In today’s A-Z challenge, we find out all about Metasoma!
A song that made you want to make music?
Vlad: Coboară-mă-n Rai (Get Me Down into Heaven) by the Romanian band Coma, and the entire Hybrid Theory album by Linkin Park.
Misiek: Throughout my life, many bands have made me want to pick up the guitar, but the two most important were undoubtedly Accept’s Metal Heart and Metallica’s Seek & Destroy.
Best rider you’ve had?
Honestly, bands at our level – meaning bands that aren’t particularly well known yet – can’t expect special treatment or many backstage perks. We’re usually happy with whatever we find.
Undoubtedly, the best rider and hospitality came from Laurus Nobilis Festival. The organisers in Portugal were fantastic and looked after us as though we were the main headliners.
We have to single out that festival. It was organised by wonderful people, with a great atmosphere throughout.
Craziest moment you’ve had in the band?
Misiek: Honestly, the craziest thing I do is simply being in a band, if you know what I mean.
Playing in a band nowadays, making almost no money from it, travelling thousands of miles and still feeling happy and satisfied – that is genuine madness.
Deepest lyric featured in one of your songs?
Vlad: You tell me!
That question is really for the people who listen to our music. Someone may connect differently with every song.
When I write lyrics, I write them for that particular part of the song. They may be influenced by the tension in the music, the state of mind I was in at the time or something specific I wanted to say.
I could say that all of them are deep, but that would be extremely subjective.
Easiest song you’ve written?
Vlad: It would be Omen from our new EP.
Misiek: The easiest song I’ve ever written was probably I Am Me from our first EP, Metal Erosion.
I simply sat down with my guitar, and every riff came to me automatically. I don’t know how it happened, but every note flowed so easily. The entire song was probably written in about 15 minutes.
As it turned out, it became quite a popular track at our concerts. So yes, definitely I Am Me.
Favourite song in your set?
Vlad: The short answer is Omen.
The longer answer is that we love playing all of our songs. We enjoy seeing how the energy shifts with each track and how the audience responds to it.
Misiek: Throughout Metasoma’s live history, there have been many songs we have genuinely enjoyed playing. Some were simply perfect live tracks, and the audience always reacted strongly.
Examples include Just Breathe and I Am Me.
We now have a completely new setlist promoting our latest EP, Core. To be honest, we get the most enjoyment from playing the title track, Core. Personally, I also really enjoy Soulless.
Without a doubt, a Nirvana cover also works brilliantly at every show.
Guest you’d most like to feature on your record?
There are far too many to choose from:
Lacey Sturm of Flyleaf, Randy Blythe of Lamb of God, Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil, Howard Jones of Killswitch Engage, Sion and Light the Torch, and Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage and Times of Grace.
The list could go on and on.
Hardest thing about being in a band?
Vlad: It is also the best thing about being in a band: touring.
Misiek: The hardest thing about being in a band is simply being in a band.
The interaction between people and band members is something that I think only people who have been in bands can fully understand.
Learning how to manage those relationships is incredibly important. The most crucial part is creating a zone of tolerance and comfort where everyone can coexist, despite being completely different people.
Of course, being in a band still brings us a huge amount of joy. That is why we do it in the first place. Despite all the challenges, we keep playing because we enjoy it so much.
Interesting fact about one of your members?
Bolo: My first-ever concert was seeing Michael Jackson live in 1997.
I wish I’d known I was his type. I probably could have got backstage passes.
Jokes you have in the band?
Vlad: The main joke is probably that we don’t take each other too seriously. I think that is very healthy.
Misiek: This is a very intimate question that I unfortunately cannot answer without getting cancelled.
Key to writing a song?
Vlad: Leave your ego at the door and decide what is best for the song.
Misiek: In my case, it always depends on inspiration.
Sometimes it can be a small, minor thing that happens during the day. Sometimes it can come from listening to another band’s music.
There are so many things that can trigger the process of writing a song, but very often it is the smallest situations that create the desire to write something new.
Longest distance you’ve travelled to play a show?
Misiek: The journey to Portugal was truly amazing.
We travelled more than 2,200 kilometres in a small van packed with equipment, with an air-conditioning system that was basically broken, in July. It was pure madness, but we did it.
We were travelling to Laurus Nobilis Festival, alongside bands including Vader, Septicflesh, Moonspell and Wolfheart.
It was a huge opportunity for us, especially because we headlined the smaller stage. We are incredibly happy that we made the journey. It was an absolutely amazing event.
