Interview Pandemia

Celebrating 30 years of relentless death metal, Czech legends Pandemia return with Darkened Devotion—a bold new chapter that fuses old-school roots with fresh intensity. Here's their story.

1. Pandemia recently celebrated 30 years of brutal death metal. Looking back, what are some defining moments that shaped the band’s legacy?

Three decades, what a great opportunity to look back and appreciate all the good moments the band has been through! There have been multiple events that have fortified the band’s presence in the metal world. I think every album and the touring cycle have had a very defining nature for us. We’ve put out 6 solid records that hold up to other European death metal bands. Each record came with its own birthing pains and nostalgia. I remember the first time playing in Prague, supporting Kreator and Dimmu Borgir, we were still kids back in 1997. Then, when our third demo got released on a label in Greece in 1998, that was awesome to have our music getting out there and breaking out of the Czech bubble. Also, playing our first bigger festival in Portugal, the infamous SWR in 2000, was so cool. Working in some huge Czech studios when putting together Personal Demon and Riven, that was great, being in a studio owned by some rock legends we grew up listening to. We always tried to do something a little bit different, push ourselves and with Personal Demon, we were the first death metal band recording at Propast studio in a decade. The engineers were visibly struggling when we rolled out the double kicks and blast speeds 🙂. But we’ve persevered. Then, working with Waldemar Sorychta, the guys had so many great memories. he is such a legend. His work from the 90s is just impeccable, and he did a great job on the second-to-last album. So many memories and many lasting friendships thanks to being part of the metal scene. It’s been a privilege!

2. Your latest full-length album, Darkened Devotion, dropped in May 2025. What themes and messages lie at the heart of this record, and how does it reflect the band's current mindset?

We wanted to focus on something we have experience with, something we can connect to. The theme is a concept about a guy facing his deepest nightmares and nighttime struggles. The album starts with him emerging from the depths and going into the dream world to hunt his demons. I think everybody has had some sort of nighttime dark experience, and we wanted to show that there is a way to go after your darkness instead of being haunted by it forever. SO every song offers a different perspective and changes the narrative. It is still a very extreme album that takes attention to go through, but very rewarding. I’d suggest giving it the space it deserves, listening on a good hi-fi or a pair of headphones to catch all the details and easter eggs we have planted across the album, in the right circumstances, it can be very transformative. It took 10 years to get the band reassembled and write the songs, and I’m proud of the way it came together. Along with the artwork and production, this is a one-off and not your everyday run-of-the-mill death metal LP. 

3. Pandemia is known for staying true to the old-school death metal sound while still evolving. How do you balance nostalgia with innovation when writing new material?

It is challenging not to be swayed off the course. We committed to pure death metal very early on in our career, and we always connect to the source when writing music. We have some staple ways of writing, with blast speeds, carpet roll drumming, etc and that always comes through, no matter how much older we’ve gotten or what happens on the music scene. The best way to compose for me is to follow my inner compass. If a riff is good enough after a few weeks of demoing it, then it stays. I like to channel the real creativity when writing and not mess too much with the mental adjustments that can be tempting, just let the metal flow.  The more modern approach on the new album comes from the fresh energy our new drummer, Jakub, has brought with him and also the production is a bit more in your face and maximised. I think it came out fantastic in the end. Btw, I don’t see us completely as an old school death metal band, but definitely pure death metal, staying true to the roots while still evolving. 

4. The band has worked with legendary producers like Russ Russell, Waldemar Soychta, and Andy Classen. How have these collaborations influenced your sound and production approach over the years?

They all have imprinted their parts. Andy and Russ had a great impact on the mixing and final sound of the records. With Waldemar, as the guys were telling me, he spent quite a bit of time with them in Czech during the recording and even guested a guitar lead on one of the songs, had some input on arrangements etc. That had a major impact on the previous album. Recently, I got to work quite closely with Miguel from Demigo studio when he was mixing the new album , Darkened Devotion, and he definitely had a huge impact on the final result, he elevated the sonic quality to another level, added subtle transitions and audio effects here and there, it is almost like a different band listening to the demos, haha. The impact of the people producing or mixing cannot be understated here. 

5. With over 600 shows across 30+ countries, Pandemia has left a global mark. Are there any tours or live experiences that were especially memorable or transformative for the band?

We always go back to our early tours with Vader and Krabathor, that was so formative and exciting. I could not believe we were on the same stage as these guys; my knees were trembling when Peter walked past. We were huge fans of the De Profundis album. We grew a lot during those years playing with them. We only just released our second demo when we were invited to tour with Vader in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and we were so nervous! And then breaking out of the country and starting to play more abroad was so good, all the new countries and cultures and especially different metal fans. I love the diversity and always saw Pandemia as an international band. Then there was another huge breakthrough when we got to play a 2-month-long tour in Latin America, from Brazil all the way to Mexico. It was so exotic and new and challenging. We came back different people after the tour, exhausted and broke but happy, haha. Also, our tour with Incantation  in 2002 was somewhat noticed in the metal world and it also contributed to us getting signed to Hammerheart 20 years later, the guys still remembered us form our show in The Netherlands, what a coincidence!

6. Alex, you were one of the founding members of Pandemia, but you stepped away from the band from 2005 to 2022. What led you to take that break, and what inspired your return after 17 years?

