Conducted by:	Azhidahak
Published:	14.03.2005
Band profile:	Darzamat

-Could you please give a short introduction of your band to those readers who are not yet familiar with you?

Darzamat was started in the middle of 90s and has released so far four albums: "In The Flames of Black Art", "In The Opium of Black Veil", "Oniriad" and the newest "Semidevilish". To tell you the truth, we recognize only the first two albums and the last one (laugh). "Oniriad" was a musical experiment and has nothing in common with today's music of Darzamat. Two first albums which were placed in black metal atmosphere are closer to the newest album. "Semidevilish" is for people that love hard sound connected with melody. From the last album the band has started a new chapter of its life. From the original line-up there is only me left. The music is harder now and we have a specified vision of Darzamat we want to realize with the present members.


-Listening to your new album and comparing it to the older ones, I must say that I think your sound has definitely changed and you are moving more towards symphonic black metal (though I feel like I can still hear gothic elements in your music). Would you agree on that?

In my opinion Darzamat has always played music of black metal kind. Only "Oniriad" is an exception. That one is an experimental compilation of many styles like metal, gothic and electro. It is a result of compromises I had to agree with the other co-founder of Darzamat. It was the last album we made together because of divergence of musical visions we had. Then he left the band and I decided to give to it a new life. I gathered new musicians and here we're back with "Semidevilih", dark art of hard metal music again. There is an atmospheric gloom in it, but I wouldn't call it gothic. Today's music of Darzamat is much more mature, but we are still searching for something new. I am sure the sounds will evolve with us. What is for me the most important, is the fact that I still want to do this, and so do other members of Darzamat.

But let's not forget that today in music you can find so many mixtures, that many albums simply can not be classified. I try not to worry about that, because I believe what is really important, is music itself, and not the label everyone likes put on the album. I am convinced that Darzamat plays a good piece of music and it's of no importance if you call it black art., symphonic dark or industrial black.


-When a band changes their sound, sometimes they loose some fans but also find new ones. Do you think you have gained more fans with the change of your sound or the other way around?

You know, I don't think that way. I do respect people who listen to our music, but first of all we ourselves must be content of what we do. It is the most important, otherwise it wouldn't make a sense. You can't calculate if others will like it or not, or you would go mad. I agree that drastic changes can be wrong, but if you feel like this, you can't help it. After the experimental "Oniriad" I dreamt nothing but returning to hard sounds. This is exactly what we love and want to do.




-You have toured with some famous bands like: Cannibal Corpse, Impaled Nazarene, Graveworm, Misery Index etc. Which band are you most of all proud to say that you have toured with and why?

Yes, indeed, we have played with some great bands lately. It was during last year fests. And now ahead of us another adventures: Cradle of Filth, Arcturus, Atrocity, Tiamat, Napalm Death, Katatonia, Amon Amarth, Tristania. It is a fantastic experience to share a stage with such musicians. All of them are the reason to be proud of playing on the same board.


-Do you have any difficulties touring with bands that play a completely different or even opposite music style of what you play?
No, it should never be a problem. Today tours are full of gathered band playing very different music.

But I remember when in Moscow we've been put right before Finnish Entwine. The organizers were sure we would play the lighter songs, and we didn't? The people were astonished, but got moshing very quickly. The most surprised must have been Entwine, which was going to get on the stage after such a dynamite.




-When someone says "Poland" you can't help but thinking of bands like Behemoth or Vader whom are probably the most famous Polish bands. But beside these bands I'm also a fan of some other bands from Poland, like for instance: Nightly Gale, Oktar, Eternal Tear, Vae Victis (their first demo), Moonn D))) and a couple of others. Do you know these bands? Are they famous in Poland? And please also let me know your own favourite band from your country.

No doubt Vader or Behemoth are the most popular Polish bands. I am really glad and proud the bands from Poland are becoming recognizable worldwide. Although they are not my favourite groups, I do respect them. Day by day more and more bands get further. Let's mention Dead Infection, Decapitated or Lost Soul. And in the line there is a lot of great new bands, which have quite much to offer: StrommoussHeld, Infernal War or InDread Cold (laugh)! I know bands you've mentioned. I like especially Vae Victis and Moon. Some of them are spoken about, others are active rather in deep underground.

-Which member from the band writes the lyrics and what are they mostly about?

On the previous albums it was my task to write lyrics. But now, with new line-up, I found new people able to write, for example Nera. We wrote lyrics that oscillate on the border of real and unreal. We contemplate the dark side of human nature. There are very blurred limits of what our characters experience. Reading them, with open rather heart than mind, you can have visions of various situations or states of mind but regarding the same motive of death, hate, isolation or passion. That is why Nera and I used support of a few other people's verses to make the theme wider.

Everything that refers to "Semidevilish" forms a cohesive whole. The main idea is developing through music, lyrics, graphic art and video clip.
The same word "semidevilish" makes you think of something not quite sure. All of us see the devil in a very specific way and so you can read the album.




-It seems to be that Joanna Nowicka is your official photographer, is that correct? Please tell us a little bit more about her.

We've worked with Joanna for almost two years. She is very talented, young Polish artist, who takes up black and white photos. She has received her first rewards already. One of them is for Nera's photo, taken in occasion of Darzamat's session. Here you can get more information about herself and her work: www.nowicka.art.pl

-What albums mean the most to you?

Every one of the last we record! (laugh) . But seriously, there is a lot of albums I adore. Starting with Slayer "Reign in Blood", through Bathory "Hammerheart", Kreator "Pleasure To Kill", Morbid Angel "Altars of Madness" and finishing with Dark Throne "A Blaze in the Northern Sky". Each of these albums meant for me discovery of new sounds and turning points in listening to the music in general. There are, of course, more albums I like, but to this is in short.

-For how long have you been signed to Metal Minds productions? Are you happy with them? Do you think they put enough effort to promote you?

It is a business, so it's never as great as you could wish. The promotion of the album is still in progress, so you can't value right now if Metal Mind Productions did its best or not. What is for sure, so far MMP has done for us more than Avantgarde before, so I'm quite satisfied with that cooperation. But what I learnt is to work hard yourself, not waiting for someone else's help





-What is the most beautiful thing in life that makes life worth living to you?

I think the most important is the possibility of creating, collecting new ideas and experienced. It is a kind of motive power that lets you go on with life, makes you believe in the sense of existence and helps you understand the world.

- Thank you for your time, any last words?

Thanks a lot for your questions. See you on the concerts of Darzamat! I'd like to invite all of you at the band's website: www.darzamat.art.pl , where you can find more info, photos and multimedia files.