Band: CASUS BELLI
Country of origin: Poland
Style: heathen black / death metal
Questions by: Emilio J. Moreno Atienza
Answers supplied by: Igor (vocals)

Heilsa Igor, how are you doing?

- I am very, very good, thank you!

Is "Kalos Kai Agathos" your first album?

- Yes, “Kalos Kai Agathos” is the first album of CASUS BELLI, and the first in which my person was involved, in the same time.

Where has it been recorded?

- It was recorded at Elvis van Tomato studio (existing no longer), in our home-city Szczecin / Poland.

Are you satisfied with production?

- Rather yes. I find mentioned studio quite good, especially for the bands, which know exactly how they want to sound. We were in this situation. When we were entered the studio, we had known all the basic factors and the main directions of our music. So, all we had to do was to record the music, and to find and extract those specific sounds. It is obvious, that after almost two years, we are more experienced, and now we know what we would make in a different way, but then we were satisfied.

How has the media and fans' reaction been so far?

- Funny thing! “KKA” has two editions – the first underground by Helvis Rec. in the 2000; and the second in 2001, by Metal Mind Productions, the biggest metal label in Poland, as the first album from our contract. After the first edition, all the zine’s, web’s and others reviews was totally enthusiastic, because we were unknown new band which has recorded surprisingly good album. Also all the voices from the people were really enthusiastic. Then we signed the contract with MMP, and then appeared the second wave of reviews and interviews, but this time in multi-copy metal magazines, written by some self-made authorities. They still were surprised with so good debut of unknown band, but they try to reduce the meaning of “KKA”. You know, we stay in the distance from the music industry and the society of the “official” bands. But reactions of the fans are still favourable, but this time much-much more people had the opportunity to listen to our music.

CASUS BELLI is still quite an unknown band, so taking it into consideration, could you please tell us about how it all began?

- CASUS BELLI was established in March 1999, when two musicians of former death metal band UNDERTAKER, proposed me to become the full time vocalist in new arising band. The leader and main composer of UNDERTAKER – Krzysiek – had had a lot of music ideas impossible to realize in those formula, for he needed a new one in which e.g. keyboard and screaming vocal was needed. Then, because the core of the band were experienced, and a lot of ideas was waited for realization, we started to prepare the material for the album straightaway, without wasting the time for playing with no sense. After a few months they appeared the publisher of our material, when it was not even recorded. We told him “ok”, but we want something more, and we know that our material would be worth of wider public. So we would no sign any papers, and this issue should only to hold the attention of one of the bigger labels on CASUS BELLI.

What made you start playing music?

- I am able to speak only about my own reasons. For years I am involved in heathen-nationalistic movement, for which black metal music is very suitable media to spread it's ideas. So when the opportunity to making the music and writing lyrics etc. has appeared, I had no doubt. On the other hand, I listen to the metal music since I was 8 or 9 years old, and one of my youth dreams was to be the vocalist and leader of metal band. So it is the realization of my dreams.

Is CASUS BELLI your first musical experience?

- When I was 12 years old, I started to play classical guitar. It was long about 3 years. After it, I was keen on music, but only as the fan. As far as making the music is concerned, CASUS BELLI was my first experience. But as I said, only me and keyboarder, were debutant, the rest of the band had long experience in other projects.

Personally I disagree with those considering CASUS BELLI a black metal band...

- I don’t really know. The question is, what black metal is? The point is that CASUS BELLI has grown out from black metal tradition and ethos, but it is obvious, that we sound in a totally different way than pure BM bands do. Our composition patterns are also other genre then their, but on the other hand, mainly screaming vocal and keyboard make us very close to BM sound. Some journalist wrote once, that our music could be called something like “post-black metal” and I like this, and I think that it could describe our style. But in the non-music meaning, beyond pure sound, we feel ourselves as BM band, and it is result of ETHOS.

Perhaps people reckon you to a black metal movement because of all these pagan-related subjects you use to deal with lyrically... However, musically, your music is way more influenced by death metal... sometimes, even gothic...

- Just like I said! The guitars in CASUS BELLI are played in death metal way, and they also this way. But there is the wider meaning of BM. One is sure, we don’t care if someone call us black metal band or not, or maybe other kind. We play music which we want to play, and we include our everyday philosophy and life ideas in our art.

Is paganism your main source of inspiration?

- Rather heathenism! But yes, it is the main influence for our art. But heathenism means not only wooden idols, pre-christian times, and swords. It is the way of life, the philosophy of strong Man, pantheism, creative attitude, and many-many more…

I guess you also work for Odala mag...

