bandcamp link

Tracklist:

This is Allarme, the band I'm in, and our self-titled debut album. Recorded at Zamiostudio in Warsaw. This album is a bit of a melange, because there wasn't any leading idea for it, in terms of both lyrical themes and musical style. This band is like family to me, and we're all really compatible with the other members. We all share the role of lyricist, for example our bassist, Kryzys sings lyrics written by Niko, our drummer. Sometimes I feel like I can express myself better with these guys than when I'm all alone, making my solo music.

Now, about the album. This is a noisy one. Kryzys and I love to produce some ear-piercing feedback with our guitars, and that's what we often do during shows. Unfortunately it wasn't as easy to do in the studio, where we recorded all the instruments together in the same room. The amplifiers were in a different room, so we couldn't really turn around and do feedback like we usually do during shows. This wouldn't be too much of a problem if not for the tracks 12 Godzin (12 Hours) and Handlarze Śmiercią (Death Dealers). Both of these songs have lead guitar parts composed mainly of high-pitched feedback. So we figured this out: after recording all the instrumentals, I would go into the amplifier room and record the feedback-y parts separately. I think this turned out pretty well..? At least I'm happy with it.

Another challenge were the vocals, as I wasn't feeling that concert adrenaline that I need to do some emotional screaming vocals. As you can hear in Leaver, my vocals sound pretty awkward. I think this is the 3rd or 4th take we've done of the vox, and yet I still cringe at the first line. Thankfully it gets better with each verse, but still, eh.

I also did lead vocals on Ślady (Traces), which is also a track where I exclaim my dissatisfaction with the current state of things on the Internet. Zero privacy, constant surveillance, algospeak and whatnot, "Stallman was right" type of stuff. It took me a couple of shows to get the vibe right for this song's vocals. In the studio, Kryzys told me to add some paranoia to the words I'm saying, and that was the perfectly worded tip. The lyrics are probably the most radical thing I've written. With parts like "Ostrzegali przed nadejściem matki boskiej komercyjnej" ("They warned us about the coming of Our Commercial Lady"), or "Pochwal towarzysza Muska" ("Praise comrade Musk") you can sense the distaste I have for certain characters, philosophies and the insane path we seem to be on right now.

We also dabble in some philosophy, as Kryzys sings "Zadać sobie pytanie - Co to znaczy być człowiekiem?" ("Ask yourself the question - What does it mean to be human?") in Lustra (Mirrors), a mellow, sparse and monotone track. On the recording I only really play the A minor chord over and over with a few additional notes here and there. Although live it's a completely different song. Kryzys actually changes the lyrics a bit, I add more melodic parts, Niko gives the whole thing more rhythm.

I could go on and on about this album, as we all put a lot of thought and energy into it, but I think this is already an alright enough synopsis. I hope you like it!