Jana: 25 years in business is quite an impressive time for a band - especially as successful as VADER is... what is the recipe of staying this successful for such a long time?
Peter: And that the success survives all the time - it was not that easy. There is no answer, so we do what we like to and what we feel, you know, and always do like that. Of course when we started it was not that easy and through the years the problems still exist, but a different kind, but we still fight against the problems and so we are still here. We wanna play as long as we can, as long as VADER is necessary, as long as the fans wanna see us live. This is most important part of our lives and the existence of the band of course and I think it is the answer: hard work and to release what you like to do.

Jana: Are you still living in Poland?
Peter: Yes. I didn't want to move that's the easiest way, but that's not necessary... I found a place on the earth far away from the people. So I live in the wild or in the woods now. And so after an intensive tour I get rest with not anybody around – just my family and my dogs...

Jana: When you are talking about that touring is an important part of VADER, what do you mean exactly? Why do you tour so much?
Peter: So if I talk about touring is important about VADER it's because VADER is touring. This is from where we started in the 80's. It was like a time we needed to find all that people and we start like an underground scene in Poland. So it was not as many shows, just like a few in a year. But since 1993 when we started to tour after the release of the first album we tour every year and we play at least a hundred of shows a year - that's why I always say this is the meaning of VADER to play live. Now everything changed a lot and there are even bands, which exist without playing shows, but this is not for us – this is not real - and if we are talking about metal a band must play live and it must be good on stage.

Jana: Because you still manage to bring out an album every year?
Peter: Not every year – to be honest I wished that. Because we are busy with touring so it's impossible, but since we became a professional band that was a big choice in our life - and probably the most important decision in our life - 'coz it changed everything! So the good thing is we can be focused and boot all the attention into the music and creation. This is why we have the time to record an album more often than usually, but the price is high! Because you don't have privacy and you don't have a private life. So we're stealing time, we're stealing the days from rest, you know, to do something different, but this is something we choose so I cannot complain and I will not complain because of this… hehehe.

Jana: A lot of bands who are successful stop touring through the smaller venues and they choose to go on festivals only. Is this also an option for VADER maybe?
Peter: You know, we don't think in such a way. You know, festivals are same important as touring, but the festivals, if you are not a headliner you have not much chance and not much time to show up your ability and to get the attention, because you are one among a hundred. Of course this is good for promotion – I think, because the people and the fans they like to meet together and the festivals is the best opportunity to meet each other. It's the summer season so this is the best promotion, because you have the chance to play for thousands of people – but the atmosphere is always better in the smaller venues. So if we get for a while from the festivals and we had to pay the price, because it is, you know, I know when we got back to the festivals last year it was like a big „WOW!“, because the people welcomed us like really good. I could feel the difference in-between the year before the year that happened. That is why I say not everybody can - or not everybody who wants to visit every show - when we are around, but the festivals he has an opportunity to see us. Especially for those, who never had the chance to see VADER live. So we have a chance to show how VADER is and many people are pretty much surprised, because we are playing since so many years, but they never had the chance to see us ... and then finally yeah!

Jana: Because nearly everybody knows your name - VADER – and especially the younger crowds never had the chance to see you?
Peter: Yeah, now we can say it that VADER is like a father... hm hm :)

Jana: Ha ha ... the „Daddy of Death Metal“ Ha ha
Peter: Hehehe *laughs*

Jana: But another question: It seems that you are living the dream of many people. You are a famous musician, being respected, but isn’t it boring sometimes to be inside this endless cycle of writing, recording and touring...?
Peter: You know, isn't it boring to eat every day and to sleep every day...?

Jana: Sometimes if you eat the same meal...
Peter: It is not that we need to do it to live. We could choose a different job and to do the same I mean to repeat the same every day, but we choose music which is way more creative.

Jana: So this isn't just a job it is a way of living...
Peter: It is a job! - and this is why we are trying to be serious and professional, but this is also something creative and we have a routine in what we do, but this does not mean we have to do it mechanically. We are still a kind of old fashioned band – old-school - so we're still trying this... after so many years you still see the same people, you know, and like the next generations, because the ten years came and the fifteenth year and it is awesome, because we play for generations...

