Polish trio Behemoth have just touched down on Australian shores and commenced their first ever Australian tour (supported by The Amenta, The Furor and Psycroptic). Vocalist/Guitarist Adam "Nergal" Darski recently had a chat with PyroMusic.net staffer Emily regarding their trip to Australia, the Behemoth live experience, musical influences, their past, present and future.
Emily: So, starting on the 6th of January, you'll be starting your tour here down under in Australia. How's the band feeling about this? Are you all beginning to get excited?
Adam "Nergal" Darski: We are all excited, you know. It's going to be our first time ever for us in Australia and it feels like we're going all out. We've ended up touring places we've never toured before like Turkey, and South America, and Central America and different places, you know. And recently we went to Siberia for the first time ever. So, we've been to like, all types of crazy places. So it's going to be really nice to play for you guys now, and it's pretty big for us, I mean we're from the north of Europe. It's freezing here now, it's snowing, it's super cold, so the minute we leave this winter and go doing shows down there...
Emily: It's really hot down here.Adam "Nergal" Darski: Yeah, it's going to be pretty freaky I would say. But yeah, I'm looking forward to playing in front of crowds I've never ever experienced before. I'm always excited. You know Germany, for instance, they're all bored and they're all so much more laid back and they're like, so much trouble, with any music. Too many shows, too many tours there. So, getting to places where people are hungry for music, well this is the whole point for us pretty much now.
Emily: So another thing, why has it then taken you guys so long to actually come down here, as well?
Adam "Nergal" Darski: Well, I don't know. You know, first of all we are from Poland, we are not from the US. So, I don't want to sound like it's too complex or too much trouble, you know. I guess it took us a bit longer and bit more work then any other regular bands to reach the same level, if you know what I mean.
Emily: Well, we are all so excited that you're actually coming down here. Anyway, you guys have a reputation for being one of the heaviest bands around, perhaps even the heaviest. Was achieving this title a conscious goal, or was it just an unintentional side effect of creating your music?
Adam "Nergal" Darski: Uh, I don't know. I mean, I'm flattered when people say things like that. But I'm still happy because it means that we're not ignored. The worst thing you can get is a band that's in our case, is to be ignored. So pretty much whatever they say, it's good. It's a good thing, for the band it's even better, so I'm happy, you know. But I can't really say, you know, it's not really our aim to be the heaviest band. Our purpose is to be the most hard working band on the planet. (Laughter) That's what I'm doing now, we're so busy now, we just want to push as hard as possible, want to deliver good quality music that's full of emotions, good stuff. And we just want to go on stage and give like 200% and just go crazy, get intense, and just give all that to the people, and hopefully entertain them, as we entertain ourselves.
Emily: Now, do you feel it's important to work with the right producer on your records, to create the right sound?
Adam "Nergal" Darski: Well, it's always important to work with the right producer. I'm the producer of our records, it makes it easier in a way because I know what sound I want for that record. But of course it's always good to have some people from third parties to help with the production process. For 'Demigod' we had Daniel Bergstrand mixing the record and others mastering the record which means you get some fresh insight into the music and that's very important because we're taking down the album for like 2 months, dealing with all the songs, 12 hours to 14 hours a day, its not really healthy, it's too much. You want to make the right decisions, so in these critical moments you might want people from outside that have a different opinions who can say, 'Hey, maybe we should do this as it would be better that way,'. That's why we need people from outside to deal with our music too, when we record the record.
Emily: So, other than touring, what have you guys been up to? Is there any news on the progress of a follow up to your album 'Demigod'?
Adam "Nergal" Darski: Uh, Not really. Actually, I mean like, I do small work, you know. I'll record some stuff, I'll do some research. A small thing I did today was, I was downtown and this riff just came into my head and I had no tape recorder with me so I called my own cell phone and I recorded on my cell phone this idea for the riff. So, these small things that I do now, its not really like it's a massive process, it's compelling just completing some ideas. I'm not really forcing myself to write a song or anything because it's not really the right time. When we are touring, we pretty much focus on touring only and when you're touring and dealing with guitars and you have to play guitar everyday, when you're offstage all you want to do is relax, you want to chill out. So when I get back home a guitar is the last thing I want to touch and play, you know. I need a real time off, I need like 2 or 3 months off to get rest, for the other guys to get rest from the shows, to get rest from the venues, buses, vans. I need to get in the right environment and be with myself only, experience life, not touring, real life, as that's where I get all my inspiration from, so I need to experience real life. As I do that, I get some more ideas and eventually write songs and lyrics.
