#273 Zmyrna / Medieval Black Metal / M. / 18.6.2025

 

1 Ahoj M., čo máš nové, čím žiješ a čo zamestnáva tvoje myšlienky v posledných dňoch?

Dokončili sme split s Phragments. Tomu som sa aktuálne venoval najviac. Dokončujú sa grafické podklady na album, ktorý by mal byť vonku v januári 2026.

Kompletujem nové vydania pre Monastyr Records. Pripravujeme sa s novým live bubeníkom na koncerty. Cvičíme s ním koncertný set. Cez leto budeme pracovať na koncertnom sete pre turné iného projektu, kde by sme mali hrať všetci z aktuálnej zostavy Zmyrna.


2 Od posledného split vydania Zmyrny ubehli 2 roky, čo nové sa udialo v kapele, akými zmenami ste prešli?

Menili sme zostavu, hľadali kompromisy a to kapelu dosť pribrzdilo. Sme vo veku, kedy sa ťažko zlučuje osobný život a aktivity okolo skupiny. Každý, kto sa podieľa alebo podieľal na kapele, má hromadu iných povinností a projektov. Všetka česť chalanom za ich obetavosť a trpezlivosť. Napriek týmto personálnym zmenám sme si v tomto procese zahrali na prestížnych black metal akciach so skvelými kapelami. Totenfeuer/Geystenwerk v Abtenau, Howls of Winter v Taline, Celebrare Noctem vo Wels, Fall of Man v Mníchove. Postíhali sme parádne koncerty v Chorvátsku, Slovinsku, Poľsku, Nemecku, Rakúsku, Švajčiarsku. 

Boli sme odvtedy 2x v štúdiu. V lete bude vonku nový split "Concilium" a budúci rok vychádza jedna striktne konceptuálna kompilácia, na ktorej je skladba, kde hosťoval ako bubeník Omega (Darvaza, Nubivagant, Frostmoon Eclipse,…) a The Fall (Owls Woods Graves, Hauntologist, Eschatology,...), ktorý nahral klávesy a zmixoval nahrávku. Vinyl “Concilium" vychádza na domácom Sky Burial Productions, kde vyšla aj naša prvá EP (vtedy v spoluprácií s Hexencave Productions). Kazetová verzia bude pod Monastyr Records. A CD na GoatowaRex.

Začiatkom 2026 vydáme dávno nahratý album. Ten zatiaľ rastie a dozrieva zakonzervovaný v čase. Nie je toho málo.

                                                          photo: Arttu "Arttv" Karvonen
 

3 Splitko so Silent Thunder vám vyšlo na čínskom labeli GoatowaRex - aká to bola skúsenosť? Ako si sa dostal a nadviazal kontakt s týmto labelom a ako hodnotíš túto skúsenosť s odstupom času?

Skvelá spolupráca. S Danim sme v kontakte niekoľko rokov. Ozval sa nám sám s tým, že je našim najvýchodnejším fanúšikom a reprezentuje nás v Azii. 

Už vydal CD verziu splitu s Nebran. Split so Silent Thunder bol pre neho exkluzívny, vydal všetky formáty. Máme s GoatowaRex dobrý deal. Zaplatil nám všetky výdaje spojené s nahrávaním aj s grafikou. Ja s ním spolupracujem aj na iných projektoch. Bude vydávať onedlho CD verziu splitu s Phragments.

GoatowaRex je uznávaný label so širokým záberom v rámci extrémnej hudby. Okolo jeho vydaní je vždy veľa rozruchu a sú cenené aj zberateľsky.


4 V čase nášho posledného rozhovoru si rozbiehal vlastný label Monastyr records, čo si doteraz vydal a s kým si nadviazal spoluprácu? Po ktorých vydaniach - Zmyrny alebo iných kapiel z portfólia Monastyr je najväčší záujem a z akých kútov sveta sa ti ozývajú fans? 

Vyšlo:
SVRM - Лихиї вітри стогнуть без упину
Necromanth - First March
Teufel - Temniški Obred
Orion - The Stone Remembers The Twilight
Karnyx - s/t
Marrow of Man - Humanitas Vincuntur
Marrow of Man - A Debt Paid in Blood
Oči Vlka - s/t
Mýrdal - Helvíti
Zmyrna - s/t (ako štvrtá kazetová verzia)
Deathrow - The Eerie Sound Of The Slow Awakening
Verhinderer - Heimatblick

V pláne:
Grave Circles - World Within the World
Grave Circles - Pestilence and Death
Celestial Silence - Silent Calls From The Other Side
Aeon Winds - Those Who Will Remain Silent Forever
Mallephyr - Ruins of Inner Composure
Ys Jensyts - Howl - split
Irr - Remains Remain

a ďaľšie tituly, na ktoré sa žiaľ ešte nedostalo.  Niektoré spolupráce boli len jednorázové a s mnohými pokračujeme. Ozývajú sa projekty/kapely z celého sveta. Vyberám podľa osobných preferencií. Mrzí ma, že som sa nedostal ešte k pôvodne plánovaným vydaniam a kapely tak čakajú, kým sa na ne dostane rad. Dátum vydania ale momentálne nedokážem garantovať. Label je moja voľnočasová aktivita a ako som písal v predošlej odpovedi, času je málo. O kazety je záujem rôzne po svete. Najviac v Nemecku, Kanade, Usa, UK. Veci posielam aj do Ázie a na Blízky východ. 

Nebudem písať čo je bestseller a čo nie. Veľkú časť edície posielam do distribúcie. Čiže v distre mi zostáva len malá časť edície. 


 

5 V auguste vychádza split Zmyrny s dark ambientovým projektom Phragments "Concilium" - odkiaľ sa s Matejom poznáte a ako vás napadol tento projekt?

Phragments som zaregistroval vďaka odporúčaniu nášho spoločného kámoša už dávno. S Matejom komunikujeme od prvého Bratislavského koncertu Zmyrna. Prišlo prirodzene k tomu, že by bolo dobre spojiť naše projekty. Jeho atmosféru s našou. Myslíme, že sa to vie skvelo podporiť. Ide na naše pomery o netradičné spojenie, čo mi príde výnimočné. Sám som fanúšikom Cold Meat Industry školy. 


6 Ako došlo k výberu tejto témy vašej kolaborácie, a síce Koncilu v Kostnici (1414 – 1418)? Vyberali ste z viacerých tém? Čo rozhodlo práve o tejto konkrétnej udalosti ?

Tému sme hľadali pomaly. V hre bola atmosféra stredovekého mesta a život v ňom. Potom to boli bosorky, ktoré sú novovekou témou, čo nám nesedelo do konceptu. Kostnický koncil z toho vzišiel sám ako taký odrazový bod na mape veľkých udalostí. Matej sa téme nakoniec venoval konkrétnejšie ako my. Zmyrna zostala svedkom času okolo koncilu.


7 Viem, že pri písaní textov Zmyrna si sa v minulosti inšpiroval príbehmi zo stredovekých kroník. Z akých zdrojov si čerpal pri tvorbe "Concilium"?

Vybral som znovu dobové texty. Hľadal som najstaršie dochované staročeské záznamy. Poetiku. Tak aby som priniesol jazyk, ktorým sa počas Koncilu hovorilo v Čechách a vlastne aj na Slovensku. Prinášame autentickú lyriku z Českej zeme. Jednu skladbu o biednych ľuďoch a ich prostorekosti. Dve vážne duchovné piesne. Ktoré sú v základe desivé. Dopĺňame to akustickou smutnou skladbou.

                                                          photo: Arttu "Arttv" Karvonen
 

8 Na novom albume sa striedajú 4 skladby Zmyrny so 4 skladbami od Phragments. Skúšali ste spraviť aj spoločný track? Ako to dopadlo?

Nešlo to spojiť do jedného projektu inak. Takto to má svoju pridanú hodnotu. Veľmi dobre sa album žánrovo pretkáva a podčiarkuje tak našu atmosféru stredoveku. Fantázia je tu extrémne dôležitým faktorom, lebo nikto nevie aké to vtedy bolo. Všetko sú len interpretácie ovplyvnené romantickou predstavou.


9 Keď skladáš stredoveký black metal, čo si pri tvorbe riffov predstavuješ a ako hlboko sa vieš vo svojich predstavách dostať?

Zapeklitá otázka. Stredovekú víziu síce mám, ale takto moja tvorba nefunguje. Nepíšem muziku cielene, musí to prísť samo. Nepoznám noty, improvizujem a dobré nápady si nahrám. Celistvú atmosféru to chytá postupne s pridanými hlasmi, textom a nakoniec vizuálom, ktorý ťa má vtiahnuť tam, kam chcem. 

 

10 Čo bol ten moment, keď si si pri tvorbe skladieb na "Concilium" povedal "toto som chcel dosiahnuť, takto to má znieť"? 

Toto sme riešili vlastne až pri mixe. Mix nám robil The Fall (spomínam ho na inom mieste rozhovoru). Konzultoval som s nim každú časť až kým sme sa zhodli, že sme tam kde byť potrebujeme. Výsledný zvuk je tým momentom na ktorý sa pýtaš. Nahrávanie prebehlo úplne klasicky. Pracuješ s tým, čo máš už pripravené a premyslené. Keď sa písali rify, tak sme ich skladali tak, aby spolu všetko fungovalo. Stredoveké pozlátko je už len ilúzia. Veď hráme na elektrické gitary…


11 Ako prebiehala vaša konzultácia s Matejom počas tvorby "Concilium"? Držali ste sa nejakej dramaturgie - ovplyvnil ťa Matej pri tvorbe niektorých skladieb alebo nápadov, prípadne vieš o tom, že si mal vplyv na niektoré zo skladieb Phragments?

