1.Greetings Black Altar horde, Would we start with the origin of the band, both in terms of ideologically and musically, your aims in shaping the direction of Black Altar?
 

Hail! Black Altar was created at the Walpurgisch Nacht , during a blasphemous ceremony, as a one-man project. In 1998, the debut demo: “Na Uroczysku” was released, which was completed with the aid of session line-up and Doc of Vader as a sound engineer. The mentioned demo was released by my own label-Odium Rec. The next release was “Wrath ov the Gods”, recorded by the complete line-up in 2002 and released again by Odium the same year. “The Wrath…” was released as a split with Vesania, which was limited to 666 copies. Vesania`s members are now a part of Vader and Behomoth`s line –ups. The mentioned “Wrath ...” was later, in 2003 released as a 7``ep, limited to 500 copies hand numbered with corpse blood. I`m still carrying some last copies for sale. The same material will soon be released as a split with Norwegian Nebular Mystic, and the label behind the project is Warkult Prod from South America. The last and definitely the best is the debut album „Black Altar”, released in 2004 by German Christhunt Prod. It is a really stunning piece of work, of outstanding quality, that leaves all the so-far created tracks far behind. The cd release has a pro clip attached there. Some 6 months ago I got rid of all my musicians, due to their lack of involvement. I`ve created this band out of pure ideological reasons and its message is as important to me as its music. I`m going to lead Black Altar into more and more extreme direction, on all levels.
 

2.Black Altar “Black Altar” has hailed the audience some time ago, and released from the Christhunt Productions. So what kind of comments reached you as feedbacks about this new album?
 

I have received good and very good notes and opinions. Some have even described “Black Altar” as one of the best black metal records of 2004.so, no reasons to complain, the record has become well-knows in certain circles and the name of the band is actually knows in every single country that sports the black metal scene. I got flooded with emails from such exotic countries as : Brunei, Thailand, The Philippines, Peru etc. So it was a very solid debut, and its success makes me look ahead with optimism.
 

3.Let me confess; your music reminds the mighty days of Satyricon, for example; “Nemesis Divina” or “Shadowthrone”. You must have influenced form them quite much, am I right? Meantime, what are the other sources of inspirations for you?
 

I wouldn’t agree with you. Personally I am not even a great fan of Satyricon. But the rest of the musicians are , and it was they who composed the bigger part of the record. So in this respect I have to agree- some parts may remind of Satyricon.. But not from older releases, rather from “Rebel Extravaganza”, as the other musicians enjoy this kind of technical playing. On the other hand, my tracks are simpler, but more atmospheric and extreme at the same time. They would remind more of the Swedish school of playing. As to other inspirations-I am not able to enlist them all, they’re too many. Music-wise id place my inspirations in the early 90s black metal, more technical stuff, dark ambient, classical music. There would also be occult books, horror movies, my own thoughts, and generally, the world surrounding me.
 

4.When checking today’s extreme music scene, do you miss the ancient days? In which records were made with high spirit, communications were made more sincerely and honestly. What are the main differences for you? Or do you completely feel content about this modern way of extreme music?
 

Well, I’m 30 years old and I’ve been around this metal culture for years. I’m surely looking back on old times with sentiment, the times, when there was no internet, and everything was circulated by post. It was quite expensive but had its own charm. Everything seemed simpler then, the bands were friends with each other and offered support. Today we are facing competition, the race as to who can play it faster or more technically. However the quick info exchange via the Internet is a positive thing. On the other hand there are lots of these retarded kids , who spend all days at different forum sites , pretending to be some mighty warriors. Today I can’t say any record has provided me with such emotions as Mayhem`s “De Mysteriis...”, or Burzum`s “Hvis Lyset...”,unless it is the Black Altar`s debut, he,he.
 

5.Musical structure in the album sounds really “technical”, I mean it is not plain oldschool black metal with minimalist instrument usage with amateurish attitude (I m not insulting minimalist black metal here, note!) It seems you fell as really keen on the technical side of the music.

Regarding all these, can you explain the song writing process of Black Altar?
 

Indeed, there were some complicated fragments there. But I’m not particular about technical playing for technical purposes only. Matching is important, and proportions. Sometimes a simpler piece can do the trick, sometimes it will be the atmospheric touch and sometimes the technical spell. the rest of the band are all for technical playing, this twisted sort, I am more traditional, so when it came to the creative process, the most of the material was created at home and we only met to rehearse and work on it.
 

