Patriarkh – interview met Bart (Bartlomiej Krysiuk) & Monk Baruta
Bart: “We have been working on this concept about eight years and we are bringing the full story and our new sound”
Batushka bezieler en hoofdzanger Bartlomiej Krysiuk heeft na de allerlaatste tournee onder de naam Batushka de knoop doorgehakt en manifesteert zich vanaf nu in de constellatie Patriarkh. Vijf jaar na Batushka’s debuut ‘Hospodi’ was het ook wel tijd om te horen hoe de band zich muzikaal ontwikkeld heeft. En dat klinkt heel indrukwekkend, zodat we ons met plezier verdiepten in de muziek en thematiek van hun Napalm Records debuut ‘Prorok Ilja’. Een bijzonder interessant gesprek met monnik Bart en monnik Baruta hadden we via videozoom met beide heren.
Vera Matthijssens Ι 13 januari 2025
I listened to the album and it is a great one because it is so special. I was used to Batushka of course, but after this last tour it is time for a new chapter: Patriarkh. As I understand the album is a concept about Prophet Elijah, so can you go a bit deeper into that?
Monk Baruta: ‘The whole album is based on things that happened in Poland in the 1930’s and 1940’s. The main hero of the album is prophet Elijah (Prorok Ilja). It is about his history, his followers, his thoughts. The best part is that we did not have to add flamboyant stories or elements, because the whole story is so dark. We knew from the beginning that all we had to add is our music, some heavy riffs, good ornaments with a lot of folk instruments, because we wanted to show a lot of Poland, a lot of Podlasie, the region of Poland where all these events happened and invite people to learn the story about Eliasz Klimowicz and Wierszalin (the village), also some information to kind of promote Poland in a way. It is a really dark and interesting story that came out all of this Polish Rasputin (more or less)’.
Bart: ‘It is also about the biggest sect in, not only in Poland, but also in whole Europe. The biggest sect of the huge story and the huge leader of the sect was Eliasz Klimovicz, prophet Ilja is also the name of his sectarians, so the personification of Jesus Christ, of the well-known biblical prophet Elijah and also it is a personification of the Highest God and John from Brunchy. It is four persons in one person somehow, that is the story of prophet Elijah.’
And all this seemed to be happening in the region you were raised! Where a band is coming from always catches my attention…
Bart: ‘Yes, that region is the major region where I grew up, where I was born. All my heart is coming from Podlasie, so you can hear in our sound the new addition of the folk instruments, because it is also the sound of Podlasie. So it is a conceptual album, not only for the story, but it is also a conceptual album music-wise and everything is allied with the story, so that is why we added these instruments to the story.’
These are typical instruments from the region then?
Bart: ‘Yes. Also soaring sounds of mandolin, mandocello, tagelharpa, stringed dulcimer and hurdy gurdy. Also regional singing of the female vocalist, so it is all our regional instruments, a regional addition to our album.’
It has a special atmosphere we don’t know. For us it sounds very ethnic, very traditional, a nice contrast with the harsher parts…
Bart: ‘We are also very happy that listeners give it a good perception, this album. Our intention was to make it really ethnical but it also sounds more cinematic, more like a theatre play. We are taking our listeners on a journey and we want to invite them in our new world with new stories. That is the intention.’
I found out that there is even an existing theatre play of it, isn’t it?
Bart: ‘Yes.’
And also a movie from 1997…
Bart: ‘‘Yes. All these things… when I first watched a theatre play in the nineties, it was a theatre play I watched on Polish TV, it was a theatre play with Porok Ilja with well-known Polish actors. From that point I got the idea to bring the prophet Elijah musically with our extreme music, with snippets of our regional sound. We have been working on this concept about eight years and we are bringing the full story and our new sound.’
Amazing, congratulations. How was it to be born and raised in that region in the northeast of Poland in your youth?
Bart: ‘Yes, very close to the Belarusian border and two kilometres from the Russian border. So it is also technical seen a special place, close to Ukraine. I was born in a very small village near Russia and my first ten years I was growing up in this village. So my heart is dedicated to this region and all things on our new album are coming from my heart and this region.’
Are you also from there Monk?
Monk Baruta: ‘No, I am originally from Warsaw, central Poland.’
How did you come in contact with metal?
Bart: ‘When I moved to the biggest city from the region, called Byalistok. I was always searching for something new and when I heard the first demo from Bathory, end of the nineties, my heart was burning and everything changed. Since then I am dedicated. That is my passion and I spared every dime for the underground and for extra music. It is also my job now, so I am a very lucky man. The pleasure is also my job. Everything started with these sounds of black metal, until now my heart is still burning for black metal.’
We have several different languages on the record, also Polish for the first time. Can you go deeper into that?
Bart: ‘For Batushka, the language we used the most was liturgical, more of a church language. We also use this in Patriarkh, but also we used Romanian, because we are showing the Romanian side of orthodox. We also use Greek, because we are showing the Greek side of orthodox. We also use Bulgarian, because we are showing the Bulgarian side of orthodox as well. We also use Belarusian and Russian language on this album. Also our regional language that we call Hrawatski. It is a mixture of Ukrainian, Belarusian and Russian language with Polish. So we have the specific language only used in my region and also we use the Polish language for the first time, because it is hard to translate the words from the theatre play.’
Monk Baruta: ‘Yes, we would have translated them, but that would not make that much sense and actually we thought about staying with the Polish. We thought it was more authentic that way. Also it invites people to get more information, when they discover it is in Polish, they can translate it to English. Some will say: ‘why didn’t you translate it and make it easier for everyone?’ No! Not this time…’
Bart: ‘You must search, you have to look it up and learn about it!’ (chuckles)
It creates more mystery when you don’t translate it…
Bart: ‘With this language it is also more organic. The story is very mystic and so is the music with the story. It is a good mix.’
