Hi guys, let’s get straight into the matter of things. Los Asesinos del Sur, your latest album has garnered positive reviews just about everywhere. After a three years gap between this record and the previous one, were you a bit anxious about it and what are you feelings today?
Salute! All the opinions about our new album surprise me in really positive way. In our country we are not admired which is because of our temperament. Nevertheless, the reactions to the album are not bad. Recent three-years period, which you mentioned, above all was time of live shows, new experiences and huge changes. I believe that taking up certain ventures, especially arranging 4 editions of Legions of Death Attack, has made us mature and let us grasp the core of so called scene, as well as of our own characters. As a consequence there have been changes in bands' line-up. All these events have payed off with Genius Ultor and Los Asesinos Del Sur. Two excellent things in my life.

Frankly speaking, at best most people didn’t see the point of Esta Rebelion Es Eterna and at worst some considered it a failure. If you were back in 2008 would you have done things the same way? Now that we’re in 2012, how do you look at this back?
Folks just don't catch what this album is about, because it has not been clarified and announced to them. Firstly, I thought that the idea of this album is going to be clear for fans of Metal, simply evaluating by the title. Secondly, promotion of this material is blown beyond all imagination. The only things I would change are: to record the album solely in Kwart Studio and not releasing it through Dissonance Rec. Dividing the recording of album into few places and stages was a mistake from technical point of view. And all the rest can remain as it is. I will repeat it ad nauseam – things have their time and space and life is about gaining experience.

For the recording of Los Asesinos del Sur, you went to the Kwart Studio in Poland while your first recordings were mastered at the Hertz Studio. The result is impressive and while most people would have “feared" that you’d lose some brutality in the process you’ve actually given birth to your most violent recordings. How was that choice motivated?
The choice was simple. Our relation with Piotr of Kwart Studio is deep enough so that we mutually feel partners' approach to recording work. Piotr knows that we expect possibly most natural sound and freedom during recording process. Not to mention, recording in his place is enjoyable. We feel as while making a rehearsal, because being around he simply does not make us feel uncomfortable. He keeps his interference at necessary minimum and does not go beyond work of sound engineer. Besides, having experience with recording of previous albums, Piotr knows how to set up the equipment, so that the effect sounds like true Stillborn and this is crucial.

Your sound seems to be more organic, more natural than ever and the vocals, while neither strictly Black Metal nor Death Metal seem even more extreme . What was the influence behind this sound or did you just want to avoid sounding too "generic"?
To have right through metal and – what's more important – natural sound. That was my assumption. The target was to achieve effect of direct closeness of the band and the listener. One has to play the CD and look round uncertain if they have put on the amps and started to play here at my house. This is what I call natural sound. We want to express what's in our heads by playing and you have to receive it. It is sepa

rate matter if you are going to like it or not. In the times of computers, digitizing, retouching of recorded stuff our album may appear extreme to you.

Outside of Poland, most people in the Death Metal genre know about Vader, Behemoth and Decapitated but not that many know that the country is actually very prolific with (almost) hundreds of quality bands . Is it hard to make a name in the international scene because of the omnipresence of the first three aforementioned bands or even in the local scene?
I don't give a tiny shit about making PR here in Poland as well as around the world. I am a realist and at the same time a man of passions. Stillborn doesn't exist to earn money and because of our characters could never be one, consequently needless to praise my name by force. I am not able to sacrifice myself for nothing but playing while making for living with poor-quality guitar lessons for loonies. I am also unable to dedicate myself to being a clown sold to massmedia, regardless of being conscious that it can prove profitable. All I need is peace and money to fuel my passions such as collecting vinyls, attending gigs and playing with Stillborn or Genius Ultor. Don't get me wrong, but referring to last part of your question, I am certain that everything is within your hand's reach. There is only one condition: if you have clearly defined objective, devote yourself to it and nothing else and you will achieve it. For me chasing one objective is not amusing...

Also what do you think of the scene in Poland? As I wrote, there are many bands but very little concerts, isn’t that a bit frustrating? Which bands, newer or not, do you think are worth checking out for people that don't really know the scene?
This kind of questions is hard to bite. I wouldn't treat is in terms of scene (term “scene” does not fit me), because it implies some ideological unity or individual character, style of music. Currently it does not matter to me where the band comes from, but what it plays and if is my kind of taste. When it comes to 80-ties and early 90-ties this kind of division would be justified well enough: Germany, Latin America (ughhrrr), North America, Sweden, Norway. Coming back to your question. My favourites: omnipotent, the only correct, crushing Witchmaster, Azarath, Infernal War, Mgła, Kriegsmaschine, Deadly Frost, Furia, Anima Damnata, Throneum, Iperyt, Doombringer, Cultes Des Ghoules, Bestial Raids, Christ Agony, Blasphemy Rites and Hell-Born. Obviously there are lots more polish band that I enjoy, but here you have the most important ones listed.

