1996, Rawicz. A small Polish town without much to offer except the sounds of heavy music brewing in the minds of two dreamers. Peacemaker was born from restlessness and a refusal to conform. Kucol and Devil, its founders, weren’t just building a band; they were shaping an identity forged in frustration, rebellion, and an unyielding love for aggressive music. Their story isn’t one of meteoric success but of gritty endurance, navigating lineup changes and pauses in activity, yet always finding their way back.
Peacemaker’s latest release, Internal Revolution, is a distillation of their 28-year journey. Spanning 2017-2024, the album doesn’t scream a singular message but is a cathartic, nine-track saga of heavy riffs and dark introspection.
It’s raw and diverse, each song meticulously crafted to reflect both the chaos and resolve of the band’s existence. Recorded in 2024 and mixed by Jarek Wysocki at Soundscope Studio, the record captures an organic ferocity rarely found in today’s heavily polished productions.
The album cover, designed by Mieszko Jankowski, mirrors the themes within—a stark, evocative piece rooted in the album’s emotional weight. This visual is no afterthought; it’s a deliberate extension of the music’s tone, seamlessly tying the auditory and visual into one cohesive statement.
Peacemaker’s ethos is straightforward: heavy music that defies trends. Whether inspired by small-town stagnation, socio-political unrest, or existential battles, their lyrics reflect a brutal honesty. Tracks like “Infected Mind” highlight individual rebellion against societal manipulation, while “Hate Crosses Borders” channels the despair of war. The band doesn’t preach—they observe, absorb, and unleash.
The heart of their process lies in collaboration. Writing begins with a riff, layered with drums, and evolves through collective input. Kucol and Devil acknowledge the importance of keeping it natural, rejecting forced experimentation while allowing organic growth. It’s this blend of instinct and discipline that has kept their music fresh without compromising their core.
Below, our full interview delves into their beginnings, creative process, and reflections on the state of heavy music. We discussed the making of Internal Revolution, the story behind standout tracks like “Infected Mind,” and their take on modern tools and old-school values.
Let’s start with your roots—what’s the story behind PEACEMAKER? Take us back to those early days in 1996. What pushed you to start the band, and how has the journey been so far?
Kucol: In the early ’90s, we were just kids from a housing estate in a small town, no prospects, no clue what to do with ourselves. You know, parties, booze, fights—that kind of thing. I was playing in another band at the time, but the bassist and I wanted to do something more with ourselves, so we started this band. At first, we called it Nameless. Not long after, we changed it to State of Hate and brought in Spider from Wrocław as our vocalist. But in ‘97, there was a flood that hit Wrocław, and Spider ended up moving to Warsaw. After that, the two of us started playing as a trio under the name PEACEMAKER.
Devil: Honestly? We had a dream. Sounds like I’m paraphrasing Martin Luther King, but it’s true—Kucol and I just wanted to live out this kind of musical dream. We listened to, and still listen to, a ton of music, so why not start making it ourselves? That’s how it began. The lineup has changed a lot, we’ve had breaks, hiatuses—we’ve lost count of how many. But we’re still here, and we’re not giving up.
Your hometown must have shaped you as a band. Can you tell us a bit about the local scene where you come from? What’s the vibe there, and are there any newer bands or acts we should have on our radar?
Kucol: It’s a small town, and honestly, it’s as good a place as any to start playing. After we got the band back together, we had to move to Wrocław. As for bands from our hometown? There used to be some, but now? None that I know of.
Devil: Everyone in the band either lives in or used to live in Rawicz, but I don’t think the town itself shaped us musically in any major way. Sure, back in the day—over 20 years ago—there were a few hardcore, punk, and metal bands around. And there were gigs too; Kucol and I even organized or co-organized a bunch of them.
Now? There’s nothing left of the “heavy music” scene here. That doesn’t mean Rawicz is entirely out of the loop, though. Take Mieszko, who designed the album art and video, and Bartek, who worked on the video too—they’re both part of the death metal band Morrath (Poznań/Leszno). On our own team, our guitarist Łukasz plays in Mortemorium from Głogów (death metal/deathcore), and our drummer Kuba is in 71TONMAN from Wrocław (doom/sludge).
As for gigs, there’s not much happening anymore, at least not in terms of heavy music. The only thing keeping it alive, in my opinion, is the punk rock festival MotoNiedźwiedź, which has been running here for a few years now.
Looking at the gaps and lineup changes over the years, it’s clear that keeping PEACEMAKER alive hasn’t always been easy. What kept you going through all those challenges?
Kucol: When you’ve been playing in a band for a long time, it becomes a group of close friends, and the band itself becomes a part of you. Sure, a lot of people quit when problems—big or small—show up. But if you truly love it, you keep going, in one lineup or another.
Devil: You know, with all the lineup changes, breaks, and comebacks, I can’t count how many times I wanted to say, “That’s it, I’m done, I don’t want to do this anymore.” But every time, I’d realize that I’d be losing an important part of myself and my life forever. That thought always gave me the motivation to push through and keep playing.
“Internal Revolution” feels like a culmination of years of evolution. What was the creative vision behind the album? Is there a central theme or message running through it?