Emily: Nice. Your album covers tend to be very dark and they feature really striking imagery and after each release, they just continue to get better and better. Now, do you believe that your cover artwork and its presentation contribute to the way people convey your music?Adam "Nergal" Darski: Yes, definitely. I mean Behemoth is all about.. Well okay, let's put it like this. There are many bands out there who suck in one way or another (Laughter) but you want to have bands that play great music but then you see some of them on stage and they are so boring and then if they look great, the way they sound especially sucks. To the point where you don't even want to be with that, it's ugly, you know. Behemoth is all about delivering the quality wherever possible and there always has to be a link in between every level. So when you see us live you're going to see the link to the album covers, to the lyrics, to all the imagery, to all the ideas behind the lyrics and behind the band, you're all going to see it. When you get the album, when you get the video, when you see us live, it is all part of the same package. So it is super important for us to take care of small details.
Emily: Now just on the subject of Behemoth live, how long a set do you think you'll be playing?
Adam "Nergal" Darski: It's going to be more or less one hour. It also depends on people, if they want more, we're going to play more but with this intensity of the songs you can't do like one and half-hours. We better focus on the one-hour, out of all the songs about 2 are slow and the rest are just blasting and crazy and technical, and we're not the guys to just stand there and look boring.
Emily: So, you go pretty wild on stage then?
Adam "Nergal" Darski: We go crazy! We have this Venom feeling, you know from the 80's. Yeah with the quality level and the playing level, so it's really difficult, we want to do the show and not just stand there and focus on our guitar necks, in order to play it properly. If you want to hear a proper song, put on a CD that is perfect. We're going to be larger then life, you're going to witness chaos.
Emily: See now, when you're playing in Sydney, you're playing at the Gaelic club, which I know is a small and intimate venue. So when it's a really intense show the crowd can get a lot more into the concert. Small venues are usually some of the best, in my opinion.
Adam "Nergal" Darski: That's right, Canada could see that. I remember last time we were in Canada, a few weeks back, most of the time we played in small bars. Some sucked but some were so cool.
Emily: For the people who have no clue, the behemoth is a biblical creature and it was indicated that it was the largest and most powerful animal of the time. Now, is this why the band was named after it? To draw parallels between the power of this creature and your music?
Adam "Nergal" Darski: (Laughter) Well, the reason behind the band name, I've always been a fan of Beherit. When I was a kid, when I was like 14, I listened to a lot of Beherit, you know the black metal Finnish band, and I listened to Blasphemy and I wanted to have name that starts with B. (laughter). So I came up with the name Baphomet but even back then there was at least 10 Baphomets around, and it's when we were so small and so shitty, so we couldn't really rival with them, against the big names, so I said 'you know, we gotta change it'. And then I got this book called 'God and Evil' about agnosticism and I went through it and I saw this name Behemoth, and I just thought 'fuck yeah, this is the name for my band'. It's sounds almost like Baphomet, and there seems to be like a sinister meaning to it too and it just projects metal, or black metal with the name so I picked that and it still stands for the same values today, I'd say.
Emily: Now just on the note of black metal, your older stuff was pretty much straight up black metal while your new stuff appears to be much closer to technical death metal. Now, is this an example of Behemoth say, trying new things or has this change just occurred naturally? Adam "Nergal" Darski: Uh, I always make the same mistakes. I always forget to tell people not to ask me this question (laughter). I just get bored because everybody asks this same question and it's like well, the same if you asked me why I don't look like I'm 15 any more, you're 28, why don't you like look I'm 15. It's a biological process, it something very natural, we change, everything changes. Sometimes you can't control it, if you try and control it, it doesn't really help much because it's all natural changes. Then when the line up changes, it all has that influence on the sound, our recordings and the music we put out. And then I never want to play the same music on every record. So when you listen to all our records, from our first album to Demigod, our seventh record, one by one you clearly see all the progression and it's just all natural. There's no album where we decided that's death metal now, no, it never happened. We just became more technical, and then are we a death metal band? I wouldn't really say so, we are so far physically from Cannibal Corpse or Suffocation or Cryptopsy or bands that I classify as death metal, we are not like them. So, I shall leave it to critics, to media, to fans to categorise us, I don't like doing that myself because it's not my concern, it shouldn't be.
Emily: All right, that's fair enough. Now, correct me if I'm wrong but you guys have 7 albums, 6 EPS and 2 DVD's under your belt? Sound about right?
Adam "Nergal" Darski: Uh, I never counted (laughter). Other then the 7 full length records, I don't know about the small stuff. But maybe you're right, yes.
Emily: So out of all these, do you have a favourite Behemoth release?
Adam "Nergal" Darski: Yes, it's always the last record, which was 'Demigod', it's always 'Satanica'. I mean, I love every record for some reasons. But, I think the strongest record is 'Satanica', which is our album from '99.
