Interview with STACJA 11
!!!DEATH METAL FROM POLAND!!!
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
Tell us a few things about STACJA 11 (Members, Starting Year etc).
Kc: Hey, I’m Kacper, the vocalist of the band. My special skill is smoking five cigarettes at once. Some people say I look serious, but those who know me will know that’s bullshit.
O: Hey, I’m Oskar, the first bassist who finally has something to say in the lineup—mostly because I was the one who started the band. Apart from playing bass, I also scream a bit and I’m the main songwriter.
G: Hey, I’m Gocha, I play guitar. I might not always play in time, but sometimes I manage to pull off a solo but mostly I just drink a beer.
Ko: Hey, I’m Kostia. I’ve recently joined as a guitarist. Like Gosia, I love thrash, and sometimes I listen to deathcore. I may not look like a metalhead, but who cares?
M: Hey, I’m Mikołaj. My journey started with the legendary Polish band Acid Drinkers. I’m a badass drummer, I don’t play on time but who cares. I took lessons for three years, though the teacher kept scaring me with a metronome. Also, I bring good vibes to the group as the resident jokester.
You have recently released your demo ''Bogowie''. What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
As for media coverage pretty much zero. This is our first demo and none of us have a background in a bigger band, so we don’t really have any connections in that world. When it comes to fans, it’s going pretty well. We didn’t want to be another “Big things are coming” band, so we didn’t hype it up before release. Despite that, our Instagram following transferred directly into YouTube views, the comments were positive, and the like-to-dislike ratio is 100% on the like side.
Label or DIY and why?
We really value the DIY approach for the freedom it gives us. We’re not forced into any specific topics or song types. We come in with a wide range of influences, and even though each song has that “Stacja” essence, they all sound very different. We don’t have any deadlines except the ones we set ourselves, which lets us polish each track until we’re 100% proud of it.
Is there any funny or weird story from the recordings or from your live shows that you would like to share with us?
Even though we technically had two guitarists from the beginning, only one ever played live with Stacja. For each show, we had to ask our friend Franek to fill in, because the original guitarist either wasn’t feeling well or his parents didn’t let him come. Eventually, he decided to leave the band.Another funny story—though not from one of our own gigs—happened at a concert we went to together. We have a friend who loves to mess with musicians during shows. At one point, while a guitarist was playing a solo, our friend grabbed him by the balls. The result? We got called fags and thrown out of the club.
Kacper
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
Kc: I’ve never been on the “vinyl sounds best” team, but it does look best on a shelf. Practically speaking though, digital wins.
O: For me, CDs look the best on the shelf. I’ve got a small collection, although I mostly listen to digital because I enjoy lots of different music and not everything I like gets a CD release. Plus, digital is just way more convenient.
G: Same as Oskar—it’s easiest to listen digitally, but I also collect CDs because they look badass.
Ko: If we’re talking practicality, I mainly listen digitally too, but I collect vinyl as well. Also, I recently read that after you die, your ashes can be turned into a vinyl record. So if I die, please make a “Bogowie" Vinyl out of me and put it up for sale.
M: I love listening to music on an old Nokia, but seriously—I mostly use digital now. I did collect CDs when I was younger but stopped because I didn’t want to spend money on it. Still, I keep thinking about getting back into it.
Oskar
Your music style is Death Metal. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
Kc: My top 3 would definitely include Whitechapel. Second would be Linkin Park—I prefer the Chester era, even though that sounds like some old man rant. Third would be either Worm Shepherd or Immortal Disfigurement.
O: I’m a fan of everything with a “death” prefix. I love the heavier side like Dying Fetus, Suffocation, Scattered Remnants, old Decapitated (from the Nihility era). I also love more melodic death like Illdisposed, Beyond Creation, Obscura. Basically, if it’s rooted in death metal, I’ll probably like it.
G: I’m mostly into thrash—I love how fast and aggressive it is, and how well it works for moshing. My biggest influence is Marty Friedman—I think his solos are amazing. As for bands, of course, Megadeth, Slayer, Exodus, but I also enjoy newer death metal like Gojira or In Flames.
Ko: Pretty similar to Gocha—mostly thrash: Slayer, Megadeth, Exodus, early Metallica. Some lesser-known stuff like Havok. I also like newer bands like Slaughter to Prevail and Polish band Patriarkh.
M: In terms of death metal, I’m into the Polish classics—Behemoth, Vader, Batushka—but I mainly stick to thrash, and lately I’ve been revisiting nu-metal out of nostalgia. My biggest inspiration is Chris Adler, and right after him—Maciek from Acid Drinkers.
Gocha
Which things do you think a band should sacrifice in order to succeed? Have you ever sacrificed anything in your life for a better future for your band?
The first thing that comes to mind is time. Being in a band eats up a big chunk of your social life. It’s not just playing gigs or rehearsing—it’s writing new material, practicing, learning already written songs. A huge part of your life will be devoted to the band. The second thing, which doesn’t get talked about enough, is your ego. You’re not alone in a band, and the other members aren’t hired musicians—they’re people with their own vision of music, marketing, even cover art. You can’t always follow your own ideas—you have to compromise and swallow your pride when you get outvoted.
Kostia
Describe your ideal live show as a performance band. Have you already experienced that?
Let’s start with the fact that concerts aren’t really for us—they’re for the audience. If the people who came to the show leave happy, then it was a perfect gig. Doesn’t matter if it’s 3 people or 300. Of course, the bigger the happy crowd, the more fun it is to play, but as long as the audience is into it, we consider the show a success.
Mikołaj
What attributes do you think that a new Death Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
Remember not to copy anyone’s music 1:1. Always mix genres and add something of your own to your style to make something new. It’s also important to stick to what you’re doing and not care what others think. If you feel something is good, do it. Often it’s not the vision that keeps you going during tough times—it’s the skills you build up over time.
Do you believe that Digital Platforms help the new Death Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a band to promote its work?
It depends. Thanks to the low entry threshold—you only need about 300 PLN to buy an audio interface and start making music you can put on streaming platforms but because of that there’s a flood of low-quality content. It’s harder and harder to find something good. To get noticed, you need to constantly grind—keep posting new and interesting stuff on socials so people don’t forget about you.
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in Poland (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
Poland is ruled by black metal—whether it’s the big names like Behemoth, Batushka, or Mgła, or underground acts like Odi Humani Generis, Czort, or Fadheit—it’s mostly black metal, and we’re really good at it. We also do old-school genres like heavy, thrash, and crossover really well. But when it comes to death metal, there’s very little. From the top of my head: Wieczny Mróz, Morlord, Vexagne, or Ted Deiradh. But yeah—Poland is mainly black metal.
Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
We haven’t heard anything yet, but we’re open to discovering new music and will probably check something out soon.
What are your future plans?
The plan is simple: we’re spending time in the rehearsal space finishing up our songs, adding the final touches, and planning to finally record a proper EP with live drums and a studio mix.
Thank you very much for your time & keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
We also want to say thank you. We didn’t expect such a response, and we’re really happy to have taken part. Huge shoutout to your magazine and everyone reading this—future fans of Stacja. Make sure to follow us on social media (Instagram: stacja.11, Facebook: Stacja 11) Stay Metal!
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
STACJA 11 CONTACT:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557332499106
https://www.instagram.com/stacja.11/
https://stacja11.bandcamp.com/album/bogowie