HERIDA PROFUNDA is a 4-piece Hardcore Crust / Metalpunk band started by vocalist, Ed in his hometown; Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland. Guitarist, Jedras and the drummer, Jachu are from Poznań – a city on the Warta River in western Poland. Poznań is basically where the band members usually meet, they start tours from there and regularly rehearse at Rozbrat Squat – the longest occupied space in Poland, houses social, political and cultural activities that oppose the world of Authority and profit, of social and class divisions. Dawid, or his nickname Gavlish (bass) is from Zielona Góra. It’s quite fucked-up situation for the band as said by Ed, but in spite of all these difficulties, we believed that Herida Profunda is among the most promising bands we need to look into, not to mention the two releases they put out are truly amazing! Ed, who have moved and lived in UK for 3 years now, with us at the moment to talk further about Herida Profunda.
– Conversation by Pyan Nathias
(1) Hello there. How’s life look like in Poland lately? Does the country still related to and/or practice communism / nazism in their system. Do you believe in and support the ideology?
Hi. I’m a Polish bloke but I don’t live in Poland any more. I have moved to UK in June 2014 but I’m quite often in Poland when we play gigs or have band practice.
Situation in Poland is quite fucked up. We currently have ultra catholic, right wing goverment. Nationalism and far right has become some kind of fucked up fashion.
95% of society are christians: some of them are just statistics for church (cause they were baptised) but don’t give a fuck about religion and some of them are freak fanatics that promote homophobia, sexism and hatred to other cultures or religions.
Nationalists (this is how they call themselfs, but in fact they are just stupid boneheads) are still fighting communism although it has finished in 1989.
Us as a band and I’m sure all of us as private individuals are against both of this totalitar crap. We are left wing but we are not into communism. I guess due to our history. We are conscious enough to know that every extremism is wrong. We are 100% antifascist band. We have always been antifascist even before band started so if you really want to put us in any category: antifascist is correct description.
(2) Tell us anything behind the history of Herida Profunda? What encouraged you to form the band and what the goals for? We also need to know what does the band name stand for?
We played first gig in middle of 2012 but band was forming for a long time before that. We had few lineup change since then cause it was very hard to find people to play in my hometown. I think after our old drummer left the band due to personal reasons in beginning of 2016, Jachu have joned the band and i think now line up is very stable.
I was doing vocals in other bands since I was a kid so when my last band split up in 2008, I started immediately to work to start something new. “Herida Profunda” was always on back of my mind as a great band name. It means “deep wound” in Spanish so – yes – we are Polish band with Spanish name :) but I think it suits perfectly :)
(3) How would you define and describe the musical sound of Herida Profunda? Based on your debut album and also the split, I heard that it was not just one specified (crust) music file but more than that, the elements of metal, grind and others existed and genuinely blended. Further elaboration please.
We never wanted to define out stuff just with one word or with one genre. Although stuff for split with Hellbastard was done with slightly different line up than our debut and you can hear that our music have changed, I think we still mix all styles and songs are different to each other. We wanted to take the best from all we love: punk, hardcore, metal, grindcore, crust etc. We just do our job and leave pigeonholing to reviewers.
(4) Who and/or What really influenced/inspired the band in making music and also the lyrical writings?
All members try to be involved in making new songs so all out songs is like mixture of ideas – mostly Jedras riffs are the starting point. Then if goes :) there is 4 off us and we listen to loads of bands. We exist in a DIY scene with punk ethics and we love it but for example, me or Jedras, we started our adventure with music as a young metalhead kid – and it always stays with you somehow, so obviously you can hear it in our music :) I’m responsible for lyrics and for me its a way to get rid of frustration and disgust to world we have done and people we become – usurpers of fuckin everything.
(5) Of all, what sorts of message do you put into your lyrics/songs? Why they are all written and sang in your mother-tongue language? Do you think that the messages properly reach and educate your listeners?
We have already considered that, but we unanimously decided to keep lyrics in Polish language. We like it they way it is. Yes, you are right saying that band should reach with their message to listeners. I think there always have to be message along with musical layer. I have no problem to say few words about lyrics during the gig. We always make sure there is a lyrics sheet with a release that will include English translation. All our lyrics (in Polish and English) are also available on our bandcamp.
(6) Let us know everything about your debut “selftitled” full-length (2013). How hard to make it out as the first attempt from Herida Profunda? Do you really proud with the end product; the recordings, the productions, packagings and feedbacks you got for it?
It was a hard start. We didn’t even have demo recorded and we decided to release debut full-length. I have transformed booking crew that I was involved in (not active any more) into DIY record label and release CD version. We have asked tons of record labels to do cooperation and release LP version. Finally we end up with 8 or 9 labels putting this out. Jedras (who was not a member of the band at that time) recorded all songs in his studio @ Rozbrat Squat – later when our bass player left the band he joined the band. I still like this stuff. We’ve got some good reviews and even after 3 years of releasing CD and LP there are still some limited tape runs released in various countries. Maybe we even consider LP repress some day :)
(7) So many versions of it, right? It shown that the name of Herida Profunda was widely spreaded and your music has been heard everywhere.
