UNHOLY DEATH METAL, WAR, HATRED &AGRESSION that’s what people can expect. Actually that’s what metal is all about. Aggression! From the most recent news I can tell you about recording of the band’s 2nd album “Challenging CrossReich Cowards”. They’re currently working on it at Day One Studio in Chiang Mai. It includes 13 hymns of pure unholy death metal! No mercy! Merchandise? Just after we’ll get on straight with our financial situation cos of studio payments . They’re going to release t-shirts of STURMGEWEHR666 for Thai metal maniacs don’t worry. But that’s got to wait. In a meantime they’re talking with Thai record labels about release of that album. Hmmm what else? New line up, but about that we’ll post an info on our page and myspace just after material is ready. What else could I say? Hmmm basically STURMGEWEHR 666 is a new band in Thailand. They’ve been around more than a year ago. Daro will definitely going to stay there for life so be ready to welcome new death metal beast!!!

Tell us about evolution. Not really about evolution in general but perhaps maybe about your evolution as a “musician” and getting involved in the scene. What is your opinion on the underground nowadays than it was before?

It has changed like everything! So does my music. But it’s more about way I express my aggression and point of view for many ideological themes. Going strictly to the point. The older I am the more brutal I play, the better it sounds … lyrics are plain and crude…I want to make my music and message as obvious as it’s possible but without lowering its quality. I don’t want to play some infantile shit. Even though music is getting more and more straight in a way of showing our intensions it still demands lots of listener’s attention. Listener has to interpret some things on his own!

Second part of your question about nowadays’ underground…it’s different than few years ago, it’s different than 10 and more years ago. But some part of it stays the same: only the best can be a part of it and can get respect from listeners. There’s no place for fucking trade catchers! Only long time runners, long living bands and zine editors can get maniacs’ trust. That’s what all of these is about! Underground should be an elite of bands, zines and people who are really deep into that shit not some “5minutes length show offs”. Playing metal is not ‘just for fun’. I never got it that way. For me it’s a kind of satisfaction. For fun…for fun I can get drunk or stoned but even then I worship metal!!!

About song writing, how long will it take to complete a song (your song). Is it possible to complete it all in an hour, or in day, or it might even took long periods of refining the lines, etc. How do you know or when can you say that the song is finished? Who wrotes the lyrics? Do each and everyone in the band contribute their ideas?

There’s no rule. Really. Sometimes I write entire song and lyrics in few minutes. I mean it, literally! Other time I write different stuff, I start new song and leave it for few days then I come back and finish it all or just a part of it. There’s no rule. The only rule is: song’s got to be good. No difference what method was used to write it. Sometimes I keep my mind totally clean from daily shit, other time I am totally drunk or stoned. I am the only music writer however all of members have a contribution to this war machine! I also write most of lyrics. But here I get an enormous support from our ex-drummer 218. He’s responsible for our mental lyrical propaganda. His lyrics are full of hatred but his writing style differs from mine. We still have same point of view for all these things we write about: religions, war, people, world all that stuff we truly despise deep from out hearts. That co-operation makes this band really strong. In the past I had received great help from Irek – and owner of one of the most popular metal radio programs in Poland- he wrote many lyrics for our 1st full length album. Now me and 218 are responsible for all lyrical blasphemies!

What music format do you prefer the most; vinyl, CD, or cassettes? Do you think it is really good to release one album in these three mentioned formats? I mean, CD first then vinyl or vinyl first then CD is acceptable (at least to me), but CD first then vinyl then after that a cassette with same songs on them over and over again is something that I don’t understand! For collectors?

That’s right for collectors. Because who else buys underground releases. Just die hard fans! Anyway we always try to change song’s list for each format’s release, and we support all of formats you’ve mentioned. Personally I don’t have my favorite format- all are so fragile if you know what I mean…but I definitely prefer them all from mp3!!! I need cover art and a box to hold in my hands to feel the real spirit of release. I love to read lyrics, study cover art and painting hidden inside…that’s what it’s all about. Of course I use this damn mp3 player but only when I am at work or on my way in car. But that’s different. I devote myself to music and spend lots of time listening to it and playing. I spend really long time with each album I buy, few listenings are not enough sometimes it takes few months before you really understand each album you buy. Nowadays people treat music like shit, they don’t pay enough attention to it…that’s why most of bands play shit…it’s all closed circulation…Shitty bands playing shitty music for less and less expecting new generations which treat it just as another way of lame entertainment. Don’t forget METAL is REBALION, METAL HAS A MEANING!!!

Then what is your opinion on bands who keep on releasing “rehearsal recordings” on various formats? Is this good or what? There are some bands who are fond on doing this and releasing same “rehearsal tracks” for about 4 releases (only with different album title) and if you’re not interested buying this, “you’re nothing but a poser” like is what being said in the ad.

