Orb Tapes z Pennsylvánie, USA v náklade 50 kusov. Orb Tapes definuje svoje portfólio ako "okrajová hudba na fyzických nosičoch" a zameriava sa na kapely prepájajúce extrémny metal, grind, noise, sludge a ktorým záleží na DIY kazetovej kultúre. Prvá z dvoch kapiel Calques je pre mňa tajomnejšia pretože som nezistil odkiaľ pochádzajú a či hrajú aj v iných projektoch. Jej členovia sa však podieľali na zvukovom a grafickom prevedení splitka. Calques prispeli dvoma skladbami, ktoré trvajú 17 minút a majú blízko k prieniku pomalého experimentálneho sludge s harsh noise. Dlhé skladby fungujú cez opakovanie a postupné vrstvenie, ktoré kapela balí do tajomnej atmosféry plnej pochmúrneho napätia. Toto vytvára prenikavá, vysoko položená gitara na podklade hlbokých sludgeových riffov, do ktorých spevák vrieska skresleným vokálom. 

Na druhej strane prispeli troma kratšími skladbami Maltheist, ktorí majú blízko k old-school death-grindu. Ten je však spomalený, riffy sú úderné, rázne, plné hnevu. Z pozadia k riffom preznieva noise, ktorý sa stišuje a zosilňuje ako vlny oceánu a vytvára dynamickú atmosféru nahrávky. Vokál Maltheist je extrémne nízko posadený deathový growl, ktorý v kombinácii s riffmi, noiseovým hlukom a bicími vsuvkami smrdí hnilobou starých časov. Ako tretí song si kapela vybrala cover legendárnych Godflesh, ktorý industriálnu-noise-sludge líniu zvýrazní ešte viac. 

Na záver opis ešte jednej cesty alebo skôr premostenia. Ako som už spomenul, Maltheist je Mattov skorší death-grindový projekt, z ktorého sa časom posunul do melodickejšej tvorby Depleted. Po skúsenosti s pomalou, ale melodickou tvorbou Depleted, začal Matt experimentovať s doomovejšími, ale viac noise orientovanými prvkami aj v Maltheist. Toto smerovanie sa po prvý krát bjavilo až na tomto splite. Za mňa sú oba projekty Depleted a Maltheist vysokokvalitným prínosom do sveta Pomalej, Hlbokej a Ťažkej hudby (Green man approves) a som vďačný za náhody, vďaka ktorým sa mi otvárajú staronové cesty a premostenia k neznámym príbehom zo sveta undergroundu. 

 

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V.E.C. - Mental Dental (1998/2026)

Krajina: SK; MC Vydavateľstvo: Monastyr Records (STYR-100); 
Zoznam Skladieb: A1 New Art: The Crushing Symphony A2 Scrawl Down A3 Which Way to Go? A4 Cry For Nothing A5 Yourself A6 Perfect A7 Real Look A8 Citizen X A9 About Girls A10 Platonic Letter for Karyn A11 Society A12 My Ego A13 Psychical Bastard A14 Blues... A15 Vodka, rum a zelená  Celkový čas 23:02
 

Písal sa rok 1998 a na Slovensku podľa miestnych kronikárov prebiehala už asi tretia vlna grindcoru. Žáner, ktorý sa zrodil v polovici 80. rokov v UK, u nás prakticky s minimálnym oneskorením odpálili Lues de Funes, Abortion, Mentally Parasites a Obliterate (EP posledných menovaných, nahrané v reinkarnovanej zostave, vyšlo v roku 2025 na JDØS ako split so Samorast).

Začiatkom 90. rokov si grindové vplyvy čoraz výraznejšie osvojovali aj deathmetalisti. V podstate tak kopírovali vývoj v rodisku žánru, kde sa grindcore zo svojej pôvodnej hardcore/crustovej kolísky začal prelievať do deathmetalových vôd - stačí si porovnať prvé nahrávky Napalm Death s Harmony Corruption alebo raných Carcass s Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious. Súdiac podľa dobových tričiek, kaziet a katalógu Earache Records (ktorý mi v rokoch 1990-1991 chodil do schránky každý mesiac), nemalý podiel na tom mal aj US death metal, predovšetkým floridská scéna.

