1. Hello there! What a great start of a new album. Who came with an idea of that howling sound and how did you make it? I guess I’m deaf but it sounds to me like an infant cry played on guitar with a bunch of sound effects. I have never heard anything like this.

You are almost right... However, the sound you hear at the beginning of the album is a real infant cry. We just recorded it on a portable recorder. Then at the studio we decided to use some effects with it as well.

It was natural for us to start the album in such a way, because the lyrics of the album begin with the birth of the person who later on speaks in the lyrics.

“Birth... Shout! Let them hear you on the earth. And under the earth, on the dry land and in the water. The eternal circle is set in motion – again...’

2. So let’s continue with a talk about “Eternal Circle”. I see a certain concept there, it’s quite clear for me but still, could you describe it in your words? Constant arrivals, clash between man and world? Cycle of Life and Death? What does those terms mean for you and how do you look upon them?

The concept of an eternal circle is widely present in European mysticism, esoteric knowledge and philosophy. Ancient philosophers like Heraclitus and more modern thinkers like Nietzsche were writing about it. The alchemical Ouroboros referred to this concept. The modern science also has some references to it, for example in the concept of the expanding and contracting universe. My ancestors knew about this as well. In the native faith of the lands I come from (the lands of Slavs and old Prussians), there are rituals and holidays which reflect the cycles of nature. The ancient symbol of swarzyca (swastika), very important in the ancient native faith, also refers to this concept of “Eternal Circle”.

3. Can we say that a concept of “Eternal Circle” applies to your whole work? I feel that with a new album you are somehow returning to roots of your early work, even though “The Quintessence” and “Constant Flow” were a bit tender (no offence here). The new one is much harsher, it totally rips and kicks ass. Are you enclosing a certain circle here?

Actually, we do not enclose any circle, our music has never been so extreme and intense... Basically, our attitude is that we always want to create something new, we never step in the same river twice. And so, “Constant Flow” is played in mid tempo and contains songs which are really easy to listen to. As for “Eternal Circle”, it is a far more complex, intense and more difficult album, probably you will have to listen to it a few times before you get the meaning. The new album is very specific, I think you won’t find any other album like this... And that is why people are definitely not accustomed to listening to such music... Well, many people like it, but there is an initial shock...

4. Thanks to you I had an opportunity to see a few photos capturing the process of new album’s digipack manufacture. Definitely interesting process. When did you decide to make such special release? How would you describe this release to a listener who didn’t have an opportunity to see same photos as I did or to those who don’t own the CD?

Well, the whole graphics design is as extraordinary as our music, since we wanted all the three aspects of the new album (music, graphics, lyrics) to match one another in a perfect manner, we wanted a superior, coherent being to be called into life... Bartek Rogalewicz (responsible for the design) did a great job. It is enough to have a look at the front cover of “Eternal circle”, which depicts the embodiment of the power which makes this world remain in motion. This image was created by Bartek in a way that is unusual for most bands which publish their work nowadays. He did not use any digital collage nor photoshop, instead he worked for hours with a model and a projector. He had to make more than two hundred shots before he finally found what he was looking for. Lots of work, but the quality of the result is unquestionable, I think... Bartek’s work has also certain roots (his inspirations were Witkacy, nineteenth century astral photography, Nature), so thanks to it, our music and ideas are not accompanied by some cheap picture suitable for a horror story. The graphic design has some background, some idea behind. It has nothing to do with the modern attitude of pseudo-artists doing their “masterpiece” fast, in a pushy, colourful manner, so as to attract the attention of mindless crowd... We went beyond it.

Then, Bartek Rogalewicz had a few sessions at a few different places. Each of the sessions and photos were linked somehow to the ideas behind our lyrics, so the content of the booklet is really unusual. There are also many other things which make the release special... Absinthium wormwood leaves were used in every booklet due to its magical attributes. A handmade book is attached to both CD and LP.


5. How do you recall the creative process of “Eternal Circle”? Do you feel satisfied now or you are already thinking of possible improvements for the future album?

Soon after recording “Constant Flow” we started looking for new ways, new paths. It was really hard for us, because we treat Non Opus Dei as a living being which was once born, lives, develops, grows and (one day) will die. So we had to present a new stage of the development of this creature... We changed a lot of things in our attitude towards the music and the instruments. It was almost like learning to play again... Our drummer spent months in the rehearsal room, he decided to change lots of things in his drums set. He had to work hard on mastering the incredibly fast patterns. You will hear loads of different blast beasts. We also had to find new ways of arranging the guitars, ways which would be suitable for such extreme drums. I think we managed to introduce a certain new quality to our music, and yet you can hear that it is the same band.

I feel satisfied with the album, we couldn’t have done it in a better way. Well, there are always things like we didn’t have a lot of money for a long studio session, so we spent only a few days in the studios. Later it was a big challenge for Szymon Czech (the producer of the album) to mix and master all this properly... On the other hand, it may be a good thing, because what you hear sounds almost natural, for example the only triggered part of the drums is the bass drum (which is normal when you play in such tempo). Moreover, it took only an hour and a half to record the vocals, which is an incredibly little amount of time... But thanks to such things the overall effect is amazingly intesive and natural.

6. Have you had any goal you wanted to achieve during composition? A certain intention or idea how the final product should sound like? If yes, could you describe it for us?

As I had already mentioned, it took us a lot of time to find a new way for the being known as Non Opus Dei to evolve and develop. Then it took a lot more of time and effort to get prepared to be able to fulfill such a vision. It was definitely a conscious process. I have heard a few opinions that the new album is too extreme. However, once we started preparing new songs, we totally changed our attitude towards music. And there was no turning back... What was extreme for some people, for us was only a warm-up...

7. Which album of NON OPUS DEI do you consider to be the best and fundamental for you? For which reason?

There are two albums which I consider to be the best and fundamental... The first is the present album – “Eternal Circle”, because it is a being that is perfect and coherent in every important aspect – as far as music, graphics and ideas are concerned. The second important album is the one that we will record in the future, as I strongly feel that.

One of the objectives of life is to die. One of the objectives of playing music is to stop playing one day. I hope one day I will record such music that I will never want to play any instrument again. Maybe it will be the next album of Non Opus. We will see.


8. You’re a band which proudly endorses black metal, however I feel a plenty of other genres in your music which in overall make you a quite unique band. So it is possible that you are influenced by other genres? What kind of music do you enjoy? If you have time for it of course…

We do not limit ourselves to any known patterns in music, we do not copy the ideas of other bands and musicians, what you hear on our albums is our own, personal interpretation of what people refer to as “black metal”.

9. Is any massive propaganda of a new album in works? I mean special album editions, LP’s or something like this? Are you also thinking about a live presentation of your music or even a tour? Talking about this, do you play live at all?

I think the standard edition of the CD is special enough... Of course, the album was also published on vinyl, unusual edition for any maniac... The booklet, spacious as it is, did not include all the fascinating graphics that were prepared for the album, that is why we are working on an internet gallery which will present the rest of the visual aspect of the album.

There will be a video for one of the songs (by the end of the year). And we are planning some live shows, which will take place next year.

10. Thank you for the interview and time you have given to us. See ya!

Thanks for supporting the band!