After nearly two decades in silence, Thirty-Three Rotations is back—carefully, and without fanfare, but with purpose. One of the few bands in early 2000s Poland that managed to channel the American hardcore sound with genuine conviction, the group quietly recorded one of their old tracks and shot a music video to accompany it.
The premiere was set to air first on Radio Ostrowiec, where the band took over the whole show to reflect on the past and future, and right now, we’re honored to unveil the full launch right here on IDIOTEQ!
The band originally formed in 2000 and existed until 2004, playing close to 100 shows and navigating a sound that started in the orbit of New Age Records and moved toward the metallic hardcore direction that defined that era.
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They were part of a local wave that made noise in the triangle of Puławy–Kurów–Lublin, a scene some jokingly dubbed the “Portland of the East.”
“There was this magic during our early days at the legendary Jam room in Puławy,” they recall. “It’s wild how certain people find each other in space and time. Nothing else really mattered to us—just playing what we loved.”
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The song and video were recorded last year, when guitarist Łukasz Miazek flew in from Scotland and reconnected with the band. “Once we hit those first chords, it was like opening a time capsule,” they said. The audio was mixed and mastered by Haldor at Satanic Studio, with guitars recorded in Edinburgh by Ewan Simpson and vocals laid down at Wieloślad Studio by Michał Ścibior. The clip was directed by Artur Dziewisz with visuals by Ubeusz Pastuszak (Studio Powidok).
The new track isn’t just a nostalgic flashback. It’s a signal that something more could be coming—a full album, possibly even shows. “We’re taking cautious steps,” they say. “No promises. But I hope we’ll lure the last wolf out of the forest.”
Their lineup includes familiar names with ongoing musical projects. Vocalist Michał Matraszek, previously of Crush All Fakes, Slip, and Hidden World, is now in Diary of Laura Palmer and Only Mess.
Guitarist Łukasz Miazek plays in Afterburn and Slowmove in Edinburgh.
Bassist Tomasz Szewczyk remains active in Puławy with Penthouse and previously played in Steelman and Colours.
Drummer Artur Dziewisz is known for his work in Juliette, Bind (Singapore), and now plays with Bliss—whose video for “Agonia” made waves in the Polish blackened hardcore scene and was featured right here on IDIOTEQ. The only member they’ve lost touch with is guitarist Michał Jarosz, now based in the US.
Looking back on the early 2000s, they cite the scene’s blend of raw energy and evolving sound: “Hardcore was always about pushing the edges. Metal was the natural direction, though it meant something different over the decades. It’s funny now to think how people called some bands too metal back then—when today, we have death metal-inspired hardcore everywhere.”
They name-drop the exact records and bands that shaped them: “We grew up on Outspoken, Unbroken, Mean Season, Strife. New Age Records shaped our view. I still remember that huge A0 poster from 1999—three big logos: Amendment 18, Countervail, Insurgence. The latter two really hit us hard. In fact, Michał came up with the name Thirty-Three Rotations after seeing a reel-to-reel graphic on the Insurgence album.”
As for Puławy’s role in the scene, they say it was always geared toward the American school of hardcore. “Lublin was more raw and dirty. We leaned into melody and that West Coast sound.” Despite material limitations—gear was expensive and hard to get—they played as much as they could and drew in a tight-knit crowd of friends and strangers who are still in touch today.
Asked about the current state of the scene, they’re reflective but grounded: “Now everything’s calculated—posts, splatter vinyl variants, merch drops. We use the same tools capitalism does, which we once opposed. But when we see people still reacting to new music, it brings back faith that we all still need real connection with art.”
The new video is both a tribute and a reconnection. A quiet step back into a world they never fully left.
Be sure to give this amazing song a good listen and stay tuned for more!
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