 

Aj na Slovensku tak v priebehu 90. rokov vyrástla pomerne silná základňa deathmetalových a death/grindových kapiel. Grind sa na chvíľu akoby nasťahoval k death metalu - aby sa potom z jeho útrob ku koncu dekády opäť vynorili aj nové, punkovejšie mutácie. A presne niekde tam sa objavili V.E.C. zo Žiliny, ktorých vznik sa datuje niekedy do roku 1998. Podľa vlastných slov, boli V.E.C. štyria teenageri očarovaní grindom a death metalom, ktoré nasávali teoretické skúsenosti v skúšobniach iných kapiel. Po tom ako dali dokopy kapelu spevák Miško a bubeník Milan, prizvali si na gitaru Ivana a výmenou basáka sa ku nim dostal aj Dano. 

V.E.C. koncertovali v Žiline a okolí, hlavne na študentských koncertoch a rôznych prehliadkach kapiel. Používali na tú dobu netradičné kostýmy, spevák Miško si balil hlavu do fólie a spieval do trúbky, robil sa stage diving a lámali sa kosti interpretov. Väčšia odviazanosť kapely, než na akú boli doboví organizátori pripravení, viedla neraz k predčasnému ukončeniu vystúpenia. Inými slovami - skoro zovšadiaľ ich vyhodili. 

Demo Mental Dental vzniklo v septembri 1998 v skúšobni v Trnovom pri Žiline spôsobom, ktorý vystihuje dobu aj samotnú kapelu. Pätnásť skladieb nahrali V.E.C. naživo, ako na obyčajnej skúške, viac-menej na prvý pokus. Odmenou pre zvukára bola fľaša - presnejšie jeden liter - borovičky. Deväťdesiatky zhrnuté do jednej vety.

Samotný materiál je drsný a neučesaný. Grindcore sa tu mieša s noisecore, punkom, hardcore a death metalom, pričom z toho celého cítiť ducha improvizácie a mladíckej bezprostrednosti. V.E.C. nehrajú technický death/grind, ktorý sa v druhej polovici 90. rokov čoraz viac stával štandardom extrémneho metalu. Mental Dental je skôr impromptu zrážka Terrorizer, Brutal Truth alebo Exit-13 s punkovým bordelom Anal Cunt a Meat Shits. Do toho pozorné ucho poznačené roky trvajúcim tinnitusom zachytí v skladbe My Ego riff, ktorý akoby z oka vypadol skladbe Freezing Moon od istej nemenovanej kapely z Nórska (pošlite mi jej meno a vyhrajte last minute zájazd prstom na mape na Kubu).

Prešlo skoro 30 rokov a z Miška je Michal, respektíve M., známy ako zakladateľ a frontman seriózneho projektu Zmyrna, raziaceho stredoveký black metal ovplyvnený reálnymi udalosťami zachytenými v dobových listinách. Stojí tiež za mikrolabelom Monastyr Records, ktorý sa špecializuje na blackmetalový a darkambientný underground.

Michal doma nedávno našiel pôvodný master Mental Dental na kazete a nechal ho zvukovo zreštaurovať a zremastrovať v krakovskom štúdiu Krypta. Do skladieb sa tak po rokoch vrátil pôvodne chýbajúci low-end. Mental Dental následne vydal na svojom labeli na kazete v limitovanom náklade 50 kusov a pripomenul nám tak časť histórie slovenského undergroundu, ktorá by inak zrejme ostala stratená.

 

 

Na úplný záver prosba. Michal momentálne zvádza ťažký boj s vážnou chorobou, ktorá mu okrem iného výrazne obmedzuje možnosť pracovať a zabezpečiť si prostriedky na bežný život. Ak vás V.E.C., Zmyrna alebo tento text oslovili, zvážte, prosím, jeho podporu.

