Interview to KRESTFALLEN (Poland)

1. Hello my friend, pleasure to have you on Rotten Pages ´zine. How are you doing today? Let us set the scene first. Where do we find you right now? Please describe your surroundings.

Hi, first of all, it’s a real pleasure to take part in this. I’m in my home office, the place where I work every day. There’s quite a lot of electronic gear here, some odd junk as well, and in the center of it all an ultrawide monitor, basically my command hub. It’s also the place where new riffs are born, solos get refined, and song ideas take shape. That’s why right behind me you’ll find my two guitars: an acoustic one I bought for a laughably small amount of money years ago, the one I learned to play on, and a blue electric Yamaha that I use almost every day.

2. Both of you seems to be mature and experienced musicians, being active members on previous acts like Randast, Irounbound and The Crossroads. Tell us about the highs and lows that that you may experienced in the music industry over the years and how this helped you in possibly becoming stronger?

Well, in my case the impression of being an experienced musician is mostly just that - an impression. I don’t really see myself as one, since I’ve only played a few shows as a bassist, and before that just some school performances on drums. You could say that, years ago, I bounced off the music scene a bit, once I realized how much sacrifice it really takes to achieve something meaningful. You know, there are countless bands that rehearse, play local shows, build some momentum, and then eventually hit a wall, because sooner or later there comes a moment when the members prefer to focus on something else rather than playing in bars for a handful of people. That affected me as well, though not to the point of forgetting about music. Even though I stepped away from bands, over the years I noticed that my musical background grew enormously and that composing and playing instruments still gives me a lot of joy. So I decided to return, or rather, to properly start my path, but in a slightly different role. And I feel great about it. And perhaps most importantly, I managed to convince someone with far more real-world musical experience to join forces with me, I mean vocalist Bartosz, who performs regularly and keeps developing all the time.

3. Before becoming a musician, were you self taught taking private music lessons at a young age or did you fully learn and adapt on your own from there?

I’m 100% self-taught. I’ve never taken any lessons, unless tutorials count. I’ll admit I’ve watched a few videos about pentatonics, various guitar tricks, or solo improvisation.

4. How does both of you work so harmoniously that together you can always move forward without any problems?

Let me tell you something interesting - as of today, and I’m writing this in early December 2025, I’ve actually met Bartosz only once in my life, during a photoshoot shortly before the album was released. Our entire collaboration during the making of the album was based solely on remote communication. I remember that once we got in touch, I sent him a theoretical outline of the vocal lines I had imagined for each track, with specific wording and even notes like ‘here you could do something in this style’ or ‘try a different approach there.’ Bartosz worked through it on his own, improved some of the lyrics, and simply recorded his vocal tracks, which we later discussed together, and from that process the final vocal lines emerged. Some might say it’s just a sign of the times that you don’t need to meet face to face to get something done, but in our case the cooperation worked surprisingly well. I believe we did it in the fastest, most comfortable, and most precise way possible, considering we both have our own obligations. And I have to emphasize that Bartosz managed to deliver my vision perfectly, absolutely spot-on - while adding his own thrashy sharpness to it.

5. Do you identify with the “oldschool” thrash/heavy metal spirit in the metal underground? You´ve mentioned bands such Annihilator, Running Wild and Helloween as your main influences, how does it emerge in your music?

On a daily basis I mostly listen to music from the previous millennium. Even if it’s not strictly thrash and heavy metal - which began to fade a bit in the mid-90s and evolve in different directions - my playlists are often full of bands like Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, Def Leppard or even Depeche Mode, so we’re generally talking about artists whose golden era was long ago. So, to answer your first question, I think my oldschool influences strongly carry over into Krestfallen’s music. When I compose, I don’t try to reinvent anything - I simply draw from what I consider the best and present it in my own way. And the truth is, I take quite a lot from the bands you mentioned. As for Annihilator, I’m a huge fan of Jeff Waters, and I think you can hear it especially in the song ‘Corruption,’ with its characteristic high-note bends in the chorus, and the fast bass run after the solo, in the second part of 'Desolation', as well as in the title instrumental - its intro, I’m aware, may remind some people of Never Neverland. When it comes to Running Wild, the entire track ‘Hopeless Sea’ is basically a tribute to that band. I’m sure you can find more examples here and there, but even with all these influences I still feel that Krestfallen has a fairly distinct character - partly because my solos are simple yet melodic, and partly because of Bartosz’s original vocal tone.

