Interview with RooT (CZ)

Tonight Lachrima Christi wants to share with you an interview with a very special Black Metal band from Czech Republic, RooT. As mostly of you certainly know, RooT were formed in 1987 and are still around presenting us with amazing albums, and last one was released in 2011 through Agonia Records, and is called Heritage of Satan. Keep reading the inspiring and friendly words of Big Boss, Vocals of the band and also the one who once founded the Czech branch of the Church of Satan.




Root have a very own style. Many people have said RooT play Black Metal, others have said Root play Occult Metal… What do you usually like to say you play? How would you define your music?

As you just have mentioned even our fans do not know how to name our music. I think it is OK as this could be taken as the proof we are not boring or stuck on the same place within one musical style. Personally I call our music “Root Metal” :)

Why RooT as a name? Where does it come from?

Well originally it should have been “RoT” . . . but we did not want “to rot” so we added one more “o” and that is how “Root” was created. I think this word is much better expression of our band.

What have been your biggest influences along the time?

Well I have not been influenced by anything so far. I am the singer with different voice from the others so I do not need to be influenced by anybody. But in the beginning Chris Farlowe (Thunderbirds, Colosseum) had huge impact on my singing.

What was your most remarkable show so far?

All shows are great but most I remember the shows in London, Paris and Calgary in Canada.

Where do you get your inspiration? And how does the composing/writing process work with RooT?

I am always inspired by my “Inner Demons”. Regarding composing process I write the lyrics at first then present them to the band and if we all like it we go through the process of dividing the particular songs to other band mates. After that everyone try to compose his best and we do this until we are happy with the whole record. It is easy :)

Does religion have any influence in your music? If yes, in which way?

If you are talking about Christians we are not influenced by such a religion. They piss me off. What I try to do in my lyrics are different messages than “religion”. But regarding this topic on our last record we let loose our hatred against all those acts that church does all around the world.

RooT have influenced other renowned bands, such as Moonspell. How do you feel about that?

We feel it as a beautiful satisfaction and we are proud that even bigger bands find some sources of inspiration in our music. I think that there are not as many influential bands which could display their impact such proudly way. But we certainly had not became “big-headed” because of it :). We're still the same crazy freaks as during our beginning. Just a bit older...

Since RooT exist since 1987, surely you have had the chance to see how things have developed in the Black Metal scene around the world? Sources say that at the beginning it was hard for you to do tape trading as you didn’t know foreign bands. How do you see the internet influence in all this?

It was not difficult - we had a lot of Czech fans living in abroad so our recordings frequently circulated even in foreign countries. So back then no worries about it. We have exchanged letters with many bands so we knew very well what was happening abroad within the metal scene. Internet made things easier. If there is a really great new band they have better chance to break through by internet. Sales went down a bit for well-established bands but it is the price we gotta pay for such developments and progress. We are not bothered because of it as down to internet we can deliver our news to the fans much faster. So we have accepted this.

How has been the reaction of the public to your latest album Heritage of Satan? Are you satisfied with it?

Hahahaha ... we are happy. We made this album as the gift to the 25th anniversary of RooT and it was a success. We wanted to prove ourselves and our listeners that we are still able to deliver the real Black Metal madness.

When can we expect a new album coming out? What are the plans for RooT for a near future?

We never plan in such advance what we are going to release because we do not know it. But at present we are working on our second project called Equirhodont. So we have to wait a bit with the next RooT record. What we know is the next album will be continuation story of our fourth record Kärgeräs.

Would you like to leave any last message to your followers and to Lachryma Christi readers?

Hello to the editorial team and all readers – do not bow down to somebody else’s gods. Be gods to yourselves!
Stay Proud!
BigBoss and RooT

Line up:

Big Boss - voice
Ashok - guitar
Igor - bass
Hanz - guitar
PaulDread - battery

Latest release:

Heritage of Satan (2011)

You can find more information and music of RooT in:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/ROOT-Official/396971113678944

http://rootan.net/

http://www.myspace.com/rootcze