Greetings, tell us about how it is going with Zloslut?
Hello to you! So far so good, we were a bit silent in both studio and live, but it is due to the huge work we have invested in the forthcoming album. It’s now officially over two years of work!
What can you reveal to us about your new album at this moment?
Well the recording is for this summer, drums are set to be recorded in the first half of august by the announced guest which is Blastum from French black metal act Merrimack. The album will be in English, which is a first in Zloslut, it will consist of 7 songs and will last over 50 minutes, this time there will be no intro/outro and intermezzo’s as I used to do in the first two albums. So black metal from start to finish. The majority of the work is done, of course the lyrics and music have been finished like three months ago, but also the visual aspects are done. Luckily, we have no deadlines, so we can take all the time we want to go well in depth with everything. We have also several offers already from label’s, communication is going amazingly so we know this will be in good hands for the factory part but also the distribution and everything that goes with that. I can’t revel yet the name of the album or it’s track list, but no worries – it is going to be announced very soon. So stick with us!
On your webpage I saw that the girl who did the artwork for your future album passed away.
Ana Sambol, she was just 28, an amazing person, gone to soon… It was amazing to work with her, she understood our idea immediately, also an amazing person she was to talk too. Now she is shining somewhere else I am sure of that. The forthcoming album is dedicated to her memory.
Are there any plans at this moment to represent the new material life?
Not really, we are really focused on the album recording only. Concerts will follow its release of course, not sure in what quantity, but there will be some promotion about it. As always, we ritualize our studio material.
Have you thought about making a video for one song?
Personally, I did, but Zloslut past material in my opinion is not something that would fit as in a musical video. As for the next one, who knows? We shall see in time! But I’m definitely not one of those who thinks that Black Metal and musical videos don’t go hand in hand… There are so much things that the visual offers to Black Metal…
Nowadays, the music industry moves more and more towards the online streaming downloads, etc. What do you think about this?
I have nothing against that, I mean in the metal “community” people are very much materialistic… So the download haven’t ruined the physical completely. When your favorite band release something, of course you want the LP, the t-shirt… First, it’s an amazing feeling to have these physically, and second you support the hard work behind the curtain. Some people don’t have the luxury to offer these, so why should they not enjoy the music even if it’s through their smartphones and computers? So yeah, I have nothing against that, but to me it is not primary.
In the past you were making lyrics in English and French, but later you used only Serbian as the language of your choice for your songs. How do people that don’t know Serbian react? Have you ever thought about offering them translations on your webpage?
Actually our next album is fully in English as mentioned earlier in this interview. We used English only on our demo until now, which is three tracks only, and French we used for two tracks… But yeah, Serbian is my native language along with French, and I felt comfortable with going with it for two consecutive albums. I don’t really recall people’s reaction about the language, even in reviews. I guess it’s the same feeling we can have when we listen to a band from Norway, Poland, Germany and other… I will work on the translation one day – haha!
I will name your releases that you have so far and I would to hear your opinion and feelings about them. Everything that comes to your mind about these releases.
Abyss of Eternal Deception – My first solid step in Black Metal.
United with the Fallen Ones… – Great memories, also my first collaboration with people I never met outside the internet. Both Gromkult and Uruk-Hai showed professionalism and trust, I mean it’s been a while since we communicated last time, but yes, I have great souvenirs from that particular collaboration.
Pustoš i prevare izgubljenih duša – First concrete material from Zloslut, both in songs construction and sound production. I had a great time working with Zlorog during the recording session.
Klizavom ivicom do beskrajnog pada – A single for the die-hard fans only, it featured an Iron Maiden cover song, “Prowler” to be precise.
Iz dubokog ponora tuge – This release was of a very important meaning to me, I knew that after that I would have worked on a full-length album, with this I wanted to “close” the demo/first step chapter of the band. So, it features the whole demo, the Iron Maiden cover and two never released tracks I was working on just before the idea of the compilation. The modest booklet also offered some pictures never released with a statement of mine regarding the meaning of that compilation. It is important to know that this compilation is not a “best of”. Just a recollection of early materials that will never be re-released again, because it is not representative anymore, it surely represents an era of the band, but nothing as strong as a full-length. Nevertheless I cherish this release very much.
Zloslutni horizont – Donosilac prokletstva, očaja i smrti – Zloslut first album, there are thing that could have been better or different, sure. But I wanted it this way, dirty and dusty. I’m not saying that as mere “excuse”, because people think it’s easier to go with low quality production. I really wanted the sound that have inspired me in my discovery of black metal. Bands like Judas Iscariot, Baptism and others.