Písali sme si a telefonovali. Hudobne sme šli svojimi cestami, nakoľko zlúčenie by vyžadovalo dlhodobý proces a osobné stretnutia. Bola daná téma a každý si v nej vytvoril vlastný obraz.

 

12 So Zmyrnou si dávaš záležať na vizuálnej stránke vydaní - kto robil grafiku posledných dvoch albumov a na čo odkazuje žaba na obale Saeculum Mysticum?

Vďaka, podporuje to celkovú atmosféru. Myslíš split s Nebran a split so Silent Thunder. Na prvom splite sme robili grafiku spolu s Blooming Stones, ja som dodal fotografie a víziu a BS to pekne pospájal a zazrnil. Layout na vinyl a CD mi pomohol spraviť opäť Rasťo Tupý z kapely Swan Bride. Layout pre EU verziu kazety z podkladov pripravil Igor z Urtod Records a americkú verziu som spracoval ja.

Nájdeš tu gotickú plastiku zo Sv. Jura a gotické sochy zo Spiša, Lietavský hrad a tiež prvok z Prahy.

Obal na split so Silent Thunder kreslil Robert Von Ritter podľa mojej predlohy. Róbert je skvelý ilustrátor, už pre nás vytvoril niekoľko návrhov použitých na merch. Róbert kreslil obaly pre Urfaust - Compilation Of Intoxications, Owls Woods Graves - Secret Spies of the Horned Patrician a iné. Je to fanatik do výtvarného umenia, temnoty a black metalu. Stretol som sa s ním vo Varšave a prvé miesto kam ma vzal bol cintorín.

Žabu som chcel dodatočne pridať na obal ako symbol hriechu. Konkrétne odkazuje na závisť. Toto vydanie bolo exkluzívne pre GoatowaRex. Layout na všetky nosiče robil z dodaných podkladov Ainul Iblis (ilustrátor, grafik a multitalentovaný hudobník. Izrod, Obscuritatem, Shadow Dungeon,...).

M. zo Silent Thunder (tiež Lamp of Murmuur, Fuinäehot) s ktorým sme tento split zosnovali už pri našom prvom stretnutí, nechal celý dohľad okolo témy a grafiky na mne. Pôvodne malo ísť o split s jeho hlavným projektom Lamp of Murmuur. V tom období pripravoval album "Saturnian Bloodstorm". Nakoniec aj kvôli tomu padlo rozhodnutie, že bude lepšie ak to spravíme ako split s jeho druhým projektom Silent Thunder. Ten nám ešte viac sedí do klasického black metalového konceptu. 


13 Ktoré obdobia stredoveku považuješ za najzaujímavejšie a prečo?

Vrcholný a neskorý stredovek. Som fanúšikom sakrálnej architektúry a všeobecne umenia z tohto obdobia. Baví ma tá špecifická atmosféra, estetika, výrazy v tvárach sôch, farebnosť, kompozície, typografia, iluminácie. Čo je krajšie ako lomený oblúk? Som fanúšikom aj románskeho slohu, gotiky aj talianskej renesancie.

                                                          photo: Cáry Mlhy
 

14 Ktoré zobrazenia stredoveku v knihách alebo filme považuješ za najvydarenejšie?

Najviac a jednoznačne Meno ruže ako kniha, film, aj oba seriály. Film Markéta Lazarová. Relatívne čerstvý seriál Hunyadi. Ale ako spomínal Matej (Phragments) v rozhovore a tu sa takmer 100% zhodneme, ja som začal v detstve tiež seriálom Robin Hood z produkcie BBC a našim seriálom Vojna volov. Dokonca som si k obom kúpil soundtracky na vinyloch.  Ešte Mateja doplním, okrem Siedmej pečate, odporúčam Prameň panny. Henrich V., Kráľovstvo nebeské, Posledný súboj, Kráľ. No a ak Umberto Eco, tak ešte kniha Baudolino. 


15 Ktoré symptómy stredoveku sleduješ v dnešnej spoločnosti, a ktoré ti naopak chýbajú?

Nič sa okrem technológie nezmenilo. Stále sa klaniame modlám a božstvám a ešte stále pracujeme na panskom. Na Slovensku mi aktuálne chýba defenestrácia, praniere a traviči. 


16 Stredoveké pamiatky ktoré odporúčaš navštíviť.

Kostol v Štítniku
Kostol Najsvätejšej Trojice v Rákoši
Rotunda v Skalici
Husitský kostol v Lúčke
Kostol sv. Matúša v Zolnej
Kostol sv. Martina v Čeríne
Kostol sv. Kríža v Rybníku
Kostol sv. Ducha v Žehre
Kostol sv. Margity Antiochijskej v Kopčanoch
Kostol Všetkých svätých v Ludrovej

Kto nepozná, tak pozrite na tento odkaz: Gotická cesta – Združenie Gotická cesta


17 Ktorý zvuk (štúdio, album/kapela), artwork (album cover) a videoklip na domácej scéne ťa v súčastnosti zaujal najviac?

Kapely: Aeon Winds, Between Two Castles, Immortal Hammer, Krajiny Hmly, Obšar,  Toreva, Vojna, Zmij. 
Artwork: Malokarpatan - Vertumnus Caesar, Stangarigel – Metafyzika Barbarstva.
Videoklipy nesledujem, nemám prehľad.

                                                          photo: Arttu "Arttv" Karvonen
 

18 Je niekto na domácej alebo zahraničnej scéne s kým by si si rád prečítal rozhovor na Jablkách ďaleko od stromu?

Mysticus z Hexencave Productions.


19 Motto alebo odkaz na záver. 

Zobuďte sa z letargie. Nezabúdajte, čo sa deje len pár kilometrov od vás. 
Podporujte aktívne Ukrajinských obrancov tu:
https://www.sternenkofund.org/en

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Links:

https://zmyrnablackmetal.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/zmyrnablackmetal

https://www.instagram.com/zmyrnablackmetal/

https://monastyrmetal.bigcartel.com/ 

 

Zmyrna @ JBLK:

https://jablkadaleko.blogspot.com/2023/10/94-tomezr-reviews-zmyrna-saeculum.html

https://jablkadaleko.blogspot.com/2022/12/54-tomezr-reviews-zmyrna-slit-w-nebran.html

https://jablkadaleko.blogspot.com/2021/03/70-zmyrna-black-metal-odpovedaju-m-h.html 

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1. Hi M., what’s new with you—what are you up to and what’s been occupying your thoughts lately?

We’ve just finished a split with Phragments. That’s been my main focus recently. The graphic materials for the album are being finalized, and it should be released in January 2026.

I’m also working on new releases for Monastyr Records. We’re preparing for live shows with a new live drummer and rehearsing the concert set. Over the summer, we’ll be working on a live set for a tour with another project that includes the current Zmyrna lineup.


2. It’s been two years since the last Zmyrna split release—what has changed in the band since then?

We changed the lineup and had to search for compromises, which slowed us down quite a bit. We're at an age where it's difficult to balance personal life with band activities. Everyone involved with the band has a bunch of other obligations and projects. Huge respect to the guys for their dedication and patience.

Despite the personnel changes, we played prestigious black metal events with amazing bands: TOTENFEUER/GEYSTERWERK in Abtenau, Howls of Winter in Tallinn, Celebrare Noctem in Wels, and Fall of Man in Munich. We also managed great shows in Croatia, Slovenia, Poland, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

We’ve been to the studio twice since then. This summer, a new split "Concilium" will be released, and next year a strictly conceptual compilation will come out. It includes a track featuring Omega (Darvaza, Nubivagant, Frostmoon Eclipse,...) on drums, and The Fall (Owls Woods Graves, Hauntologist, Eschatology,...) on keyboards and mix. The vinyl "Concilium" is being released on the local label Sky Burial Productions, which also released our first EP (at the time in collaboration with Hexencave Productions). The cassette version will come out on Monastyr Records, and the CD on GoatowaRex.

In early 2026, we’ll release a long-finished album that’s been maturing, frozen in time. So, quite a lot going on.

                                                          photo: Anteumbra Photosgraphe
 

3. Your split with Silent Thunder was released by the Chinese label GoatowaRex—how was that experience? How did you get in touch, and how do you look back on that now?

Great collaboration. I’ve been in contact with Dani for several years. He reached out himself, saying he’s our biggest fan in the East and represents us in Asia.

He already released the CD version of our split with Nebran. The split with Silent Thunder was exclusive for him—he released all formats. We have a good deal with GoatowaRex. He covered all our recording and graphic design costs. I also collaborate with him on other projects. He’ll soon release the CD version of our split with Phragments.

GoatowaRex is a respected label with a broad scope in extreme music. His releases always create a stir and are highly valued by collectors.


4. At the time of our last interview, you were launching your own label, Monastyr Records. What have you released so far, and who have you collaborated with? Which Zmyrna or other Monastyr releases are most in demand, and from where do fans reach out?

