Emerging from the historic city of Dubrovnik, Ukhel channels the chaos of conquest and the sorrow of war into an intense fusion of death, black, and thrash metal steeped in historical depth.
1. Ukhel
emerged from Dubrovnik—a city rich in history, but not often associated with
extreme metal. How has your home shaped your identity and sound as a band?
I think
living in a city so deeply steeped in history made us choose historical themes
as our main lyrical inspiration. In terms of sound, there wasn't much on the
extreme spectrum that we could draw influence from, so we had to look
externally towards some of our favorite bands and artists from all around the
world.
2. Your
debut album “Bred to Conquer” made waves in the Croatian underground. What
themes did you explore on that record, and how do they reflect your artistic
vision?
For our
debut we wanted to delve briefly into the conquest and carnage made by
specifically Genghis Khan and the Mongols, but also to draw light to the
cyclical nature of such violence, and the incessant human need to draw blood
throughout history. Mongols were a nation that S.S. and me got introduced to
very early in our lives through history books, and we were in awe of the
impossible feats they achieved. Therefore, we agreed that such intense and
brutal achievements deserved equally matching "soundtracks". Such
themes offered the most organic foundation upon which we like to build our
style of songs, whether they be triumphant or melancholic sounding, or just
bloodthirsty.
3. You
blend death, black, and thrash metal into a cohesive and emotionally charged
experience. How do you strike that balance between raw aggression and sorrowful
atmosphere?
It varies from song to song; depending on what kind of story we are trying to tell for that piece of music. It's not something that has a formula; it just comes from practice and experience.
4. The
band’s bio references "sonic monuments to loss and defiance." Can you
elaborate on how historical or personal trauma informs your songwriting?
I, myself
have spent a lot of time learning about major human conflicts throughout
history, and the fact that I come from a country which 30 years ago survived a
war and gained its independence, also helped inspire me to try and depict
through our music the flurry of emotions felt in such dire times.
5. Tell
us about the band’s chemistry—how do I.K., G.R., M.K., and S.S. work together
in the studio and on stage to create such a potent sound?
We are
passionate about what we do and we are willing to put in the work. We respect
each other's visions and we work together to create something that we ourselves
want to listen to at the end of the day. If it manages to attract more people
then that's just the cherry on top. On stage the idea is to detach ourselves
from reality for a brief time and fully immerse ourselves and revel in the
carnage of our songs.
6. Your
live performances have been described as emotionally charged and battle-ready.
What do you aim to convey to your audience when you're on stage?
We aim to
convey a good time. As long as we see people banging their heads, thrashing and
screaming, we consider our job well done.
7. What
can fans expect from your upcoming second album? Are you taking the sound of
“Bred to Conquer” further, or venturing into new territory?
They can
expect the same kind of intensity found on "Bred to Conquer". We will
certainly explore some new variations on the sound, but the core will remain
the same.
8.
Lyrically, your music seems to draw from epic and tragic imagery. Where do you
draw inspiration for your lyrics—from history, mythology, personal experience?
We drew
mainly from history for "Bred to Conquer". Perhaps we will branch out
into mythology as well for future material.
9.
Croatia’s extreme metal scene is gaining more visibility. How do you view
Ukhel’s role within this scene, and what do you hope to contribute to its
future?
We don't
have an interest to be the torchbearers or anything of that sort. We do this
out of love for the music, and if that manages to attract more attention to
Croatian metal, then all the better. Our only wish is to contribute more
concerts and smash heads together with our fellow metalheads.
10. What
are some of the challenges and advantages of being a death metal band in a
country with a relatively small metal infrastructure?
The biggest
challenge for us in Dubrovnik was finding a studio that would help us record
the album. We failed to find one, therefore we had to do everything ourselves.
The next challenge is finding gigs in the south part of Croatia which has an
almost non-existent metal infrastructure. For all concert needs the only place
to go to is the north like Zagreb, for example. I guess the advantage would be
that in such a small scene, word travels faster once you release an album and
you might have an easier time developing a dedicated following.
11. If
you could tour with any three bands—past or present—who would they be, and why?
Toughest
question yet, haha. I'm not gonna think too hard about it because I could spend
hours on it. For me personally, it would be Bolt Thrower, Dismember and
Demolition Hammer. Mainly because they are some of my favorite bands and
because I know that there would be a lot of wrecked fans at the end of such a
gig.
12.
Finally, what does the name “Ukhel” mean, and what does it symbolize for you as
a band in 2025 and beyond?
"Ukhel"
means Death in Mongolian. For us it symbolizes the perseverance it took to
finally have this album released. We've been together as a band for a long time
already, but the real story is just about to start.
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