Genre:
Experimental/Progressive Death Metal
Country: Poland
Questions by: Nick
Parastatidis
Answers by: Marcin “Major” Meyer (guitarist)& Łukasz
Kobusiński (Vocals)
Photo by Adam
Grudzinski
Site:
Bandcamp
1) Most bands spend their debut trying
to grab attention with three-minute "hits." You chose a 35-minute
single-track odyssey. Was this a conscious rebellion against the
"TikTok-era" attention span, or did the music simply refuse to be
severed into pieces?
Marcin “Major”
Meyer (guitarist): From the very beginning as we composed and created the
sounds our goal was to craft a sophisticated extreme metal track that goes
beyond contemporary trends. Of course we could have divided the song into parts
(we call them “episodes” in reference to the lyrics) just as we did on the CD
and on YouTube, but we deliberately chose to keep it as one powerful track on
other platforms. It’s a middle finger aimed at the modern music industry,
modern society, and its fast-food consumption culture. I’m fully aware of the
consequences of this approach. I genuinely despise TikTok and similar
short-attention-span media, even though my wife and daughter have tried to
unsuccessfully convince me to use them.
2) You’ve joked that a 10-minute song is “a
walk for losers." In an era of playlists and singles, "The Monolithic
Cult of Death" demands a "theatrical" commitment from the
listener. Do you view Deamonolith as a musical entity or more of a ritualistic
experience that requires total immersion?
Major: We can
perceive Deamonolith in both of these dimensions. On the one hand it is a
manifestation of our powers, dreams and anxieties transformed into sound; on
the other, it emerges as a dark energy flowing through our veins demanding a
deeper level of focus from both us and the listener.
I recommend
experiencing the album in complete darkness - you may uncover additional hidden
layers that expand perception beyond the surface. As I continue to develop
spiritually, I find myself moving toward a more immersive, ritualistic approach
indeed.
Łukasz “Kobuch”
Kobusiński (vocalist): Both.
Our music
composition is a consistent story, musically and lyrically as well. It leads
the listener to its universe. And we will act this way in the future –
Deamonolith band will create music backgrounds and lyrics themes directly
connected with each other within every song.
It is natural that
it needs to grab the attention of the listener. If one wants to get into it, of
course. I find the song not boring and makes the listener focus on the theme.
That’s my own opinion.
3) With members having roots in bands like
Gortal, Imperator and Lost Soul there is
a massive amount of "old school" DNA here. How did you balance that
classic Polish Death Metal ferocity with the more avant-garde elements like the
saxophone and piano without losing the "foundation of death"?
Major: The
foundation of the composition is based on extreme metal subgenres. I couldn't
avoid classic death metal riffs - it is an inseparable part of my music
personality. The avant-garde elements serve as additional layers that expand
the range of expression. As long as the riffs remain brutal these non-metal
elements make the compositions more multidimensional and unpredictable.
4) The lyrics follow a harrowing narrative:
a Leader, a Council and a failed search for a Messiah that eventually leads to
the stars. Does this story reflect your view on modern humanity — that we are
constantly seeking salvation in the wrong places, whether it’s ancient religion
or future technology?
Major: The story
unfolds on multiple levels of meaning. Each band member interprets it through
their own lens and the same applies to the listener. From my perspective it
serves as a quiet warning - an invitation to preserve one’s individuality
rather than submit to the “truths” imposed by modern society and their
tribalism. In an age crowded with self-proclaimed messiahs I choose to follow
none of them.
5) In section four, “The Acknowledgement”,
you mention that Mecca, Jerusalem, and the Vatican have given up their secrets.
Is the "Monolithic Cult" a critique of organized religion or a
celebration of the "Absolute" that exists beyond human dogma?
Kobuch: I find
every form of organised religion as worthless. Each of them makes people feel
guilty of thinking and having doubts.
And I have always
had a feeling that there is something beyond control of human minds, something
above the world as we know it. I wouldn’t go so far to celebrate the Absolute
or to celebrate even a feeling of its presence. But it certainty pushes me to
ask questions.
6) The Astronaut at the end of the album
realizes that "The horizon has no end" and "There is no Risen
from the Dead." It’s an incredibly nihilistic conclusion. Is the
"Afterfall" a warning or an inevitability?
Kobuch: It’s not a
warning at all. It’s a fact.
Leave the Risen
from the Dead. This existence form (or non-existence, to be precise) is not
necessary for us to realize the truth. Let’s think about space.
We are not able to
imagine the overwhelming size of our galaxy. Distances between planets in the
Solar System are enormous. And what about the Milky Way? What about the
universe at all? Is there “a universe” that has size?
