A few months before the release of Behemoth’s new record, “The Satanist”, we got the chance to meet their mastermind in Paris and we obviously had a talk!
Hello how are you?
Adam “Nergal” Darski (vocals/guitar): I’m great, I just saw Nick Cave yesterday, and it was amazing.
Your 10th album will be released in February. Can you introduce us the record?
A : So there’s nine songs, it’s a strong album, strong statements. In my opinion, it’s the most adventurous record we’ve done so far and in the same time, the most conscious album with the organic vibe, the human vibe so it’s not like overproduced or over processed with all these ProTools and stuff. It sounds like the band would be in the same room when they play. I’ve always been proud of all the work we’ve done but now it feels like stronger than ever, it just felt right to do this stuff and also all the setup around the album like the packaging.
We read that you take into consideration your health issues to write it, but why “The Satanist”, what’s the link?
A : Actually I didn’t write anything when I was in hospital, I was just so worn out, and going on to all the chemo process but I was actually reading a lot, literally swallowing books, just fighting the disease. It took me a while before I started composing anything because my first thought when I left the hospital was “can I return to the stage? Can I be fully recharged and get back in shape?” and it was a concern actually because my first physical activity, I got a coach, it took me a while, it wasn’t an easy process but I was very determined and I knew that by the end, that I’ll be back on stage and I did. We did this Polish tour, a full European tour and after these 25 shows, I knew that I could go up to a 100. (laughs) When I felt more comfortable on stage, I knew the next stage would be to show the world that with all this experience, we were ready to sit around a table, throw ideas and prepare a new album. So it was a long process.
Why did you choose “The Satanist” as an album title?
A : I can’t think of any better definition to our mental state that we are at now, which is very militant, very determined like conquering statement.
But why did you wait for so long to use this title for one of your album?
A : Because I didn’t think of it. (laughs) I just thought about it when we were on a plane, going back home from Tuska Festival. I saw this magazine “The Economist” and I immediately linked it to “The Satanist” and once I did that, I knew it would be great.
So the first track “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel” is kind of different from the rest of the album, any explanation?
A : I named the track, it was last minute decision before we close the track list, the track was recorded and the lyrics were there too, the album was mixed and the album was titled “I Am Who Is Not” I thought it would stay like that. Then, I realize “why the f*ck don’t we have a title track on that record?” just because that song stands out so much because to the obvious rock parallels and it’s so different. I decided to switch it and happy about it. (laughs)
The album is kind of divided into two parts.
A : Kind of, yes.
But was it mean to be like that?
A : No, it just happened that way. The order is always crucial on any record, you know what I mean, just to pill up the atmosphere, to keep the right dynamics but what I definitely wanted to avoid is that, there’re plenty of records out there in the market, when you listen to them, the first songs are cool, awesome and then it just fall. And I wanted to make sure that when you listen to this record, it always keeps you in the loop, interested and I couldn’t think about more epic ending with “O Father, O Satan, O Sun!”; I heard it 200 times and every time I had shivers. It was also deliberate we didn’t use that much intros on the record, because we’ve done it before and I just wanted to have as much of the band as we could. This time I thought if we put “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel” as the opening track, the riff itself is an intro so I didn’t need to do much more. I’m the kind of person that give a hundred thoughts to the things that I do and this is the way it should be, there’ re no compromise.
In which way your bandmates got involved in the album?
A : Everywhere, I’d really opened up myself to more democratic dialogue this time, which can be sometimes a pain in the ass to hear everyone complaining about this and that. I realize I got smart people around myself, people on who I can rely, and “The Satanist” is the fruit of a collective work of all four of us.
Which three songs would describe the best the record?
A : It’s very difficult because out of these nine songs, all of them stand out for themselves. And other journalists also asked me why I chose “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel” as the single. Those songs are so different so if I had picked another one, that would also be a good choice. About my favorites, it’s very difficult because every day I’ll just listen to specific songs but at the end, I listen to the whole record. It captivates me so it’s hard to say. I like “Blow Your Trumpets”, “Messe Noire” is also the one I listen to very often and after that it’s very hard to say, it’s a whole thing you know.
