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1) What's going on with AVENGER these days? I've heard that the 3rd album is already in the making, so when can we expect it to be released, what will it sound like compared to your previous stuff etc.?
Viva la Österreich, cheerz Robert !!! Avenger is surviving rather well, I would say... Well, we have gone through some line-up changes, which always sucks... But our new bass player Adam is the greatest maniac we have ever been playing with so we are just glad of all these changes at the end... The goal is to find a second guitar player now, but I hope we will solve it somehow soon... OK, our new album will be entitled "GODLESS". We are about to record the final version of its music in the upcoming days. The stuff is completely prepared, we already made a demo recording of the album some months ago. It consists of 8 songs plus two insttrumental compositions, again brutal melodic dark death / black metal. But all our works sound different from each other and the new one follows the line of refreshing and developing our style. If you ask me about some closer style description, imagine something like Swedish death and black metal mixed with Masterīs Hammer and a few riffs ala Morbid Angel. I think it rather fits to these barriers, even if really own faced, I would say.... Weīve got pretty fine agreement with Deathgasm Records from USA so we hope to get this album released in the early spring 2003. First press is supposed to be 2500 copies, letīs hope Merciless will be interested in doing a licence LPīs again. Quite nice future, it seems to be....

2) Besides a cover of a MASTER'S HAMMER-song the LP version of 'Shadows Of The Damned' also contained your interpretation of MY DYING BRIDE'S 'The Cry Of Mankind' - an excellent choice if you ask me, but also a pretty unusual one for a band like AVENGER. Which reactions did you get for it? Are you planning to do more of these experimental cover tunes?
Reactions ?? sincerelly, nearly none... but picking some comments of those a few I got, people mostly like it. But I donīt care too much anyway. We have made it just for our enjoyment, both Masterīs Hammer and My Dying Bride are one of the most excellent, original and enjoyable metal acts for me. We are actually coverversions fans, we have played quite a couple of covers at our gigs... Bathory, Celtic Frost, Torr, Root, Hypocrisy, Masterīs Hammer, We took part at Tribute to Fata Morgana (czech old schoold metal band) CD with two our remakes... Just now we are picking a new cover for the upcoming gigs again... We are not decided yet, if itīll be some old DEATH or UNLEASHED, SAMAEL.... some old good death metal, dear friend...

3) As far as I know you are doing gigs almost every weekend, which sounds like a lot of stress to me. How do you manage to coordinate these activities with your jobs etc.?
Hardly, but we manage it... But you are actually right, we are slowing down a little bit, because sometimes it has been getting really unbearable. All of us have in a way liberal jobs so we are getting our free days quite problemlessly -just with one sacrifice: we spare all our holidays very, very carefully and it sometimes happens that you get to count all the tour dates, gigs, some free time around Open Hell Fest and you realize there are no more free days left. So no other holidays - it would be pretty fine to spend some time with my girlfriend near the sea or any such event... but NO CHANCE, hah !! I actually still havenīt had any "normal" holiday (in a way people mostly do) in my life... Everything always around metal !! But I donīt complain !! I love this life, being on road, drinking endless river of beers, listening to metal, meeting friends... Simply, this is the life for me !!!! When playing too much it gets tiring a little bit, but normally we love it. 2 - 4 shows a month are very best state....

4) You are playing the drums as well as doing the vocals on stage, which is quite unique - EXCITER - who did it that way almost 2 decades ago - and ABSU are the only bands I can think of who are doing this in a similar way. Do you need any special techniques to make it through your live set? How long did it take until you could do it properly?
No, I donīt think I am using any special technique to play drums and sing.... I play just like I taught myself to do it... Sorry, but this in a way stupid question for me since I am heading it quite really often. I really donīt think it would be worthy such attention at all. I had been learning it maybe 3 months till I dared first time to perform it on stage. But I must say I am still learning, thereīs always still much to improve....

5) As many probably already know you and your brother are the persons who are responsible for the Open Hell festival. I guess this means a lot of hard work and financial risk for you, so please tell us how you manage to put everything together without ending up in a total chaos.
All this is about love of metal, hard work and experiences of the previous issues. We are simply doing our best and I think we are improving that way... Slowly, but markably, in my opinion... It is in a way crazy to run such event, when you imagine what any risks it concludes... But it simply never got totally fucked up, people want it so we are just glad to run it on. We started as metal / HC / punk event (cooperation with some other people..) with budget cca. 2000 Euro.... Those 5 five years have developed Open Hell Fest into clear metal ritual, with budget cca. 8 000 Euro (my monthly income is cca. 400 Euro - so you must take this relation...), around 1000 people coming, which is really fine indeed. We give it still more and more work, because we want it always better... This time we are about to start planning OHF 2003 already in November / December

6) If you'd be able to choose whatever bands you want to play at Open Hell without having to worry about money - which would it be? (it also doesn't matter if the bands still exist)
Bathory 84 - 92, Masterīs Hammer, Death at their LEPROSY times (RIP Chuck !!!) , Deicide, Root, Grave with their OLD SPIRIT, Emperor - old works, Enslaved - old works, Dissection, I would still praise Christ Agony to come (even if they ripped me off...), old Gorefest, My Dying Bride, Iron Maiden, King Diamond, Morbid Angel with Vincent.... These are just a few in a order of coming to my mind... I am sure I forgot milion other better acts, though !