Released:
SVRM - Лихиї вітри стогнуть без упину
Necromanth - First March
Teufel - Temniški Obred
Orion - The Stone Remembers The Twilight
Karnyx - s/t
Marrow of Man - Humanitas Vincuntur
Marrow of Man - A Debt Paid in Blood
Oči Vlka - s/t
Mýrdal - Helvíti
Zmyrna - s/t (fourth cassette version)
Deathrow - The Eerie Sound Of The Slow Awakening
Verhinderer - Heimatblick

Upcoming:
Grave Circles - World Within the World
Grave Circles - Pestilence and Death
Celestial Silence - Silent Calls From The Other Side
Aeon Winds - Those Who Will Remain Silent Forever
Mallephyr - Ruins of Inner Composure
Ys Jensyts - Howl - split
Irr - Remains Remain

And there are other titles that unfortunately haven’t been released yet. Some collaborations were one-time only, and with many others we continue. Bands and projects from all over the world are reaching out. I choose based on personal preferences. I regret that I haven’t yet gotten around to some originally planned releases, so bands are waiting their turn. At the moment, I can't guarantee any release dates. The label is my free-time activity, and as I mentioned in the previous answer, there’s very little time. There's interest in tapes from various parts of the world — mostly from Germany, Canada, the USA, and the UK. I also ship to Asia and the Middle East.

I won’t name bestsellers—most of the editions go to distributors, so only a small part stays with me.

                                                          photo: Anteumbra Photosgraphe
 

5. In August, the Zmyrna and Phragments split “Concilium” is coming out. How do you know Matej, and how did the idea for the project come about?

I discovered Phragments years ago through a mutual friend’s recommendation. Matej and I started talking after Zmyrna’s first show in Bratislava. The idea to merge our projects came naturally—his atmosphere combined with ours. We believe they complement each other well. It’s an unusual combination for us, which makes it special. I’m a fan of the Cold Meat Industry school of ambient.


6. How did you choose the topic of your collaboration—the Council of Constance (1414–1418)? Were there other ideas, and what made this one stand out?

We searched slowly for the right theme. At first, we considered the atmosphere of a medieval city and daily life there. Then witches, but that felt too modern for our concept. The Council of Constance eventually emerged as a key historic event. Matej engaged more deeply with the theme, while Zmyrna remained more of a witness to the era around the Council.


7. I know Zmyrna lyrics were often inspired by medieval chronicles. What sources did you use for “Concilium”?

Again, I chose period texts. I looked for the oldest surviving Old Czech records—poetic ones—to reflect the language spoken during the Council in the Czech lands and what is now Slovakia. We bring authentic lyrics from Bohemia: one song about poor people and their bluntness, two serious spiritual songs (which are essentially terrifying), and one acoustic, mournful track.

8. The new album alternates four Zmyrna tracks with four by Phragments. Did you try creating a joint track, and how did that go?

It wasn’t possible to merge it all into one joint piece. But this way, each part holds its own value. The genres interweave beautifully, reinforcing our medieval atmosphere. Imagination is crucial here—no one knows how it really was. It’s all just interpretation, shaped by romantic imagination.


9. When writing medieval black metal, what do you envision while composing riffs, and how deep can you go in your imagination?

Tough question. I do have a medieval vision, but that’s not how my process works. I don’t write music intentionally—it has to come naturally. I can’t read sheet music, I improvise and record good ideas. The full atmosphere takes shape gradually—with added vocals, lyrics, and visuals, which should draw you into the world I’m aiming for.


10. What was the moment during the “Concilium” songwriting process when you said, “Yes, this is what I was aiming for, this is how it should sound”? 

We actually dealt with this only during the mixing phase. The mix was done by The Fall (I mention him elsewhere in the interview). I consulted with him on every part until we agreed that we had reached the point we needed to be. The final sound is the moment you're asking about. The recording itself was done in a completely classic way. You work with what you’ve already prepared and thought through. When the riffs were written, we composed them in a way that everything would work together. The medieval gloss is just an illusion. After all, we're playing electric guitars….

                                                          photo: Marta Astachow
 

11. How did your collaboration with Matej work during the creation of “Concilium”? Did you follow any dramaturgy—did Matej influence any of your material, or vice versa?

We wrote and called each other. Musically, we went our own ways. Merging everything would’ve required a long-term process and in-person meetings. The theme was set, and we each formed our own interpretation of it.


12. You pay close attention to the visual side of Zmyrna’s releases. Who did the artwork for the last two albums, and what does the frog on the Saeculum Mysticum cover symbolize?

Thanks—the visuals support the overall atmosphere. You mean the splits with Nebran and Silent Thunder. On the first split, the artwork was done with Blooming Stones—I provided the photos and concept, and BS did the design and grain. Rasťo Tupý from Swan Bride helped me prepare the vinyl and CD layout. Igor from Urtod Records adapted the EU cassette layout, and I did the American version.

The visuals include Gothic sculptures from Svätý Jur, statues from Spiš, Lietava Castle, and an element from Prague.

The split with Silent Thunder features artwork by Robert Von Ritter, based on my concept. Robert is a great illustrator—he’s already done several merch designs for us. He’s done covers for Urfaust (Compilation Of Intoxications), Owls Woods Graves (Secret Spies of the Horned Patrician), and more. He’s a fanatic for visual art, darkness, and black metal. We met in Warsaw, and the first place he took me was a cemetery.

I wanted to add the frog to the cover later as a symbol of sin—specifically, envy. This release was exclusive to GoatowaRex. All layout versions were done from my materials by Ainul Iblis (illustrator, graphic designer, and multi-talented musician—Izrod, Obscuritatem, Shadow Dungeon,...).

M. from Silent Thunder (also of Lamp of Murmuur, Fuinäehot), with whom we devised this split already at our first meeting, left the entire oversight of the theme and artwork to me. Originally, it was supposed to be a split with his main project, Lamp of Murmuur. At that time, he was working on the album Saturnian Bloodstorm. In the end, partly because of that, we decided it would be better to do it as a split with his other project, Silent Thunder. That one fits even better with our classic black metal concept.

                                                          photo: Marta Astachow
 

13. Which periods of the Middle Ages do you find most interesting and why?

The High and Late Middle Ages. I’m a fan of sacred architecture and the art from that era. I enjoy the specific atmosphere, aesthetics, facial expressions on sculptures, colors, compositions, typography, and illuminations. What’s more beautiful than a pointed Gothic arch? I’m a fan of Romanesque, Gothic, and also Italian Renaissance styles.


14. Which depictions of the Middle Ages in books or films do you consider the most successful?

Above all, and clearly, The Name of the Rose—as a book, film, and both series. The film Marketa Lazarová. The relatively recent series Hunyadi. But as Matej (Phragments) mentioned in his interview—and here I agree almost 100%—I also started in childhood with the BBC’s Robin Hood series and our domestic series Vojna Volov. I even bought the soundtracks to both on vinyl.

To add to Matej’s list, besides The Seventh Seal, I also recommend The Virgin Spring, Henry V, Kingdom of Heaven, The Last Duel, and The King. And if we’re talking about Umberto Eco, then also the book Baudolino.


15. Which symptoms of the Middle Ages do you observe in today’s society, and which ones do you miss?

Nothing has changed except technology. We still worship idols and deities, and we still work for our lords. What I currently miss in Slovakia are defenestration, pillories, and poisoners.


16. Medieval monuments you recommend visiting:

Church in Štítnik
Church of the Holy Trinity in Rákoš
Rotunda in Skalica
Hussite Church in Lúčka
Church of St. Matthew in Zvolen-Zolná
Church of St. Martin in Čerín
Church of the Holy Cross in Rybník
Church of the Holy Spirit in Žehra
Church of St. Margaret of Antioch in Kopčany
Church of All Saints in Ludrová

For those who are not familiar, check out this link: Gotická cesta – Združenie Gotická cesta

                                                          photo: Marta Astachow
 

16. Which sound (studio, album/band), artwork (album cover), and music video from the domestic scene have impressed you the most recently?

Bands: Aeon Winds, Between Two Castles, Immortal Hammer, Krajiny Hmly, Obšar,  Toreva, Vojna, Zmij. 
Artwork: Malokarpatan - Vertumnus Caesar, Stangarigel – Metafyzika Barbarstva.
Music videos: I don’t watch them, I have no overview.


17. Is there someone from the domestic or international scene you’d like to read an interview with on Jablká ďaleko od stromu?

Mysticus from Hexencave Productions.


18. Motto or message to close with:

Wake up from your lethargy. Don’t forget what’s happening just a few kilometers away.
Actively support Ukrainian defenders here:
https://www.sternenkofund.org/en

 

 

#153 Flork Reviews: Toń & Weedcraft - Księgi Wieczyste (2025)

Toń & Weedcraft - Księgi Wieczyste (2025)
By Flork

Recently, I reviewed an intriguing debut by the Warszaw-based band Toń and was excited to discover that they returned earlier this year in February with a couple of new and compelling tracks. While technically a single, Księgi Wieczyste (Land and Mortgage Registries) plays more like a short album or split EP, uniting Toń and fellow experimental outfit Weedcraft (also from Warszaw). The four-track release is divided into two conceptual sides, consisting of side A’s Toń and side B’s Weedcraft. All four tracks clock in at over half an hour of immersive and genre-blurring sound.

