Nergal Interview by The Metalithic

This is an old interview we did with the abominable Nergal from the band Behemoth just before they released their album The Satanist.

METALITHIC: First and foremost congratulations on your new album 'The Satanist'.
Would you mind telling us about your inspirations and influences on the album?
What was your thought process during the creation of 'The Satanist'?

NERGAL: Well you know what? First of all we really managed to make Behemoth the main inspiration itself you know? I wasn’t really looking for the music as being inspiring because like, there are no more other bands that inspire us.
We would just go and re-group and I would go and read Jean Genet, Georges Bataille, Bulkolkski and some other books, where the main characters would be this evil outcast, but in the end of the day it would be a lonely man that would be wondering around doing some really sinister things, I would read Faust I guess, and a lot of stuff you know, somehow I would just build a picture of 'The Satanist' in my head both sonically as well as lyrics wise, and I tried to listen to myself, to my intuition and my instincts and would just let it go, let it leave my system and then eventually just channel it into songs, I mean, I know it sounds very generalist, but that’s really what it was.

METALITHIC: How did you come up with the title of the album? Is there any meaning behind the name personally for the band, or was it more of a marketing tactic from your record label to gain more press and controversy from religious people around the world?

NERGAL: Haha, I don't really have people behind my back telling me “alright, if you do this, you will get some more PR!”.
Behemoth are a very very sovereign and independent band, and anything you see on the cover, or in the lyrics, and in the music, there is really nothing or no one who tells us what to do. Same goes for the title, it came out really spontaneously, and unexpectedly when we were on a flight from Finland back to Poland, and I was just sitting next to this guy with a suit and a tie, some businessman and they said we will pull-out in a minute, and they had some thing there called 'The Economist', and so when I saw 'The Economist', I immediately I had this vision, this enlightenment, this illumination in my head, and I just said “WOW!!!”.
I think I even shouted on the plane and I told my guys 'I think I have a title for the record', and I didn't even say it out loud, because it's a fucking genius title, and they started laughing at me and I said “no guys, I am being serious, I'm not going to say it out loud, because I'm already afraid someone will strip it from us.... It is our precious!”

METALITHIC: From my perspective, your writing style on 'The Satanist' has changed into a different style, compared to your previous albums. It seems a lot more dramatic and plays out like a story, was this a major part of the writing process?

NERGAL: Again it just came out that way really, as much as albums such as demigod and ??? which are great records you know, which are dear and honest records, but they sound kind of too robotic, too automatic, and too mechanical. But in opposition with that the Satanist it sounds very organic, we just felt this is the way we want to build our direction but as soon as some of my love and hurts in my life would have been pretty fuckin tragic or dramatic I would guess that it just ? In the writing process as well. And this comes back to the statement I said before that behemoth itself our lives themselves would be the main inspiration for writing this album and fair to say it wasn't even us I know it sounds very metaphorical but it was a life itself that wrote that record and that life had us ?impersonus? to write this kind of album, you know? It makes sense to me.

METALITHIC: It seems as if Heavy Metal is on the rise and a lot of the younger generation are starting to listen to metal a lot more, joining bands and taking pride in collecting vinyl and CD's again... What are your thoughts on the younger generation and the future of heavy metal?

NERGAL: I put all my faith and trust in them, haha.
It's an older generation of Heavy Metal soldiers.
I can tell you, well I don't really consider myself as old, I'm 37, I think I'm relatively young, but when I confront a 20 year old guy at my show or below age 17 or 18 they seem to be bright minded people, they're open minded, and sometimes I'm like wow it's these type of people that enter the genre and it's awesome, it's really like a driving force behind it.
Definitely all of these people are motivation.

METALITHIC: What are a few of your favourite bands, that have influenced you over the years?

NERGAL: Out of 200? haha.

METALITHIC: Ok, maybe just the top 3 haha.

NERGAL: Really I can't say, there are hundreds and hundreds of bands....Anything from Nick Cage to Mayhem, it can be fuckin Johnny Cash or Immortal Army..... I have a really wide taste.

METALITHIC: Do you have any plans to tour Australia in 2014 or 2015?

NERGAL: We’ve already approached our promoters which is 'Soundworks' in Australia, but we have a new company where the guys are really motivating and they are a driving force behind 'The Satanist in Australia, they push us so hard and make all this promo, it's the biggest push of our album in years, so it really will affect Australia again.
We have played there 3 or 4 times there already, every time we go back there we feel like were at home and it feels amazing. We're definitely looking at coming back in the first or second quarter in 2015 when we come back with the new record.

METALITHIC: What are some of your most memorable highlights of your career?

NERGAL: I'll say recent years, this whole chapter has been so dynamic and so motivating, including the sickness. It was probably the most traumatic and difficult time, but at the same time the fact that we over came it and we came in stronger with such a strong fucking album, it feels great! it feels really refreshing and rejuvenating..... I love it!

METALITHIC: We turned to 'Instagram' and gave our followers a chance to ask some questions;

NERGAL: Ok!

METALITHIC: 'Fuxkyouraccount' asks: “Why do you think the majority of U.S Death Metal bands are generic?”

NERGAL: I meant death metal..... I know I said U.S Death Metal, but I meant all Death Metal as a whole.
The fact that they all seem to strive for perfection and are fighting for perfection, but they they are definitely losing the human factor in their music and this is something I truly hate, I fucking hate that!!
So at the end of the day it sounds like a robot playing some robotic music and I'm not buying it.
Yes I said Death Metal, but in every genre they have the same, they just have no emotions whatsoever.

METALITHIC: 'Doomkults' wants to know: “ How do you feel about 'The Satanist' breaking through to the mainstream music charts?”

NERGAL: I'm proud that Satan infiltrated the mainstream... Fuck yeah! Haha.

METALITHIC: 'Erikmorales' asks: “I would like to know if you have eaten at 'Grill Em All' burgers in California? Considering they named a burger after 'Behemoth'. If you haven't tried it, would you?”

NERGAL: Of course I would, I mean I occasionally eat beef, I eat no pork, but I eat beef occasionally and yeah fuck yeah why not!! I've heard of it before and I think it's cool!

METALITHIC: In 2007 you torn the pages from the bible at a live show in Poland and you called the Catholic church the most 'murderous cult on the planet'. Do you stand by your actions and would you do it again?

NERGAL: I don't know if I'd do it again, because I never go “what if”.... And if something happens, it happens!
Yes I do take responsibility for all my actions and my words and I did, I committed and spent 6 years going to - and - attending these court cases.
I don't know how many there were... Maybe 10, 20, 30, I don't know, I never really counted them.
I spent fucking years going back and forth to the court and battling for my right to be an artist and I'm happy and proud to say I fucking won.... And that democracy won in Poland.
That's my word about it.

METALITHIC: Thanks for chatting with us!

NERGAL: Cheers! Pleasure to talk with you.