We had the opportunity to speak after Prime Prophecy’s first concert a year ago, when you performed at the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity event at Club Wisła in Garfield, New Jersey. In the opinion of many people I spoke with, your voice has never sounded better!
I won’t hide the fact that such comments make me very happy. I think it’s the result of performing quite a lot last year. However, we’re not relying on accolades, because I believe we can still be even better. As for WOŚP, we’ve supported it from the very beginning and play practically every year, regardless of where the finale is organized. It’s become a tradition for us as well.
At the start of the year, you impress both with your form and your stage energy.
We’ve never lacked energy for playing and performing, and we still don’t. Otherwise, there would be no point in going on stage at all. What’s also important is that we’ve been playing in the same lineup for quite some time. We’re all healthy and ready for this year’s challenges. We continue to rehearse and improve our performance to give our best at every upcoming show.
And there will be plenty of those this year as well?
Exactly. In the summer we’re planning to visit Poland again, and this time it will be a much bigger tour than last year. At the turn of July and August, we’ll probably play five or six concerts. We took nothing but positive experiences from last year’s tour. For every artist, contact with a live audience and the energy that arises from it is extremely important. For me, it was incredible that a band from the United States could come for the first time and have people in the front rows singing along and knowing the lyrics to our songs. After that Polish tour, interest in our music in Poland increased, which we can see in our social media statistics. We’re a festival band and we simply need to show up as much as possible. That’s why we want to perform again at the Pol’and’Rock Festival—this time on the main stage. To make that happen, we need to win the Golden Spinning Top Audience Poll. For now, among foreign bands we’re in third place, and to get in we have to be first. So we’re also counting on votes from our fellow Poles in the United States. The poll has several stages. At each stage, you can vote for us by visiting www.polandrockfestival.pl/o-
That’s all happening in the summer. What are the band’s immediate musical plans?
We plan to release a single that will appear on our upcoming album. The album is scheduled for release in two years, but we’ve adopted a strategy of releasing singles periodically to promote it. This is, of course, driven by advertisement considerations, as it helps build interest in the final product. The first single will be released at the beginning of May. Right now, we’re starting work on a music video for it. I can reveal that a well-known Polish actor will appear in the video, and the clip itself will be produced here in the United States. For the first time, we’re also planning to use AI in our creative process. I’m very curious about the final result. Everything will be published on social media and streaming platforms.
Will this be your fourth studio album?
Yes. Our first album was “Perfection Finally Has Its Price,” released in 2006. In 2011, “Dark Side of Heaven” came out, and in 2023 we released “Borders of Infinity.” Our new album will feature exclusively our original compositions with my lyrics. We always create the music together—it’s the child of the whole band. I think our strength from the very beginning has been that we are one big family, and everyone in the band has equal rights. No one puts themselves above the others, and we also remember those members who are no longer with us, because they contributed greatly to the band’s current sound.
Speaking about history, you’re the only person who has been in the band from the very beginning.
That’s true. I founded the band in 2003 together with guitarist Piotr Statkiewicz, who left us two years ago. After the first year, keyboardist Tomek Tworek and guitarist Konrad Ceremuga joined us. In the following years, guitarist Darek Pakuła and drummer Krzysiek Niewiarowski came on board, and most recently bassist Andrzej Maziarz joined, known among others for playing in the bands Raggedy and Wehikuł Czasu. So you could say the core of the band has remained unchanged for many years.
How would you best describe the band’s current style?
When I founded Prime Prophecy, I intended to play gothic, symphonic metal, which gradually evolved toward a more progressive direction. So today we play symphonic progressive metal. I think that’s the most accurate description.
You’ve been on stage for almost a quarter of a century. How do you physically handle the demands of live performances, especially since they are so energetic?
Passion for singing and music is the key. It is very natural to me. One person is born to be a mechanic, another a gardener, and another an artist. In my opinion, everyone has their own way of living. I’ve always known what I wanted to do in life, and I’ll probably never stop. The most important thing is not to give up and to persevere in your goals. Obstacles should be overcome, not avoided, and you shouldn’t go away from the path you’ve chosen. Many people have talent, but at some point they give up and later can’t return to a certain level. You always need to have a destination in mind, even though the journey itself is the most important thing. I feel that everything is currently moving in the right direction, and I feel good about it. Everyone in the band knows their responsibilities and is here because they love what they do. I wish everyone that on their musical journey they meet people with whom they can create beautiful things. Even if you have a vision, you can’t achieve much alone. You need people around you who believe in that vision. I can say I was lucky to find such people. Each of the guys brings their own energy, and we support each other during tougher moments. And that’s very important too.
Apparently, the legendary guitarist John Petrucci recently became your fan.
Maybe that’s a bit exaggerated, but on December 20 we played our last concert of the year at Dingbatz in Clifton, New Jersey, and John Petrucci did stop by the club. The reason was quite simple—another band was performing with us, and his wife plays guitar in that band. He doesn’t usually attend her shows, but this time he came by. We talked, had a drink, and he took our album. John is a great guy, and it was really a very pleasant meeting.
I’m sure it will be just as pleasant at your concert during the Pre-May Day celebration at the Polish & Slavic Center. What can we expect from your performance?
We’ll play our best material to date, and additionally we’ll try to perform the first single from the new album. So it will be the premiere performance of that song. And from the stage there will certainly be plenty of positive energy and lots of symphonic metal music. As Prime Prophecy, we are always very happy and honored whenever we can play for the Polish community, especially at the Polish & Slavic Center in Greenpoint, where we will be performing once again.
Interview conducted by Marcin Żurawicz