Support links & Bank details: 
Revolut: https://revolut.me/michalcetera 
PayPal (friends/family): zmyrnablackmetal@gmail.com 
CZK bank account: 5357227083/0800 CZ60 0800 0000 0053 5722 7083 GIBACZPX Michal Cetera 
EUR bank account: SK60 0200 0000 0025 8499 0958 SUBASKBX 
Michal Cetera Distro & Zmyrna merch: https://monastyrmetal.bigcartel.com 

 

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Neurosis - An Undying Love for a Burning World (2026)

Krajina: US; MC Vydavateľstvo: Neurot Recordings (NR 138); 
Zoznam Skladieb: A1 We Are Torn Wide Open A2 Mirror Deep A3 First Red Rays A4 Blind A5 Seething and Scattered B1 Untethered B2 In the Waiting Hours B3 Last Light Celkový čas 1:03:30 

Do počúvania nového albumu Neurosis, ktorý vyšiel po desiatich rokoch, som sa pustil bez toho, aby som si vyhľadal akýkoľvek kontext alebo informácie o kapele či vzniku nahrávky. Čiže okrem všeobecne známych faktov, ako je počet rokov od posledného albumu a zmeny v zostave, v tomto momente neviem nič. Nasadzujem slúchadlá a idem na to.

 

Tempo skladieb je primárne pomalé až stredne rýchle. Bicie sú usadené, strojovo presné, no napriek tomu komplexné a inovatívne. Miestami, hlavne v protirytmických pasážach, dokonca navodzujú dojem industriálneho metalu v štýle starých Ministry. Akustické a čisté plochy, v ktorých vyniká s citom zahraná gitara, sa striedajú so sludgeovými riffmi tnúcimi do živého mäsa. Repetitívne pasáže sa vrstva po vrstve stupňujú, vytvárajú rozsiahle hudobné plochy a následne sa trieštia o agresívne, sekané post-HC výbuchy.

Celá táto dynamika je podliata samplami a synthom ako zapečená cuketa v sójovej omáčke. Práve elektronické a krautrockové elementy posúvajú feeling kapely k akejsi dystopickej nostalgii. Tak ako My Dying Bride kedysi v hradnej veži smútili za mladou kráskou, ktorá pri milostnej predohre vypadla z okna, Neurosis sedia na obhorenej verande a s jointom v elektronickej cigarete smútia nad zničenou krajinou po nukleárnej apokalypse.

Basa a gitary sa navzájom dopĺňajú a kombinujú melodické, na akordoch postavené mohutné riffy s vyhrávkami, vybrnkávačkami a basovými zbehmi po hmatníku oboma smermi. Do toho neustále presakuje atmosférická elektronika. V akustických pasážach sa vynára na povrch, aby sa pri sludgeových výbuchoch opäť ponorila do tmavej kaluže, z ktorej pulzuje, prebubláva a neustále vábi poslucháčovu pozornosť.

Jej využitie je pritom prekvapivo rozmanité - od melodických zvukov pripomínajúcich 80. roky cez krautrock až po moderné beaty, pri ktorých mi miestami napadne dubstep či bass music. Podobne rozmanité sú vokály. Občas mám dokonca pocit, akoby na albume spievalo niekoľko rôznych ľudí: od hlbokého hrdelného revu a NOLA sludge štekotu cez melodický spev až po harsh vokálové sample. Všetko je pritom zasadené do hudby podľa momentálnej dynamiky a atmosféry.

Objavia sa dokonca vrstvené melodické sludgeové duety mužského a ženského hlasu, ktoré na elektronickom podmaze vo mne vzdialene - a v dobrom - vyvolávajú asociáciu na starých Ulver z obdobia Blood Inside.

Najviac ma však prekvapuje nečakane pozitívna, miestami až optimistická melodika, ktorá pretkáva disharmonické sludgeové riffy. Neurosis tak proti sebe neustále stavajú dve nálady - nádej a bezvýchodiskovosť, pokoj a násilie, svetlo a spálenú zem.

Pri prvom posluchu mám zároveň pocit, že album postupne oťažieva. Z melodickejších úvodných skladieb sa pomaly prepadáva hlbšie do sludge a miestami až noiseových pasáží, ktoré vo mne vyvolávajú rastúce napätie a akúsi predtuchu konca. Posledná skladba je zároveň najťažšou na albume. Podladené skreslené riffy a spätné väzby tlačia na ušné bubienky v pomalom bahennom tempe, všetko hustne, vrství sa a tlačí dopredu, až zrazu príde katarzia.

Koniec.

Spásonosné ticho.