We were in a strange space as a band after the 2 big Latin American tours and the release of Riven, which was our slightly controversial album that didn’t get the best reception... To be honest, I didn’t feel the fire anymore. Something got compromised within the band, and after considering all options for about 2 years and struggling with being in the band, I decided to leave and let the guys have their way. I still enjoyed writing riffs and kept on saving my ideas, and many of the riffs throughout my absence are now on the new album. I’d say almost every song has one of them. I thought I left some unfinished business with the band, and when I got invited again to take part, I eventually said yes. It took a few years, though. I am living a pretty busy life these days, and it took forever to make space for the band in my life again. Anyways, I feel very accomplished now and proud of Pandemia’s legacy, now that we have released our ultimate album. 

7. How did it feel to be back in the rehearsal room and on stage again after such a long absence? Was the chemistry with the band still there right away, or did it take some time to rebuild?

Man, super weird. It took a while. We started rehearsing early in 2022 when Jakub joined the band, and I had a massive impostor syndrome as he is such an advanced player and I was still quite rusty with my fingers. But eventually with practice I got over it and things started to flow. To be honest, my main challenge was what to do with the lack of hair. We used to be this headbanging band, our image was firmly rooted in the long hair metal style, but that is not an option for me anymore, haha. So I had to craft some sort of stage outfit to present myself as the older version of myself. The guys were very supportive, though, and I am grateful for their accommodation during my return to the band. I think we are now in a space where we gelled together well and our shows are pretty locked in and intense, powerful. 

8. Your recent singles “Sleep Paralysis” and “The Wretched Dance” brought a renewed energy and darkness. Can you tell us more about the lyrical ideas and inspirations behind these tracks?

They were the first 2 songs I threw together when I rejoined the band. They were done pretty quickly. I had some riffs in my head and experimented a little bit with arrangements in Logic Pro, and the songs were quickly born. We tried hooking up with another drummer in 2020, Ondra, who is a pretty strong player and I liked him a lot, but we could not align our schedules. So both songs were done when we thought he’d be the drummer going forward. When Ondra pulled out and joined Fleshless, I found a session drummer online who recorded studio ready drums for both songs, but when Jakub officially joined we let him re-record everything. So that was quite a journey to get those two simple songs recorded and mixed. Russ Russell responded to my email and was eager to mix it, I was honoured since he has such strong presence in the UK death metal scene and he is a true legend, he gave the songs intensity and great organic sound. We wanted to record the full length with him as well but he got seriously sick, poor guy. Anyways the two songs started the lyrical theme of nightime struggles and it expanded into Darkened Devotion. 

9. How does the current lineup—Jirka, Alex, Jarda, and Jakub—work together creatively? What does the songwriting process look like for Pandemia in 2025?

Well, we are all pretty busy so the songwriting is happening mainly in my home studio and then online. I write songs, then let Jakub improve the drum parts and Jirka writes lyrics. That was the process for the album. We are in a new era where we all live in different places, I am not even in Czech Rep anymore so getting together is a bit of a challenge. There is a lot of file sharing and zoom calls when we write, but I think we will give it a rest for the foreseeable future and focus on promoting the latest album for a few years. It’d be great to get on some more prestigious festivals or play a tour with another band. That’s pour current focus.

10. What has the response been like to Darkened Devotion from fans and critics? Have you noticed any changes in your fanbase over the decades?

The response has been largely positive. We got some high ratings from our long time supporters, they claim this was the album they were waiting for, which is an honour to hear. There has been a couple of rough reviews which hit the nerve a bit but I decided to let it pass, life is too short for that kind of need for validation. We are very happy with the album, it has some of the best riffs and performances, near perfect sound, I think it couldn’t be any better. The fans have definitely shifted, our dedicated fanbase has welcomed the album with open arms but the new ones ar enot easy to reach. The way we like death metal is not very fashionable at the moment, I don’t think we are brutal or extreme enough for them, haha. Who cares though, we play what we love and that’d important. 

11. What are your thoughts on the current global death metal scene? Do you feel it’s easier or harder for a band like Pandemia to thrive in today’s musical landscape compared to the ‘90s and 2000s?

Much harder. There is tens of albums released every day, the scene is completely oversaturated. And if you don’t have connections in the right places, and if you don’t want to do the constant social media crap, it is very tough to get noticed. It is what it is. It wasn’t super easy back in the day but at least then we had more convert offers, now the situation is that many bands pay and bribe promoters to play live which is not something we’d be willing to do, the band loses its dignity in the process. And yeah, CDs just don’t sell at the moment, maybe they will make a comeback but right now they seem to be not very sought after. Anyway, I am happy that we got to work with such a great record label as Hammerheart and we are very well available over the world which is awesome. Things were definitely easier during my first tenure in the band, but I don’t want to be too nostalgic about the good old days. The world evolves and that has always been the case throughout history, no good grumbling about it. 

12. As you celebrate 30 years of Pandemia, what’s next for the band? Are there any special shows, reissues, or future projects that fans can look forward to?

We are planning a special anniversary show in our original hometown, Cheb, and we have the most special guests, Messiah from Switzerland. This will happen in October. Besides that we are gonna start putting some rare material on our youtube channel adn our onlline presence will be hosting some cool rare materials. It is a nice completion of the 3 decades in service of death metal. 

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