Talking about international scene, what are your plans regarding gigs? Are you going to support the release of Los Asesinos del Sur by touring Europe? I know of quite a few people in France in particular but in other countries also who'd love to see you play live.
Frankly speaking, I am surprised if that's true. Gigs are not priority for us and that is for logistic reasons. Through several years we have been organizing local fests as well as tours in Poland. We had occasion to play few times in Ukraine. We've been invited to play in UK or Austria but it did not work out. Always the same problems emerged, starting from the most trifling ones as cost and means of transport, up to the more complicated ones as back line, holiday at work. Possible that in France this category does not mean a problem at all. Anyway this is a topic for a longer discussion. When it comes to our live plans, we do not have any. We are just waiting for invitations, without slightest tension. Touring Europe and wreaking sonic havoc would

be cheerful..

I know this may sound “cliché" but for most people living in the “Western” world, blasphemy, Satanism or anti-Christian beliefs seem to be outdated or just easy provocation but coming from Poland which is still very much a religious country, what‘s it like there to be in a band like Stillborn?
Against all appearances in many fields Poland has become quite liberal. In our country there is one fundamental problem which is hypocrisy. Not the religiousness itself, but the will to maintain the appearances erodes our society from inside. Everyone tramps to the church every Sunday and on weekdays beats his wife and kids, drinks oneself into a stupor, invokes evil against all around and becomes animalized. Who is the true satanist then – we or they? Heheh. Even the cock-sucking metalheads, professed antichristians, being under influence of their wives, parents or mothers-in-law, have church wedding. Tfu! Fuck, you are on this or on that side or do not declare yourself at all. Stillborn is, above all, anti-hypocrisy and anti-religiousness. Everyone of us has regular work and own private life, namely Stillborn, which became public because of internet. And for this reason we receive disapproving glances. There is one mode to cope with it. Be professional in your work routine and no one would dare to interfere you private life or world view. This does not mean that we have gone into hiding. In my close surrounding everyone is conscious of my approach to beliefs and whether they approve that or not, they had to accept. If not, I say “goodbye”. I do not make display of

it. I'm not imposing my opinion nor performing a mission. In Poland the symbols are more important than God and we make good use of it when we want to piss somebody off.



Any plans for the future, last words to say before we go off? Thanks for taking the time to answer these few questions and, again, congrats on your newest album which still kicks my ass every time I play it! Hails!
Thank you for favorable opinion on our album. Among the plans there is second album of our other band Genius Ultor. Hopefully we will manage to record it by end of June. In mid April we play in Cracow with some link to our 15th anniversary. And in Autumn would like to record new tracks of Stillborn. There already are some new ideas. Thank you for attention, regards to all Metal maniacs in France!!!







Band's line-up:



Killer - guitars, vocals

ataman Tolovy - bass guitar, backing vocals

August - drums

Rzulty – guitars



Band contact:

[email protected]

[email protected]



Management:

[email protected]



Discography:



Mirrormaze – demo’99

Die in Torment 666 – demo’01

Death Monsters – split CD’04 (with Azarath) Time Before Time Records

Announcement of Forthcoming Desecration – promo’04

Satanas El Grande – CD`04 Pagan Records

Manifiesto De Blasfemia – CD’07 Pagan Records

Esta Rebelión Es Eterna – CD’08 Dissonance Records

Los Asesinos del Sur – CD’10 Ataman Productions / Pagan Records



STILLBORN on-line:



www.stillborn.pl

http://www.facebook.com/stillborn.pol

www.myspace.com/naturalborndestroyers

www.youtube.com/stillbornpl





OTHER PROJECTS OF MUSICIANS STILLBORN:



GENIUS ULTOR - http://www.myspace.com/geniusultor

TURIN TURAMBAR - http://www.myspace.com/1992tt

>

Interview done by GandhiEgo

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Deesse_de_la_nuit - 16 May 2012: Nice interview :)!!! Now I will have to check this album out!!

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