This interview comes with a little of delay just because the flood that has struck Czech rep. in the past month, made some problems to Tom (my interlocutor for this time) to answer the questions I sent him. Anyway, he was able to finally send all the stuff back, in spite of all the problems, and now you can read it. Thanks to Tom for his engagement, and let's discover something more about Agmen and their music...

Well, let's start introducing Agmen to the readers: when did the band was formed, what are your releases and so on…

            The band was formed in the summer of the 1997 with these members: Michal (drums), C. O. F. F. E. (guitar), Tom (guitar, bass guitar, vocals). After half a year, it was recorded the first demo "Tartarus". After recording this demo, C. O. F. F. E. left and Morphys joined the band. But he leaved the band too, before recording the next release. The first album called "Damnation" was recorded in January 1999 with Michal and Tom as members. A new guitarist, Tomdeath and bass guitarist, Milan, joined the band and in September 2000 the second album (the last for now), called "Eternal" was recorded. This album wasn't released 'till now. Tomdeath left the band and Jorg changed him.

This is your first full length album since the creation of the band. Are you satisfied of "Damnation"? What are the goals you have reached with the full length comparing it with the demo?

            We are satisfied of "Damnation". I think the full length album, comparing it with the demo, has a better sound and thanks to B. of N. /Merciless it also has a better diffusion, as we know from the people who are interested in black metal.

The sound of this album is quite thrashy, and not simple to understand at the first listening: personally I started to understand it after a couple of listenings, and now I'm beginning to appreciate it. This thrash vein that's inside Agmen's composition it's your personal way of feeling Black Metal music or it's just something that refers only to the songs of "Damnation"?

            You're right, the sound is thrashy. I always liked the thrash bands of the ´80, for example Kreator, Sodom, Destruction, and Slayer. Also, I was playing in one unknown thrash band. I think that the thrashy sound you can hear on every Agmen album, exists because it's the style I was growing up with.

Could you explain us the meaning (translating them) of the songs in "Damnation"? And eventually give a description of the lyrics and the topics faced in them…

            The texts have mostly the function to stimulate the atmosphere of the music. The texts have their own stories but they haven't a task to solve problems of this world. Some of them are about mythology some about cross campaigns. The songs are: 1. Angel of suffering (moody song), 2. Apocalyps (doesn't need any explanation), 3. Dark mountains (who knows Immortal, knows the meaning of the text), 4. Songs of the ravens (mythological things), 5. Mission of good (describes a cross campaign and its consequences), 6. Damnation (blasphemous things - interview of the soul with the demons), 7. Immortal (again Immortal), 8. Songs of dark nights (mythological thing), 9. Hammer against witches (describes the processes against witches in Moravia).

How do Agmen create their music? It starts all from a guitar riff, a good text…what?

            As I told you, the music is more important for us. The most of ideas comes from me and it mostly starts with guitar riffs.

Why did you decided to entitle the album "damnation"? What's damnation for you?

            The album has the name of a song; we think it's one of the best songs on the album.

In the cover of the album we can see something like a medieval illustration of demons torturing christian souls: what do you think about the christian idea of damnation? Does it fit to your personal interpretation of it? And what's your opinion of the judeo-christian "culture"?

            The cover comes from Merciless rec. The christian ideas don't interest me at all. I think that the "judeo-christian culture" isn't a culture at all, in my opinion. What did they achieve in the centuries of their existence?

Do you believe in god / Satan or other divinities? Do you follow any precept and religion or do you have your lifestyle / philosophy?

            I don ´t believe in god or any other stupid things. I believe in myself. I don't think that there is some "higer" power controlling my life. I think that all the things depend on my abilities and the way of using it.

Can you explain the meaning of the illustration in the booklet of the Cd version of "Damnation"? What does it represent and what's the meaning of the statement that accompanies it?

            I don't want to talk about that, it wasn't our work.

Back to the music, you have covered a song of Torr at the end of the album: can you explain us why did you choose this song and that band?

            We chose Torr because it is one of the first bands playing black metal in the Czech republic. We like their old albums.

What are your musical influences? Tell us some names just to understand…

            For Black Metal we are influenced, for example, by Immortal, Satyricon, Dark Throne, but we also listen to different styles of metal. For example Morbid angel, Deicide, King Diamond or thrash bands.

Describe us the musical scene of your country: are there good bands in the Czech rep.? Can you suggest us some good names besides those bands everybody knows?

            The scene in our country is most of all full of grind, H-C and other shits. But there are also good Black Metal bands (about 10) as Inferno.

What are the future projects of Agmen? Are you recording some new material for a new release, planning some gigs or something other?

            We are planning a new release now, but we don't know when it will be recorded. We don't play many concerts; the reason is the lack of time.

The last question before the end: why did you decide to play Black Metal music? What's the meaning of Black Metal for you and what is and isn't BM for your personal tastes?

            Black Metal is close to me not just for the music, but also for the statements. The aggressive and dark atmospheres of it, enthuse me. I can't use more metal styles together in any other metal style like in Black Metal………………………simply its the best!!!

The end: to you the last words…

            Thanks for your patience. I want to set greetings to all fans of good metal (Black Metal fans above all) in your country.

Thank you so much for give us this time of questioning. Hails!