Side A, which is titled Grunty leśne (Forest Land), features two new tracks from Toń. It opens with Wszyscy toniemy (We Are All Drowning), an epic nine-minute composition that deepens the band’s signature blend of doom-laden stoner riffs and ghostly atmospheres. Monika is at her best here, her voice transmitting ethereal and ambient images, bringing light through the cracks in darkness. The track unfurls like a slow, suffocating descent underwater, almost like an extended meditation on collective despair and the inescapable pull of forces beyond our control.

 

 

 

The second track has an interesting title called Dziennik. Dzień pierwszy (Diary. Day One) and introduces more melodic textures and a fragile sense of emerging hope. Monika’s vocals are especially haunting here, weaving between echoing confessions and raw cries that evoke both vulnerability and resilience. This song alone could also be released as a single.

Side B is titled Grunty rolne (Farmland), and is led by Weedcraft. The two tracks bring nature’s darker, more cryptic energies to the foreground. Grzybnia (Mycelium) is a slow, organic sprawl, where creeping guitar lines connect the webs of life beneath the forest floor. It’s contemplative and slightly disorienting since there are no vocals, yet it still captures both growth and decay in equal parts.

The other track, Gałąź nośna (Supporting Branch), builds patiently toward a textured crescendo, where the instrumentation creates the sensation of a fragile shoulder straining to uphold a great weight. It’s a powerful closer that reinforces the EP’s themes of tension and ecological entanglement.

Księgi Wieczyste will soon be available in a limited-edition vinyl pressing—green marble, hand-numbered, and capped at just 100 copies. This physical release matches the music’s organic energy and offers a fitting collector’s item for fans of either band. It also serves as a sonic companion to the bands’ joint tour, which is called Diabły jelenie chwasty korzenie (Devils, Deer, Weeds, Roots), a fitting extension of the natural and mystical themes woven through the music.

And the Florkster’s prognosis? Thematically (and also sonically), Księgi Wieczyste shows both bands evolving in progressive and unpredictable ways. It continues Toń’s journey through long-form composition and elemental storytelling, while offering a complementary vision through Weedcraft’s earthy style of psychedelia. Thumbs up and highly recommend.

DSW#19 Black Light - As the Ember Dies (2025) // Wevo // 4-6-2025

 

1. Kto si, čo robíš, čo ťa najviac zaujíma práve v týchto dňoch 

Wevo: Čus, kamoši ma volajú Wevo, snažím sa byť hepatológ, vo voľnom čase hrám v piatich projektoch, z ktorých 3 sú blackmetal a v posledných dňoch ma najviac zaujíma ultrasonografia brucha.


2. V rámci revivalových vĺn extrémnych žánrov, ktoré sa vracajú po 20-30 rokoch, prečo ste si vybrali práve thrash metal? Prečo nie OSDM, black alebo doom? Ktoré kapely pôvodnej thrash vlny vás bavia najviac?

Wevo: Za mňa bola cesta k thrashu úplne prirodzená. Ako malý som začal počúvať punk, to mi ale nestačilo, dostal som sa k prvej vlne hardcore-u, to ale v tej dobe nebolo to pravé a potom som objavil Slayer a Sepulturu a bolo hotovo. V tej dobe sme sa stretli, zistili sme, že vlastne všetci máme radi Slayer a Sepulturu a zhodli sa, že niečo také by sme chceli hrať. Thrash sme poznali, v tej dobe keď sme mali 15 sme ním v podstate žili a teda bolo jasné, že iný žáner hrať nebudeme. Ironicky teraz v dospelosti počúvam už takmer výhradne len hardcore. 


3. Priniesla podľa vás nová vlna thrash metalu oproti tej pôvodnej niečo nové - ak áno čo to je?

Wevo: Nová vlna mi príde zábavnejšia. A nemyslím len pizza thrashe, ktoré sa snažia byť cringe, aby to bolo vtipné, ale celkovo mi príde štýl novej vlny uvoľnenejší, ochotnejší experimentovať a miešať. Príde mi trochu viac “relatable” než kedysi. A samozrejme, nová vlna má Power Trip. To prebíja všetky argumenty.

 

4. Ako hudobníci vnímate nejaké limity, v rámci ktorých tvoríte vlastnú hudbu alebo dávate priestor aj experimentácii? Do akej miery tolerujete experimentovanie a posúvanie hraníc žánru?

Wevo: Z môjho pohľadu textára je limitáciou to, že chcem, aby texty ostali thrashové. Komentár stavu spoločnostia politickej situácie, introspektíva. Nenávisť k vojne a útlaku slabších. Neviem si predstaviť, že by som mal mať texty o zasnežených kopcoch a drakoch alebo nejaké gore veci o vnútornostiach. Akože, viem to rešpektovať, ale nevedel by som to písať. Hudobne nech to má bpm cez 200, palm-mutenute 0ky a na bicích tupa-tupa a budem spokojný.


5. Ako dlho ste pracovali na najnovšom albume "As the Embery Dies", aké výšky a pády ste pri jeho tvorbe zažili, máte nejaké "lessons learnt"?

Wevo: Tento album bol celkom boj. Prvý nápad ísť do toho padol ešte v lete 22. Dlho sme sa trápili s dolaďovaním vlastne všetkého čo sa dalo. Samotné songy, texty, nahrávanie, produkcia mix a master trvali tri krát tak dlho, ako sme pôvodne chceli. Ale aspoň je ten výsledok presne to, čo sme chceli a vieme si povedať, že to stálo za to. Za mňa najvyšší bod bol prvý kompletne nahraný song, keď som začal mať pocit, že to do seba zapadá a po mixe a masteringu to môže byť fakt dobré. Po celú tú dobu nás ale bila frustrácia z toho, že sa to tak ťahá a že nám trvá jeden album 3 roky. Mohli sme si za to samozrejme len sami, ale som rád že smento prekonali.

 

6. Obaly vaších vydaní vyzerajú byť štýlovo zladené (a veľmi vydarené) - kreslí ich jeden človek? Je to niekto blízky kapele?

Wevo: Máme dohodu, že všetky artworky robí jedna osoba. Človek veľmi blízky a v podstate asi náš prvý fanúšik Peter Mlích, Matúšov otec. Pomáhal nám so všetkým, ešte keď sme ako deti tu kapelu vymysleli. Čerešničkou je to, že maľuje fakt skvele a vďaka nemu nemáme zlý artwork. Od začiatku bol v podstate ďalším členom kapely, a aj ním zostane.


7 Je niekto na domácej alebo zahraničnej scéne s kým by si si rád prečítal rozhovor na Jablkách ďaleko od stromu?

Wevo: Ja by som chcel strašne čítať/počuť nejaký 1 on 1 rozhovor s Tomášom Miturom. 

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Die Schmutzige Wiedergabeliste: Black Light - As the Ember Dies (2025)

 

1. Chase 04:51 // V akom BPM sa má hrať ideálny thrash metal?

Wevo: Pod 200 ani nechoď. 


2. Into the Nothing 03:34 // Ktorá varianta po smrti ti pripadá lepšia - let nekonečným vesmírom pri nejakej forme vedomia a spomienkach, alebo len tma a definitívny koniec existencie?

Wevo: Veľmi dúfam, že tá prvá varianta nie je reálna. To by bola moja verzia pekla. 


3. Mistbreath 00:47 // Ktorá smrť je lepšia - osamelé zamrznutie v lese, alebo úpal a dehydratácia v mestskej betónovej džungli medzi kamarátmi?

Wevo: Asi by som skôr chcel umrieť v spoločnosti ľudí, ktorých mám rád.

 

4. Frozen Desert 03:59 // Ako dezert si dáš radšej - cheescake so snehovou polevou alebo radšej dve snehové „škrupinky“ s krémovou náplňou tiež známe ako laskonka?

Wevo: Laskonky mi chutia, jakeby boli z piesku. Isto cheesecake, ale tú polevu by som zhrnul.


5. The Crones 03:22 // Koho by si si prial na poslednú cestu  - zubatú z Perinbaby alebo smrťáka zo Siedmej pečate?

Wevo: Siedma pečať je extrémne dobrý film, to by bolo ako stretnúť celebritu.


6. Son of Sam 04:16 // Mali by sa natáčať filmy o žijúcich masových vrahoch?

Wevo: Nie som expert, ale je skupina masovych vrahov, ktorí vraždia preto, aby ich bolo vidieť, alebo aby pretlačili nejakú svoju agendu. Tým by som nedoprial tú radosť z pozornosti. 

 

7. Circled Snake 04:44 // Ako sa dá vyhnúť tým istým chybám, ktoré spravili naši predkovia a neskončiť ako piata ruská kolóna?

Wevo: Veľmi sa bojím, že na kurzy kritického myslenia a prácu s dezinformáciami pre bežného voliča už je neskoro a že jediné, čo rusa ešte ako tak drží mimo západnú Európu je NATO. To si musíme udržať. Lebo Slovensko samo bez pomoci, je oproti neočakávanej a ohromnej sile Ukrajiny brániť sa tej ruskej pliage len vtip. 
 

8. Sticks and Stones 03:20 // Ktorá smrť je lepšia - ubitie palicami pri počúvaní Metallicy alebo ukameňovanie pri počúvaní Iron Maiden?

Wevo: Z metallicy som vyrastol a maiden ma vytacal asi vzdycky, takze by som volil podla toho, ktora smrť by bola rýchlejšia.