Tak a dopočúvané jest. Otváram internet a googlim. 10 rokov, Scott Kelly je preč a Aaron Turner (SUMAC, Isis) je dnu. Okamžite zapadol - pred 30 rokmi podľa vlastných slov vďaka Neurosis objavil hudbu, teraz sa stal spolutvorcom jej najnovšieho smerovania. Album vznikal viac menej potajomky počas troch víkendov v štúdiu. Mixoval sa tri dni a na švrtý vstal z mixpultu. Žiadne ohlásenie, proste album bol jedného dňa, konrétne šesť týždňov po jeho nahratí von. Kapela spomína témy albumu ako klimatická kríza, masové vymieranie, úzkosť, izolácia a smútok. Medzi piatym a šiestym masovým vymieraním ubehlo 66 miliónov rokov, medzi jedenástym a dvanástym albumom Neurosis ubehlo desať rokov. 

Odkedy som sa stal fanúšikom Neurosis, ubehla jedna hodina, tri minúty a tridsať sekúnd. 

 

I’m writing an ongoing series about tapes from my collection and the JDØS Distro. The selections are mostly random, depending on my mood at the moment. Sometimes I try to write a proper review, other times they’re just thoughts about an album while listening to it. Having physical contact with the release is essential for me – if you want me to give some thought to your music too, send me a tape. If something in this article speaks to you for whatever reason, you can support the JDØS label by picking something up from the distro – prices are suggested and indicative, so just let me know how much you’re willing to pay for whatever catches your interest. Thanks for the support and feedback, Tom/EZR
 

 

The Oath of the Black Blood (1990/2020)

In my hands I have an American tribute to the cult Beherit album, released on cassette by Nuclear War Now! under catalogue number ANTI-GOTH 500 to mark the 30th anniversary of its original release. The story behind it is wrapped in legends, which are worth briefly revisiting.

Beherit were formed by three young Finns living in Rovaniemi, close to the Arctic Circle, and hiding behind the menacing pseudonyms Nuclear Holocausto Vengeance (guitar, vocals), Sodomatic Slaughter (drums), and Daemon Fornication (bass). Their pseudonyms, visual aesthetic, and music were inspired by Canada's Blasphemy and Brazil's Sarcófago. In 1990, Beherit recorded the Demonomancy demo and the Dawn of Satan's Millenium EP, sending promotional tapes to underground labels. One of those who responded was the young German label Turbo, which offered the band a deal for an LP and sent them a small advance. Allegedly, instead of spending the money on studio time, the band spent it on alcohol. Turbo subsequently released The Oath of Black Blood without the band's consent, putting the Demonomancy demo on one side and the Dawn of Satan's Millenium EP on the other, using the promo cassette sound without any further treatment as compensation for the missing new material.

Because of this controversy, The Oath of Black Blood is generally regarded more as a compilation than a legitimate official album. What neither the band nor the label probably realised at the time was just how much of a cult status The Oath of Black Blood would eventually achieve. At a time when death metal bands ruled the metal underground and tended to look down on the emerging second wave of black metal with little respect and often open ridicule, releasing an album with such a raw, ugly sound and all its various imperfections could easily have meant the end of the young musicians' career. Probably nobody expected The Oath of Black Blood to have exactly the opposite effect, and that despite everything, Beherit would use this release to lay the foundations of a new extreme genre – bestial black/war metal – that remains alive to this day.

Unlike the original release, for which Germany's Turbo used a promotional cassette rather than the studio master in 1991, the American label Nuclear War Now! collaborated with Nuclear Holocausto Vengeance, who supplied the original master. It was restored, subsequently remastered, and used as the source for the new edition. The artwork was handled by Dan Fried, also known from the US doom band Mortiferum, who approached it with respect for the aesthetics of underground cassette releases from the early 1990s. The tape comes in a deluxe edition with a four-panel booklet, the inside featuring a photograph of Nuclear Holocausto Vengeance and Sodomatic Slaughter.

As for my impressions of the music, I already wrote a few words about my first encounter with The Oath of Black Blood in the first part of the A Blaze Through the Vinyl Collection series – and everything I wrote back then still applies today. The album begins with two thunderclaps and ends with the sound of an organ dissolving into a fading digital echo. Everything in between is magic. The kind of magic that, besides permanently rewiring the aesthetic sensibilities of one teenager, contains within itself an essence capable of creating entirely new genres and subcultures, which continue to mutate across time and space while carrying an unmistakable trace of their original DNA.

