Wode (United Kingdom)

Interview with Mike Czerwoniuk

https://www.facebook.com/Wodecult

Manchester’s savage Wode sons  return with their fourth album, Uncrossing The Keys, marking a confident expansion of their already formidable sound built upon a shadowy foundation of feral black metal and ironclad heavy metal heft. Recently I had a nice and pleasant conversation (although we don’t agree what is the best football club in the world!) with Mike Czerwoniuk (vocals, guitars, keys & organ). Please enjoy reading it and keep supporting this black/death/heavy/doom metal quartet.

Metal Revolution: Can you tell us about the very beginning of your career? When and where was Wode formed? What was the idea behind the formation of this band?

Mike: The band formed in Manchester, UK in 2010 as a collaboration between Tim & I after our previous band had ended. We started out creating raw and rudimentary black metal in the vein of Darkthrone, Ildjarn etc before adding a couple of members and recording a demo in 2011. Gradually the music began to develop into something more organic and personal over time.

MR: Recently you released your new album, Uncrossing The Keys on via 20 Buck Spin. What can you tell us about your fourth opus, Uncrossing The Keys?

Mike: I think it’s probably our most complete sounding album to date. The band has developed to a point where we feel totally comfortable with our own identity and sound. I still see the band as black metal in a broad sense but I don’t think this album really sounds like any other black metal bands out there. There’s a lot of different influences and ideas present but we worked hard with the arrangements to make everything feel cohesive. Our three previous albums each have six fairly long songs and we made the conscious decision to write more songs for this one (nine) with a shorter length per track, which I think has made the album feel more immediate.

MR: Probably too early to ask, but are you pleased with the reception of Uncrossing The Keys so far? Any feedback from media and black metal worshippers?

Mike: The reviews I’ve seen have been consistently good across the board I’d say, with the odd reviewer who really connects with the album and occasional person who doesn’t get it at all. Any praise or criticism is welcome though. People we’ve spoken to at gigs seem to be really enjoying it and the new songs have been going down well live.

MR: What’s the lyrical content on Uncrossing The Keys and what were you inspired by when composing this new nine-tracker record?

Mike: I really wanted each song to have a clearly defined subject matter. The previous album had a central narrative which made each song feel like chapters in a book, while I wanted this album to feel like a series of short stories. Lyrical inspiration comes from many different sources including: the life and writings of the alchemist John Dee, local folklore, ancient history, unsolved murders, dreams, religious theology and so on. The lyrics pose the same challenge as the music in that they draw from many different sources but need a lot of editing and reworking in order to make them feel cohesive.

MR: Again, maybe too early to ask, but do you have any personal favorites from Uncrossing The Keys? Which song resonates with you personally the most and why?

Mike: I like all of the songs even if some of them took a bit longer for me to fully appreciate. My favourite songs have also changed a few times which I think is a good thing as I’m still enjoying new details despite having listened to it 100+ times. Current favourites are “Lash of the Tyrant” & “Under Lanternlight”.

MR: Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think your sound is a bit more ‘doom-oriented’ on this new album, to times reminiscent of the likes of Paradise Lost and Amorphis?

Mike: There’s always been a doom influence in the band but it’s definitely more pronounced on this album. Certainly a track like ‘Tra”smutation” recalls some of the feeling of the bands you mentioned as well as some of the old Sabbath influence.

MR: Where and under what conditions were you recording the new album? Who was in charge of sound, production and mastering?

Mike: We recorded the album in 2024/25 with James Atkinson (Atko) at the Stationhouse in Leeds. The studio is this great old Victorian building which was formerly a police station complete with a turret and huge live room. We tend to agonise over every detail which meant the album took a while to complete with multiple sessions being added, but it was certainly worth it and I think Atko did a great job with the production side of things. The sound is heavy and punchy yet still organic and full of life. The album was mastered by Magnus Lindberg who added a touch more grit to the overall sound.

MR: Utilized any new recording techniques when recording this one, compared to its 2021 predecessor, Burn in Many Mirrors?

Mike: We used a different studio/engineer so that created a slightly different dynamic, but I’d say our process didn’t change that much. We probably spent a bit more time experimenting with different synth and keys sounds and I spent a bit more time on the vocals – double tracking and layering takes for certain parts of a song.