Yes, I have big discogs update to get together all versions and I think its 14 different versions right now: CD, LP + 12 limited tape releases in various country + 1 ongoing to be released soon :) I think it started naturally. We’ve got a chance to release tape version in Indonesia first, then I talked with our friends in Germany to do limited run and so on... so on... it spreaded across the globe :)
We want to keep tape releases highly limited, in some special packaging (some are in cardboard boxes, some have a wax stamp, different colours of tape etc) to make it somehow special. And yeah! its a good way to spread our stuff in the other side of the world.
(8) Later in September 2015 the band back to strike with the second effort, in the form of split LP/CD teamed up with Hellbastard. The artworks on the picture disc looks wonderful. Who was behind those amazing arts?
Artwork for our side of the split was done by Rafal “Wechter” Wechterowicz from Too Many Skulls. He is amazing drawer and made quite big carrier on this. Luckily for us, he is a friend of the band that lives in same city and he is true DIY hardcore/punk kid (not so young anymore for a kid :D) and he agreed to work with us on this. Cris from WOOAAARGH also deserves big “thank you” for putting both CD and picture disc print outs and artwork together.
(9) Musicwise, what lies within your new musical compositions (in the split) that are (you think) more than what were offered via the debut? The energy? The improvised ideas? Whatsoever?
I think there is a big difference between out first LP and split with Hellbastard from the music point of view and its because all songs (riffs) for split with Hellbastard were mainly composed by Jedras – where first album were done with Mahau (who left the band just after recording session of 1st LP). I’m still hoping we are mixing all styles and not closing ourselfs just in one genre but split with Hellbastard have definitely more metal riffs. You can tell that Jedras is a Slayer and Napalm Death freak, hehehe!
(10) How do you managed to get huge collaborations by/from so many record/production labels for the split releasing and distributions? Do you see the split as another essential step taken by Herida Profunda and highly satisfied with it?
It was a big project to handle for me and Cris from WOOAAARGH – he took care of pressing vinyls and send out to other labels – but luckily everything went quite smooth. I was asking labels if they want to join the release. Cris was talking with already confirmed labels about collecting money for pressing, info / logos for artworks etc. It took a long time but after all we got enough labels to press 1000 copies of picture disc (200 copies comes with limited cover). Me personally, I’m very happy from final effect. I know some people don’t like picture disc releases but I love how it looks and I think it was a very good step for us as a band.
(11) Do you have any better than words to describe the UK’s metalpunk pioneer Hellbastard?
Definitely “Ripper Crust” started new era in UK’s (and I think not only) scene. Of course it’s hard to say nowadays that Hellbastard plays crust because their music changed a lot but I just love Scruff’s determination and passion – you can hear it in Hellbastard songs! Scruff is almost 20 years older then me and sometimes he have more energy and ideas then I do! I’m sure he will continue making new stuff and releasing new albums as long as he can cause its just something what keep him alive. I’m very happy to share release with Hellbastard.
(12) What are some of the most memorable live shows that the band participated in as to date? What could be the best description to depict Herida Profunda on stage?
We love to play gigs. We use to play lot more of them but now when I live in UK and rest of the band lives in Poland, its not as easy to tour. Still we try to play as often as possible. There was many awesome shows that we played. Some of them were quite unique: squatted public toilet or old and ruined tank factory in middle of forest :) I remember we played in a venue that was located near to slaughterhouse and you could hear pigs coming out of the building. We talked a lot about this during the gig, about vegan / vegetarian lifestyle. Few days later we received email from someone who saw us that night and decided not to eat meat after that gig. Fuck!! what a feeling. It was a first time when we felt that the message is really gets to people. I hope every Herida Profunda gig is received that way by public. That this is all more than just a music and having a beer on a gig.
(13) How do you rate the power of do-it-yourself (DIY) in the independent music scene these days? Does it practically relevant to please and to ensure the survival of underground bands like Herida Profunda?
Herida Profunda is 100% DIY band. Until now, every single tour we played was organized by us – not any booking agency. We are participating in releasing our stuff. Basically if not DIY movement our band would not exist. And I’m sure its a same story with millions of bands. Its all about helping and supporting each other. I think best thing about DIY scene is friendly attitude and that feeling that you can trust someone even I its a first time you see the person.
(14) What could be expected from the band in the near future? Do you have already write and record any new tracks?
Yes, we are doing some new songs. We are thinking about 2nd full-length but hopefully we will release 7" split before that. We are already planning some tours for 2017. We will play Eastern Europe (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia) in March, then we play week tour in Spain with lovely grinders from Himura and we will play August summer tour and play at Chimpy Fest in London. So it will be busy year :) hopefully we will get enough days off at work :D
(15) Thanks for spending your time on this interview. You are free to express few last words on behalf of the Herida Profunda and please don’t forget to leave us with a nice message written in Polska?
Thanks a lot for interview. Come and say hello on the gigs! Our stuff is available for free download on our bandcamp so feel free to check it out. Na zdrowie!
heridaxprofunda@gmail.com
Nota: Interbiu ini dilaksana bagi tujuan kontribusi kepada zine HERMYTH #8, kendalian saudara Mohd Azman Aziz dari Melaka. Hubungi: 0172796369.