Jana: One of the most important factors of making a band very successful and to continue is a solid fan-base. What is special about the VADER's fans?
Peter: They are loyal! - And they are like die-hard fans. This is like – hm, how to compare? If you remember Slayer in old days and you know like all the other bands like this... of course the time changed and maybe our fans are not as much aggressive against anything else, but they are pretty much close to the band and this is important. Vader is not a band for the first pages. We are following the History of metal and we are still here, but we never had a chance - or other way: nobody gave us the chance - to be on the first pages. But the good thing is like all the fans that followed us and not the fans, which joined VADER just because we are famous from the first pages. They joined us just because they like music and this important. And these kinds of fans are way more worthy to play for than those who just follow seasons...

Jana: ...And the hypes... but internationally compared with each other is there a difference between the fans from different parts of the world? You have been to South America...
Peter: For VADER, I think, they are same aggressive, same of happy with the show and everything... the only difference is like the languages - like kind of mentality. You have mentioned South America: South America is pretty special for metal at all, because those people are so much hungry for aggressive music, you know, and maybe there is not as many shows in South America as they are supposed to be... That reminds me Poland in the 80's when like everybody was visiting every show and going wild as hell, because there was nothing around. And the passion was higher...

Jana: How was Egypt? Did you go?
Peter: No, no... We decided to cancel that...

Jana: Oh really? Why?
Peter: We would have had so much time with embassy, you know. They made too many problems – they did so many questions – we felt like we wanna go there like for a month and half or something, but we wanted to play just for one show. And all those big worries and kind of the questions from embassy – that was too much...

Jana: Will you still try to perform in the Middle East? Because there are so many metal fans in the Middle East, but not many bands go there like Israel...
Peter: There were warnings in the internet like about „don't come to Egypt“ and „don't say about God is dead – we are religious people over here“ or something like that. You know that happened before already and we weren't afraid of that. We weren't worried that someone would come to kill us, because of that... We did play in Israel that was a great show with thousand fans and nobody expected that. We had security following us into the toilet and I said „Why? This is not necessary“... You know, I try to understand these people, because sometimes there are especially in many ways people, who are very serious in what they do, and it means they may kill for what they are believing in. This is big deal! I think at something like a spirit - a something the western part of the world is loosing. And this is the different part and side of it: Those people, they live in a worse economical situation, but the spirit is so big. So they can sacrifice their life for what they believe. That is dangerous, but this is also beautiful...

Jana: So true... the feeling I get for the metal fans in the Middle East is it a bit like it was in Poland in the early 80's when you started?
Peter: Almost different, because the situation was different. There was nothing like this in Poland at this time - so this is hard to compare. Especially because of, you know, we are talking about highly convinced people, like people who believe strongly in God. The metal heads in Poland in the 80's where more like on a satanic matter. The traditions are very high in Poland; this is also a problem for young people today in Poland. You know young people do not want to hear everyday like „that is not allowed!“ and like „this is forbidden“ - they wanna live like everybody or something called „sins“... you know what I am talking about? Well, that was the reason, that's why we are talking about some kind of rebellion and breaking traditions. We do not wanna kill tradition, but there's a change and we have to follow that.

Jana: Did you ever had problems with the authorities in Poland due to your taste of music? If you look on the younger bands like Hate and Behemoth they are on a black list it seems. Have you ever faced the same problems?
Peter: In the past, but it never was a serious problem since we started to play outside of Poland. It was not a problem. Some are trying to make a career and start doing shit like this. They soon gonna fail after that, 'coz that can't work - not any more! Not in the Union - in a Europe that is trying to give a freedom at least for the beliefs. This is a trend of doing a political career for some people, who cannot do anything really important for the people. So it is almost to talk shit about some metal bands. You have seen nobody talking about Hip Hop or Hooligans. They are way more a problem in Poland: they are talking straight about the killing of cops, the prison and things like cocaine and drugs and things and nobody says „No!“ 'cause they are selling a million records out. It's always better to kick somebody who is like not strong enough...?