Most inspiring musician you’ve experienced?
Misiek: The first time I heard heavy metal and thrash metal, I immediately began dreaming about playing rhythm guitar.
Some of the first thrash bands I heard included Metallica, so naturally the musician who inspired me most to play guitar was James Hetfield.
It is a simple answer, and probably one that many heavy metal musicians would give. I was never especially interested in classical or jazz music, so yes, James Hetfield is the musician who inspired me most.
New band you’d recommend?
Verdict and Svengali from Dubai, Jack Crusher, InExit and Rebel Nation from Poland, and Orbstruct from Ukraine.
Opening for which band would be ideal?
Misiek: I have thought about this many times.
Without a doubt, my biggest dream would be to open for huge bands such as Korn and Metallica.
I would also love to open for the band that first introduced me to heavy metal and that still holds a special place in my heart: Accept.
Playing before any of those bands and opening their shows would be the greatest pleasure and honour.
Place you’d most like to tour?
Vlad: We would love to play everywhere and as often as possible.
Misiek: Touring is something that almost everyone dreams about when they begin their musical journey.
It is a wonderful experience. You travel, meet new people and visit new places. However, it is also a genuine test for every band member. Sharing a car or van and spending 24 hours a day together is a serious challenge.
Generally speaking, we simply want to play shows. As Vlad said, it doesn’t really matter where we tour.
We want to be able to do it because, nowadays, organising a tour independently is extremely difficult unless you have a major company supporting you.
However, we are making it happen. We will soon be playing several shows in Poland, so things are moving forward.
Quote you’d like to pass on to our readers?
Vlad: For some reason, this line has always stayed with me:
“You’ve got to control your smiles and cries, because that’s all you have and nobody can take that away from you.”
— Training Day (2001)
Reason for the title of your recent or forthcoming release?
Vlad: We will soon be releasing our latest EP, Core.
Following the most recent changes to our line-up, we feel this is the strongest Metasoma has ever been musically.
This EP represents the core of our sound moving forward, which is different from the music we played in the past.
See us live at?
- 16 October — Café Noir, Zielona Góra, Poland
- 17 October — Club U Bulka, Sulęcin, Poland
- 18 October — Papug Pub, Wałbrzych, Poland
- 19 February — Magnetofon, Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland
- 20 February — Klub Elektrownia, Żagań, Poland
- 21 February — Klub Liverpool, Wrocław, Poland
The old days of music were better than the present. Do you agree?
Vlad: Definitely when it comes to live events. There were fewer phones and more feelings.
Misiek: In some ways, you could argue that music used to be better.
Everything felt new and different, especially when heavy metal was first emerging. Since I was born in 1972, I was there for much of the birth of thrash and death metal. It was a wonderful time for us.
However, looking at things objectively, many great bands are still being formed today.
One advantage of modern music is the complete lack of fear around combining different styles. We now have bands blending genres such as pop and metal, or jazz and metal.
There are probably very few metal bands left that do not incorporate different musical styles, and the results can be genuinely impressive. When it comes to discovering new music, I like much of what is happening in the current scene.
There is one thing I do not like, however, and that is AI entering music.
I hate hearing someone say they have “created” a new song using AI and then call themselves a musician simply because they typed in a prompt. That genuinely irritates me.
Unusual merchandise?
Rammstein’s dildos were certainly interesting.
We haven’t produced anything like that yet, but we do have a few fun ideas. Check back with us later.
Variations you’d like to create of any of your songs?
We have always loved the way metal sounds with a symphony orchestra.
Although it is an old and frequently used idea, it would be interesting to hear some of our newer material given that treatment.
What do your fans mean to you?
They are a huge part of everything we do – probably the most important part.
We make music for several reasons, and the fans are central to many of them, especially during live shows where we have the privilege of interacting with them both during and after the performance.
Being part of that exchange of energy, joy and chaos that they experience during a particular evening is amazing.
X-rays or treatments needed for band-related injuries?
Bolo, our bass player, once shattered his toe after dropping a bass guitar on it.
That required a few x-rays. Other than that, we usually pick up a few good bruises that stay with us for several weeks.
You’re late for a show. Whose fault is it?
Vlad: Mine. Definitely mine.
Or the car’s fault because it broke down.
Zoo animal that best describes the personality of your band?
For the cool factor, it would be a scorpion.
Realistically, it is probably more of a panda bear.