To be totally honest I had not heard too much about Protokult before a month or two ago. They were a band from Toronto of some recent Canadians who did the folk thing. Then they started getting notice and making noise so I watched the video I got e-mailed. It was a pretty fun video and I had the chance to get an interview together and I jumped on it.Guitarist Martin Drozd answered my questions and I thank him for it.
AU: For the people who are not familiar with you, what makes you different?
MD: We all come from a wide-range of musical and cultural backgrounds. To add icing on the cake, we incorporate a rich variety of folk-world instruments and are guided by slavonic-folk female vocals. Just so there are no misconceptions (trust me, there have been), yes, we may have a folk-metal foundation but incorporate all the energetically enticing metal elements/genres: thrash, black and some progressive-psychedelic pints! To add insult to the injury, our live shows are unparalleled and best described as ritualistic-drunkenly engaging; with acts ranging from on-stage folk-dances, voluptuous beer maidens feeding the audience, crowd surfing and offerings unto Pagan Gods.
AU: What made Canada the final decision on where to move to make this band work?
MD: It happened by chance and not by choice! Some of us were born here and all lived within the same vicinity near a university campus, attended local shows. Some of us have known each other for nearly a decade, so it was just a matter of time before we all crossed paths and joined forces.
AU: What do you feel is that unseen thing that is making the band take music to a different level?
MD: It is imperative to keep making meaningful, sometimes yes, fun and dark music but also challenging ourselves and raising the bar. Musically and in terms of song writing, this album is the strongest and most developed release yet. I don't wish for it to become redundant or a gimmick; the way I look at it, the music has to speak to me as well as a wider audience to the point where a)I won't get tired of playing the same song every night 20+ nights in a row b) It will always move you and have the same energy as upon initial conception.
AU: You've just released a new album, If everything goes the way you want it to what would you like to see happen in the next year?
MD: We have already somewhat established ourselves within the North-East American scene so playing several shows/tours in these regions is a priority. Still, we need to penetrate the central, Western and South American sides, see the opportunity and potential for shows there. Most importantly, not to segregate the Canadian scene, but through various research and sales statistics it's been proven there is a massive interest and demand for us in the old continent, Europe. Doing business, networking and ideally playing a few festivals on that side of the pond would be an amazing opportunity of tremendous benefit.
AU: What band do you want to share the stage with more than anyone?
MD: We've already played with Turisas, Alestorm and Arkona once and this was fantastic. The energy of the fans was intense and welcoming so I'm always up for doing it again! But in terms of my own influence, honor blah blah blah, I would say either Helloween or Therion. Ekaterina would probably say Korpiiklaani or Leave's Eyes;)
AU: If there's one message you want people to get out of your music what is it?
MD: Drink now and enjoy life while you can! Furthermore, maintain your values,tradition and culture upon the winding, chaotic path that is life and don't be side-tracked by bullshit people, religious leeches or media-psycho-technological nonsense!
AU: Is there one type of tour food that all of you can agree on?
MD: In an ideal world, I would say pierogies, but that's not so common on the "road" now is it? I'm going to give you a totally Canadian answer right now, regardless of how hungover we may get, it always brightens my morning: Flapjacks..."sighs"
AU: Was the move to get folkier and folkier a decision or was it more of a progression?
MD: It was a natural progression that not everyone accepted at first. That first album (Ancestral Anthems), was more of a collection of songs we did in our teen years from 2005-2009. The group went through several reformations, stability and lineup issues. So at some point in 2009, when all the dust began settling we looked back at some of the material and figured, "Why not get this out there?" We narrowed it down to about 9 or 10 intense songs and decided that would be the first Protokult full-length. Additionally, at the time I wrote Awakening, Pagan War, Krak and the Dragon Of Wawel Hill, which clearly, were songs that were folk/pagan-based. The rest of the old material ranged from everything including black, thrash and death metal. With the 2011 Marzena release, Ekaterina and Vodnik joined our lineup so they added some fresh, creative elements into the group, the songs were newly written and that's how the current folk-prog sound took off. I believe Robert Plant said it; that every album is a snapshot/moment of where the group is in time. The folk-prog upbeat aspect is something that has become a staple in our sound and shall henceforth be the foundation of Protokult, regardless of how we experiment in the future.
AU: Time for shameless self promotion. Whats the things that most want everyone of your fans or soon to be fan to do or see?
MD: We hope to drink with you soon and pillage your city! Check out our video for Get Me A Beer (funny but true Spinal Tap-like events from the road) and stay informed of our shenanigans via facebook or www.protokult.com
Hail and cheers!
AU: Thanks again, see ya soon
Michael F. Carnage
http://www.protokult.com
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