Artists and albums like this – emerging almost accidentally somewhere on the fringes, without any grand ambitions, yet ultimately changing everything around them – have become incredibly rare in recent years. I'm grateful that I was there when it appeared and that I've been able to follow its journey all the way to where it is today.

 

⏭️ ⏭️  

 

&

 

Split (2021)  

My journey towards this cassette split by two American entities, Calques and Maltheist, was an interesting one. Sometime last winter, I bought a tape by the American funeral doom band Depleted – Failing (2023) – from the Slovenian label Rope or Guillotine. I hadn't known Depleted before and picked the tape purely by its cover on the ROG website – pretty much the same way I used to choose tapes from the window of a semi-legal cassette shop in Nowy Targ back in the 90s. Failing grabbed me immediately on the first listen – deeply felt doom with an excellent sound, which I reviewed shortly afterwards. I also contacted the band to ask whether they'd be interested in an interview. Matt Sullivan replied to my email – he liked the review and agreed to the interview. At the same time, he sent me a package of tapes all the way from Portland, Oregon, USA. Among them was the latest Depleted album, but also some of Matt's other projects, including Maltheist and the noise project Red Boiling Springs.

The now sold-out Calques / Maltheist split was released on July 30, 2021, by Orb Tapes from Pennsylvania, USA, in a limited edition of 50 copies. Orb Tapes defines its catalogue as "fringe music on physical media" and focuses on bands operating somewhere between extreme metal, grind, noise and sludge, while maintaining a strong connection to DIY cassette culture.

The first of the two bands, Calques, remains the more mysterious one to me, as I wasn't able to find out where they come from or whether its members are involved in any other projects. They did, however, contribute to both the sound and visual presentation of the split. Calques offer two tracks spanning 17 minutes and inhabiting the space where slow experimental sludge collides with harsh noise. The lengthy compositions work through repetition and gradual layering, wrapped in a mysterious atmosphere full of bleak tension. This is created by piercing, high-pitched guitar hovering over deep sludge riffs, while distorted screams cut their way through the whole thing.

On the other side, Maltheist contribute three shorter tracks rooted in old-school death/grind. Here, however, everything is slowed down. The riffs are blunt, forceful and filled with anger. Noise seeps through from behind them, rising and falling like ocean waves and creating a constantly shifting atmosphere throughout the recording. Maltheist's vocals are an extremely low death-metal growl which, combined with the riffs, walls of noise and bursts of drums, reeks of the rot of old times. For their third track, the band chose to cover the legendary Godflesh, pushing the industrial/noise/sludge connection even further to the foreground.

To finish, let me describe one more journey – or perhaps, more accurately, another bridge between different paths. As mentioned earlier, Maltheist is Matt's earlier death/grind project, from which he gradually moved towards the more melodic world of Depleted. After experiencing the slower but more melodic approach of Depleted, Matt began experimenting with doomier, yet more noise-oriented elements within Maltheist as well. This direction appeared for the first time on this split.

For me, both Depleted and Maltheist are high-quality contributions to the world of Slow, Deep and Heavy music – Green Man approves – and I'm grateful for those little accidents and coincidences that keep opening old-new paths and building unexpected bridges towards unknown stories from the underground.

 

⏭️ ⏭️  

 

 

Mental Dental (1998/2026)

It was 1998, and according to local chroniclers, Slovakia was already going through something like its third wave of grindcore. The genre, born in the UK in the mid-80s, arrived here with practically no delay, ignited by Lues de Funes, Abortion, Mentally Parasites, and Obliterate (an EP by the latter, recorded by their reincarnated line-up, was released in 2025 on JDØS as a split with Samorast).

By the beginning of the 90s, death metal bands were increasingly absorbing grind influences as well. In a way, they were simply following the evolution taking place in the genre's birthplace, where grindcore had begun spilling out of its original hardcore/crust cradle and into death metal waters – just compare the early Napalm Death recordings with Harmony Corruption, or early Carcass with Necroticism – Descanting the Insalubrious. Judging by the T-shirts, tapes, and Earache Records catalogues of the time (which used to arrive in my mailbox every month in 1990–1991), US death metal – and the Florida scene in particular – played no small part in this development.