9. The First Touch 04:49 // Ktorý thrash metal sa najviac dotkol tvojej duše?

Wevo: Power Trip. Najlepšia kapela. 


10. The Lake 04:28 // Na ktoré jazero sa chodievate kúpať v lete?

Wevo: Bukovec gang.


11. Frameshift 02:53 // Čo sa pre vás mení s vydaním nového albumu, kam ďalej?

Wevo: Ak mám byť úplne úprimný, je to prvý full-length, s ktorým sme asi kompletne spokojní a ktorý dopadol tak, ako sme to chceli. Malé prianie je, že toto by bol taký druhý, ozajstný začiatok kapely, kedy už nie sme deti, sme schopní sformulovať predstavu, ako má naše umenie vyzerať a na tom už len stavať ďalej. Ak to osobné životy dovolia, chceme na pár koncertoch album dostať k ľuďom a ak nazbierame energiu a dosť materiálu, tak písať ďalej. Ak by k tomu bola aj pozitívna reakcia od ľudí, tak by to bolo už dokonalé.

============================================================================ 

Links:

https://blacklightthrash.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/blacklightthrash/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChAQ_0_KnHILZxFLv5h7aVQ

https://www.instagram.com/blacklightthrash/ 

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1. Who are you, what do you do, and what are you most interested in these days?

Wevo: Hey, my friends call me Wevo. I’m trying to become a hepatologist, and in my free time, I play in five projects, three of which are black metal. Lately, I’ve been most interested in abdominal ultrasonography.

2. Among the revival waves of extreme genres returning after 20–30 years, why did you choose thrash metal specifically? Why not OSDM, black, or doom? Which bands from the original thrash wave do you enjoy the most?

Wevo: For me, the path to thrash was completely natural. As a kid, I started with punk, but it wasn’t enough. I got into the first wave of hardcore, but at the time it wasn’t quite right either—then I discovered Slayer and Sepultura, and that was it. Around that time, we met and realized we all loved Slayer and Sepultura, and we agreed that’s the kind of music we wanted to play. We already knew thrash—when we were 15, we basically lived and breathed it—so it was clear we wouldn’t play any other genre. Ironically, now as an adult, I listen almost exclusively to hardcore.

 

3. Do you think the new wave of thrash metal has brought anything new compared to the original—if so, what is it?

Wevo: The new wave seems more fun to me. And I don’t just mean the pizza-thrash bands that try to be cringe for laughs, but overall the style feels more relaxed, more willing to experiment and mix things up. It feels a bit more “relatable” than it used to. And of course, the new wave has Power Trip. That trumps all arguments.

4. As musicians, do you feel any boundaries when creating your own music, or do you leave room for experimentation? To what extent do you tolerate pushing genre limits?

Wevo: From my perspective as the lyricist, the limitation is that I want the lyrics to remain thrash. Commentary on society and political situations, introspection. Hatred of war and oppression of the weak. I can’t imagine writing about snow-covered hills and dragons or gore stuff about guts. I mean, I can respect that, but I couldn’t write it. Musically, give me 200+ bpm, palm-muted open strings, and tupa-tupa drumming, and I’m happy.

5. How long did you work on your latest album “As the Embery Dies”? What highs and lows did you experience during its creation, and are there any lessons learned?

Wevo: This album was quite a struggle. The first idea to go for it came in the summer of 2022. We spent a long time fine-tuning basically everything we could—songs, lyrics, recording, production, mix, and mastering took three times longer than we had planned. But at least the result is exactly what we wanted, and we can say it was worth it. For me, the highlight was when we had the first fully recorded song, and I started to feel like everything was falling into place—and that after mixing and mastering, it could be really good. The whole time, though, we were frustrated with how long it was taking—that one album would take us three years. Of course, it was entirely our own fault, but I’m glad we overcame it.

 

6. The covers of your releases seem stylistically unified (and very well done)—are they all drawn by the same person? Is it someone close to the band?

Wevo: We have an agreement that one person does all the artwork. Someone very close to us—basically our first fan—Peter Mlích, Matúš’s father. He helped us with everything back when we were just kids dreaming up the band. The cherry on top is that he paints really well, and thanks to him, we’ve never had bad artwork. From the start, he was basically another member of the band—and he still is.

7. Is there someone from the local or international scene you’d like to read an interview with on Jablká ďaleko od stromu?

Wevo: I’d really love to read or hear a one-on-one interview with Tomáš Mitura.

 

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Die Schmutzige Wiedergabeliste: Black Light - As the Ember Dies (2025)

1. Chase 04:51 // What BPM is ideal for playing thrash metal?

Wevo: Don’t even go below 200.

2. Into the Nothing 03:34 // Which post-death scenario seems better to you – drifting endlessly through space with some form of consciousness and memories, or just darkness and the definitive end of existence?

Wevo: I really hope the first scenario isn’t real. That would be my version of hell.

3. Mistbreath 00:47 // Which death is better – freezing alone in the woods, or dying of heatstroke and dehydration in the concrete jungle among friends?

Wevo: I think I’d rather die in the company of people I care about.

 

4. Frozen Desert 03:59 // As a dessert, would you prefer cheesecake with a snowy meringue topping, or two snowy “shells” with creamy filling, also known as laskonka?

Wevo: Laskonky taste like they’re made of sand. Definitely cheesecake, but I’d scrape off the topping.

5. The Crones 03:22 // Who would you choose to accompany you on your final journey – the Grim Reaper from Perinbaba or Death from The Seventh Seal?

Wevo: The Seventh Seal is an incredibly good film – meeting that Death would be like meeting a celebrity.

6. Son of Sam 04:16 // Should films be made about living serial killers?

Wevo: I’m no expert, but there’s a group of serial killers who murder to be seen or to push some agenda. I wouldn’t give them the joy of that attention.

7. Circled Snake 04:44 // How can we avoid repeating the same mistakes our ancestors made and not end up as the fifth column for Russia?

Wevo: I’m really afraid that it’s too late for critical thinking courses and media literacy for the average voter. The only thing still keeping the Russians at bay from Western Europe is NATO. We must hold on to that. Because Slovakia alone, without help, compared to the unexpected and massive Ukrainian resistance to the Russian plague, is just a joke.

8. Sticks and Stones 03:20 // Which death is better – being beaten to death with sticks while listening to Metallica, or being stoned to death while listening to Iron Maiden?

Wevo: I’ve outgrown Metallica and Maiden always kind of irritated me, so I’d choose whichever death is quicker.

 

9. The First Touch 04:49 // Which thrash metal band has touched your soul the most?

Wevo: Power Trip. Best band ever.

10. The Lake 04:28 // Which lake do you go swimming in during the summer?

Wevo: Bukovec gang.

11. Frameshift 02:53 // What changes for you with the release of the new album, and what’s next?

Wevo: To be completely honest, this is our first full-length that we’re fully satisfied with and that turned out exactly how we wanted. A small wish is that this could be a kind of second, real beginning for the band—now that we’re not kids anymore, we can clearly shape our artistic vision and build on that. If personal lives allow, we want to bring the album to people through a few shows, and if we gather enough energy and material, we’ll keep writing. If we also get positive feedback from people, that would be the cherry on top.

#152 Flork Reviews: Toń - Korzenie (2024)

 

Toń - Korzenie (2024)
By Flork

 

Released around a year ago from the shadowy corners of Warsaw (and also the region of Masovia) comes Korzenie, the debut album by the Polish doom/stoner quintet Toń. I was introduced to their sounds quite by accident, albeit seredipidously nonetheless. Korzenie is one of those albums which feels more like a myth unearthed rather than a mere collection of songs, despite that four singles preceed its birth. Created by a group of unlikely collaborators, such as a funeral director, a power industry lawyer, a vocal teacher, a veteran of Poland‘s stoner rock scene, and a former MTV translator, the band inhabits a space where personal history, folklore, and sound experimentation collide. As I mentioned at the beginning, Korzenie (Roots) was self-released in June of 2024, offering a genre-defying blend of stoner, psych, post-punk, and folk-metal that is shaped into something uniquely their own. It’s an album that doesn‘t just tell stories, but instead lives them. I loved it right from the moment I first heard Wdech/Wydech (Inhale/Exhale), with its gentle beginning and beautiful vocals. I really didn’t expect a composition full of hope and encouragement. 

The whole album has an earthy, analogue feel to it, even when the band ventures into more chaotic or metallic territory. Recorded at Nebula Studio by Tomek Stołowski and mixed primarily by Maciek Karbowski (with the title track handled by Robert Szydło of Mikromusic), the production is dark, atmospheric, and richly textured. The instrumentation is diverse, drawing on both electric and organic elements, including ex-church Technics organs, thick layers of guitar, and percussion that enhances rather than suffocates. It’s an immersive soundscape, one that feels more found than composed, as if it was lifted from the forest floor and left to spread its wings among the crowns of the trees.

 

At the heart of the album‘s emotional and sonic power is vocalist Monika, whose voice is not just a presence, but also a companion throughout the album’s dreamlike terrain. Her range shifts effortlessly from fragile whispers to unrestrained screams, often within a single track. On songs like Nic Pomiędzy (Nothing In Between) and Krzyk (Scream), she becomes both narrator and embodiment of the emotional content, where one moment she is ghostlike and distant, while the next she is painfully immediate. And all the time she avoids cliché entirely; there’s no theatricality, only raw expression, shaped with careful control. Her voice is haunting yet strangely lullabye and visceral at many moments throughout the album.