6.Are you into any political movement? I mean most of the bands seem to be involving into political ranks nowadays, with various reasons of course. So, do you see any connection with politics and black metal?
 

Well, I have my own crystallised opinions on political matters and I don’t mix those with Black Altar. This band finds its way on the satanic-occult field. Poland abounds in bands playing NS Black Metal. I don’t scorn them, everybody does what he pleases, however, I have one request here, let it be on an acceptable level, ideologically and musically. The ideology on its own is not enough, it has to be supported by good music, otherwise the outcome is pathetic, and I suppose this is not what the bands would like to achieve.
 

7.What are your opinions about the Polish scene? Actually Poland has one the strongest extreme music scenes in the earth! Nearly not a single day passes without hearing a new band debuting from the Poland!
 

Thank you for hailing the Polish scene. Indeed it is enormous and developed. A fan of any metal genre will find some really good bands in here. I am concentrated on the black metal scene. The bands worth noticing are: Thunderbolt, Infernal War, Besatt, Holy Death, Arkona. If these bands had good promotion, they could easily compete with the best ones. There are lots of young bands there, that will remind us of their existence if they will continue to be determined. The disadvantage of Polish scene is the number of divisions, arguments between bands, jealousy.
 

8.What kind of reasons that might inspire/influence Polish artist who are into supreme black arts? Coming from such a strong scene, you may give clues about the sources of this endless creativity that can be seen in Polish bands?
 

It is hard to say what may inspire polish musicians, or what differentiates them from other nationality musicians. The only think that comes on my mind is this enormous influence form the catholic church on the lives of people here. All metal musicians, especially those playing black metal are joined by this strong hatred towards christianity and its influence on this country. We are prosecuted here by this orthodox catholic society, so there is no comparison between the situation here and in other countries. The best example is the last year`s Gorgoroth`s gig , here , in Poland, during which they were recording dvd.all the materials were collected by the police and the case is still subject to trial.
 

9.What kind of bands you are listening to nowadays? Can you give some names? On the other hand, there can be also new bands that you can recommend for the ugly readers of Frost Magazine?
 

I run two labels and a distro , so I am flooded with records from all over the world. I can`t possible listen to them all more than once. I am very sentimental about old black metal releases from the early 90s., mainly from Scandinavia region. I have lately listened to more and more old metal releases on vinyl, which I am a collector of. From the fresher releases I do like what Aborym, new Keep of Kalesin, Watain, Tsjuder are doing. It is hard to single out a really stunning band, probably because much has been said already in music.
 

10.Do you have any new plans for the future of the band? Will you sustain the same atmosphere again or will you follow any new ways of expressing thy own thoughts via new musical veins?
 

I have a lot of plans, even because there are no musicians with me any more. I am planning to alter the music a bit. The coming Black Altar release will be a mini lp „Death Fanaticism”. It will comprise simpler but more atmospheric music. At the studio I will be supported by musicians from two the best known bands in here. Next, I am planning to record a 7``ep and release it as a split with a good and valuable band. Then the time will come for the full-length album, the second one, which I am planning to be short, brutal and technical like a nuclear gust. Soon I will appear in the studio to record the debut mini lp of my solo project Kriegsgott, playing very crude and simple Black Metal with war overtones. The tracks were composed some 6 years ago and until now I haven’t had time to do anything about it. The material will be released by Christhunt Prod.
 

11.What are your thoughts on free-music? Mp3s,file sharings etc?
 

It is quite a controversial issue. There are advantages and disadvantages. It is convenient just to download a track of a given band to check it, but usually people here will download all your albums within an hour. Those shitheads getting, let’s say, the whole DarkThrone from the internet will never experience this particular excitement that accompanies finally getting and first-time listening to a new record. No lyric analysis, nor booklet studying for them. There is also the artist’s point of view where the artist should receive remuneration for his work. Also, the producer, selling less, won’t be able to invest in other bands.
 

12.Guesting you in the pages of Frost Magazine was a pleasure, do you have any hails, fuck-offs or manifests to spit here finally?
 

Thank you for the opportunity to present Black Altar in Frost Magazine. All interested in Black Altar can visit the site www.black-altar-horde.com or write to me shadow666@interia.pl. Greetings to all black metal warriors, let the black flame burn in your hearts. Let’s sacrifice the hearts of your enemies upon the Black Altar. Hail!