Interview with ZMARLYM
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
Tell us a few things about ZMARLYM (Members, Starting Year etc).
Hi! Zmarłym as a band was formed in 2018, although I had known Michał Piekarski, our drummer, for years and we had played together in various other lineups. At some point, we felt the need to do something new, as things weren’t going well in our other bands. So we did just that. We invited bassist Marcin Ścibisz to join us and started working on our first songs. This led to the creation of the EP "Ziemie Jałowe", which we self-released in 2020, although it was actually recorded back in 2018 and, for various reasons, sat in a drawer for almost two years... A year later, our debut album "Druga Fala" was released under Godz Ov War Productions. We began playing shows, and as a result, we expanded the lineup to include a second guitarist. That brings us to the present. In April of this year, once again under Godz Ov War Productions, our second album "Wielkie Zanikanie" was released.Our current lineup is: Andrzej Kądziela – vocals, guitar, keys, Kacper Biedrzycki – guitar, Marcin Ścibisz – bass guitar, Michał Piekarski – drums.
You have recently released your album ''Wielkie Zanikanie''. What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
The feedback is pretty good so far! Of course, there are also more critical voices—people who think we’re breaking some kind of black metal taboo, or simply don’t like the music on "Wielkie Zanikanie". That’s not surprising, and we don’t worry about it too much, because we’re not playing to please everyone. However, overall—if you take the average—the reception has been very positive, judging by both audience feedback and the reviews we’ve received.
The cover artwork has a great atmosphere! Tell us a few things about it.
Thank you! The cover of “Wielkie Zanikanie” album is a fruit of artistic cooperation of two very talented persons, a graphic designer Maciej Kamuda, and a photographer Agnieszka Frustra Młynarczyk. At the beginning there was an idea which came to me after we finished the process of recording the album. The child standing in the front of a door , but there are these red curtains like in the dream of Laura Palmer from Twin Peaks:Fire Walk With Me film. And the shadow of a boy is a shadow of a grow man. So I shared this vision with Greg from Godz ov War and he forwarded it to the Maciek Kamuda who then asked if we can take a photo with that scene. And this is where Agnieszka "Frustra" Młynarczyk steps onto the stage, taking on the task of bringing this idea to life. I have to say that her approach and creative skills exceeded our wildest expectations. It’s thanks to her that this rather strange and twisted vision had a chance to materialize. Agnieszka found the perfect location and took an amazing photographs (incidentally, we also did a band photoshoot for the album promotion at the same spot), which then served as the basis for Maciej Kamuda to create the final cover artwork. Let me share an interesting detail about this artwork: the shadow behind the boy is actually the shadow of Greg from Godz Ov War Productions. Some people say that the artwork for our previous album, Druga Fala, is better. I don’t agree. Sure, the cover of Wielkie Zanikanie might not be as “clickable” or attract as much attention, but to me, this image is truly special—it perfectly fits what the album contains and captures its very essence.
And what about the lyrics?
I always struggle when it comes to talking about my lyrics. I believe that the lyrics should speak for themselves. On the other hand, there is a temptation to explain everything, because when you write a lyric, you have some story to tell, or maybe for you this lyric means something specific. But I think that this temptation is something that you rather shouldn’t follow, because lyrics are not only about “something”, they are more about “feeling”. And that “feeling” is in my opinion more important than understanding. But, I can tell that you can think about lyrics on “Wielkie Zanikanie” as of a story about this boy from the cover art, who standing in front of red curtains, and about his shadow. He loves this place behind the red curtains, and he loves to escape into it although for many it would be scary like hell. But sometimes this hell may be nicer and friendlier place than reality.
How did your cooperation with Godz Ov War Productions occur? What do you prefer, Label or DIY and why?
