Art is the Best Weapon

Polish death metal band Behemoth’s frontman Nergal on why music matters, their India debut this month at Deccan Rock.

- Anurag Tagat

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST draw for a seasoned man of metal like Adam Darskiaka Nergal to visit India? A trip to Varanasi, of course. Nergal, the vocalist-guitarist of Poland’s blackened death metal band Behemoth, says over the phone, “At this very moment, I’m also reading a book called Shantaram, about India and it’s awesome. It’s pretty inspiring. I’m dying to arrive there for the first time.”

With Behemoth, Nergal will finally arrive here after several years of deals that fell through, including one that got jinxed due to sponsorship issues in 2012. The band will promote their latest album, 2014’s The Satanist, a pummeling collection of nine tracks that elevated the band to metal super stardom. The album came in the wake of Nergal’s yearlong battle with leukemia, during which Behemoth was put on hold. His recovery and the experience that fueled The Satanist is part of why Nergal is considered one of the best frontmen in metal, and Behemoth, one of the best live acts. 

The band will perform The Satanist in its entirety at their India debut at the fourth edition of metal festival Deccan Rock, which takes place in Hyderabad on September 24th. In this exclusive interview with ROLLING STONE India, Nergal talks about making artistic metal, never bowing to opposition and his solo project, Me and That Man, which showcases his blues and folk influences.

How has the festival season been so far?

We’re flying to Mexico, and then we go to Bloodstock, which are both going to be amazing. It’s a good summer, it’s a busy summer. Things are happening. The band stays busy. We’re super excited about coming down to India.

It’s been a fairly busy year for Behemoth even though The Satanist is now two years old. When does an album’s song get too tiring for you to play over and over?