Elegis was founded in 2011 by Baron (also ProFanatism, ex Victimized) after his move from Poland to Norway. A long in planning solo projects music is a combination of massive wall of blackened death metal with a serious dose of awesome sounding orchestrations. 'Superhuman Syndrome' is the name of the new full length that came out in 2017, following a 2014 demo release and 2016 split album. Keep reading to find out more about the project, visit Elegis Facebook page to show support, but before anything - visit Elegis Bandcamp page to give it a listen and possibly purchase it for your collection. Go on then!

Tomek

Forgive me if this question is too personal, but why did you move to Norway?

When I visited Norway for the first time, I thought that this would be the place for me and when I got a chance to stay here, I did not think long. 10 years has passed already.

Tell me about it then. Where do you live, what kind of scene do you have happening over there, what about weather, and most importantly - is never-ending winter helping you compose?

I live in the region called Rogaland. Bands as Gehenna, Carpathian Forest and Shaarimoth come from this region. People often ask me about the weather, but it's very similar to many other countries in Europe. A vision of never-ending winters fits more northern Norway, not the south-west where I live.

I've been doing some research but nothing was definite, what is the meaning of Elegis? What does it mean to you?

The name Elegis has existed for a long time. I had a plan to create a band under this name in 1997, and in 2011 I decided to use this name as a solo project. Maybe the present meaning is not relevant, but Elegis is a transformation of the word "Elegies", and represents anthems to dead.

You play in two bands; you've recorded a few albums; what was the spark that got you into metal and how did it start?

Main bands are of course Elegis and ProFanatism, but I also have 2 more side projects. A dark ambient project TRYHM and CODEX NERO which I just begun to create. My first contact with music was to a stronger genre of metal music directly, not through classical rock or heavy metal, and I was only 9 years old. Since then, my interests have grown and metal has been a big part of my life.

Why black and death?

I was always interested in extreme metal, so it was natural that I listened to brutal genres. My first bands were Venom, Kreator, and Sodom etc. The next period was a death metal period with Morbid Angel, Deicide etc. And after the second wave of black metal came, Norwegian especially, my passion has been focused on black metal-scene. So I was always a fan of death and black metal as separate genres.

Let's talk about Superhuman Syndrome. How many instruments were done live on this album?

Everything exept the drums.

What about all the orchestrations, what inspires you? Is it movie scores or is it classical music?

Long time ago, when I played in previous bands, I had a plan to enrich the music by additional sounds and atmosphere, but in those years I did not have the possibility to create it. Except the metal-music, I was also inspired by dark ambient, especially everything from CMI. That's why I have a side project TRYHM. The movie soundtracks always give me inspiration, but all orchestrations are created naturally during process.

Which lyric on the album is your favorite one? Why?

I do not have a favorite; every composition has its own story. One tells about conquest, another about the fall, the liberation, the enslavement, the exploration of the unknown or revenge. All connects the entireness, as the chain of human instincts.

Did Elegis and Superhuman Syndrome shape out to be what you imagined it would be?

When I created the music on Superhuman Syndrome I wanted to create several different stories which have the same target, so all songs are connected with the title of the album. So yes, it turned out the way I planned.

If you ever would meet the right people to join the band would you ask them to join?

Elegis will always be a solo-project, and sessional musicians surely could be found. The problem is that it needs a lot of work and time to prepare for concerts, and in the present situation I do not see occasions for this. Of course I wonder sometimes how the music of ELEGIS would sound live.

Do you have the ability to criticize your own creations? Does it help or rather gets in the way?

Everyone is capable of criticism of their own achievements, but if I look at the accomplished music, I treat it as something finished and created in the past, so I concentrate on new creative forms.

When composing and putting ideas into flesh - do you have a formula or maybe some kind of ritual that works for you every time or is it more of an instinct that you follow and let ideas flow and materialize?