7) From the outside one can get the impression that MASTER'S HAMMER are still one of the main sourece of inspiration for most czech Black/Death Metal bands after all those years. Are they really that important for your scene or do you see them more as part of a glorious past than an actual influence? And which other czech metal bands do you consider to be influentual for the metal scene in your country?
Whatever people do in czech metal, these are the bands they are most probably devoted to : MH, Root, Torr, Debustrol, Krabathor, Hypnos... maybe VAR, older works of Arakain are killer as well. But as for Masterīs Hammer... for me personally they are KULT. Itīs czech metal, original music both with its music, voice and language. They conquered all the wolrd with their art and thatīs why I praise them, thatīs why I would like to follow their path. One thing is music and absolutely genial lyrics.... I SIMPLY LOVE IT.... The second thing is kinda heritage... they are czechs, noone can understand to this art better than us czechs. Since they donīt exist since some time back, I think itīs neccesary to keep the spirit alive... in the name of glory of czech metal, in the name of uniqueness of our language and culture heritage.... Thatīs my point of view... I would not dare to speak for other bands, though...

8) Speaking of MASTER'S HAMMER: I once heard that they sold about 40.000 copies of 'Ritual' when if came out in your country, so I guess your scene was quite big at that time. How did the situation chance since then?
The information is not correct. It was first album by Torr called "Armageddon" which got sold in this high number, not an album by Masterīs Hammer. But it doesnīt change the meaning of your question at all. Yes, metal was major culture in the Czech Republic, just for a short time after fall of communism (90-91), because it was forbidden back in the communistic times. It was quite funny watching the official hitparades after the revolution with thrash and black metal clips in the leading positions, haha !! Once I saw hitparade with two Masterīs Hammer clips in it - once for their own album, once as representative of Ultra Metal compilation - that was killer !!!! This is, though, far away, all these times are gone. Maybe itīs bad... metal has no space in any medias today (just except "own" metal zines and mags....) But I think itīs also good that most of that trendy scum who was buying metal records as a subject of fashion got weakened... The strong ones stay faithful to metal !!!!!

9) Besides AVENGER you are also drumming for some other bands or at least did some session or live stuff for them (JUDAS ISCARIOT, MANIAC BUTCHER, NARGAROTH, DARK STORM, recently KRIEG). Can you tell us more about your work with them?
JUDAS ISCARIOT - I played at the only European concert at Under The Black Sun Festival. It was released on LPīs, I have video recording as well. I am incredibly proud of having played this concert !! I have done two full lenghts and one split CD with MANIAC BUTCHER, around 15 live shows, Live in Open Hell Fest was also released on CD. I must say most of the gigs I made with them stick in my head because the support of the fans has been mostly massive. You get chills when hearing the scream of the crowd, calling for more..... I never forget. But it was also very important for me that it was the beginning of my cooperation with Vlad Blasphemer. I got to know him a little bit, he influenced me personally quite a lot, being great guy and most metal person I have ever met. When Maniac Butcher ended, I joined Vladīs other band DARK STORM and I must say I will keep on playing whatever and whenever Vlad asks me. Total praise to his twisted mind !!!! NARGAROTH was one weekend "affair". Kanwulf came to my house on one October Friday, I learnt the stuff and we shot the drums recording on Sunday. "Black Metal ist Krieg" is a very good album in my opinion, thatīs why I am also glad that I could take part. KRIEG is mostly a friendship help. The music doesnīt touch me very much at all, but Niel / Imperial is great guy, I am having much fun because Imperial is trying to get me as much drunk as possible, I even donīt remember playing some of the shows, hah !! ... so thatīs it.....

10) Please comment on the following (which one you prefer etc.):
- 80s metal vs. 90s-metal
84 - 93 is the best stuff I would say
- hellhammer vs. celtic frost
CELTIC FROST wins, I love them... itīs already a music, haha
- 'Hail satan!' vs. 'Fuck the world!'
Both defines my relation to the so called "society" of "normal" people. Staying in the opposite to christianity, living my own life, despising all that money based crab they try to force you...
- doing rehearsals/writing new songs vs. doing gigs
Both is essential for my life !! Each gives you different fine feeling and I love both of those feelings.
- playing at large venues/festivals vs. playing at small clubs
The best is of course to play big shows with great response of the fans. Well, I must say we are still not that "Big" band to play for thousands, so it canīt tell that you lose contact with the audience... But satisfying hundred or more people gives you the feeling you cannot get to know anywhere else. Itīs pride, total self realization... hard to describe at all... But we are absolutely into playing smaller shows as well... If the dancefloor is not empty and the crowd is interested in you, we enjoy such gigs very much too. I can say it is far better to play at a small place for 15 killer maniacs than playing for noone at some huge venue...
- beer vs. vodka
MMMMNNNNNAAAMMMMM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE ALCOHOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But the beer must be czech... sorry, but I didnīt like any austrian beer yet....

11) How far does your musical taste go? Are you into any other stuff besides metal?
I know good and bad music. Thatīs all how I select music. Yes, I am into the very most music available. My major style is metal, but industrial, hard rock, even some of hardcore, folklore or jazz or even mainstream garbage gets to move me. Sometimes I even wonder myself what a shit I like, haha .... but I do.... Not to miss my big love - classical music.

12) Feel free to use these last lines for your personal messages, hailings, fuckoffs etc.
All my praise to our fans !!! Thanx for that incredible support in Vienna last time !!! Thatīs what we never forget !! Thanx for the interview Robert !!! Cheerz

Honza