Kucol: This album is our catharsis, a collection of our thoughts and inspirations. There’s no overarching message.
Devil: It’s definitely not a concept album, but at the same time, we wanted the music and the lyrics to work together seamlessly. I think we achieved that—heavy sounds paired with lyrics that mostly deal with heavy and unpleasant topics.
Can you tell us about the cover for Internal Revolution and the ideas behind it?
Kucol: The cover was designed by a friend of ours. We gave him some ideas about what we wanted on it, and he came up with a few versions. In the end, we chose the one we liked the most.
Devil: The artwork is another piece of the puzzle that was really important to us. It had to reflect the mood of the album as much as possible, and Mieszko nailed it completely.
The production on the record is tight, with clear technical mastery. How do you approach writing and arranging these complex compositions? Any specific routines or methods you stick to for honing your skills?
Kucol: It’s hard to believe, but the whole band works on the compositions. We start with a riff, add the drum rhythm, and play around with it. If everyone likes it, we add the next part. Each member is responsible for their own parts, but we’re open to suggestions from each other. Our guitarist, Łukasz, often comes up with insane riffs—some are amazing, others are just too complicated, so we drop them. And sometimes we even ditch the amazing ones because Łukasz doesn’t record them and just says, “I’ll remember it”—and, well, he often doesn’t, ha ha.
Devil: Honestly, there’s not much I can add to what Kucol said about composing. It’s how we’ve been doing things for years, and it works, so we’re not changing it. As for the album’s production—the sound is all thanks to Jarek Wysocki at Soundscope Recording Studio. Working with him during recording, mixing, and mastering was great, and we’re fully satisfied with the final result.
How do you keep things fresh while staying true to your roots? Do you consciously experiment, or does it all come naturally?
Kucol: I believe it happens naturally. I don’t think we experiment. Either something works and we keep playing it, or it gets scrapped. Sometimes we test a song live, and it turns out it’s worth changing it entirely or tweaking parts of it, big or small.
Devil: I’ll say the opposite—we naturally experiment. We’ve done that since the beginning because we’ve always wanted to blend different styles of heavy music in what we do. But there’s no forcing it—everything has to fit together, like Lego bricks.
After so many years in the game, what’s your secret to staying sharp as musicians? How do you keep that muscle well-trained and ready to deliver such intensity?
Kucol: There are no shortcuts in music, no easy ways out. Personally, I can’t stand cookie-cutter songs—the kind that sound like, “Oh, others are doing this, so let’s do it too.” Maybe it sounds pretentious, but we’re not like others—we’re just ourselves. Or at least we try to be, ha ha.
Devil: You’ve just got to play. And then play some more—at rehearsals, at home, wherever. I don’t know any other way to stay sharp. Even when there are no gigs lined up and the motivation is low, you still have to put in the time.
The gap between your releases has been significant. What made now the right time to put out this full-length? How has the process differed compared to earlier recordings?
Kucol: It was a long break, and there was always something missing—no vocalist, no drummer, someone had to step back for a while, and so on. Finally, we got an offer from a label, and we pulled ourselves together, decided we had to do it, record it, and release it. At that moment, it became our priority. I think we made the right choice.
Devil: We spent a long time thinking about how many tracks we’d record and how we’d release them. We wanted to make it happen, but it wasn’t a given that it’d end up being a full album. The breakthrough came when we started working with Dawid from Spook Records. That motivated us to record a complete album and release it on CD.
The track “Infected Mind” stands out—what’s the story behind it? Does it tie into the album’s broader themes?
Kucol: It’s a song about rebellion. Rebellion of an individual against everything and everyone. You’ve got ideals in your head, burning like a torch. And then something inside you snaps. You see the collapse of humanity, and while you might outwardly accept it, inside, there’s this fury eating away at you—a rage that comes from realizing the world isn’t at all like governments, politicians, and the media make it out to be.
If you’re up for it, we’d love a track-by-track commentary on the album. What’s the story behind each song, and are there any personal favorites or standout moments for you?
1. We Come From Nowhere
Kucol: This track is about where we’re from, the place we grew up in, and the lack of prospects for the future there. It’s also about the ideals we held onto then and still carry with us today.
Devil: I’ll joke that it’s kind of like Perfect’s “Autobiography,” but ours. It’s a bit of an autobiography too. But unlike Perfect’s, the tone here isn’t lighthearted—life in a small town isn’t fun, and it can weigh you down. You know, small-town mentality and that whole vibe.
2. Stay Human
Kucol: You can be whoever you want in life, whoever you dream of being, but moral values like honesty, justice, respect, tolerance, responsibility, and compassion shape your choices, decisions, and relationships with others.
Devil: To me, this track has a really positive message, and that’s probably what sets it apart from the rest of the album. You can always stay human, no matter the circumstances—though sometimes it’s incredibly hard.
3. Infected Mind
Kucol: This one’s about rebellion—an individual standing against everything and everyone. When the ideals you believed in suddenly lose their value, and you see how governments and other systems operate, it changes how you think and view the world.
