Behemoth leader Adam “Nergal” Darski is finding it difficult to relate to the new generation of arena-filling acts. In a candid new interview with the Australian outlet “Metal On Tap,” the vocalist expressed a sense of isolation regarding the current state of the genre, admitting that while he respects the success of modern bands, he does not understand their appeal.
Nergal noted that the list of bands he personally looks up to is shrinking as legacy acts retire. When the topic of current heavyweights like Parkway Drive, Avenged Sevenfold, and Sleep Token came up, Nergal was blunt about his inability to connect with their art.
“I mean, I know Parkway Drive is probably an arena band now, but it doesn’t tell me anything,” Nergal stated (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “I don’t know what Parkway Drive is. I don’t know what Avenged Sevenfold is. I don’t know what — who is Sleep Token? It’s not me. It’s not my DNA. I mean, I don’t f**king get it. It’s probably good music. It’s all well played and big productions and stuff, but once those giants leave the earth, leave the stage, let’s put it that way — I’m lonely. There’s nowhere to go.”
For Nergal, the priority remains the classic bands that shaped his musical upbringing. He emphasized the urgency of seeing groups like Metallica and Iron Maiden while they are still active.
“With all those legacy bands, be it Guns, be it AC/DC, be it f**king Metallica, [Iron] Maiden, in the first place I’m a fan of their music. I collect their records,” he explained. “I always tell whoever I talk to, man, just go and see those bands. Buy tickets and go and see [them play], because the time is flying. And it’s gonna be in a blink of the eye that Metallica is no longer, f**king Maiden is no longer. You would be, like, ‘Oh, s**t. I should have gone and gone and seen them.’ Yeah, you f**king should.”
Looking at his own career, the 48-year-old musician acknowledged that the physical demands of extreme metal make it difficult to envision performing into his late 70s, unlike some of his heroes. He specifically cited Scorpions singer Klaus Meine as an anomaly of longevity.
“When I look at bands — I don’t know — Klaus Meine [of] Scorpions, the dude is almost 80 years old,” Nergal said. “Hey, my mom is 80 this year, I believe, or 79. And the dude, he looks good. He barely walks [on stage], but his voice is f**king on point. And I’m, like, ‘Holy f**k.’ So I’m 48, and I’m counting. [I have] 32 years to go. No f**king way!”
Consequently, Nergal has placed a tentative expiration date on Behemoth. While he believes the band is currently in its prime, he predicts they have about a decade of high-level performance left in the tank. He also expressed some cynicism regarding the current value of releasing albums.
“I’m guessing another 10 years. 10 good years of touring and maybe doing another record, even though I’m questioning the sense of recording any new music. Who f**king cares these days about new music? But, anyways, I think Behemoth has at least 10 good years ahead.”