The first riffs are created by the instinct. Sometimes I create them by using some rhythm of drums which puts me into trance.The next step is to build the constructions, and next is the arrangement cut.

Whose work do we see on the album cover, how does it correspond to the lyrics and music?

The cover art of the album is created by my friend Hidden from ProFanatism. This is expression about all the lyrics together and visual form of the music.

How did you make your decision when choosing album cover, tell us about the process?

I knew what kind of vision that had to be on the cover. I chose the version of a transformed face which symbolizes on one side the purity, the grandeur, the divinity, and from the other, the dark sides of the human nature.

What made you decide to go with a one man show?

With a busy everyday life it's easier with a solo project. Independence gives a bigger spectrum for creativity.

You did some stuff with ProFanatism and one album with Elegis. ProFanatism is black metal and Elegis is considered death metal; which genre is closer to your heart?

I do not have a special one that dominates. I am connected with both black metal and death metal, and to some kind of mix of those two genres.

Thanks a lot for taking time to answer all the questions, last word is yours.

Thanks for the interest in ELEGIS. For those who are open to the atmosphere in death metal I encourage you to check out  ELEGIS. The new anthems will come soon!

Previous Interview Cryptosis with Laurens Houvast (vocals, guitars) and Frank Te Riet (bass)	Next Interview Wheel with Carsten Jercke (drums) and Benjamin Homberger (guitars)

Armagedon was founded by brothers Maryniewski (Krizz & Slavo) and in Poland they need no introduction. Loved by some, by others not necessarily but that seems to be the story with art; personal tastes are not up for discussion. They are considered a cult band in their homeland, but abroad they're not appreciated, most likely because they're not known. Blame should be placed on the lack of touring and the 11-year hiatus, but musically I find them to be one of world's top death metal bands. No mistake here - one of world's top death metal bands - and if you still need convincing, you have to check out "Thanatology". Slavo was kind enough to answer my questions - so judge the outcome of our conversation yourselves.

Arek

Welcome Slavo, what is the feedback on, in my opinion your best work yet, "Thanatology"?

Hello, thanks so much for such an evaluation of our new album. When we were finalizing work on "Thanatlogy" we knew it’s alright! Even at early stages of production – when our material was still in a very raw form, it was listened to by a lot of people. Then at the final stages of mixes (already in the Sound Division Studio) many of our friends visited us, and each time the reception was very good. Each of them emphasized the great progress but still keeping the characteristic style of Armagedon. When our new material (in its entirety and all finished up) was heard by our publisher, he said the same thing - we knew it’s really good! We were putting new songs (teasers) up on the web successively and our fans also really liked them. Then, after the official premiere came the first reviews and opinions of a wider audience. Generally, the reception of the album is more than very good! Unfortunately, nowadays it is not enough to beget such a work and think that everything will go on by itself ... Although we get a lot of support from fans, we are missing on opportunities to reach out to a much larger audience that we believe "Thanatology" deserves. To summarize, reception and reviews of the album are very good, but our reach is limited...

First time I had the pleasure to hear you was in the castle in Ciechanow at S'thrash'ydlo 1989 or 1990, I can’t remember. Long time ago. How would you rate your way from "Survival Time" to "Thanatology"? The road was bumpy, and there was no shortage of obstacles on your path wasn’t there?

You know, when playing extreme metal you kind of agree to the hard work and to the long road ahead. With this kind of music success does not occur overnight. Usually it takes years of hard team work (which is often very difficult – there are plenty of examples of bands, where only the leaders are left in them). We focused on the band back then. We were a group of friends, but unfortunately for us, from small towns located somewhere "in the middle of nowhere" ... And that meant a hard and difficult way to break through. Besides, we were not a band playing "popular" sounds (even in metal). It always was (even then) a total underground! I think our success back then - in addition to the fact that we were spitting out some interesting sounds - we owe it to our fans that have supported us amazingly, wherever we appeared to play concerts. There were administrative, logistic, contractual and many others hardships, but I think we managed. Our first two official productions from that time: "Dead Condemnation" and "Invisible Circle" have a cult status until today! There was a bit of a forced break later (didn’t expect it would take so long) and now for nearly six years we kept recording more albums and played more concerts again. I know that spectacular career is not waiting for us anymore... We understand it, and therefore can record better and better materials without all the pressure and expectations. The road we have traveled, and still walk on is not easy, but it gives us a lot of satisfaction!