Throughout the 90s, Slovakia likewise developed a fairly strong base of death metal and death/grind bands. For a while, grind seemed to have moved in with death metal – only for new, more punk-oriented mutations to crawl back out of its guts towards the end of the decade. And it was somewhere around this point that V.E.C. from Žilina appeared, their beginnings dating back to sometime in 1998. In their own words, V.E.C. were four teenagers fascinated by grind and death metal, soaking up theoretical experience in the rehearsal rooms of other bands. After vocalist Miško and drummer Milan put the band together, they brought in Ivan on guitar, and following a change of bassist, Dano joined the line-up as well.

V.E.C. played shows in Žilina and the surrounding area, mainly at student gigs and various band showcases. They wore costumes that were rather unusual for the time, vocalist Miško wrapped his head in plastic foil and sang through a tube, there was stage diving, and performers' bones occasionally got broken. The band's level of wildness was often somewhat beyond what local promoters of the time were prepared for, resulting in their performances being cut short on more than one occasion. In other words – they got thrown out of almost everywhere.

The Mental Dental demo was recorded in September 1998 in a rehearsal room in Trnové near Žilina, in a way that perfectly captures both the era and the band itself. V.E.C. recorded its fifteen tracks live, like an ordinary rehearsal, more or less on the first attempt. The sound engineer's payment was a bottle – or, to be precise, one litre – of borovička. The 90s summed up in a single sentence.

The material itself is raw and unpolished. Grindcore collides with noisecore, punk, hardcore and death metal, while the whole thing carries a spirit of improvisation and youthful spontaneity. V.E.C. don't play the technical death/grind that was increasingly becoming the standard of extreme metal during the second half of the 90s. Mental Dental is more like an impromptu collision of Terrorizer, Brutal Truth, or Exit-13 with the punk filth of Anal Cunt and Meat Shits. On top of that, an attentive ear damaged by years of tinnitus might catch a riff in My Ego that sounds suspiciously like the one in Freezing Moon by a certain unnamed band from Norway (send me their name and win a last-minute finger-on-the-map holiday to Cuba).

Almost 30 years have passed, and Miško is now Michal – or M. – known as the founder and frontman of the serious project Zmyrna, playing medieval black metal influenced by real events documented in historical records. He is also behind the micro-label Monastyr Records, specialising in the black metal and dark ambient underground.

Michal recently found the original Mental Dental master tape at home and had it sonically restored and remastered at Krypta Studio in Kraków. As a result, the originally missing low-end finally found its way back into the songs after all these years. Mental Dental was subsequently released on cassette through his own label in a limited edition of 50 copies, bringing back to life a piece of Slovak underground history that would otherwise most likely have remained lost.

And finally, a request. Michal is currently fighting a difficult battle with a serious illness which, among other things, significantly limits his ability to work and earn enough to cover his everyday living expenses. If V.E.C., Zmyrna, or this text have struck a chord with you, please consider supporting him.


Support links & Bank details:
Revolut: https://revolut.me/michalcetera
PayPal (friends/family): zmyrnablackmetal@gmail.com
CZK bank account: 5357227083/0800 CZ60 0800 0000 0053 5722 7083 GIBACZPX Michal Cetera
EUR bank account: SK60 0200 0000 0025 8499 0958 SUBASKBX
Michal Cetera Distro & Zmyrna merch: https://monastyrmetal.bigcartel.com

 

 

⏭️ ⏭️ 

 

 

 

An Undying Love for a Burning World (2026)

 

I started listening to the new Neurosis album, released after a ten-year gap, without looking up any context or information about the band or how the record came together. So apart from the generally known facts, like the number of years since the last album and the changes in the line-up, at this point I know nothing. Headphones on. Here we go.

The songs move primarily at a slow to mid-paced tempo. The drums are grounded and machine-precise, yet still complex and inventive. At times, especially during the counter-rhythmic passages, they even evoke the industrial metal of old Ministry. Acoustic and clean passages, where the sensitively played guitar comes to the fore, alternate with sludge riffs cutting straight into living flesh. Repetitive passages build layer upon layer, creating vast musical landscapes before shattering against aggressive, chopped-up post-HC eruptions.