The album contains eight tracks, each distinct in mood and narrative. It opens with Wdech/Wydech (Inhale/Exhale), a breath-driven meditation that immediately signals the album‘s spiritual undertone. Some of the tracks, like Las, Głaz, Ćma (Forest, Boulder, Moth) evoke the stillness of the woods at night, while the title track Korzenie (Roots), feels like a ritual in slow motion—rooted in soil, grief, and ancestral memory. This is a beautiful song which can’t be overlooked with tones of folklore sprinkled throughout. 

 

My personal favourite is Niesława (Infamy), which is rhythmic and full of Monika‘s heartfelt energy, while Krzyk (Scream) delivers the most gentle of all the moments, her voice lightening the weight of her soul. The album closes with Odwilż (Thaw), which is a heavier exhale, kind of a cautious reawakening after the album‘s deep descent. 

And the Florman’s prognosis? You can’t deny that there’s a distinct “Slavic darkness” here, but it’s handled with nuance and subtlety. And despite the heaviness, there’s an undeniable tenderness with moments where time seems to slow, where you can feel the air and the ethereal beauty and weight of life. Toń is definitely worth keeping inside your radar this summer.

#272 Askel / Sludge Noise Doom / Konsta, Ossi / 4.6.2025

Blog Photos: Jarkko Mattheiszen / Fuzztronaut Photography 

1. Who are you, what do you do, what has been capturing your interest the most these days, and is it snowing in Helsinki right now?

K: We’re Askel and we play noise-adjacent sludge about our disappointment in humanity and ourselves. 

Regarding interests, the new Billy Woods record sounds amazing, our friends in Svarta Havet just put out a killer new LP, and the new Gundam show seems to be finally getting into the proper “let’s use child soldiers for our political conflicts” thing.

No snow currently, it was actually +20 degrees for a few days there over the weekend. 


2. Could you introduce Askel to our readers? Where are you from, when and how did the band start?

K: As you noted, we’re from Helsinki. We started the band in January 2022 when my previous noise rock band finally fell apart. I had a bunch of sludge/Neurosis-adjacent riffs tucked away, so we started putting things together with our drummer and had a full lineup together in around a month.

3. I discovered Askel last year through a cassette trade with the Finnish label Gate of Deliria — the tape I received was your s/t EP from 2022. Since then, you've released two more records: full-length Cycles of Ruin (2024) and another EP, Sundered (2025). Could you tell us the story behind each of these three releases? What makes them distinct from a musical and lyrical perspective?

K: I guess you could say the self-titled EP was thrown together pretty quickly: we wrote 8 songs in the first half a year as a band, put the 4 we deemed best on the EP, and called it a day. 3 of the surplus songs came out on the Findoomland compilation LP that Gate of Deliria put out last year. But I guess it was mostly about finding our own style and approach to what we wanted to do at that point.

The full-length was a bit more planned. Or well, we still just started to write songs, but realized at some point that these could be put together into a decent LP that carries itself, and managed to work the songs into a fairly cohesive package.

The Sundered EP is probably our most worked on release so far. The songs went through a bunch of iterations with parts rewritten and thrown out over and over again. It also includes our first cover, as I had been thinking that Portishead’s Machine Gun would make a great sludge track, and I’m pretty proud of how it turned out.

Lyrically, we’ve been pretty consistent, with the songs primarily dealing with, as I mentioned, failures of humanity and ourselves, and whether we even deserve to exist.


4. How far has Askel's music reached so far? Where have you received feedback from, and which countries have you played shows in?

K: We just did our first tour going through the Baltics and playing one gig in Poland this May, so that’s probably it. We’ve gotten some comments from around the world, but to be honest, I have no memory of what would be the furthest location.

5. The artwork for Askel’s releases is very dark — not just in terms of color palette, but also the themes: a dead rat, a gloomy cathedral, a hole in the ground... What visual interpretation of Askel’s world do these images represent? Do you have specific visual ideas or imagery in mind when composing or performing your music?

K: I usually do the art after we’ve written the lyrics, so that I can pull from the imagery in the texts. The hole in the ground is actually an ice hole, perfect for drowning yourself. The LP had a bunch of tracks about the collective failures of humanity, so as clichéd as burning churches are, I felt like giving you the perspective of sitting inside a burning monument of power and accepting your fate. It seemed like a fitting image for how we seem to be dealing with the climate, increasing conflicts etc. The Sundered cover is mostly a combo of the title of the second track, Vermin, and the following song Sun, which got its lyrics from the Ukrainian woman offering sunflower seeds to russian soldiers so that their dead bodies could sprout into flowers.

O: My mind works in a very visual way, so both writing lyrics and performing them invokes loads of imagery. I like that there’s a certain intuitive and ambiguous element to the lyrical and visual side, though: we don’t need to explain everything to death to each other, to the listeners, or even to ourselves. Speculating on the different meanings that can be derived is surely interesting, but I’m not one to think that the artist/creator is the supreme authority who can decide how something should be interpreted – once you release a creation into the world, it starts living its own life, and that’s one significant reason why art is so fascinating. Anyway, often it’s only after the lyrics and artworks are done that some of us start connecting the dots, like how the s/t EP cover relates to the lyrics of The Final Step, which in turn relate to the name of the band.


 

6. Which song and lyrics from your band would you highlight, and what are your plans for the near future?

K: From the new EP, I’d say Vermin, which is probably the song I’m most happy with. I feel like the balance between the different parts works well, and we finally managed to tie the harsh noise aspects we play around with to the song properly, too. From the previous releases, Ruin from the LP feels like the most fitting one to highlight. It’s an oppressive dirge of a song that just goes on and on, and finally ends the record without any kind of catharsis. So pretty much everything I’d want this band to represent.

O: Lyrically speaking, Vermin and Ruin are also fitting to highlight, as I’m very satisfied with those two texts. However, while Ruin is blunt in every aspect, the lyrical approach on the latest EP is more wordy, painting a richer yet an equally bleak picture. Out of the new tracks, both Conflagration in its apocalyptic psychosis and Vermin in its haunting nausea feel like complete creations, where the composition, the lyrics, the performance, and the soundscape support each other in a powerful way.


7. Finland has a long and rich doom — and black metal — tradition, from Unholy’s early ’90s albums to the traditional doom revival of the 2000s led by Reverend Bizarre. Were you influenced by these bands, or do Askel’s sludge roots come from an entirely different place?

K: I guess for this band, the roots are more outside of Finland, as the influences I had in mind were Neurosis, Primitive Man and Godflesh. I did of course grow up with a lot of these more local bands as well and listened to tons of Reverend Bizarre especially.

O: Not so surprisingly, Reverend Bizarre seems to have been an important formative influence to everyone in Askel. I think that’s the case with most Finns of our age group who are into heavier music, actually… For me, Reverend Bizarre is still one of those ultimate bands in any genre, representing a relentlessly uncompromising approach and clarity of vision, and having left a near-perfect legacy. After RB had shown me how slow, heavy and dark metal can really get, it was the trinity of Fleshpress, Loinen, and Stumm that dragged me into sludge. Hearing Unholy’s Trip to Depressive Autumn only happened a bit later, but it’s surely one of the obscure treasures of the early 90’s Finnish scene, not being far from Beherit’s Drawing Down the Moon in atmosphere at times. So, although I compose none of the music for Askel, I have to admit that my own inspirations and influences are actually Finnish for the most part, heh.

K: Also the obligatory note regarding Fleshpress: Fuck Mikko Aspa.

 

8. Sludge is often associated with the American South — sweat, decay, and that oppressive heat. Do you think there’s a difference between the southern and northern approach to sludge? What, in your view, defines the specifics of northern - and Finnish sludge in particular?

K: For us, I don’t know if you could even properly call us sludge, since we steer so clear from anything you could call a groove, but that’s not really something I could expand to the Finnish scene in general. But I guess poor mental health and feeling like shit are universal. There are plenty of great sludge bands covering a wide variety of different takes on the genre here from the classic Eyehategod style of Taser to the industrial sludge of Dome Runner.

O: It’d be difficult to imagine a Finnish sludge band doing something as southern-sounding as Weedeater’s Goliathan, for example, but plenty of the bands around here do carry that southern sweat on their backs… Over a decade ago, a bunch of pot smokers named Semtex really made those laid back riffs work. Woodrue’s Low on Luck might still be the best traditional sludge record done in Finland, being both bluesy and hateful. Hollow Corpse’s Slobbed Out and Given Up was one of last year’s highlights in its catchy misery. Demonic Death Judge keeps on delivering the groovy goods, and so forth. But still, I guess bands such as Cicutoxin and Pohjamuta just give me a colder northern vibe: introverted, grim, desolate… and a bit quirky.


9. Are you familiar with any bands from Slovakia? Would you ever consider playing a show here?

K: Can’t say that any bands come to mind right now. But I would certainly be up for playing shows there if the opportunity comes along.

O: I recall coming across long-running death metal bands like Dementor and Sanatorium over the years, but the only Slovakian band that I can claim to be a bit more familiar with is Malokarpatan. Their combination of old school black metal, deep immersion in local folklore, and unhinged rural drunkenness is pretty damn charming.

