PIOTR ‘PETER’ WIWCZAREK of VADER: The Meaning Of Metal
An interview by Sarah Kidd.
There are few who wander the halls of the metal world that have not heard of Vader; founded in 1983 they explored the realms of heavy metal, thrash, speed and eventually death metal.
It took nine long years and a series of lineup changes before Vader were finally able to release their debut album The Ultimate Incantation in 1992; however since then they have been unstoppable releasing eleven studio albums including last year’s superb offering entitled The Empire.
September 2017 sees the Polish Band embark on an Australasian tour in support of German metal legends Kreator and for the first time ever play New Zealand, something that lead vocalist/guitarist and founding member Piotr Wiwczarek is very excited about.
So neither yourself nor Vader have ever even been to New Zealand before?
No, no no no no – we were close! We were like in Australia ten years ago, we did a couple of shows in Sydney and Melbourne but we unfortunately never had the chance to play in New Zealand. So it’s absolutely amazing and we are all excited about that.
I have heard you state previously that you hate seeing people just “standing still” at concerts; I can guarantee that you won’t see any of that sort of behaviour here in NZ! (laughs)
You know with such a combination [of] Kreator and Vader they can’t! They wouldn’t! So c’mon on! (laughs)
I have to say that opening track ‘Angels of Steel’ off the new album is an absolute killer!
(laughs) It is! Its opening track, you know opening tracks should take attention, just like something you start before the main dish. In music, first song, last song and all in between that’s pretty much all important. But yes, you’re right, the first one is the first one and that’s why we usually use a song that’s one of those most aggressive on the album.
My personal favourites – yes I have two! – are ‘Iron Reign’ and the ‘The Army-Geddon’ the lyrics in the latter being the real driving force behind it
That’s nice, because those two songs are really, really different on the album. The Empire, it’s actually pretty much a combination of both Vader created in the last 30 years plus something more. The songs, they’re not just one style, I mean of course you can still find the songs with the blast beats which is like the real chaos, you know [a] real storm like song, which has been the benchmark for Vader for years; but also songs like those you mention like ‘Iron Reign’ which has got this kind of classical heavy metal riff and punch in the music.
‘The Army-Geddon’ is probably one of the most modern songs in the Vader career, its composed by Spider [rhythm guitarist Marek Pajak] in cooperation with James [drummer James Stewart]. That’s why if you compare ‘Iron Reign’ with ‘The Army-Geddon’ this is like two different worlds, with ‘Iron Reign’ more like metal from 80’s and ‘The Army-Geddon’ more like metal from 21st century, with this more catchy like kinda riffs. But you know if it’s on an album with the name Vader, everything is still Vader! It’s just with a different flavour, if I can say that.
So what are the main themes behind this album for Vader?
I don’t think there is just one main thing in general, there is like not good things happening in the world today; the last decades, the 80’s and 90’s and last century and let’s say the first decade of this century the world just started in my feeling to get in shape; just started to be friendly to each other between countries and nations.
Of course there was still a problem with terrorism, but actually the terrorism existed before; but now it’s like in that wider form you know, with some horrible tools used by people to kill the other people. That’s why we call it terrorism, to fear people; but you know now, if you see around, if you see what is going on with people, the nations are starting to rebuild the walls between the nations you know and I don’t get it, I don’t understand why people started to separate from each other again! Even [when] everybody knows the history, everybody knows where it leads to!
The Empire because of this imperial tendency, that’s why the title and probably still a lot of the theme about this [is] in between the lines of the music on the last album. I call the album The Empire just because I got that feeling and it’s actually something I’m afraid of; but I must say all in all it’s good to think about it right?
I agree it is good to think about and try to understand these world issues – but I don’t know if anyone will ever understand this line of thinking, of turning away from your fellow man.
It’s always good to try and think from the other side you know, try to think like the enemy; why, why the support, why they doing that if they know. There must be a reason and you know people are afraid; they are scared sometimes, but they don’t know what they are scared of. It’s used by politicians; it always was used, to scare people just to control them.
