Krusher

From the first lines of this interview I started to like Tomasz, the singer of the band, cause he has a real passion for heavy metal music and doesn't wants to pass any other messages through it. He just wants to play good old rock 'n' roll. Just Metal for Metal as he states in the interview...

1. “BORN TO KRUSH” IS ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING DEMOS I’VE LISTENED TO LATELY. WHICH IS YOUR OPINION ABOUT IT? IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO CHANGE?
  • It was our first time in studio and now we know that a lot of things could be done better but as I said - as a first studio work it’s quite good I think.
2. SINCE YOU ARE A NEW BAND AND NOT VERY KNOWN ABROAD, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD IF OYU GAVE US SOME INFO REGARDING THE BAND AND PRESENT THE CURRENT LINE UP TO THE READERS.
  • KRUSHER formed in 2002 in Poland. At the beginning our stuff was filled with Judas Priest, Manowar and Black Sabbath classics but soon we started writing our own compositions and then we started playing first concerts. Since the beginning our line-up is nearly the same: Tomasz Swidrak ‘Judas’- vocals, Lukasz Mackos ‘Luke - lead guitar, Bartosz Wierzbicki ‘Bolus’ - rhythm guitar, Adam Pucykowicz ‘Fadi’ - drums. We knew each other earlier because almost all of us played in local bands so we often met (each other) at these times during the underground concerts. As KRUSHER at the beginning we play without bass but one week before the show with polish legendary TSA Lukasz Piotrowski ‘Nekrol’ joined us and in such short time he learnt our stuff (he must of course!!!). Now we play whenever we are able to.
3. I READ IN YOUR BIO THAT IN MARCH 2003 YOU’VE STOPPED PERFORMING LIVE, BECAUSE YOUR VOCALIST WENT ABROAD FOR 3 MONTHS. WHERE DID HE GO AND WAS THIS TRAVEL RELATED TO THE BAND?
  • I went to New York to work there in sweat because I could go there then (we still must have a valid visa in Poland if we want to go to US). Of course my travel stopped band’s progress but you must realize that I could never earn such money in three months in Poland. I needed that money to pay my debts and to pay for my part of recordings as I was out of work then (“there I was completely wasted , out of work and down…” ha ha).
4. YOU STARTED AS A COVER METAL BAND AND SUDDENLY YOU DECIDED TO MOVE ON AND COMPOSE YOUR OWN SONGS. HOW DID YOU DECIDE SUCH A THING AND HOW EASY OR DIFFICULT WAS IT FOR YOU TO COMPOSE YOUR OWN SONGS?
  • Our first song LIVE TO RIDE – RIDE TO LIVE was composed really spontaneous in about ten minutes – seemingly as cult ‘Paranoid’ ha ha. Of course we did only the ‘skeleton’ in ten minutes not the whole song but it was really funny, and its title and chorus are taken from Harley’s motto ha ha. We compose new songs especially during rehearsals – everybody has always some ideas how to improve new parts and it’s easier when you can hear something from the other point of view. Nevertheless sometimes new songs are composed by one person and completely don’t need to be changed in any way because they sound good from the start.
5. EVERY BAND IN THE BEGINNING OF ITS COURSE IS INFLUENCED BY MANY BANDS AND SHOWS IT. CAN YOU TELL ME WHICH YOUR INFLUENCES ARE AND COULD YOU NAME 5 OF YOUR ALL TIME FAVORITE ALBUMS?
  • I think that you could especially hear echoes of NWOBHM in our music. but if I have to name some bands it would be: Judas Priest, Jaguar, Angel Witch, Raven, Saxon, Iron Maiden, Running Wild, Manowar maybe some Annihilator or Metallica in our newest stuff.
6. YOU SIGNED A DEAL WITH DRAGONIGHT AGENCY. ARE YOU STILL SATISFIED WITH THEM? IN WHICH WAYS DID THEY HELP YOU?
  • Deal with Dragonight Agency helped us especially to get some new contacts and to organize some concerts (especially with polish heavy metal legend with female singer - STOS).
7. “BORN TO KRUSH” INCLUDES 2 COMPOSITIONS ONLY. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHERS READY AND HOW DO THEY SOUND COMPARED TO THESE 2 SONGS?
  • We have about 10 completed new songs. Some of them are ready the others need some work - we think that they are rather similar to BORN TO KRUSH style but they are faster and more aggressive.