Did you use authentic folk instruments or the sounds coming from computer?
Monk Baruta: ‘We only use authentic instruments, not coming from samples or stuff. There are a lot of them; mandolin, mandocello, Those instruments might be known as Norwegian stuff, but they are also popular in Slavic countries. The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear them, is Poland. Up from our field.’
This album is the first one for Napalm Records. So that is another part of the new chapter. How did you come in contact with them and why did you choose them?
Bart: ‘We got in contact with Napalm Records two or three years ago. They watched us at some of the Summer festivals. We were talking about a possible deal and the contract was signed in one week. It was two years ago and they have been waiting for the new album. They know about the approach of this album, the concept, and everything. They gave us a lot of time for this work and they are also giving a lot of support for the promotion of this album. We will see what is going to happen after working with a big label. What can we intend? What is the difference? Because we were working with Metal Blade and we still have to discover the differences between these labels. I think Napalm Records is the biggest label now in the metal scene. We are very happy with the cooperation and of course we were signing a contract for the next two albums, so we are looking out for the future cooperation with Napalm with the next albums.’
Were you initially sad or happy with the verdict of the court that you had to change name?
Monk Baruta: ‘The funny thing is that the case is still ongoing. The verdict that was published is not final. So we thought: the process will take another year, maybe two years, maybe five, maybe ten. We don’t know how long. So we thought it is actually the best time for us to change the name once and for all, because we want the people to focus on the music, not on the ongoing legal case.’
Bart: ‘We are moving this to our backstage and it will be something private. It is still going on, but in our backstage and we are on the new road with new stories, so why still waiting with the name change? It is not sad for us, no. I am the 50 years old reverend, so forget it’ (chuckles).
I think there will be coming a very special concert at the day of release. (3rd of January 2025)…
Monk Baruta: ‘Yes exactly. January the 3rd is the release date and we are also planning a huge, huge show in Poland, in Lodz. We are going to play with the symphonic orchestra, with a male choir, big production with a lot of red lights, pyro techniques. Yes it is going to be a huge event and I think we are actually going to be the first band who does that in the extreme metal scene in Poland, with this huge production. Of course we are going to record everything. It will also be the first show for Patriarkh, with the new name.’
That is starting with a blast!
Both: (laughs)
Tomorrow you are leaving for Asia!
Monk Baruta: ‘Yes, exactly. Tomorrow we are flying to Bangkok, ten hours flight. We play the first show in Bangkok with Malevolent Creation. Then we have a few days off, but we have so much work to do before the show in January so that we are going to use the time for doing a lot of stuff in the hotels. Then we are flying to China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and we are finishing the tour under the Batushka name in Australia, in Melbourne in December.
That is a speedy world tour!
Yeah.
Have you been there before?
Bart: ‘In some countries yes, like in Japan and we have played in China, in Thailand. In New Zealand it will be our first show and also in Korea it will be the first show. That will be a nice end of the Batushka name, also at the end of the year. It will round off our activities for this year.’
I wish you a very nice trip!
Both: ‘Thank you’
Are there other video clips coming except for the third and fourth song (now on line)?
Monk Baruta: ‘Yes, we have shot already two video clips for the ‘Wierszalin III’ & IV and the next single is coming soon and it is going to be with a video clip as well. It is going to be like the ending of the story that we are presenting. The whole story that you can see in the videos is all based on what is going on in the songs. So it is like a visual presentation of the story of prophet Ilja. I think it is coming out in December.’
Bart: ‘Also in December you can watch two live video clips for ‘Wierszalin III’ and ‘Wierszalin IV’ and also there will be a video for ‘Wierszalin I’ & II. There will be a third video with the story from the album, so there will be a lot happening in December.’
Okay, we are looking forward to that…
Bart: ‘I think it is on the 1st, then on the 10th and then on the 18th. A lot is coming from us in December.’
Monk Baruta: ‘Yes, just for Christmas. Perfect timing.’
Are you satanic or religious persons?
Bart: ‘You know we always had concepts with religious aspects in Batushka and also it will be in Patriarkh. If someone says that we are blasphemous or Satanic, that’s okay. If someone says that it is Catholic or orthodox, that will also be okay. We are straight, we are just giving something. We are showing something and if you will be at the left path or right path, that’s okay. We are showing the sacral and profane side, so we are going straight. We are inviting our listeners and our followers to our world and show them something. You must choose and if you want and search something you can keep it in mind and think about it. That s the core of our art.’
Monk Baruta: ‘We are just like messengers, sharing our story with the world and it is all up to the listeners to decide.’
That is a nice point of view. For me orthodox has always been a kind of more mystical side of Catholicism…
Monk Baruta: ‘Yeah correct, it is more ritual, more theatrical, more enigmatic and more mystical. Yeah it is the side of orthodox rites.’
In Bulgaria we visited churches and there was a lot of grandeur…
Bart: ‘Yes, all these sides or orthodox art is also very interesting. It is a lot of inspiration to our music.’
Keep it that way. I don’t see a band doing that in this way…very important. To occlude the plans for the near future. We have the Polish tour and what comes later?
Bart: ‘Yes in the coming months it is of course a lot of things that will happen, especially in March. We play a Polish tour and then we are moving to Europe. That will be our first leg of the tour in April/May. Then we will do a few Summer festivals. We hope that will can play a lot of Summer festivals, but the bookings will maybe happen after the album release. And then we are planning for the Fall. In the Fall there will be the second leg of the European tour. Of course we are looking for North America and South America, but we don’t know yet if that it is happening in 2025 already. We hope that the next year will be glorious for us.’
Thank you. I think I can write a nice article with all your info…
Bart & Monk Baruta: ‘Thank you very much for your time and for the support and see you on the road.’