All this dynamics is drenched in samples and synth like baked zucchini in soy sauce. It is precisely these electronic and krautrock elements that push the band's feeling towards a kind of dystopian nostalgia. Just as My Dying Bride once mourned in a castle tower for a young beauty who fell out of a window during some amorous foreplay, Neurosis sit on a charred veranda, a joint stuck into an electronic cigarette, mourning the devastated landscape left behind by a nuclear apocalypse.

Bass and guitars complement each other, combining massive melodic, chord-based riffs with guitar leads, picked passages and bass runs travelling up and down the fretboard. Atmospheric electronics constantly seep through it all. During the acoustic passages they rise to the surface, only to sink back into a dark puddle during the sludge eruptions, pulsing and bubbling from underneath, constantly luring the listener's attention.

The way electronics are used is surprisingly diverse – from melodic sounds reminiscent of the 80s through krautrock to modern beats that occasionally make me think of dubstep or bass music. The vocals are equally varied. At times I even get the impression that several different people are singing on the album: from deep guttural roars and NOLA sludge barking through melodic singing to harsh vocal samples. Everything is placed within the music according to the dynamics and atmosphere of the particular moment.

There are even layered melodic sludge duets between male and female voices which, floating over an electronic backdrop, remotely – and in a good way – bring to mind old Ulver from the Blood Inside era.

What surprises me most, however, is the unexpectedly positive, at times almost optimistic melodicism weaving its way through the dissonant sludge riffs. Neurosis constantly pit two moods against each other – hope and hopelessness, calm and violence, light and scorched earth.

During this first listen, I also get the feeling that the album gradually becomes heavier. From the more melodic opening tracks, it slowly sinks deeper into sludge and, at times, even noise passages, creating a growing tension and some kind of premonition of the end. The final track is also the heaviest on the album. Downtuned distorted riffs and feedback push against the eardrums at a slow, muddy pace; everything thickens, layers up and pushes forward until, suddenly, catharsis arrives.

The end.

Blessed silence.

And thus it has been listened to. I open the internet and start googling. Ten years. Scott Kelly is gone and Aaron Turner (SUMAC, Isis) is in. He immediately found his place – 30 years ago, in his own words, Neurosis helped him discover the music he had been looking for; now he has become one of the people shaping its latest direction. The album was created more or less in secret over three weekends in the studio. It was mixed in three days (and on the fourth day he rose from the mixing desk). No announcement – one day the album was simply out, just six weeks after it had been recorded.

The band mentions themes such as the climate crisis, mass extinction, anxiety, isolation and sorrow. Sixty-six million years passed between the fifth and sixth mass extinctions. Ten years passed between the eleventh and twelfth Neurosis albums.

It has been one hour, three minutes and thirty seconds since I became a Neurosis fan. 

 

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CASSETTE REVIEWS @ JDØS:

 

JUL'26: 4x Cassette Review: Hrob (2026); Morgh (2026); Temora (2025); Witchburn (1997/2020)

MAY'26: 4x Cassette Review: Peace Vaults (2026); Sniffah (2026); Cancer Void (2025), Torturetwinn (2025)

APR'26: 4x Cassette Review: False Figure (2026); Gott (2022); 2x Otras / Chevallier Skrog / Bahratal / Pakosteň (2026) 

APR'26: Therapist (2026); Carnivore A.D. (2026),  Miguel and the Living Dead (2026)

MAR'26: 5x Cassette Review: Depleted (2023), Sekeromlat/Vazio (2024), Messa (2022), Wermut (2010), Morgain (1997)

FEB'26: 5x Cassette Review: Necroratory (2024), Ockultist (2024), Ys Jensyts/Howl (2025), Dool (2018), Bizarre of Brutality (1997)

JAN'26: 5x Cassette Review: God's Funeral/Hades (2019), Hibernant (2025), Morbid Angel Dust (2022), Master's Hammer (2025), Mentally Parasites (1993)

DEC'25: 5x Cassette Review: Sír (2025), Burial Hex (2025), Bleib Modern (2024), Aeon Winds (2025), The Last Days of Jesus (1995)