8. WHERE ARE YOUR LYRICS REFERRING TO AND HOW IMPORTANT ARE THEY FOR YOUR? WHAT CAN INSPIRE YOU AND WHAT CAN TAKE THE INSPIRATION AWAY FROM YOU?
  • Well…our lyrics refer to pure heavy metal rock’n’roll ha ha – you know there’s no need to prove something to someone – no ideologies - just bad boys, alcohol and bikers’ chicks ha ha – Metal for Metal.
9. YOU COME FROM POLAND AN EX-COMMUNIST COUNTRY. THINGS BACK THEN WERE NOT SO GOOD FOR HEAVY METAL MUSIC. CAN YOU TELL ME WHY THE COMMUNISTIC GOVERNMENT DIDN’T APPROVE OF THIS KIND OF MUSIC? I AM ASKING THIS BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE IDEAS IN HEAVY METAL THAT AGREE WITH SOME GENERAL BELIEFS OF COMMUNISM, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE ALL BEING EQUAL AND HAVING THE SAME RIGHTS, ETC… HOW ARE THINGS NOW IN YOUR COUNTRY REGARDING HEAVY METAL?
  • Refering to what members of old polish bands say – now it’s even worse time for heavy metal in Poland than then. There’s no place for this kind of music in all of medias and in metal only death and black are on the top in Poland. If you orgamnize a concert and about 100 people come you’re really happy because these one hundred are there for music not to pose. We try to play as many concerts as we are able to and as many as it is possible in many really strange places but as I said the situation of polish heavy metal scene is very hard though a little better than about 5 years ago I think.
10. HAVE YOU SENT THE DEMO TO ANY LABELS? WHICH WERE THE REACTIONS YOU RECEIVED TILL NOW? DID YOU HAVE ANY PROPOSALS FROM RECORD LABELS?
  • We think that we will “attack” to some labels after the second demo will be ready. We believe that it will be better recorded and produced so maybe some proposals will appear.
11. THE PRODUCTION OF YOUR DEMO IS VERY GOOD. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IT? WHERE DID YOU RECORD THE DEMO?
  • Ha ha – we’re glad that you like it because we’re not very satisfied of it ha, ha. But in reality as you said: it’s not bad for a demo. We recorded all of the material in Chinook Studio – Debica in Poland. We decided to record in that studio due to its location (not very far from our place of living) and because of money of course!!ha ha – it’s very cheap studio because you’re not paying for hours but for ready minutes of mixed material at the end of session, so you’re not in hurry during recording.
12. ON “BORN TO KRUSH” YOU HAVE A COVER OF THE OLD TIME CLASSIC SONG OF STEPPENWOLF “BORN TO BE WILD”. HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO COVER THIS SONG? WILL YOUR NEW DEMO ALSO CONTAIN COVER SONGS?
  • We decide to record BORN TO BE WILD ‘cause it’s a cult motorcycle song – it’s our tribute to Metal Maniacs & Two Wheels Of Freedom.
13. WHICH IS, ACCORDING TO YOU, THE BEST AND WHICH THE WORST PART IN YOUR MUSIC? WHICH IS YOUR TRADEMARK?
  • I think that it is hard for us to judge our own music – we could be not objective. It’s obvious that if you play it you must like it. And our trademark? Hmmm…leather, spikes and chains-maybe not very original but this is what real Metal ever was. Sometimes I use grinder(I don’t know if it is the right word for this hand machine(?)) on our concerts to make some sparks (the smell of burning metal rules!!!!!).
14. IS THERE AN ELEMENT MISSING OR RESTRAINED IN YOUR MUSIC ON “BORN TO KRUSH” THAT YOU’D LIKE TO EXPAND AND EVOLUTE IN THE FUTURE?
  • Ha – we want to be heavier and faster – we want to crush!!!ha ha
15. IF YOUR MUSIC WERE AN EMOTION, WHAT WOULD IT BE? IF IT WERE A PAINTING, WHAT WOULD IT SHOW?
  • Hmmm… interesting question - If our music were an emotion it would be state of intoxication ha ha and the painting - undoubtedly naked, lustful, sado-maso metal bitch ha ha.
16. THANK YOU! HAVE I FORGOTTEN TO ASK YOU ANYTHING AND YOU’D LIKE TO MENTION?
  • Hails to every Heavy Metal Maniac all over the world – “bang your heads and shake your hair” forever!!!!! Visit our website (probably from September in English) www.krusher.metal.pl. +STAY HEAVY+
Nikos "William_Kidd" Parastatidis
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