 

10. Which sound (studio, album/band), artwork (album cover), and music video have impressed you the most recently?

K: When it comes to studios, I look at anything Kurt Ballou puts out from God City as a reference. Even if the music is not necessarily always for me, the quality is just impeccable. I still really love the collage art for Praise’s Sacrosanct Cynicism by Varpu, even though I realized that album is now over a year old, oh well. For music videos, our friends in Sunniva just put a video for the first track of their new album and it captures the mood of the music so well. However, I’ll have to admit that music videos seem more like a rarity in anything I’d listen to these days?


11. A music album, book, film, TV series and music festival that you recommend.

K: Album: Oathbreaker - ErosAnteros
Book: William Gibson's Sprawl-trilogy, still way too prescient.
Film: Ghost in the Shell (1995), continuing on the cyberpunk theme, just a perfect movie.
TV: Andor. Pirate it, don't give a single penny to Disney for supporting the exact shit the show critiques.
Festival: Hässäkkä-päivät. Probably the best Finnish festival focusing mostly on punk and hardcore with some occasional metal etc in Oulu.


12. What are some of your favorite recent releases on vinyl, CD, or cassette?

K: I feel like I haven’t even bought that many new releases recently, I looked at my shelf and I guess the new Tunkio cassette pops out. You can’t really go wrong with Tunkio if you want some filthy grind.

O: Got Scumripper’s For a Few Fixes More (2024) on vinyl recently, simply awesome death metal punk from a band that I’ve adored since they began. The disc that’s been making the most rounds in my CD player as of late must be The Very Beast of GGFH (2001) that my friend gifted me – at last, getting around to delving into this industrial band that I’ve known about for decades. Purchased a bunch of tapes recently as well, with especially the demo compilation of early 90’s Helsinki death metallers Nuxvomica blowing me away with its heaviness, brutality, and experimentation. As you can see, most of these aren’t too recent in terms of release date, but luckily, great art is timeless.

 

13. Share an interesting story or stories from the life of Askel. How far have you climbed on the ladder of decadence?

K: I’m the straight edge person in the band, so I’m mostly there to go “I’m not mad, just fucking disappointed” when the others fuck around.

O: After our most recent gig in Poland, I got the chance to try edibles for the first time in my life, and went for it. Despite only taking a moderate bite off a space cookie, my legs soon turned into spaghetti, my perception of time and space took some seriously psychedelic twists, and I needed lots of assistance to make it to our lodgings just a few hundred meters away. The rest of the night was spent staring at the wall with a braindead grin on my face until I sank into the depths of my mattress like a pile of primordial goo. Nothing to be proud of, but an interesting experience nonetheless.

These kinds of things don’t happen often these days, though. We’ve all had our years of more or less decadent substance abuse in our late teens or early twenties, and we gladly keep those in the past. When we do things with the band, everyone can consume what they choose, as long as they can handle it, but fucking up at rehearsals, recordings or gigs because of being drunk or high is not acceptable. I think that’s just about having basic respect towards your bandmates and your audience.


14. If you could be born in the past, in which era and as whom would you like to be?

K: To be honest, as much as our current moment sucks, I don’t think I could find a much better location for myself, considering most of history… I’d most likely be a depressed peasant toiling away in a field before killing myself. Of course, if you could make me something like the British nobility with endless money and the power and knowledge to affect the fuckups in the early 1900s, that might be nice.

O: Perhaps I’d just choose to be born in time to experience the late 80’s and early 90’s death metal explosion then and there.

 

15. Did you ever pick up anything interesting at Ville Valo’s father’s sex shop in Helsinki?

K: Never stepped inside there, do know the shop tho.


16. Is there someone with whom you’d like to read an interview on Jablká ďaleko od stromu?

K: Maybe you can interview Sunniva and we could seed the ground for heading to Slovakia in the future.


17. (thank you for the interview) - what’s one last piece of advice you’d like to leave for our readers?

K: Try to do some good, we have way too much material for songs as things are already. Things like the genocide in Palestine, war in Ukraine etc might seem unaffectable, but even small gestures can matter. And have zero tolerance for Nazis anywhere.

O: Don’t be an asshole. Little everyday acts of decency and kindness in your immediate surroundings can go a long way.

 

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Links:

https://askelsludge.bandcamp.com/album/sundered

https://www.facebook.com/Askelsludge/

https://www.instagram.com/askel_sludge/

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1. Kto ste, čo robíte, čo vás v poslednom čase najviac zaujíma a sneží momentálne v Helsinkách?

K: Sme Askel a hráme sludge s prvkami noise o našom sklamaní z ľudstva aj zo seba samých.

Čo sa týka záujmov, nový album Billyho Woodsa znie úžasne, naši kamoši zo Svarta Havet práve vydali skvelý nový album a nový seriál Gundam sa konečne dostáva do tej správnej fázy typu „použime deti ako vojakov v našich politických konfliktoch“.

Momentálne nesneží, cez víkend bolo dokonca pár dní aj +20 stupňov.


2. Mohli by ste našim čitateľom predstaviť Askel? Odkiaľ ste, kedy a ako kapela vznikla?

K: Ako si už spomenul, sme z Helsínk. Kapelu sme založili v januári 2022, keď sa moja predchádzajúca noise rocková kapela definitívne rozpadla. Mal som v zálohe kadejaké sludge/Neurosis-podobné riffy, tak sme sa s naším bubeníkom pustili do práce a asi do mesiaca sme mali kompletnú zostavu.


3. Na Askel som narazil minulý rok cez výmenu kaziet s fínskym labelom Gate of Deliria — kazeta, ktorú som dostal, bola vaša eponymná EP z roku 2022. Odvtedy ste vydali ďalšie dva počiny: debutový album Cycles of Ruin (2024) a ďalšiu EP Sundered (2025). Vedel by si nám priblížiť príbeh každého z týchto troch releasov? Čím sa líšia z hudobného a textového hľadiska?

K: Dá sa povedať, že eponymná EP vznikla dosť rýchlo — za prvý polrok existencie kapely sme napísali 8 skladieb, vybrali sme tie 4, ktoré sa nám zdali najlepšie, dali ich na EP a uzavreli to. Tri zvyšné skladby nakoniec vyšli na kompilačnom LP Findoomland, ktorý minulý rok vydal Gate of Deliria. V zásade to celé bolo o hľadaní vlastného štýlu a prístupu k tomu, čo vlastne chceme robiť.

Debutový album bol už trochu viac plánovaný. Teda… začali sme zas len písať skladby, ale v istom bode sme si uvedomili, že by sa z toho dal poskladať ucelený album, ktorý bude dávať zmysel, a podarilo sa nám ho dať dokopy ako celok.

EP Sundered je asi náš najprepracovanejší release doteraz. Skladby prešli viacerými verziami, časti sa prepisovali a vyhadzovali zas a znova. Obsahuje aj náš prvý cover — už dlho som mal v hlave, že Machine Gun od Portishead by mohla znieť skvelo ako sludge track, a som dosť hrdý na to, ako to nakoniec dopadlo.

Čo sa týka textov, tam sme celkom konzistentní — ako som už spomínal, skladby sa prevažne venujú zlyhaniam ľudstva a nás samých a otázke, či si vôbec zaslúžime existovať.


4. Ako ďaleko sa hudba Askel zatiaľ dostala? Odkiaľ ste dostali spätnú väzbu a v ktorých krajinách ste už hrali koncerty?

K: Práve sme absolvovali naše prvé turné, ktoré zahŕňalo pobaltské krajiny a jeden koncert v Poľsku počas tohtoročného mája, takže to je asi všetko. Pár reakcií prišlo aj zo sveta, ale úprimne si nepamätám, aké bolo to najvzdialenejšie miesto.


5. Obaly vašich nahrávok pôsobia veľmi temne — nielen farebne, ale aj tematicky: mŕtvy potkan, pochmúrna katedrála, diera v zemi... Aké vizuálne stvárnenie sveta Askel tieto obrazy predstavujú? Máte pri komponovaní alebo hraní hudby v hlave nejaké konkrétne vizuálne predstavy alebo obrazy?

K: Väčšinou robím artwork až potom, čo máme napísané texty, aby som mohol čerpať z obrazov, ktoré sa v nich objavujú. Tá diera v zemi je v skutočnosti ľadová diera — ideálna na utopenie sa. LP-čko obsahovalo viacero skladieb o kolektívnych zlyhaniach ľudstva, takže aj keď sú horiace kostoly trochu klišé, chcel som zachytiť perspektívu človeka sediaceho vnútri horiaceho monumentu moci, ktorý prijíma svoj osud. Zdalo sa mi to ako výstižný obraz toho, ako (ne)riešime klimatickú krízu, narastajúce konflikty a podobne. Obal Sundered je najmä kombináciou názvu druhej skladby Vermin (Hmyz, Mrchožrúti…) a nasledujúcej piesne Sun, ktorej text vychádza zo slov ukrajinskej ženy, ktorá ponúkla ruským vojakom semienka slnečnice, aby im zo zhnitých tiel vyrástli kvety.