Emily: Do you have a favourite Behemoth track?
Adam "Nergal" Darski: Too many to mention (laughter).
Emily: All right. The Amenta and The Furor are the two main support acts on your tour in Australia. Now, these two bands actually just recently both supported Nile on their tour down under. Does this have any relevance as to why they're supporting you guys or is it just a coincidence?
Adam "Nergal" Darski: I think it's because, some people who are involved in organising these tours are people in these bands who are already involved in promoting, or are promoters friends, or whatever. I don't know, maybe you don't have any more bands in Australia? (laughter) I don't know. I have no idea really. I was joking. (laughter)
Emily: So are you big fans of these 2 bands? Do you know much of their material?Adam "Nergal" Darski: Actually, I've never heard any of them. I know about the other support band Psycroptic, David the drummer, I've heard stories about him, very good stories and that he's always just fast and technical and great. I mean, it's always cool to play with good bands because it doesn't really matter if they're big or small or underground bands, as long as they are good, I might find inspiration in watching them. So, and it's also good to have bands that aren't better then you also on the tour so you can kick their ass (laughter).
Emily: Now relating to the whole international metal scene, are they any particular bands that you feel are releasing particularly good music at the moment?
Adam "Nergal" Darski: Yes. I just listened to the last Nevermore record. I think it's just beyond everything, it's just amazing, I just love this band. I think they're so refreshing, and Warrel Dane must be like 40-something and their music is not sentimental, it's not like retro or old-fashioned stuff. And they're always at the top of things, always ahead of the time, I love this band, they're great. We just toured with them in LA, 2 weeks ago. Super nice guys. I was surprised actually, everyone of them were coming to us and talking, and we were all like paralysed being like, 'shit this is Nevermore!' (laughter). Yeah it was funny, great guys and great band.
Emily: Do you have a favourite place to tour?
Adam "Nergal" Darski: You know what? I love touring South America.
Emily: South America? A lot of bands admit to loving playing in South America.
Adam "Nergal" Darski: You know why? Because there's great clubs there and you might love South America for many other reasons too if you know what I'm talking about, but it's just crazy there. It's just out of control, it's cool you know, and I love it. We have so many great memories from touring in South America. All the countries actually, Colombia was great, Brazil, Argentina, we all loved it.
Emily: Haha, well you haven't yet to be to Australia!
Adam "Nergal" Darski: Yeah, let's see. Let's see! Maybe this Australia is going to be the next South America, I don't know, let's see!
Emily: When you get here will you have time to enjoy all the sights and scenery or will it just be show after show? Adam "Nergal" Darski: Yes we will. We're having like 2 weeks. We're taking off on the 3rd, so I guess we're going to be there by the 4th I believe.
Emily: Any places you particular want to see?
Adam "Nergal" Darski: I don't really know any places there but we have organisers who just said we're going to love it, and they're going to bring us to all different places and I just want to see life there! I want to see how people live there, I want to see the scenery there, I want to see some wildlife if possible, I've heard the stories about it. That's what pretty much what Australia is known for, its wildlife. Yeah and I know its pretty dangerous too (laughter), so it's going to be pretty cool to check it out. And the other thing is, is that's it's freezing winter here now in Poland, it's like zero or minus five degrees, it's not as bad as in Canada, but it's freezing. And I just want to go swimming, I want to go to have fun, I want to meet people and talk to people, it's going to be super refreshing for us because we've never been there, it's a virgin land for us and we'll definitely check it out.
Emily: Definitely. Now just quickly, do you have a favourite band of all time?
Adam "Nergal" Darski: Too many to mention again but I can tell you that I love Danzig, Morbid Angel, Slayer, Johnny Cash..
Emily: That's an interesting choice, Johhny Cash?
Adam "Nergal" Darski: Fuck yeah! You like him?
Emily: Can't say I'm much of a fan I have to admit.
Adam "Nergal" Darski: Yeah you shouldn't be a fan, I mean just I'm so inspired by this guy. There's just something about his music that I find so inspirational and I don't really mind the fact that he's Christian or that he used to be Christian and him singing about Jesus and stuff, his music is so fucking real. It's good listening to it, I love it.
Emily: I have to agree to with that part. Now, any favourite vocalists?
Adam "Nergal" Darski: Yeah. Glenn Danzig, David Vincent and probably a hundred others. (laughter)
Emily: Now just to wrap it up do you have anything else you'd like to add, for the people reading this?
Adam "Nergal" Darski: Yes! Just wait for us, we're going come there and we're going to conquer you all! That's my promise.
- Emily