We got in touch with Greg from Godz Ov War Productions right after releasing our debut EP Ziemie Jałowe. He expressed interest in hearing our next material once it was ready, though nothing was set in stone at that point. When we recorded Druga Fala, we sent it to him—and he decided to release it. And now he’s been putting up with our weird ideas for yet another album, ha ha. Luckily, he’s patient—even when we nitpick over details that probably matter to no one but us. As for preferences, personally I believe it's best to be signed to a label. But it's also important to remember that these days, a label won’t do everything for the band. There are always some DIY elements involved. The band has to do its part and work together with the label—only then does it really make sense, in my opinion. You know, we’re all playing on the same team, not just sitting around waiting for the label to magically promote us, make shows appear out of thin air, And the album and merch will magically sell themselves. To me, the most important thing is finding a label with whom you speak the same language, with whom you really understand each other. We’ve found that, and we’re very happy about it.
Is there any funny or weird story from the recordings or from your live shows that you would like to share with us?
Well, there are many, one of the most uncanny was a show at a castle in Będzin which we played during one of the early concerts promoting Druga Fala album. It was a total shitshow, mismatch of bands from hard rock to street punk, the organisers got shitfaced halfway through the gig, and in the end police stopped us mid-set due to the complaints about the noise.
What are the differences between ''Druga fala'' and ''Wielkie zanikanie''?
For me these two albums are completely different animals. Druga Fala was created in specific, pandemic time, and it was created relatively quick. For Wielkie Zanikanie we worked more slowly, and we gave ourselves more time to composing. Wielkie Zanikanie also, at least for me, is more personal album.
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
All that formats are great. For each of them there is a time and place. For instance, when I go for a walk I love listen to the music. I don’t have a discman and I think that carrying the gramophone on my back would be not so pleasant, ha ha, so I think that this example is a great one for listen to the music in a digital form. But, you know, there is no better thing than holding a new CD or Vinyl in your hand, looking for the graphics and lyrics, band picture, all that good stuff you can only experience by owning the physical format.
Your music style is Black Metal. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
The essence of our music is definitely rooted in black metal, but it’s more of a material we shape ourselves rather than something that directly shapes our music. If our music is black metal, it’s not because we consciously try to operate within that canon, but rather because, after years of being immersed in it, the music has simply become imprinted in our minds. The first band which I consciously listen to was Pink Floyd, I was maybe 7 years old. Probably I don’t understand this music yet, but it was probably shaped my way of viewing the world. Pink Floyd and this old show Twin Peaks, the two things which ditort my mind in the first place ha ha. And then comes black metal. All that stuff from 90’s, Mayhem, Dark Throne, Burzum , Satyricon, Emperor, etc. All that I probably have imprinted in my cortex. I don’t have to listen to it too often, this music is with my, is part of my being. At the same time, I’ve never limited myself solely to black metal—or even to metal in general. Sticking with metal for a moment, I wouldn’t be who I am musically without bands like Morbid Angel, Deicide, Immolation, or a Polish band you’ve probably never heard of but which is legendary here—Kat. On the other hand, I love trip-hop stuff like Portishead, Archive, or Massive Attack. Cold wave music also had a big impact on me—bands like Joy Division or the Polish group Siekiera left a strong mark on me. And that’s just a tiny part of the spectrum. Of course, I'm mainly talking about the roots here. A lot of time has passed since then, and we've been shaped—and continue to be shaped—by a great deal of music since.
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?
That depends on what you mean by “succeed”. If succeed means doing the best music you can, I think that you don’t have to sacrifice anything. You have to give time and energy to your music, and enjoy it. Good music—and actually, any good art for that matter, comes in my opinion from enjoyment and being honest with yourself. And from many hours of work, of course. But when you love what you do, there is no sacrifice, there is just a pleasure, At least for the most part.
Describe your ideal live show as a performance band. Have you already experienced that?
I don’t think we’ve ever experienced a truly perfect performance—though I’m not even sure such a thing is really possible. But I imagine it as a kind of perfect sense of synergy between us and the audience. A sort of magical entanglement and understanding that can’t be put into words. I believe we’ve had distant glimpses of something like that a few times—more as a hint or a promise of what might happen in the future, rather than something that has already taken place., but I believe the real moment is still ahead of us.
What do you think about the rise of AI in music production?