Man has always
thought of himself as a centre of something.
We are less than
moon dust.
7) Recording a single 35-minute piece is a
logistical nightmare. How did the atmosphere in JNS Studio differ from your
previous experiences? Did you record in long, grueling sessions to maintain the
"flow" or was it a surgical assembly of movements?
Major: It’s not
possible to record individual tracks in a single take given the level of effort
involved, but in the end the process was relatively smooth. When you come
prepared the only thing that matters is staying focused on delivering your
best.
And each band
member did so without any real obstacles.
We know JNS Studio
very well. It’s a professional and comfortable environment that allows us to
achieve the right creative flow while also offering the precision needed when a
more surgical approach is required.
Kobuch: I did my
part of recordings in Bydgoszcz, my home town, at Santa Studio with Szymon
“Sigmar” Grodzki as a sound engineer. I come back to this place and this guy
every time I need to record vocals. For years. Smooth cooperation.
8) Major and Desecrate, you spent two years
trying to reactivate Gortal before Deamonolith emerged. What was that specific
"spark" or "new energy" that told you this material needed
a brand new name and a more progressive identity?
Major: I’d like to
point out two reasons. The first, quite obvious, was the absence of Chryste,
the founder of Gortal. At that time he had other priorities than rehearsing. We
had made a pact among ourselves that if one member out of the three was
missing, the band would be buried.
The second reason
emerged naturally. The music evolved into a more sophisticated form and a new
identity became inevitable. We wanted to maintain integrity and coherence —
both for ourselves and for the audience.
9) You have guests contributing clean vocals
and saxophone. These aren't standard tools in the Polish death metal kit. When
you were composing, did you "hear" those instruments in the void, or
did they emerge as a way to color the cosmic themes of the album?
Major: I’ve had a
few moments of clarity where I realized we needed to enrich the composition
with additional layers. These were external inspirations that struck me deeply
and almost “poisoned” my mind in a creative sense. For example, while running,
I came across Misanthrope’s track “Regard Vers L’Infinité”, and from the very
first moment I knew the saxophone had to be part of the arrangement.
10) You’ve planned a very specific release
schedule - from CD jewel cases to vinyl and finally cassettes in 2026. In the
digital age why is the physical "relic" so important for a concept
album like this?
Kobuch: Personally
I think that physical releases are the core of music. I am an old school guy
and I will always go back to them (CDs in my case). When using digital streams
I always look for albums worth buying on CD. Maybe it’s because I get the
feeling of owning something after touching a physical copy, not earlier?
Digitals don’t bring this feeling to me.
As for Deamonolith,
our release schedule included digital, CD and LP releases at the beginning. We
were looking for a label that could be interested in cooperation with releasing
a tape format (MC), but there wasn’t any then. Anastasis of Greek Nuclear
Winter Records joined a year and a half after the premiere.
And we are pleased
to have the release formats table fulfilled now.
11) Does the name Deamonolith represent a
physical object (like the monoliths in your lyrics) or is it a state of mind —
the "unbreakable stone" of the metal scene you’ve been a part of
since the 90s?
Kobuch:
Interesting… I remember I was thinking of it for a while shortly before joining
Deamonolith. I didn’t come to a final conclusion then.
The imagery of
weird, scary sculpture is quite alluring, nevertheless this explanation is not
enough. I would rather like to consider the name of the on the various levels -
starting with physical forms and then going to more abstract concepts. Stone of
the metal music scene could be one of them.
Same as creation of
life. Continuous changes of forms of existence. Self-destructive acts of
probably the highest evolved representatives. And so on.
12) After reaching the "edge of the
universe" on your debut, where does Deamonolith go next? Can you ever go
back to writing "short" songs or has the portal been opened too wide?
Kobuch: My point of
view on composing music has been reconstructed so much since I’ve joined the
Deamonolith band, that I am not able to even think of creating three or four
minutes lasting tracks now. What’s even more, I very often have a feeling that
songs I daily listen to end much too quickly if you know what I mean.
So, as you have
written, the gates have been opened too wide to be closed again.
At the present time
we are into the creation process for the next album. There will be long songs
on it. The formula will be similar to the debut, but we think of composing two
“blocks” if we may name them this way. And maybe they both will be split into
two parts.
Thank you kindly for
this interesting (I hope so) interview and for your support for the Deamonolith
band. See you somewhere, sometime (maybe on our live show in Greece?).
Take care of
yourself!
https://deamonolith.bandcamp.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@Deamonolith
https://www.facebook.com/DEAMONOLITH
https://www.instagram.com/deamonolith_official_pl/