6. There has been recorded 8 tracks on your debut album “Age of Mediocrity”, Are there any kind of particular points of inspiration for these tracks that you would like to discuss?

I think I’ve already said quite a lot about my inspirations a moment ago, but I can add that the album also contains references to some of my very first favorite metal bands. ‘Fight!’ is basically a typical, energetic opener in the vein of Metallica’s Battery, while ‘Made in Crysis’ has a bit of that mid-tier Megadeth vibe from their more recent years - at least in my opinion. And there’s nothing wrong with that; those kinds of tracks also have their place on an album. To sum it up, when it comes to inspiration, practically every song, or even fragments of songs, has its roots somewhere in the metal classics.

7. Can you tell us more about the recording process? Did you do anything unusual or different this time around?

The whole album, at least everything apart from the vocal tracks, was created in home conditions. Recording it felt like a long journey for me, where I kept running into new problems and kept learning something new. But that’s how it had to be, since I had never done anything like this before. The guitar and bass tracks were recorded at my computer using a Behringer interface, while the drums had to be programmed. Throughout the entire process I had one particular goal: I wanted it to sound like a debut. Of course, nowadays, with all the tools we have access to, it’s not impossible to create music at home that sounds as powerful as the latest Testament or Exodus, but I wanted to capture some rawness and natural character in the production. Even the drums - despite being programmed - don’t play at 100% robotic precision; they have a lot of ‘human vibe,’ which you can pick up here and there. As for the timeline, I started recording in the second half of 2023, and the last track I recorded was in April 2024 - I believe it was the solo for ‘Fight!’. In principle I could have finished everything much sooner, but I happened to be getting married and moving houses in the meantime. Regarding the vocal tracks, in the second half of 2024 I received Bartosz’s recordings for the remaining songs step by step, and the mixing process began later that winter.

8. How has the reception been for your album so far? Have there been any standout moments or memorable experiences you'd like to share?

From what I can see, the album has generally been received quite warmly. What makes me the happiest, though, is simply the fact that it was noticed at all - and that despite the modest distribution it still managed to appear in the underground in some way. A turning point was when the album was posted by a large YouTube channel that promotes metal bands (NWOOSTM). That brought in a lot of valuable listener feedback and definitely helped with visibility, because in the following weeks Krestfallen’s music was featured in a few podcasts and made its way into various corners of the internet. And honestly, the fact that I’m taking part in this interview is itself a sign that I can be satisfied with the project’s beginnings.

9. This album has been released more or less independently. Is this a choice, or are you still looking for a perfect label to share your vision in music?

The answer is: both yes and yes. I started this project on my own, that was a conscious decision, but I do aim for it to become something bigger in the future. Even before Age of Mediocrity appeared on YouTube and Bandcamp, I contacted a few labels, but the general response was that they prefer to avoid debut projects like this. And honestly, I understand them, think about it: an unknown guy shows up out of nowhere and suddenly wants you to do business with him. Even if the music is good, it’s still a big risk for them, especially considering that Krestfallen isn’t a typical band that plays live shows. So to wrap it up: yes, I will definitely try to establish cooperation with a label in the future.

10. The artwork for ‘Age of Mediocrity’ is shadowy and mysterious… very fitting. Who designed this piece? How did you work with them on achieving what you imagined?

The album cover was drawn by Bogdan Sroka, who, by the way, was recommended to me by Bartosz. I agree, it’s dark and mysterious, and I think what makes it stand out is that, for a metal album, it’s not very ‘shouty’. It looks almost like a painting rather than computer graphics. The collaboration went quite smoothly because I already had an idea in my head. I also sketched the Krestfallen logo myself, so Bogdan recreated what I sent him in his own style, and he’s known for drawing dark landscapes and eerie objects. That worked perfectly, because I wanted the cover to depict a painfully sad landscape: in this case, a dirty, grey city right by the sea, reflecting the absurdity and hopelessness of the world that’s echoed in the lyrics. And of course, it directly ties into the track ‘Hopeless Sea’.