Jana: We are going to talk about your album now – the anniversary album, which is containing 25 songs – how did you pick them?
Peter: That was not a problem, because we have created so many songs in the past, but it was harder about which to choose. The idea was to collect the main songs – kind of hits. So since the first records we tried to do a collection of 25 songs of 25 years without the last albums, which are pretty much known. So we focused on the first three albums or something recorded before – this is the main part of this.

Jana: What's your favorite VADER album? - and do not tell us all of them are };->
Peter: I created almost everything so how can say I do not like this one? I can say I don't like the production maybe, but I never say that I don’t like the album! Because this is almost like a part of our life. When we were recording the albums there was always a kind of emotion collected from this season. So how can I say I don't like that now?

Jana: Ok I see it is very hard to pick a favorite...
Peter: This is part of our lives. We can take a lesson, but never say I don't like that and I wanna forget about that. It's hard for me to say this one is special, because all of them are special.

Jana: Fair answer... You were also recording a special song for a PC roll-playing-game...
Peter: That was not my idea. That came from the company which made „The Witcher“, which is the name of the game – the name of the game! ;) Hehehe - and that was probably the very first Polish game so much known, because the title... „The Witcher“ is not for the kids due to the blood and everything... and they asked us and actually we started recording. That was easy. We were in studio and composed a song – that's not a big deal – that's what I am doing. The only thing is like I wanted to make it different, because this song is supposed to be a metal song it's supposed to be something available also for not extreme music matters. So I tried to keep the atmosphere of the game. Before I started to think about the parts and started collecting ideas I asked for the original soundtrack of the game, so that I knew what to do with that. So I made a song kind of metal and kind of VADER, but not as fast as VADER is.

Jana: After doing this would you like to do maybe a soundtrack for a movie or so?
Peter: Nobody asked me at first... second I don't know if I am as good to do that. You know recording for a movie you need to know more about keyboards and things like that - maybe in corporation with Siegmar or someone like this we maybe could do this... maybe this gonna happen any day, but for the moment we are enough busy to touring...

Jana: Ok, and of course the Anniversary Party on August 30th in Warsaw – amazing line up – who chose the bands?
Peter: Massive Music which is also our management and promoter of this big show. And this is pretty much special. I am pretty much sure this is the only one show I can imagine, that we are playing like two hours or something as how it is planned for that night. This is why we try to invite good bands to make it more special for the visitors. Of course we have been talking to more bands, because this is metal this is about brotherhood ... we count on the bands, because they understand the situation. Because we play the last, we are the special of that night. This is good, that those bands, who decided to take a part of it, aren't too much proud. The problems with some bands, who were supposed to play, was their management... They never let play others after... You know it's a kind of fight about who plays last...

Jana: Really?
Peter: This is business... '*shrugs*

Jana: This leads us to another question, I wanted to ask: You are playing since the 80's – what has changed about the music scene?
Peter: PASSION!

Jana: This is more business now, right?
Peter: Yes! - Passion has changed from the fans side. It's like that there are so many things available, so many shows are on and so the fans ... they choose now. It is not anymore like in the 80's that every show there was a crowd hot. Now it is like 90% of the visitors are playing in a band and so they like stay and listen and watch. There is not as much aggression as it used to be. And the business – and this is the band part - the business killed the passion. This is too much, you know, fighting for the promotion and who have the first page in the magazines. This is more between the companies of course, but this is just not fair. We cannot say who is the best and the last, because the decision came from the crowd, but that was in the 80's... today it looks like the new generation they listen what they see in the magazines. It should be like in the magazine they see what they like. That is the difference.

Jana: In your beginning you were influenced by many bands like all musicians are and today you are considered as influence yourself...
Peter: And that's the best way! It was when we started we were pretty much influenced first of all by the heavy metal bands like Judas Priest, Accept and Saxon... I started pretty late being a part of the metal scene - I was like 16 or 17 - today it starts earlier. So we had an influence, like teachers... So I mentioned heavy metal bands... then bands like Slayer, Morbid Angel and these generations. It's the best, which can happen to a musician and a composer to be also influenced and through it all keep the spirit going on...

Jana: So you are a teacher now?
Peter: I used to be a teacher, but of biology :) - I had to quit, because I started VADER. Now I am teaching in a different way HA HA HA...