I personally have a great fondness for those years. I’m often remembering great bands that are gone already, such as Egzekhutor, Imperator, Slashing Death, and many, many others. Although I understand that passing is the normal order of things, I get teary eyed sometimes. How do you remember creating processes back then, artists, touring, etc., and how would you rate it these days?

I think this is a topic that’s so big that you cannot tell it in just a few words. At that time when we started the band (around 1986) - everything was different ... literally. The world, our country included, looked completely different. Our first live performances had to be approved by the provincial department of censorship – can you even imagine that today? There were amazing stories of course, memorable concerts and friendships, some of which survived to this day. But it was too gray and full of hopelessness. Music was also a way for us to break away from contemporary reality. Besides, in contrast to the present times – there was just not enough of it. I know it is hard to imagine in today’s world, but back then there was no easy access to bands, albums, and recordings. There were no real festivals. It was not until the early ‘90s, when the situation began to gradually improve. Today everything is flooding us in every area and aspect of life. It is no different with music. I like the situation, when I’m the one to decide and chose who to listen to, whose concert I go to and whose interview I read. Unfortunately, this generally available message has to travel a difficult path to reach the final recipient. Valuable albums often do not reach persons to whom they are addressed. I think we’re a good example of this phenomenon...

Your first CD after reactivation - "Death Then Nothing" was one of the most interesting materials from returning bands. Did you manage to once again gain interest of the western music market in your recording?

"Death Then Nothing" was mainly a return album with which we wanted to remind our fans about us after many years of absence. The assumption was meant for local market only. We did not conduct any aggressive campaigns to release it outside Poland by other labels. We are very pleased though, that our publisher Mystic Production released it in Europe and USA through a network of distributors.

Let's go back to "Thanatology", who is the author of each batch of the act, i.e. lyrics, music, cover and artwork?

"Thanatology" is primarily the result of teamwork. As it always is the case with Armagedon - music was created in stages and was created by Krizz and arranged together with Adam. Lyrics are my work, and cover art is our ideas graphically dressed up into a cover by Xaay (we worked together already with DTN). I think that each of the elements of the new album fits together and at the same time can create separate stories.

Could you let us a little on the secrets and summarize individual songs from this album?

"Thanatology" is a collection of eight sound killers, but it's also eight quite disturbing images associated with leaving and passing. Simple stories, without deep metaphorical undertones. I think they represent an ideal unity with our compositions. Everything fits together and supports one another very well. It is also a natural continuation of our previous lyrical layer enclosed in the words: death then nothing! I would not want to analyze individual tracks - I think that they are solid as a whole and follow each other in a natural way. Each of them contains different but characteristic fragments (i.e. Caesar's vocals), but it is best to come to this by yourself, listening carefully to the songs.

It seems to me that as musicians you have come to the stage of you career where you don’t have to prove anything to anyone by creating another record. What was the reason for Armagedon to get back to the studio after four years of rest?

It is four years already indeed... However I see these four years as more of additional ballast on my back than the interval from the release of "Death Then Nothing". You know, we actually perceive it a little differently. We are not a band that has rigid publishing and concert duties. Every next record is an act of creative summary of the time intervals of several years of playing and creating together. This approach allows us to spit out better and more mature sounds. Just like in case of "Thanatology".

I see that the line-up has changed a little bit yet again, did it have any bad influence on the creation of "Thanatology", and does it change anything in the current concert power of Armagedon.