Devil: The world you knew falls apart. All that’s left is the fight to survive and the hatred consuming you, like an infection.
4. Today Is the Day
Kucol: This song tries to get inside the mind of someone who becomes a terrorist. It’s a different perspective on a social individual who, often manipulated or emotionally disturbed, doesn’t see any other way but to destroy everything.
Devil: Unfortunately, we often hear about people who, for very different reasons—sometimes completely irrational ones—decide to set the world on fire, no matter the consequences.
5. Internal Revolution
Kucol: It’s about an inner transformation, about changing your views when you look at things from a different perspective. Suddenly, you realize that everything you did and thought was a mistake—you tear it all down and start over.
Devil: For me, it also has a layer about the band itself—all the changes and rebuilding we’ve gone through, almost starting from scratch again and again.
6. Hate Crosses Borders
Kucol: This was inspired by the war in Ukraine, but also by the times we live in, where hatred for another person can take on so many different forms.
Devil: Exactly—it was written during the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, and that strongly influenced the lyrics.
7. The Rat Race Has Started
Kucol: For many people, power is the only thing that matters. That goal blinds them to any values—they’ll do whatever it takes to achieve power, even if it means stepping over corpses.
Devil: From a young age, a lot of people are taught to join this rat race. That they have to chase power, money, influence, and all that. If they don’t, they’ll be nobodies, and someone else will rule over them.
8. 99 Thousand of Lies
Kucol: “A lie told a thousand times becomes the truth.” Society feeds us lies from birth, and after a while, you either start believing them or rebel and go against the current. That’s when you become “antisocial,” and friends and acquaintances turn their backs on you.
Devil: Lies, manipulation, fake news, and disinformation surround us every day. Just look at what’s happening on social media and across the internet. And every day, we try to fight it.
9. Words of My Life
Kucol: There’s a fine line in life between love and hate, between the endless fight for survival and death. We fall, get up, and fall again, and so it goes. It’s human to fall—what matters is getting back up and moving forward.
Devil: Love, hate, anger, death… You can experience all of these every single day. And practically any of them can have a destructive impact on your life—even love.
As fans, what were some of your favorite releases from last year? And what are you most excited about in 2025, both as music lovers and as a band?
Kucol: We all have different favorites from last year, so it’s tough to name just one. For me, though—nothing groundbreaking here—it’s Knocked Loose – You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To, Ulcerate – Cutting the Throat of God, Blood Incantation – Absolute Elsewhere, and Full of Hell – Coagulated Bliss. As for 2025, I don’t have specific expectations… I just hope there’ll be a lot of good music.
Devil: Man, I really don’t like these kinds of questions… In 2024, I listened to a lot of music, but some of it wasn’t even from last year—it was older stuff. I haven’t even gotten to all the 2024 releases I’m interested in yet, so I can’t really pick a favorite. For 2025, as a listener, I just want to be surprised—and I’m sure I will be. As a band? We just hope to play as many gigs as possible.
The metal and hardcore scenes have changed a lot since the 90s. How do you view the digitalization of music today? Do you see digital tools like streaming and social media as a help or a hindrance for underground bands?
Kucol: It’s definitely helpful for promoting underground bands. Before going to a gig or buying a CD, you can listen to the album and get familiar with the music. But I’m nostalgic for the ‘90s, when a band’s worth was judged by their live performance.
Devil: Streaming and social media are both a blessing and a curse in today’s world. A blessing because you can get your music out to so many people all over the world so quickly. A curse because, honestly, you don’t really have a choice—you have to use them if you want to gain wider recognition. And paper zines and traditional formats like CDs, tapes, and vinyl are becoming more like collector’s items these days.
Speaking of tools, are there any digital platforms or techniques you’ve found especially useful for spreading your music? Or do you still stick to a more old-school, offline approach?
Kucol: Every method of spreading music is a good one. Personally, I use Bandcamp and Spotify. Old-school ways are great, but these days you have to consider digital techniques and platforms, whether you like it or not.
Devil: When it comes to digital platforms, we’re not exactly groundbreaking. We’ve done what thousands of other bands do—we put our music on Bandcamp, Spotify, and SoundCloud. It definitely helps get the word out. But there’s still an old-school element—Internal Revolution is also available as a CD.
Post-pandemic, how do you feel about the live music scene? Are gigs bouncing back to how they used to be, or do you feel there’s still a long way to go?
Kucol: It’d be great if everything went back to how it was. Of course, the gigs and atmosphere of the ‘90s aren’t coming back, but I hope people will keep showing up at concerts and the scene will continue to grow.
Devil: I don’t think gigs are back to their old form yet, and attendance is still all over the place—especially for underground shows with lesser-known bands. All we can do is hope that things will only get better from here and not the other way around.
Finally, what’s next for PEACEMAKER? Any big plans for 2025—tours, new music, or collaborations we should know about?
Kucol: We’re always open to any kind of collaboration. As for what might happen with or within the band, it’s hard to say. We’re not making any assumptions. Time will tell, but we’re staying optimistic.
Devil: Life has taught us not to make long-term plans. Right now, our main focus is promoting the album as much as possible, and that’s where our energy is going.
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