Na bedemu samoubistva – Another single intended to the die-hard fans. Two versions of the title track features, the one from the studio album and the live version from Darkness Rising Festival, but also two covers, Judas Iscariot “Spill the Blood of the Lamb” and Inquisition’s “Crush the Jewish Prophet”. We used two play these two covers so often, and these two were recorded during a rehearsal back in 2012, I thought that it deserved it’s place there. I don’t see a point in singles if it is only to promote the album, I mean we are not in the 80’s or early 2000’s when it had a point. Today a single for me is a bonus release with extra material that don’t have their place on the original album.
Anti-Human Manifest – A very important split release, between my brother bands Paimonia and Мржња. It was a way for us to mark our brotherhood artistically. This was the best occasion for that.
Ukleta – This single was important for me for one reason. Zloslut second album was already recorded and produced in September 2014, but I knew that I could not release it for one more year at least due to financial issues. Now we know that the album was released in mid-November 2015. I was very upset about that, and I wanted to show to the fans as soon as possible that Zloslut acted! Not just some words here and there on the internet. So, I took one of the most catchiest songs from the album and released it both physically and virtually. As mentioned earlier, for me physical releases is important, so it was released in a cardboard including the sticker of the second album, and the CD also has a multimedia part with our full video concert from 2014 “Srpski Metal Festival” which was also the first concert for B.V and Inomatanas inside of Zloslut.
U transu sa nepoznatim siluetama – Zloslut second album, and at that time the zenith of the catalog. I started to work on this album as soon as I finished recording the first one, so somewhere in early 2013. I cannot express the happiness I felt to work on it, it was a festival of ideas and creativity. But as every artist, we want to go over what we achieved, so we break our creative limits and the third album will show that in all aspects. Plus the third album includes three more persons, so it’s not only an album consisting of one member, but of four, and when you mix all these ideas, you can only have something special. Although I must admit that in the beginning of the process of the third album I was afraid it would be a vulgar salad, but not, it’s still not released yet, but it is something that transcends us all.
Have you discovered any new artist lately which you would recommend?
I must say that in the past year I have not listened to black metal very much, I quite returned to Maiden, AC/DC, Black Sabbath and the likes… When not listening to heavy metal, I’m mostly listening to spiritual music from India, Egypt, or I plunge into movie soundtracks, I have no barriers in art, if I like it, that’s enough for me.
I did notice a Serbian black metal band worth of attention, Bezdan.
Which movies, books, games or music inspire you?
All four mediums of art you mentioned are of great importance to me, I read pretty much everything from Golding to Wilde, Balzac to King, but also books that deal with history, cultures, spirituality… Comics are also the first step I had with literature, all the books I read in my childhood I didn’t know how to appreciate them, so I’ll mention some scenarists very important to me as Alan Moore, Alfredo Castelli, Tiziano Sclavi, Roberto Recchioni, Paola Barbato, Steve Dillon and Garth Ennis, Goscinny and Uderzo, Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller and so many others! When it comes to movies, I’d refer to Kubrick, Tarantino, Romero, Ridley Scott but also the very obscure director Bela Tarr. I don’t play much video games, but I’ll mention some that had an influence on me, Clive Barker's Undying, the first trilogy of Uncharted, the early Prince of Persia. Although I have nothing against a funny part of FIFA or GTA with friends during cold Serbian winters. But again, my video game experiences are very weak. I’l note that I always wanted to learn to play the tabletop role-playing games, but it is nevertheless on my list!
And now music… I just don’t know where to begin, of course Iron Maiden, my all-time favorite, I wonder if they didn’t existed if I would have all the musical interest that I developed over the years… So many artist’s, groups and bands… Philip Glass, Max Richter, Vangelis, Mahler, Badalamenti and his work on Twin Peaks, Hans Zimmer, John Williams, Morricone… When we speak of metal and rock I’d say Deep Purple, Guns N’ Roses, Motorhead, Metallica, Electric Wizard, Bolt Thrower, Entombed, The Devil’s Blood, Cathedral, Sunn O))), Cannibal Corpse, Six Feet Under, Primordial, Bolzer… When speaking of Black Metal I’d mention a dozen of bands/OMB that means much to me Judas Iscariot, Burzum, Taake, Peste Noire, Baptism ,Sargeist, Aura Noir, Mayhem, Acherontas… I’d also mention the great project of Karl Sanders (that I discovered only two years ago)!
This kind of question is very complex as it could go on forever, since you know that it’s not “complete”, the fact that someone who don’t know the band and the person, they will say, “how can you mention Romero, and not Raimi or Lucio Fulci!” are very normal reactions actually, that’s why you feel the need to add so many of them…
I know I’m going to nitpick and philosophize here, but we get inspired by so many things in life, even from what our conscious think it’s crap. It’s not.
Any last word?
Well, follow us on the internet as we shall reveal our secrets for the next album. As always, follow your heart! Thanks for everyone reading and to you Marko! Regards!