The album was recorded by Slavo / Adam / Krizz / Bartosh , which is the lineup that we played with for the last few years. We always try to give back and give our fans something special and unique! The time that we gave ourselves from the release of the last album, contributed to our unison and understanding of each other (also musically) - we have a lot of confidence in one another and as a band after those few years. This resulted in the fact that while creating and recording "Thanatology" we stepped outside the standard templates that were with us before. This time around, each of us brought a lot of their own ideas and had a lot of "creative freedom". While having just a frame of the song, we watched them with undisguised joy transform step by step into very fulfilling musical creatures. This way of working on the album produced very consistent, proven and strong material. After the recording of the album Bart (Azarath) joined us on second guitar strengthening very much our concert power. We played a few gigs together already and "the force is with us"!!!

Science of dying would seem such a simple idea for the album title for bands playing death metal genre, but it seems to me that you were the first in the genre to use that title. Why do you think it was?

Hmmm, tough to say... at the early stage of work on the album we knew already in which direction we're going to go lyrically. We were looking for a title that would bond these simple stories. And I think we succeeded. We never created some unrealistic stories, we didn't sing about dragons, and other nonsense. "Thanatology" is solid in the form of verbal communication, motto, and music!

Thanks for the interview Slavo, I sure hope that it will bring closer the silhouette of Polish Armagedon for the people abroad and to all the other metal maniacs peeking onto metalbite.com webpage. Thanks again and see you at the concerts.

Many thanks for such a thorough mangle! All those who would like to know Armagedon made in Poland we invite you to visit our profile: http://armagedon.bandcamp.com/

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Umbra is a death/black/doom project started by Grindor under a different name around 2014. With couple of tracks to be found on two different compilations and the project becoming a duo in 2020 MetalBite wanted to find out more about the music, the band, the story and the man himself. The new album that's been in the works for a while now is nearly finished but to find out more you gotta read what Grindor had to say.

Tomek

Thanks for taking time to do this, how is everything going?

It's alright I guess, going through with some stuff but nothing I can't handle. Planning to move onto a new place soon. Making time for your own when you have too much to do can be difficult. Still, it's all for the better.

There is very little info about the band on the net, can you make a quick introduction?

Umbra is a death/black/doom project. Originally made under the name Coprófago, sometime after releasing the EP "Flesh" the band name was changed to mark a new musical direction (and to prevent confusion with another band of the same name from the Capital of Chile). While I have spearheaded the project since the beginning, as of August 2020 I have added a new vocalist; Mysroth.

How did you and Mysroth got together for this? Did you knew each other previously?

We did. She is a good friend of mine, but moved to another city due to some personal stuff she went through. She comes back every summer however and we get in touch regularly. In 2019, she sent me a couple tracks from a project called Abyssmor in which she provided vocals. I was surprised, complimented her performance and toyed with the idea of inviting her for a guest appearance. However, as the lyrics and concept for the full-length came to be, I realized that I needed another vocalist to add more variety, as well as to symbolize the "We" stated in the lyrics. Aside from her vocal work, she also runs a small shop where she make sculptures and portraits (and sometimes guitar picks) with bones of deceased animals, so she fits the theme of the band as a whole as well.

When I asked her if she was interested to join, she didn't even thought about it. She accepted instantly.

Being the only member writing the music in the beginning, what was the most difficult obstacle to get through when composing and recording?

Not being sure whether it would spark some interest. I haven't seen that many death metal bands in my city, as thrash is more favored in these corners. So I just made the music for fun, trying to make something slightly catchy and lyrically gross at the same time. In its current incarnation, however, it's more difficult, as I try to make sure that the music reflects the exact state of mind that I'm into, and turning emotions into music can be cathartic, yet painful. I no longer care to make something for others, but for myself.

What made you decide to go with a one man show?

