1. Hell-o Shadow! How is going works in Black Altar?
 

Hail! Everything is OK. Now, I’m in the middle of recording session of my second LP titled “Death Fanaticism”. Later, I’m going to record a couple of songs for a split with some well-known bands. The publisher is not known yet, however, it could be a big label.
 

2. Firstly, I congratulate you for the album named “Black Altar”. Would you talk about preparation ranks of the album?
 

Thank you very much. We spent two years of hard work to write songs for that album. First of all, each of us wrote their songs at home, and than, during the rehearsals, we practiced them to make our anthems as perfect as they can be. All instruments were recorded in studio Selani, but the vocals, mix and mastering have been done in a much better studio called STUDIO X. The LP contains a professional video too.
 

3. During and after records, did you face any technical problems?
 

I do not recall any major problems. Maybe, it took more time, than we expected, to record the guitar lines. The production of the video and the graphics for the record took a hell of a time! Apart from these, everything was perfect.
 

4. What are the last news and developments in Black Altar?
 

The first and most important is the fact that, as I have mentioned in the first question, now I’m recording Black Altar’s second album. Then, I’ll start writing and recording songs for the split with Aborym, Thornspawn and Varathorn. I planned to record a song for the 7’’ split with Shining, unfotunatelly, I don’t know if the split will see the day, as fortunes of Kvarforth are unknown at the moment. Probably, I will take part in another split with a well-known bands.
 

5. How much importance do you give to your band’s advertisement? And how much important are other people’s thought?
 

Good promotion is a vital factor for me. Black Altar do not play live shows, thus advertisements are the most important source of knowledge about, e.g. that the new LP has just been published. What other people think about Black Altar is of no importance to me. I’ve always walked my path without looking and thinking what would others think . I know my and Black Altar’s value and nobody’s opinion can change it.
 

6. How did you come to an agreement with Christhunt Prod.? What are the possibilities which they present to you? How much do you allow your rec. to interfere your band’s image?
 

A couple of years ago I’ve sent some songs from the split with Vesania to Christhunt Productions. The owner liked them very much and was interested in publishing the full-length album. As this was a honest label, I decided to sign papers. They offered a full refund of the studio, publishing the album on Cd and vinyl formats, and money for the video. Additionally, they offered a decent promotion, what a debut band needed more?
 

7. I wonder if you and band’s other members are educated about music?
 

No, we all are self-taught and we never attended to any school of music. I took some lessons in bass guitar and keyboard, however.
 

8. Tell us about live shows you have done so far. What bands have you played with? Do you prefer playing live to recording in the studio?
 

Unfortunatelly, Black Altar has never played a live show, yet. After the recording session of the first LP I fired the rest of the band. I haven’t found a line-up yet. Additionally, the musicians I’ve been playing with, did not want to play live. To tell you the truth, I have no idea when, if ever, Black Altar will play its concerts. I got some very good proposals which I had to decline.
 

9. What are your interests except for music? Do you and the other members of band have any other job?
 

Apart from playing in Black Altar and my solo project Kriegsgott, I run two labels. I plan to set up an extreme metal magazine. Music takes most of my frees time, as I have a baby son, and the second one is coming soon. I’ve graduated from a course for a real estate agent and, maybe, I‘ll work as one for a couple of years.
 

10. What are goals for the future?
 

My main goal is to make my second album as perfect as possible, and to find a good label. One big publisher is interested, however it is too soon to talk about any details. Moreover, soon I start writing songs for the splits and I wish to publish some interesting stuff in my Odium Rex, whose the latest release will be the picture disc 7’’ by Orcustus. I wish to start writing the Odium Magazine.
 

11. What are your favorite bands? And which album did you buy first?
 

My favourite bands are, mainly, Norwegian black metal from early 90’s such as Burzum, Mayhem, Gorgoroth, Immortal and Satyricon. But the first album I bought was the debut LP of Iron Maiden.
 

12. What are your opinions about mp3 problem? Are you an mp3 listener? F.I., if you see your tracks in an mp3 format at internet, what do your reactions be?
 

Personalny I don’t care. It’s rather the publisher’s problem, as most of the metal bands do not earn money from their music. I rarely use the mp3 format, but if I do, I do it to check if the band’s good. When I see my song in the internet after the release, it’s not a problem, but if the song apperas before the official premiere it’s worse.
 

13. Most of the people adopt Black M. ideologically namely, it’s like Satanism propaganda, but NSBM rush has been getting bigger and bigger lately. Satanism and politics… Black M. belongs to different topics now. What do you think of?
 

Well, it’s a bit controversial issue. Most of the NS bands present a weak level of musicianship. However, there are bands who are very good and than the ideology is conveyed quite strongly. Personally, NS black metal does not distrub me but under the condition, it is on a high level.
 

14. Eurovision Song Competition has been done in Greece this year. Lordi who is a heavy metal band, has became the first this year in Greece. I think they were very interesting with their scene show and they were very successful with song called ”Hard Rock Hallelujah”. Is being selected this band first as a reaction of world to Eurovision Song competition?
 

Yes, I have to admit that I’ve been watching them during the eliminations, and with astonishment I’ve noticed that they’ve finally got the first place. I don’t give a shit about their music, but I prefer bands like Lordi to win, than any other piss-pop band singing about love.
 

15. Israel has prepared operations to Lebanon with an aim of getting rid of Hezbollah completely. As a result of this operation, lots of Lebanese people have died. Also, the world is quiet to this events. I want to learn what are your thoughts about the politics of Israel?
 

To be honest I hate Israel and their policy of hypocrisy. They pretend to be harmed and accuse everyone of anti-semitism, and in the same time they are war criminals. They have most of the important positions in the USA, or Poland, where they pull strings for their cause.
 

16. Imagine that you are in a boat with two people, you, George Bush and Eminem and you are caught in a storm and your boat take in water, for that reason you have to throw one person to the sea. Which person do you throw to the sea? And WHY?
 

I think, it would be Georgie Bush and his licking the Israelites ass.
 

17. Sex, narcotic and Rock’n Roll. The best known slogan of the Rock’n Roll. Is that a cliché or does it really tells us about Rock’n Roll?
 

This slogan suits rock’n’roll, and for me rock and black metal are two separate things. Black metal is not fun like rock’n’roll, where people play just to pick up chicks. Unfortunatelly, I’ve noticed that lots of new black metal bands, just don’t get the idea of black metal and they are missing the point of it.
 

18. Have you watched the matches 2006 World Football Cup? Poland National team didn’t prove their worth. Actually, I have expected better results from Poland.
 

Yes, I have waited for the championships for a long time. However, after the first match all hope had abbandoned me. The last championships were a total disaster for the Polish national team.
 

19. For our readers, can you tell a comic event that happened with your band?
 

Sorry, but I do not recall any particular events. However most of the funny things were connected with our drummer, who is an extreme misanthropist and leaves his home only to go to the reversals
 

20. Have you ever been in Turkey before? What do you know about my country?
 

Unfortunately, I have never been to Turkey, but someday I’d like to go there. I know that you are an islamic country, while in the rest of Europe there is christianity. I keep in touch with Frost magazine from Turkey.
 

21. Well, thanks Shadow for your answers. Please close this interview. And last question, which song do you want for playing in your funeral? Best wishes in the future.
 

Thanks for the interview, and I’m sorry for the short answers, but I have many old interwievs to go, and yours was the first. As far as the song played during my funeral, it would be “A fine day to die” by Bathory, or the only ballad from Marduk’s second LP.