- That’s true. I am one of the 3-person editorial staff of Odala Magazine, but it is not the only plane on which I publish my articles. Odala Magazine is the best known title involved in Slavonic Native Faith and Polish Nouvelle Droit (New Right) movement.

And then, are you racialist?

- Let’s say, that the rights of ancient tribes of Europe, lay in my heart and mind. I am proud with my Flesh and Blood, as much as my Culture. As a person, as a Pole, as a Slav, as a European I am most involved it the fight for ethno-pluralism, what means keeping the political, biological and cultural identity.

What's your opinion on self-proclaimed "heathens against hate"? You know, red scum talking about pseudo-heathen views...

- Unfortunately very vast post-hippie communities call themselves Pagans. But even in the academic researcher's works there is division between us (called Heathens, proud with their nationality etc…) and pacifist wing called Pagans, e.g. Wiccans, which put the stress of female aspect of pre-christian religion, and their mouth are full of cliches of so called “tolerance”, “peace” and other political correct slogans.

I think that "KKA" coverart has been also featured in Odala mag...

- Yes, that’s true. We used “Copernicus” of Stanislav Szukalski as the cover of “Kalos Kai Agathos” album, but earlier it appeared on the cover of Odala mag. No 5. But this was very natural for us, because we grown on the same base. On the other hand, “Copernicus” shows all the ideas, which are the topics of CASUS BELLI lyrics. It is the splendid imagination of the greatest astronomer of the history (he was Pole), who is shown as the athlete, with beautiful, muscular body. This makes him real Kalos Kai Agathos, that means in classical Greek “beautiful and good” - the pattern of upbringing the  aristocratic youth in ancient Greece. It is the way to create the common hero in Hercules-style, based on balance between spirit and body growth. It could be compared with Nietzsche’s Ubermansch.

Who is Stanislaw Szakalski?

- Stanislav Szukalski (1895 – 1987) was the Polish-pagan artist, who was trying to create native Polish style in art. For him it was possible only on the Slavic roots and base. He knows that only return to our native religion of Svietovit could rise Poland from cultural ruin. He create the artistic group called “The Tribe of Horned Heart”, which was trying to increase this subject. He was the greatest artist, but the main part of his life he spend in USA, because he was unsuitable for polish official catholic artist society. He has the heart of the warrior and he didn’t go for compromises, and that is why he is now almost totally unknown. Contemporary Polish heathen-nationalists movement tries to rise the fame of his art and ideas. In USA works Archives Szukalski lead by Glenn Bray, who collect Szukalski’s art and try to make him better known.

I suppose that GRAVELAND influenced you a lot; but, what's your opinion on  other Polish bands of the same kind, such as IUVENES, GONTYNA KRY, KATAXU or SUNWHEEL?

- No way! None of Polish nor foreign black metal bands were the inspiration for us. The point is, that Krzysiek, the main composer of our music, hasn’t been hearing black metal before we was creating our material, and he hadn’t know even GRAVELAND’s music. His ideas was totally self-born. We all were creating our art in the way we feel for. Listen to our album once again and try to compare it with pure black metal bands especially form Poland, and I am sure, that you will not find the parallels. On the other hand I really appreciate the hole output of GRAVELAND, and Darken’s position as a one of oldest black metal musician in Poland. He is my friend and we meet several times every year, on the Slavonic rites, or Slavonic / Viking warrior festivals.

I know you like Nietzsche. Which books he had written you'd name your favorite?

- I think, that the man should speaks about “my favorite book” only due to light novels, and not about philosophical treatise. I find Nietzsche’s heritage as the whole, superb concept, pattern how to see the problems of the Man, The God, The Universe, (non) Morality, Greatness, Culture, Elites, etc., etc… But I can say, that “Also Spracht Zaratustra” seems to be the main book of Nietzsche. He wrote in it, that the Man seems to go on the thin line, which is hanging between two mountains – one is called “animal” and the second is “Ubermanch”.  He has to keep on going in one of this two directions, if he has not, he will fall dawn into the abyss - nothingness. The second concept is to see the Wise going up onto the mountain (which represent getting the higher levels of being) and the higher he is the more alone he become, because less man are on the higher levels, and as the consequence he become the hermit. It is the vision of the loneliness of the real elite in the society of the twilight of the West.

Inescapably traditional questions break in: future plans and final words...

- In march we are going to start recording our second album, and this is the main plan of CASUS BELLI. It appeared the possibility to give the concert in France (Paris probably), and maybe Hamburg. It is possible that we will give our second concert in Berlin also. Thank you very much for this interview. I hail you all with old Slavic summoning “Slava”.