Releasing ‘reh’ materials…I like them when I like the band cos then I can guess what I am listening to. Despite low quality of these materials sometimes you can listen to really good music in its really raw shapes…You know what I mean. Rehs are usually low quality. I like Azarath Reh split release with Stillborn it was a good thing. Or… I like Morbid Angel and Deicide released bootlegs from their rehearsal (all these early 90′ tapes)…same with Terrorizer and all these cult bands. I am not really into reh releases but I have my collection. Mostly old bands. You’re right, releasing same shit for few times under different titles is some kind of misunderstanding. I would call this simply – rip off! Cheating on fans! True metal fan will know when band’s got really honest intension and when the band is just filling out their lame discography with another meaningless release. In this case these rip off bands and their naive record labels are posers!

Artworks… how important is this to you? Do you buy a record just because the artwork is great? What about the photoshopped “artworks” nowadays? What do you prefer; a photographed being enhanced by technology, a b/w goats, or a hand painting?

I would never buy a cd just because of cover art hehehe now matter what would it be hehe no way. Of course visual art got a huge contribution to the entire character of release! I can’t deny that. For me it’s a very important part of band’s activity. Especially from lyrical point of view. Painting can be a visual statement, something we see in the very beginning. I enjoy mostly black and wait paintings. Painting where I can see painters work. It can be either very basic and easy or really complicated. That doesn’t matter. What’s matter is the message. Sometimes message is hidden sometimes we can ‘read’ it out from the painting. That’s fantastic! But that’s only half of success. The rest of it is that cover art should have linkage with lyrics and music. It’s got to be unit. Not just something what looks ‘cool’ for eventual buyer! If everything works than I could even say that painter has become almost a band member for this one particular release. That’s because painter’s work may make entire musical aspect stronger and more blunt. It can give first impression which leads to proper atmosphere of album. Then even if cover art has been done with ‘pro-tools’ or software…that’s ok. But I have to add that I hate sweet, ‘clean’ and politically correct painting. We’re still talking about metal, right? Metal should be provocative, at least for average citizen hehehe The same is about STURMGEWEHR666 our covers have meaning. And nothing has changed this time too by the way of our second album “Challenging CrossReich Cowards”. I asked my friend from Bangkok to draw something for us. I’ve sent her my highly detailed plan, my vision of how it should look like. I am not a paint kind of guy so I didn’t insist on any particular drawing techniques. I sent her long latter describing entire shot and my suggestions about colors and details…So as you can see I treat that seriously. Same as I treat, music, lyrics and image of band members.

What is your opinion on bootlegs and also the massive downloading of albums in general? Do you think all these ripped audios in filesharing sites helps the band? For nowadays over-crowded scene, what’s the best way for a band to get an attention? Is originality important?

Downloading is a damn big problem. People are doing shit to their favorite bands and they don’t even know how much it breaks entire scene. It doesn’t help anyone. I know that Cds are expensive but that’s not an excuse. Originality? Hmmm I am not sure. Look at STURMGEWEHR666 in death/black metal underground we’re nothing original however some people may consider us as outstanding band. That’s the reason they buy our cds, t-shirts, come to our concerts or even the reason of this interview. Our goal is not be original. Our point is to be authentic and we don’t have any problems with that. We know how to play this music. And we do it well. Like we like and so far it seems people get this same way.

Do you listen to other forms of “music” in general? Something non-metal like classical or industrial? Do this somehow influences you? Where do you take your inspirations when you write your songs?

Yeah I listen to non-metal stuff, or ‘soft’ music if you like to call this that way. But taking inspirations to write my own tracks …that comes from somewhere else than just bands I listen to. Main inspiration is my anger, fury and a hell of other thoughts I have. Just look at titles of our songs from 2nd upcoming album “Challenging CrossReich Cowards”. One of songs’ title is ‘Take the bible back to heaven’ I was simply inspirited by an asshole I saw in the street who tried to make people to join his church and asking them for some money. He held a bible for all the time and was saying that: ‘god expects this from other people. That he expects help!” Other one ‘Let me fuck your dead god’ is a simple statement blasphemy. I would never fuck god, no matter what hehehe…not only cos I am not gay but mainly cos he doesn’t exist hehe There’s a second meaning behind this plain title but I live its interpretation to people who study lyrics not just listen to music. Other one ‘Sabotage- Nailbomb for god’ I wrote it just in case if I was wrong and god existed hehehehe if I was wrong… Then we’ll have a small surprise for him. Home made bomb full of nails about to explode straight into his face out up there in holy heaven. Yeah definitely anger and sarcasm being ironic. Cynicism – might be the main factor. That’s what inspires me the most. I always try to use simple words to talk about important issues, important to me. How people will interpret this…it’s their matter not mine. And I am not talking here only about lyrics. No. That what I just said refers to our entire activity: music, lyrics, cover art, image, name of band, logo and everything we do in our daily routine. All of these dimensions are important to us. All of them different but standing as one thing at same time- as this band. Exactly the same is with inspirations, they all come from different places, caused by different reasons but in the matter of fact – again – they lead to the same. So my inspiration …that could be a book, tv program, person I’ve met, movie, anything plus music of course. But music is a separated theme cos it for me…it’s all so various, I can listen to Hate Eternal and Beherit while at same time after few minutes I’ll listen to Corrosion of Conformity or Biohazard. Of course metal, death metal mostly is 95% of stuff I listen to but I just like good music so if it’s something else then ok. I won’t fight with that. But no matter what I still play UNHOLY DEATH METAL!!!