Jana: How does it make you feel? Are you proud?
Peter: I should! It is a big deal... it is the best that can happen to affect others?

Jana: So you are a teacher of biologies?
Peter: I supposed to be hehehe ... You know, I had practiced in a school and I had practiced on a college. I didn't start – I had to quit the university - was almost done, but then the big decision came - I am sorry ;)

Jana: We're gonna talk about the Polish Metal Scene now. For the last few years Polish metal became very popular outside Poland with Behemoth, Vader...
Peter: There is more I think...

Jana: Many more! But it seems that they are moving outside of Poland now...
Peter: It is about time! Hehehe :)

Jana: We have the feeling that there is a state of departure - that the bands go out now to show Europe how strong the Polish scene is. There are recently for example Devilish Impressions, who are having their breakthrough on European market...
Peter: It reminds a little bit on Brazil, you now, years ago when after Sepultura started they invaded the world and so many bands came after that... So I think we are kind of Sepultura, but for Poland hehehe... and now there are more and more bands coming...

Jana: But would you like a combined tour with Polish bands...?
Peter: This may happen a day. The only problem is with the business as I said. It is not like years ago when you said: „Hey, I have got an idea let's go together and do some shit!“ It's not like that. It is way more complicated - the logistic let's say - but this a great idea! And I totally agree with it and any day will come... oh, we already were touring with Decapitated and we were already touring with Lost Soul in England - to mention two...

Jana: So, VADER got a new logo...?
Peter: Not new at all... because the new logo as you said reminds the very old logo, probably not known by many people, who know VADER since The Ultimate Incantation or Morbid Reich that was the already the - let's say - „famous“ logo of VADER. The reason was in first that it was a big shock after Doc had died after he had quit before. He was such an important part of VADER for so many years and of respect for him we started - maybe not from the very beginning - but from the next level let's say. We finished something and we started a new cycle and that was the reason...

Jana: Now we are talking about merchandise...
Peter: Some fans cursed me, because I changed it. I am sorry; it is still the same VADER… hehehe.

Jana: ...It was on your VADER-website - official website...
Peter: Yeah, we have one... hehehe :)

Jana: ...VADER chocolate for Valentine's Day...
Peter: Ooooh nooo! ... *sighs* that was a joke ... I still cannot believe why so many people took it so serious, you know...

Jana: But it's so funny to combine brutal death metal with sweet chocolate... so „sweeet“ you know... It's…
Peter: You know what??? If another 100 people ask me about it, then we gonna do it, alright? Hehehe :))) ... Maybe we should think about a complete VADER-menu, maybe with „Wings“ hahahaha :))

Jana: Hahah... So what are the plans for the last few months of 2008? And what are the plans for 2009?
Peter: Now we have started this European tour, then we are going to America to take part on the Summer Slaughter Festivals and when we come back home we do a pre-production of the new album and after - that's gonna happen probably in October - we are gonna have two weeks in Scandinavia to fulfill the Europe tour... then we go to studio to release the album...

Jana: So recording another album...?
Peter: A new album... XXV - this double album out now - is special and important, but we mostly recorded for the younger generation, which know us from the last albums. It was just to close up that VADER - VADER is an older band hehehe - we took some like never heard stuff - even in Polish... when VADER started we had a different singer and since VADER is Polish... Well, it is about the time to do something fresh that's what we gonna do. We have something in our mind, what we gonna have to release... hehehe :)

Jana: Last question – you were asked tons of questions in the past 25 years. What is the one question about VADER, that nobody asked you so far and that you would like to answer?
Peter: Uuuaahh ooh... I thank that was the question!! Hahaha :) That is really hard! I just feel like I have been asked about everything. Maybe some private things...

Jana: Nooo - though we know that many fans would like to know about this...
Peter: Especially since this MTV shit! You know, they try to show the private scene for everybody - this is not good! And this is probably the only thing I try to keep for myself: privacy! I do not have so much time and I have no privacy, but if I got like a few little drops of it, I wanna keep it for me... hehehe :)

Jana: Thank you for the interview and great time!
Peter: Thanks... :)