I wanted this to be a full band when I decided to create it, back in 2012 (when I actually wanted to make Goregrind haha). However everyone that I asked help for was busy, so I said "Fuck it, I'll do it myself". Having listened to bands like Putrid Pile, Insidious Decrepancy and similar solo artists I realized that it could work. And when the debut EP was released, lo and behold; many people (friends included) wanted to help bring this to a live stage. That's no longer of my interest, however. There are (and will be) other projects to do that.

What inspired the name of the band?

The first name was pretty much the first thing that came to my mind. Current name was what clicked the most when searching for a new name. In fact, the current logo has the previous logo as the roots from where "Umbra" is birthed.

What does it mean to you? What pops in your mind when you say Umbra?

Death. Darkness. The Void.

What was the spark that got you into metal and how did it start?

In school, when some friends were making a band and I was interested in joining, but had zero experience in music and instruments. In fact, it wasn't until high-school that, after listening to a lot of metal styles, death metal clicked the most and I haven't looked back since then. Of course, nowadays I listen to plenty of bands but death metal is my favorite style among all of them, as well as the core of my music.

Aside from musical inspirations what is the biggest reason that pushes you to create your own sounds, what other aspects of life or art give you the strongest impulses to write music?

Catharsis. In the last half-year I've been through a lot, and the best coping mechanism was to make music. At first I was worried that the result would be too different and raw, but I realized that to completely purge these feelings, it had to be done without compromising what I wanted to express. In the end, whether people like it or not, they will feel what I feel.

What are the stages of your creating process, how do you work on new songs?

It all pretty much depends if I'm in the right mood to do so, or if there's something that I need to purge from myself. Sometimes I can progress a lot in one day, other times it take me weeks to even write down a single riff. I can never be certain when will something be finished, but I try to make sure it is done in the best way. Not just putting two riffs together without any context or cohesion whatsoever, but rather make everything fit correctly.

Are you actually playing the instruments?

I do all vocals and play every instrument, except drums which are programmed. With Mysroth added to the band, however, I aim to achieve a balance between her vocals and mine, delivered in equal measure. I hope that she can use her voice to the maximum potential, and deliver the performance that I demand for this record.

Are lyrics important in metal?

Some would agree, some others would disagree. I believe that music and lyrics are complementary to each other and both, done correctly, can make one intense experience. Take for example J.R. Hayes: His prose is unique yet quite disturbing and without it, Pig Destroyer wouldn't work at all. Not like some other bands who just pen their lyrics at the last moment and come up with some "br00tal" shit fit for an edgy 13-year old.

Could you tell us about the lyrics / concepts you focus on or plan to focus on?

I intended to make lyrics that were more focused on horror. However, after what I've been through in the last half-year, and at the bottom of the pit of depression, I wrote a long, exhaustive mass prayer (not literally) to Death, inspired by many religious figures based on Death (Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte being the strongest influence).
However, while it is based on many of these figures and "saints", it represents none of them. It is my own vision of Death as the embracer of the ones in most despair.

How did the ideas come about, and how do they influence the writing process?

When I reached the bottom of the pit, I just started writing and writing and writing. After a week or so, pretty much all the lyrics were finished, with minor additions and corrections. From then on, it was an ordeal to make the music as I tried my best to make everything reflect the emotions poured in the lyrics.

When it comes to the lyrics of the previous incarnation, however, I was just inspired by old school death metal and the kinda stuff that Cannibal Corpse writes about. For these tracks in particular I aimed for something simpler in terms of music.

Are you the one writing the lyrics?

Indeed. And while I have shown the lyrics to some close friends of mine and asked for their thoughts, no one else is involved in the writing process. Not even Mysroth.

If you ever would meet the right people to join the band would you ask them to join?

No. There are no plans to take Umbra to the stage.

Is there any new music in the works or completed?