Talking about “Messe Noire”, are you tempted, at some point, to sing a few words in French?
A : I was thinking about it, a lot of bands did that lately and it seems that French black metal is actually going on some kind of renaissance and some of them do some French parts. But if we do it, people would think that’s a marketing reason and I would hate that so.
We were thinking about something, there’re lots of “supergroups” in hard rock or heavy metal, but there aren’t any in extreme metal. Do you feel interested by playing with the guys from Watain and Marduk for example? Did you ever thought about that kind of project?
A : As much as I respect the dudes that you mentioned, I don’t think any of them and us would be interested in such project. My goal is to make Behemoth the best band in the planet and I’m sure if you ask Erik about it, he’s gonna tell you the same, that he’s busy enough with Watain and Marduk will tell you the same, let everyone run his own thing.
You released a book last year, kind of autobiographical, in which way did you feel to make one?
A : I just felt right and it’s not really autobiography, its more interviews. It is 400 pages long, with chronology, covering my life, with pictures and stuff, in that sense is it, but it’s just that the dynamics of interviews are way more different. If you keep interview structures, it’s more dynamic. Interviews were massive and I asked myself, in a larger prospect, and then a got a nice offer from a publisher but the main condition was that I’ll pick up the journalist with whom I’ll work. I knew it was going like chemistry with them and the book sold more than 40.000 in Poland, so that’s pretty massive.
A part from that, you did history studies and also Latin. Well we know your point of view on religion but studying history didn’t encourage you to know more about it? Because it’s always a matter in History, in civilizations.
A: I always thought that I’m at the opposite side of the fence. When I was a kid, around 15, I woke up and realize it’s something with I can’t connect. Church is a powerful political weapon in Poland. Religion has to be an intimate thing, keeping it to themselves at home or at their temples. And when you have opposite views, they became aggressive and we don’t need more reason to stand against each other, that’s what I did as a kid. I understand that people need to be led by someone stronger, want to fulfill emptiness in them with an ideology but there’s also some kind of laziness, people don’t want to think. It’s all their decisions and I’ve nothing to do with it. Obviously I got strong opinions and I have the rights to speak up, as we’re in a democratic country, I’ll defend my rights. The whole trial thing began with tearing up a Bible on stage, for me it was an artistic manifest, I bought it myself, it was my property and I did it during my show, sold by my company, so what? It’s been 6 years now and the case should be nearly over. I just defend my right to be an artist and the way I express myself. I don’t have problems with Christians, I have Christians friends and we don’t need to fight about it. When we’re on stage, we fight and express ourselves, off stage; we can talk and have a drink together without being aggressive. If you don’t want to be offended? Don’t show up to the shows. It’s like pornography, which is a huge problem in Poland, if you don’t want to see porn, don’t buy the magazines or don’t research it on internet. Behemoth don’t mean “angel of light”. (laughs)
What are Behemoth next plans?
A : Next year is going to be crazy, Euro tour, summer festivals too, we’ll cover all the markets. There’s also a nice tour in the US and probably South America later.
You’ll be playing once again at Hellfest, what’s your opinion about our festival?
A : Hellfest is one of the best experiences for us and it’s not just me being nice here. Every time we are booked there we are like “YESS”, it’s just feel good and right, it’s the place to be; we always have been treated well, had great feedbacks and last time we got the night show so we brought pyro and it was big and crazy! We built up a nice relationship with France and I love to come here, not only for music, just to spend a day or two in the city on my own, free style. All I need is my hotel address and then I can get lost. (laughs)
The album will be in stores a week before Valentine’s Day in France, is it THE perfect gift?
A : This record is full of love so. (laughs)
And finally, we are “RockUrLife”, so what rocks your life Adam?
A : Can be anything, I’m so fond of routines, ritual, every day like training, having morning coffee, a great breakfast, having a walk, meeting a friend. I do spectacular fucking things, I travel all around the world, do extreme sports and I love it! But mentioning this is such a cliché. So I’ll say that the most casual down to Earth activities can be the most entertaining. Again, it’s not being nice but sitting here with you, talking about my record I can ask for more in life, I got everything I need, that’s a quote from the new Deep Purple record. (laughs)
Website : behemoth.pl