It’s the easiest way to control people, to give them an enemy and it’s actually what is happening now in the 21st century. When we have internet, we have so much knowledge available that you know it’s hard to believe that people can be so stupid. They are just scared and you know if you’re scared – it’s just something that you don’t control, it’s like natural behaviour.
It’s always good to ask and try to understand the other side, then to try and find a solution because you know that is the only way; the easiest way to beat or kill it [the fear] is just to say ‘I accept you back’. It’s really stupid and it doesn’t always work but it’s the easiest way. It’s just better to try and understand the other side you know, it helps to make good solutions I think.
The album certainly has more of an organic sound to it and doesn’t feel overproduced; you can hear the subtle details in the drums and guitars etc.
You know I would be lying if I said that any Vader [album] was over produced; if I can compare the production of The Empire with any other Vader album, let’s say the last four albums, we really focus more on the natural way of recording like in our past without all of these modern tools used in the studio just to make it sound better you know?
I think in general music went in some dead corner of production or you can even call that over production which already sounds not good – over doesn’t mean good right? We get that a lot in the history of music, when bands pretty often record [a] very good sounding album but they cannot do it on stage! They cannot just play like they did on their own album [and] you know this is definitely when you have over [produced] product.
Vader, of course, wanted to create this heavy metal album; [that] has to sound good heavy you know? We need to give you as much fun when you listen in front of your stereo in your house sitting on your couch. But you know this is different, absolutely different to compare this way of listening and to be a part of a show.
Vader in my opinion always was a live band and this is where we focus in the beginning; that is why Vader is so active and has been playing live for years, for decades already you know! We want to be better than on the album, even better [laughs]. It doesn’t mean that I wanna make the album worse than we can play, it’s just that there is something called experience right? As I mentioned before, the album should sound [just as] good when you listen in your house [as] in a different place. But when you stand on stage and you play, this is actually the meaning of metal and is always, and will always be priority to me.
Vader is very much known as a live band; sometimes performing over one hundred shows a year! So I take it you are not tired of it yet?
Noooo! If I ever got tired of playing shows I would quit the band, I’d just stop playing metal you know because to be in a metal band and not play shows doesn’t make absolute sense to me.
The meaning of metal is on stage, like I need to feel the sweat, blood, everything! You need to feel the pain, it gives me pleasure you know [and] that’s metal to me. That’s why I started to be a fan of the music; first of course music and [then] something way more than the music; the brotherhood of the metal heads!
You are the only original member from 1983, taking into account all those years of creating and performing music – it’s pretty legendary!
Everyone started with something, and 83’! Thanks for mentioning how old I am! (laughs) Actually the active life, you know I try to say that I just don’t have time to get old you know because it’s still a blast to be on tour. And of course the body is not perfect, that is the only problem sometimes.
I remember how scared I was when my back was cracked and I had some problem with the disc and it was really hard to move, to do something, and so I was scared for a while. But then I just found a way to be more active, to avoid that in the future, so that is what I am trying to do.
Time is flowing, you don’t control that, you can’t and you don’t need to control it; just do whatever you like! We play with Vader for the next, second or even third generation of metal heads and there is nothing better than to see young people banging heads next to the old prick in the background with like a Black Sabbath tshirt, all together [and] they are just happy; that’s why I play metal you know?
It’s good to know that the music and Vader is not just a band which was created by media for a while and then disappeared; we are still active, we have fans and the respect we gained in all of these years and that’s the best that can happen to me, to the band, and that makes me proud!
The metal genre is certainly a multi-generational one that’s for sure!
We were playing with Judas Priest in Poland like five or seven years ago; it was a festival and all my family was there, my son, and my daughter and my girl you know, and after Vader finished we had the time after a quick shower to just be a fan.
And we were listening; we were like banging heads and singing songs together you know so that was fun, was really fun! So I understand and I am really, really happy when I see fathers with ‘babies’ standing together in one line you know [laughs] in front of the stage that’s really, really, really, great!
Vader will be hitting New Zealand for two shows next weekend, a solo show in Wellington, plus a dual headlining show in Auckland with Kreator. Tickets are still available for both shows from Valhalla Touring (Wellington) and Ticketmaster (Auckland), but be in quick as these won’t last!