MR: How does your creative process work? I mean, what’s the creative process like when you make a new song?

Mike: Either Tim or I will bring a riff or a few riffs to the practice room and the four of us will try to develop the song through jamming/improvising or occasionally adding pre-existing riffs we’ve written which work with it. We record what we have on a phone and listen to it at home and come up with new ideas or ways to improve and develop the song for the next week. The process continues until we have the bare bones of a song, after which we edit and refine things until we’re happy. I’ll usually come up with a wordless vocal pattern to the song while we’re jamming and then fit lyrics to it later.

MR: How many copies were released and which medium was used for this new edition (CD, digital, vinyl, cassette)?

Mike: I’m not sure on numbers honestly! There are four different vinyl versions, plus a CD and cassette version.

MR: In 2023 you’ve been sharpening your claws on European tour with Wayfarer. How was that experience for you? Has it changed you as a band?

Mike: Well that was only a short UK tour but we enjoyed it as the shows were mostly good and we got on well with Wayfarer. I’d say the main thing we learned was that it’s worth not just playing the obvious big cities but also travelling to smaller cities like Plymouth and Bournemouth which are a bit out of the way, but can end up being some of the best shows of the tour.

MR: Any fan memories you would share with our readers? What’s been your most memorable live experience to date and why?

Mike: My amp blowing up midway through our first ever European show in Antwerp in 2017 and having to run down the street to get a spare one from the van. We managed to rescue things and it ended up being a wild and great show. Playing to a packed room at Damnation Festival just after covid was very memorable, our biggest crowd at that point. Playing a medieval cave/chapel underneath a monastery in Metz, France is probably the coolest in terms of venues.

MR: Uncrossing The Keys has been released via ’20 Buck Spin’. What can you tell us about the label and how did you get in touch with them?

Mike: Dave who runs the label got in touch with us after our second album Servants of the Countercosmos was released expressing interest in working with us. Once we were ready to record Burn in Many Mirrors we got back in contact with him and everything fell into place from there. It’s a great label and they’ve been really easy to work with.

MR: When did your interest in black/death metal start to grow and what is it that fascinates you so much about it?

Mike: I grew up loving punk before eventually getting into bands like Black Sabbath, Slayer, Metallica etc as a teenager. Eventually that led to seeking out more extreme bands. The turning point for me was stumbling upon Darkthrone’s – Panzerfaust which was unlike anything I’d heard before, a totally captivating and otherworldly sounding record. I became obsessed with wanting to hear everything that could recreate that feeling.

MR: What are your favourite bands then? Do you all four guys share the same musical interest?

Mike: I’d say we all have fairly similar tastes in music and in terms of stuff that influences Wode it’s bands like: Dissection, Necromantia, Iron Maiden, Darkthrone, Black Hole, Emperor, Voivod, Slayer, Black Sabbath Mercyful Fate and so on. Outside of metal we like and are influenced by bands like: Sonic Youth, Killing Joke, Swans, King Crimson, Dead Can Dance etc.

MR: Coming from Manchester I guess some of you are interested in football? United or City fans?

Mike: I’m a Manchester United fan and we’re still the greatest team in the world despite what you may have heard. Dan supports Bolton Wanderers and Ed is a Birmingham City fan, but I doubt you’ve heard of either of them.

MR: Oh yes I have. I follow English Premier League, The Championship and even League 1 on regular basis. (Don’t hate me now, but I’m Liverpool fan). Now, again talking of your band… would you tell us what the next step is for Wode? More live performances in support of Uncrossing The Keys? Any new projects in the pipeline that you can share with us?

Mike: We have a few UK shows booked over the next few months plus festivals in Ireland and Germany, with more TBA next year. We hope to do a proper European tour at some point next year too. Three of us play in Aggressive Perfector who will release a new album next year too.

MR: How can people reach your band & music?

Mike: They can listen on bandcamp or any of the usual streaming places. Instagram or Facebook are the best place for updates on live dates, releases etc. For anything else, the band’s email is wodecult@gmail.com.

MR: We just arrived to the last one. Please tell the last words to the fans and our readers out there to finish this great conversation.

Mike: Thanks for the interview and thanks to anyone who’s checked out the new album so far.