The debut full-length album is still being worked on. The hard part is programming the drums, as I do so beat by beat. Aside from that, there is 'Savior of Worms', the track featured in the 5-way split Sulphur Desert Blood-Ritual and 'She of Many Voices'; a track made exclusively for a compilation named Forbidding Meeting, released by Dark Art Lugubrem Prod. that will be remastered with re-recorded vocals by me and Mysroth (her first official appearance in Umbra material) for a possible release that will be kept secret for the moment. The original recording can be found in Umbra's Bandcamp page.

Where do you see yourself and the band in the next 5-7 years, is there a plan in motion?

There are no foreseeable plans for Umbra in the future once the album's released. Once it's done, I will put Umbra to rest. All this I've made has been draining, exhaustive and dangerous to myself. This catharsis, this purge of mind and soul has taken a lot from me. When it's done, I shall just focus on my other projects, as I also do vocals for another band in my city; Begotten Suffering. And being their vocalist and lyricist means that I have to save something for them as well. If, however, I was to continue with Umbra, I will go for a funeral doom style.

Tell us about the split and the bands on it, who came up with the idea?

It was pretty much a collaborative effort. It was intended to have 6 bands, but then we were only 5. We got together and decided that it would be 1 track for each band, to save costs when the CD release came to be, until the pandemic came.

Regarding the other bands, here's a brief segment of each:

Begotten Suffering: death/black metal, a project that has been around for 3 years. I joined them around 2019 (I was asked to be joined twice, actually). We've only been rehearsing however, but the time will come to be on the stage.

SoulHunter: old school death metal and my favorite band from my city. Have been a fan of them for many years. They also participated in the Forbidding Meeting compilation (their first official material, actually) and I asked them to join this split. The drummer owns the studio where tracks 1, 2 & 5 were recorded. They also have a demo available on their YouTube channel, which I recommend entirely.

Cainian Legion: one-man pagan black metal, and pretty much the only guy in the scene that makes black metal in the old fashioned way. He does, however, have a line-up for live shows. Aside from the split he also released a demo (in 2010) and a full-length (in 2014). He was in charge of designing the cover art and booklet of the split and owns the studio were tracks 3 & 4 were recorded.

Vlæw: raw black metal. Also, one man. He is the vocalist of a well-known band in the city. Released a demo that features the same track that's in the split, but the mixing is different in both releases.

What do you listen to lately?

It's ambivalent and bipolar. Sometimes I listen to Teitanblood, then switch to Opeth, then to Nuclear Death, then to Elvis Presley, then The Body and so on.

With services like Spotify, YouTube and others some people seem to prefer individual tracks rather than full albums. When you are listening to the music do you listen to your favorite tracks or full album?

G- When I'm at work, for example, I listen to specific tracks of certain records. But when I get home, I listen to the entire album. Nowadays more bands have made it more common to create albums that are one cohesive experience, and such craft cannot be spoiled, for such shall be my work as well.

Most people think that metalheads only listen to metal. What is your opinion about this statement and how open are you yourself to different kinds of music?

I can tell you, from my own personal experience, that most people that call themselves "true" metalheads here begin their parties with Manowar at full volume and end up dancing tropical music while shouting the lyrics by heart. So no, metalheads listen to much more than just metal, but they choose not to say so. I have a very simple statement when it comes to music; if I like it, I'll listen to it, no matter the style. I even listen to some Christian death/black metal bands once in a while, as I like some tracks from certain bands. Hell, I can say without shame that one of my favorite solo musicians (and one of my musical inspirations) is, in fact, a Christian man who created 2 projects called Encryptor & SorrowStorm.

What are you other talents and what is the one you wish you had?

I'm not really good at anything save for listening to music. I wish I could be more focused on my guitar skills instead of being distracted by everything.

Thanks a lot for taking time to answer all the questions, last word is yours.

To those who were there when I fell, thank you, for I wouldn't be here if not for you.
To those who weren't there when I fell, thank you as well, for you showed your true colors.
And fear Her not, for She is the End that befalls our Beginning.

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