11. Talking about the album. Were there any elements of the recording that proved particularly troublesome?

Well, I’m far from being a virtuoso, so there were definitely a few problematic parts. One example is the solo in ‘Fight!’ - there’s a reason I recorded it last. At one point my left hand has to cover almost the entire fretboard within two seconds, and I have to admit that connecting that fragment smoothly with the rest of the solo is still difficult for me to this day. Thankfully, I don’t have to play it live. :) I also remember struggling surprisingly much with the clean, calm sections, like the intro in ‘Fight’, the intro in ‘Hopeless Sea’, or the one in the instrumental ‘Age of Mediocrity’. With fast, seemingly complex distorted riffs you can get away with a bit of looseness and they will still sound good. But a clean chord or a slow, delicate melody simply has to sound perfect - and even the slightest lack of vibrato instantly ruins the whole thing.

12. With many bands on the horizon whether it thrash, heavy, death or any form of genres the underground scene for music has been consistent and getting better overtime. Do you think the community is healthier than it ever has been before, if so what’s your intake on that?

First of all, I’m constantly surprised by the sheer number of underground bands out there. I often think of metal as a niche genre, yet it turns out not only to be listened to by millions, but apparently also created by millions. So there’s definitely no shortage of music - everyone can find something for themselves - and it’s great to see that the entire genre is still doing well, even if it’s harder nowadays to come up with something genuinely innovative. But there’s also the other side of the coin: with so many bands around, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stand out.

13. How do you feel the metal scene has evolved in your are (Silesia, Poland) over recent years, particularly in your own genre?

It’s hard for me to give a long, detailed answer to this question, because when it comes to the Polish scene, I mostly follow only the bands in which my friends play. And it’s been quite a long time since I was active in a band myself and regularly met people from the underground. Still, it’s impossible not to notice that a lot is happening all the time. I follow various Polish metal websites, so I see what different bands are up to, and I also see that many local venues continue to organize all kinds of shows. And judging by the recordings, there’s no shortage of audience - people seem to be having a great time. From my perspective, it all looks pretty promising. I definitely wouldn’t say the quality is going down or that interest in the scene is fading.

14. Which things do you think a band should sacrifice in order to succeed? Have you ever sacrificed anything in your life for a better future for your band?

For me, it all comes down to three things: money, time, and perseverance. Maybe not necessarily in that order, but I wouldn’t really add anything else. And I’ve sacrificed all of these to some extent while working on the music and releasing it, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg, because I already have plans for the next years. Money - obviously, you need some gear to play, you have to pay for certain services, buy a few licenses, and so on. Sometimes those expenses also come at the cost of something else. Time - in my case it’s mainly free time, which, if not for Krestfallen, would probably be spent on something far more pointless. Perseverance is probably the most important part, because I had many obstacles along the way, and at each of them I could have simply given up. Even after finishing all the compositions, I still had to learn how to record them, write the lyrics - something I had never done before - arrange the cover art, find a vocalist, organize the mixing, etc. Every step was another lesson for me, but the deeper I went, the more I knew I’d regret it if I walked away. And in the end, this whole Krestfallen journey brings me a huge amount of joy, because I simply enjoy doing it. I guess I’ve just found myself a passion.

15. Now that you all are older and more mature, how do you feel you have developed as musicians and do you think you look at music a little differently now that you’re older?

I feel that I’m constantly developing in that regard. Over time I look at my older compositions differently, I’m increasingly critical of them, while the ones I’m working on right now tend to be the ones I’m most enthusiastic about. But I guess that’s just the natural order of things. My musical taste keeps evolving as well. I may feel most at home in heavy and thrash metal, but I find myself listening more and more to both lighter, more rock-oriented music and also to much more brutal stuff. It’s very possible that all of this will influence my future music - and me as a musician - in one way or another.

16. I want to thank you, sincerely, for your time. Before we end our conversation, is there anything else in particular you’d like to share?

Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts, and thanks as well to everyone who gave Age of Mediocrity a chance. I encourage you to follow Krestfallen on social media, because I’ll have a few more things to announce related to Age of Mediocrity - and possibly in other areas as well. For me, the fact that the album has finally seen the light of day is not the end of a chapter, but the beginning of the journey. I still have plenty of unreleased music that I’ll share with you someday. Stay heavy!

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