O: Moja myseľ funguje veľmi vizuálne, takže písanie textov aj ich interpretácia na pódiu vo mne vyvolávajú množstvo obrazov. Páči sa mi však, že textová a vizuálna stránka obsahuje určitú intuitívnu a nejednoznačnú zložku: nemusíme si všetko dopodrobna vysvetľovať — medzi sebou, poslucháčom, a vlastne ani sami sebe. Špekulovať o rôznych významoch môže byť zaujímavé, no nemyslím si, že umelec či tvorca je nejaká nadradená autorita, ktorá má právo určiť, ako má byť niečo interpretované — keď niečo vypustíš do sveta, začne si to žiť vlastným životom, a to je podľa mňa jeden z hlavných dôvodov, prečo je umenie také fascinujúce. Mimochodom, často až po dokončení textov a vizuálov začneme spájať jednotlivé veci — napríklad ako obal eponymnej EP súvisí s textom skladby The Final Step, ktorý zase súvisí s názvom kapely.


6. Ktorú skladbu a text by si z vašej tvorby vyzdvihol, a aké máte plány do blízkej budúcnosti?

K: Z novej EP by som vyzdvihol Vermin, čo je asi skladba, s ktorou som najviac spokojný. Mám pocit, že rovnováha medzi jednotlivými pasážami dobre funguje a konečne sa nám podarilo poriadne zakomponovať aj prvky harsh noise, s ktorými sa občas hrávame. Z predchádzajúcich nahrávok by som spomenul Ruin z albumu — je to ťaživý žalospev, ktorý sa vlečie a vlečie, až nakoniec uzatvorí celý album bez akejkoľvek katarzie. Čiže v podstate presne to, čo chcem, aby táto kapela reprezentovala.

O: Čo sa týka textov, aj Vermin aj Ruin sú určite hodné spomenutia — s oboma som veľmi spokojný. Ruin je vo všetkom priamočiary, zatiaľ čo textová práca na poslednej EP je rozvitejšia a vytvára možno ešte pochmúrnejší, ale zároveň obrazovo bohatší svet. Z nových vecí pôsobia Conflagration so svojou apokalyptickou psychózou a Vermin so svojou desivou nevoľnosťou ako kompletné výtvory, v ktorých sa skladba, text, výkon a zvuk vzájomne posilňujú.


7. Fínsko má dlhú a bohatú doom — aj black metalovú — tradíciu, od raných albumov Unholy z 90. rokov až po doom revival 2000-tych rokov vedený Reverend Bizarre. Ovplyvnili vás tieto kapely, alebo má sludge odkaz Askel úplne iný pôvod?

K: Myslím, že pri tejto kapele siahajú korene skôr mimo Fínska. Mal som na mysli skôr vplyvy ako Neurosis, Primitive Man a Godflesh. Samozrejme som vyrastal aj na množstve miestnych kapiel a hlavne Reverend Bizarre som počúval veľmi veľa.

O: Nie je prekvapujúce, že Reverend Bizarre bol formujúcim vplyvom pre všetkých členov Askel. Myslím, že to platí pre väčšinu Fínov v našej vekovej skupine, ktorí majú radi tvrdú hudbu... Pre mňa osobne je Reverend Bizarre stále jednou z najzásadnejších kapiel v akomkoľvek žánri — predstavujú nekompromisný prístup a jasnú víziu, pričom po sebe zanechali takmer dokonalý odkaz. Po tom, čo mi RB ukázali, ako pomalý, ťažký a temný môže metal byť, ma do sludge vtiahla trojica Fleshpress, Loinen a Stumm. Trip to Depressive Autumn od Unholy som objavil až neskôr, ale určite patrí medzi tie menej známe poklady fínskej scény 90. rokov — občas atmosférou takmer pripomína Drawing Down the Moon od Beherit. Takže aj keď nekomponujem hudbu pre Askel, musím priznať, že moje osobné vplyvy sú vo veľkej miere vlastne fínske, heh.

K: A ešte obligátna poznámka k Fleshpress: Fuck Mikko Aspa.


8. Sludge sa často spája s americkým juhom — pot, rozklad a to utláčajúce teplo. Myslíte si, že medzi južným a severným prístupom k sludgeu existuje rozdiel? Čo podľa vás definuje špecifiká severného — a konkrétne fínskeho sludgeu?

K: V našom prípade ani neviem, či nás možno vôbec nazvať sludge kapelou, keďže sa takmer úplne vyhýbame čomukoľvek, čo by sa dalo označiť ako groove. Ale to sa nedá úplne aplikovať na fínsku scénu ako celok. Myslím však, že zlá psychická pohoda a pocit na hovno sú univerzálne. U nás je množstvo výborných sludge kapiel s rôznymi prístupmi — od klasického Eyehategod štýlu v podaní Taser až po industriálny sludge Dome Runnera.

O: Ťažko si predstaviť, že by fínska sludge kapela robila niečo tak južansky znejúce ako Goliathan od Weedeater, ale veľa miestnych kapiel stále akoby nesie ten južanský pot na chrbte… Pred viac než dekádou fungovala partia huličov menom Semtex, ktorí fakt dobre vedeli, ako na uvoľnené riffy. Low on Luck od Woodrue je možno stále najlepší tradičný sludge album z Fínska — bluesový aj nenávistný zároveň. Slobbed Out and Given Up od Hollow Corpse patrí medzi minuloročné vrcholy, plné chytľavej mizérie. Demonic Death Judge stále dodávajú poriadny groove a tak ďalej. Ale stále, kapely ako Cicutoxin a Pohjamuta na mňa pôsobia oveľa chladnejšie a severnejšie: introvertné, pochmúrne, pusté… a trochu čudné.


9. Poznáte nejaké kapely zo Slovenska? Zvažovali by ste koncert u nás?

K: Momentálne mi žiadna kapela nenapadá. Ale určite by som bol za, keby sa naskytla príležitosť u vás zahrať.

O: V priebehu rokov som natrafil na death metalové stálice ako Dementor a Sanatorium, ale jediná slovenská kapela, ktorú môžem povedať, že trochu poznám, je Malokarpatan. Ich kombinácia old school black metalu, hlbokej zakorenenosti v miestnom folklóre a totálneho vidieckeho opilstva má fakt svoje čaro.


13. Povedzte nejaký zaujímavý príbeh alebo príbehy zo života Askelu. Ako vysoko ste už vystúpili na rebríku dekadencie?

K: Ja som v kapele ten straight edge človek, takže som väčšinou ten, čo len povie: „Nie som nahnevaný, len skurvene sklamaný,“ keď ostatní robia hovadiny.

O: Po našom poslednom koncerte v Poľsku som mal prvýkrát v živote možnosť vyskúšať jedlé drogy a išiel som do toho. Aj keď som si dal len umiernené sústo zo space cookie, nohy sa mi zmenili na špagety, vnímanie času a priestoru nabrali seriózne psychedelické kontúry a potreboval som dosť pomoci, aby som sa dostal do nášho ubytka len pár stoviek metrov ďalej. Zvyšok noci som strávil s debilným úsmevom civiac do steny, až som sa nakoniec ponoril do matraca ako nejaká prehistorická kaša. Nie je to nič, na čo by som bol hrdý, ale rozhodne zaujímavá skúsenosť.

Tieto veci sa však dnes už veľmi nedejú. Všetci máme za sebou roky viac či menej dekadentného užívania všeličoho počas neskorých tínedžerských a ranných dvadsiatych rokov, a radi ich nechávame v minulosti. Keď niečo robíme s kapelou, každý si môže dať, čo chce — pokiaľ to zvláda. Ale dojebať skúšku, nahrávanie alebo koncert len preto, že si ožratý alebo sfetovaný, to jednoducho nie je akceptovateľné. Podľa mňa je to o základnom rešpekte voči spoluhráčom a publiku.


14. Keby ste sa mohli narodiť v minulosti, v ktorej ére a ako kto by ste chceli žiť?

K: Úprimne, aj keď je súčasnosť totálna mizéria, neviem, či by som si v rámci dejín našiel lepšie miesto pre seba… S najväčšou pravdepodobnosťou by som bol nejaký depresívny sedliak, čo drie na poli, kým si to nevezme. Samozrejme, ak by ste ma spravili niekým ako britská šľachta s nekonečným bohatstvom a možnosťou ovplyvniť prúsery na začiatku 20. storočia, to by možno nebolo zlé.

O: Asi by som si vybral narodiť sa tak, aby som zažil explóziu death metalu koncom 80. a začiatkom 90. rokov priamo vtedy a tam.


15. Podarilo sa vám niekedy uloviť niečo zaujímavé v sexshope otca Villeho Vala v Helsinkách?

K: Nikdy som tam nevošiel, ale viem, kde ten obchod je.


16. Je niekto, s kým by ste si radi prečítali rozhovor na blogu Jablká ďaleko od stromu?

K: Možno by si mohol spraviť rozhovor so Sunnivou — mohli by sme spolu zasiať semienko pre našu budúcu cestu na Slovensko.


17. (Ďakujeme za rozhovor) — aký je posledný odkaz, ktorý by ste chceli zanechať našim čitateľom?

K: Skúste robiť dobro — existuje už viac než dosť materiálu. Veci ako genocída v Palestíne či vojna na Ukrajine môžu pôsobiť neovplyvniteľne, ale aj malé gestá môžu mať význam. A nemajte absolútne žiadnu toleranciu voči nacistom – kdekoľvek.

O: Nebuďte kreténi. Malé každodenné prejavy slušnosti a láskavosti vo svojom okolí môžu mať veľký dopad.