What is your opinion about “life”? Do you believe humans really got “souls”? What is success, because there is a lot of definitions, specially on some people that thinks travelling all over the world is already a “huge success”? What are your goals with this band? When is the time to quit metal (ie: listening, buying, being in a band, etc)?

I can’t quit. Metal saves my life every single fucking day. It keeps me away from committing a crime and killing people I hate. This is like a kind of valve where all my thoughts, feelings and antipathy go out.

You asked me very complex question my friend…hehehe It’s so difficult to answer what is life all about…I can only say from my point of view. I am happy that stuff I do with my band brings result, good effects, people are really interested in my music… I don’t believe in any spiritual beings, gods or soul… I work on my life, my band by the way I plan. This is what’s important to me. I hate wasting time and wasting life. I know that this what we’re doing has a meaning to a very few but it’s still worth. We don’t give up. Traveling…I am 25years old I’ve played in many countries with different bands, I’ve been almost everywhere…yeah I think traveling brings a kind of satisfaction. But only when it’s got a point. Honestly I don’t like to travel just to admire nature or monuments, no I am not a kind of tourist. It’s all different about touring. Then I really enjoy hehehe but then it’s more about playing, knowing metalheads in new cities. Great thing.

Back to the band, what is your opinion on the use of keyboards? Is it really a problem? Do you think a metal band should not use this instrument just in order for them to stay “purely metal”? Then what is “purity” in metal? Do you think “experimenting” in music is bad? What is your opinion on the modernization of music (technical playing, etc)?

It’s all up to the band. Look at Morbid Angel they often use some kind of weird samples which were played or at least based on piano notes and piano techniques. Does it make them soft? No! Rather more mystic! We don’t use keyboards, cos it doesn’t fit STURMGEWEHR 666. But we often use samples. Other type of course. Our have a literal and symbolic meaning. Like speeches, sounds of war plus many other which actually demand an interpretation from the listener. It’s not the keyboard what makes metal sound like shit…these are people who play it wrong way cos they are pussies! Metal will always be about distorted guitars, fast drums and screaming vocalist! Even if this music is evolving through out all these years, sound is more modern the skeleton, basics are still the same!

Some bands claim that they are here for a message? What do you think is that message? I mean, if these bands really want to spread a message across, then why are they releasing limited amount of copies? I don’t think that releasing 250 limited copies is enough to spread that “message”.

It’s difficult to sell few thousand CDs. So by making your release strictly limited you make it special to your followers. Besides ‘message’ could be symbolic, doesn’t have to be for masses. There’s no reason and sense in sending message to your enemies, like to Christians in our case, they would ignore this or wouldn’t even understand in their permanent blindness and deafness! But there’s a sense in doing this to people who think or may think same way as you do. It makes people united. People who think same way. Besides we both know that not many people read lyrics or even if read may understand’em.

It is also noticeable about bands being so “defensive” nowadays. Loading themselves with a lot of excuses like: “no technical playing”, “no clean professional sound”, etc. I think only a few are doing good, but the rest are just trying to be hip. Anyway, what is your opinion on all of these?

Most of those pricks can’t play hahahaha that’s why they do this. That’s pathetic! Look at IMPIETY they sound raw but they perform their stuff in great way and there’s nothing to complain about. They are highly qualified soldiers of Satan! But you’re right. Many bands hide their lame skills behind noise. It’s not raw sound anymore! Just noise or bad quality recording that’s all. In STURMGEWEHR666 I always try to make our music sound as real as it’s possible. But still keep its sound strong and aggressive. We’re in a group of bands which want to sound more or less like from concert. Keeping it authentic it’s our main goal during recordings. You mentioned about bands which use too raw sound, but on other hand you have many other bands which produce some incredibly strong and massive sound in studio and while concerts they just can’t re-produce it! They can’t give the same power as they made up in studio. Remember in studio you can always record many lines of guitars and vocals, you can put triggers on drums and make them sound cool. But during concert…people will hear everything anyway. So there’s no reason for these cheap tricky cheats hehe Fuck it! STURMGEWEHR666 stays authentic since our very beginning. Let it be like it’s been for a while already.

Alright, we’ve come to an end. Do you have any final thoughts? Thank you for your time…

Thanks for supporting STURMGEWEHR 666! Really appreciate this! I am new in Thailand but I’ve already got great help from Thai maniacs and zine editors! Await our 2nd album “Challenging CrossReich Cowards”. Soon we’ll post info who releases it in Thailand and the rest of the World. We’re going to put 1 or 2 tracks on our myspace and web page. As usually we’re going to take care of good distribution all over the World. Especially in Thailand, South America and Europe. HORNS UP!

Daro & STURMGEWEHR666
www.sturmgewehr666.prv.pl
www.myspace.com/sturmgewehr666