It depends. There is no such thing like a bad tool in my opinion. If you using AI like a tool, perhaps you generate with it something like a sample, small part or so, and then you are doing something with it, using like a part of a bigger picture, doing something creative with it, that’s fine Tool is a tool as I mentioned above. But if you give the promp to the AI, it generates a song for you, and you called yourself an “AI Artist” for me you just a fucking silly monkey. Even if you give this prompt 10 thousand times, you are not an artist. One can argue whether what AI generates can truly be called art or not—that’s a whole separate discussion. But in my strong opinion, a prompter doesn’t actually create anything; the AI does it for him, and the resulting work belongs to the AI, no matter what the prompter might think. That applies to both music and visuals. Will people want to listen to AI-generated music in the long run? I don’t know. The truth is, in my view, a large portion of the music that’s been played on the radio or streaming platforms long before neural networks became widespread could just as well have been generated by a computer. So I imagine some people won’t have any problem engaging with such creations. Still, I believe that, in the grand scheme of things, people will ultimately prefer to connect with cultural works created by humans.
What attributes do you think that a new Black Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
First of all, I think that anyone who wants to be unique and gain identity should not think about it too much. In my opinion the best way to be unique (at least in some sense) is to be honest with yourself. Only if you are focusing on your ideas and follow them, you have the chance to achieve that. People often say that everything has already been done—that all the stories have been told, and all the music has been composed. Maybe that’s true, but it hasn’t been said or composed by you yet. So if you stay true to yourself, to your ideas, if you put yourself into the music, that will maybe the uniqueness you’re looking for.
Do you believe that Digital Platforms help the new Black Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a band to promote its work?
Nowadays, they don’t so much help as they are simply necessary. It’s impossible to function as a band without digital platforms. I mean, maybe it’s possible, but it definitely won’t have a good outcome. I don’t know what the ideal way for a band to promote itself is. However, I think we should all be using the tools available to us and constantly looking for new ways. And probably the best form of promotion will always be live concerts.
From your experience in the music industry, what would you tell to a new black metal band to avoid or what to do?
Just be honest with yourselves, listen to the good music, preferably different styles of music, , be open minded and try find your own voice. You never know how world will receive your work, so don’t think about it too much, at least at the stage of composing. Avoid listening to those who claim they know what black metal is and want to confine it with limitations. Just do what you enjoy and have fun with it. The rest will comes eventually later.
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in Poland (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
There are so many great, relatively new Polish metal bands that it’s impossible to name them all. Königreichssaal, Varmheim, Toughness, Deamonolith, Yfel 1710, Sznur, Zorza—these are just the ones that came to mind at the moment. The scene in Poland continues to grow and thrive.As for zines and magazines, it's worth mentioning Codziennik Metalowy, Shades of Darkness Magazine, and Musick Magazine.Regarding venues, I’ll mention Voodoo Club in Warsaw, Wyjście Awaryjne in Opole, and Stary Klasztor in Wrocław.
What does Black Metal means to you? And give us 10 metal albums that run in your veins.
Black metal for me is freedom. I love this genre because it's one of those that, despite some people wanting it to be rigid and finished, continues to evolve. In black metal, you can hear echoes of almost every other musical style ever created by humans. For me, black metal is a vast artistic playground where I can truly express myself, experiment, and search for new forms of expression. When it comes to listing my top 10 albums, I have to decline. I’m not able to say which albums are the most important or the best for me. Every time I’ve tried to do something like that, the very next day I’d look at my list and wonder what I was thinking—why did I choose those?! It’s complete nonsense, because today I’d pick entirely different ones. If I had to choose, the list would probably include a hundred albums, and honestly, they’re all equally important to me. Music isn’t a sport. Rankings don’t make any sense to me.
Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
Of course, your scene is great! I love Rotting Christ, Septicflesh, and Varathron, to name some of the more well-known names. The Greek scene has its own specific and recognizable style—there’s something in those sounds that acts like a signature, and when you listen to a band, you can often immediately tell that it’s from Greece. That’s awesome!
What are your future plans?
At this moment, we intend to focus on promoting the new album—mainly through liveshows.
Thank you very much for your time & keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
Thank you very much for the Interview! Stay open minded, listen to our new album WIelkie Zanikanie and all other good music, and support the underground. Cheers!
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
ZMARLYM CONTACT:
https://www.facebook.com/zmarlym
https://www.instagram.com/zmarlym/