Aleš Dostál, in the metal world better known as Alesh A.D. is musician, guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, lyricist and producer who has been actively involved in the music scene since the 90s. With his studio project Ravenoir he released “Nocturne”, 4th full length, on November 2nd, 2024. That was just one of many reasons for this interview.
Hi Alesh! How are you, is everything well in Brno? Are you ready to answer my sometimes quite strange questions?
Greetings, my friend. Yes, everything is in perfect order and I am ready to answer your barrage of questions. Let’s get on with it.
It’s good to hear that! So, let us go to the point immediately. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you started your musical adventure with an ensemble called Terror. How do you remember these days? I know it was fuckin’ long time ago, but…
Yes, I appeared on the music scene in 1990 with Terror. At that time we were probably the youngest dark metal band in the Czech republic. Terror were soon engraved into the subconscious of hard metal genre followers. Undoubtedly, the frequent gigging with metal demons Root and last but not least the positive reviews of Terror demos were a great help. Reviews, interviews and articles about this band appeared not only in Czech-Slovak metal fanzines, but even in underground magazines all over the world. It is certainly worth mentioning the publication on the pages of the encyclopedia of Czech and Slovak hard rock and heavy metal bands “Echoes of heavy songs”, published in 1993 by the editors of the music magazine Rock & Pop. In spite of all the mentioned sympathies and successes, the Terror formation finally disbanded at the beginning of 1996 and I grabbed the rope thrown by the Brno metal legend Root.
You released four demos. Is there a possibility of getting these recordings in some, so to speak, official way? If so, where should we look for them?
I have to correct you. Terror managed to release only two demos during their existence, “Chrám v podsvětí” (1991-1992) and “At the Nightfall” (1993). In 2014, both demos were exhumed and the CD “Worship Old Days (Demo Collection)” was released under the joint wings of underground labels Corpse Records and Dead Head Production. This limited release of demos on CD has been so well received by die-hard Terror fans that in the summer of 2016 Corpse Records is re-releasing a 2CD called “Demoexhumation”. Interestingly, in the same year 2016, both demos were released in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on MC by Revolver Labels. I believe the total print run of both reissues is sold out.
For some time now, a kind of fashion has been taking place on the metal scene to re-editions of stuff originally released in the nineties or even earlier. Are there any plans like that for Terror? It’d aroused considerable interest, especially among Czech and Slovak fans, don’t you think?
Quite by chance, I was approached a few days ago by the Japanese label Darker Than Darkness Records, interested in re-releasing both cult demos of Terror on 2CD. Should see the light of day sometime in the summer of 2025. It will probably be the very last opportunity to acquire these prehistoric recordings. You’ll be sure to hear about the exact release date in due course.
You dedicated eleven years of your life to legendary especially in your country, but also mine – mostly for people in our age, Root. How did it happen that you joined them? It took place the same year as the Terror split-up. Was there any connection between these events?
My joining Root was basically a continuation of the final phase of Terror. Already at the end of 1995 I was approached by BigBoss and I warmly accepted his offer for the vacant position of guitarist at Root.
Can you tell us why this few years’ break in playing with them took place? Of course, if it isn’t some kind of bad experience you don’t like to talk about.
I certainly have no secrets on this subject. The band wasn’t working on a very professional level at that time and I felt that I didn’t want to be part of it anymore. I was disgusted with everything at the time and planned to leave. I wanted to dedicate myself to my new music project The Squirm, which was totally out of metal. So we agreed at Root’s 10 years anniversary concert that I would record the upcoming fifth studio album “The Book” and then we would part ways. In 1999 I was replaced as guitarist by Marek Ashok Šmerda and in 2014, when he left to join Cradle of Filth, I replaced him again. In 2014 I was approached again by BigBoss if I would like to return to the band. I knew that the band was already working in a completely different way than in the past and I accepted the offer. That was crucial for me. I was in Root until 2022, when the band went out of business.
But more or less two years ago the band stopped any activity, as I know. Was it due to some irreconcilable music visions, conceptions in which direction the ensemble should develop and stuff like that or Big Boss just decided to “kill” his child, and the ensemble finally died in 2022?
Absolutely not, you’ve pulled the wrong information out of your sleeve! All the band’s plans were thwarted by the greatly deteriorating health of BigBoss. This was the main reason why Root announced their closure in 2022 after about 35 years. Nothing lasts forever. Something always ends and something begins again. However, I remember the eleven years I spent in the legendary Root band as a guitarist very fondly, of course. It was a great experience for me, both musically and as a school of life. Countless unforgettable experiences and shared adventures that no one can take away from me. Lots of funny stories with friends who are a big part of your life and second family, but also the less fun moments that just go along with it all. BigBoss and Root made a big dent in the metal music scene worldwide. I had the privilege of being a member of this dark squad. I was honored to stand alongside BigBoss for several years, and together we graced concert stages all over the world. Personally, I think that the dark hallmark and similarities of Root also seep partly from the work of Ravenoir.
I think the eight question is a good one to start talking about the main reason for our chit-chat, Ravenoir. Life of this project began in 2020 and it’s, as I know, still a solo activity. Was it your intention from the beginning or did it just came out like that, because you didn’t find anyone who’d like to play with you?
My original intention was to form a regular band, but based on certain circumstances and primarily the attitude of the individual members, I quickly reconsidered this intention. Ravenoir has gone through several personnel changes in its short existence and all four albums have been made with different line-ups. All of the guest members have had their main involvement in other groups. On the debut I fulfilled a big dream of mine and invited Andy La Rocque (real name Anders Allhage) as a special guest, who is none other than the Swedish guitarist, songwriter and producer known as a member of heavy metal legend King Diamond. His distinctive signature of elaborate melodic guitar solos thus embellished the eponymous track “The Darkest Flame of Eternal Blasphemy”. My friend Jiri BigBoss Valter also made a significant guest appearance on the debut.
I’ll follow the punch and ask you about something that’s been going on in my head just from the beginning of this interview. Namely, do you have any plans, or at least dreams, to transform Ravenoir into a regular ensemble?
I don’t plan to do anything like that anymore. Over the course of a few years I came to the conclusion and decision that I no longer need to be part of any band. So I present Ravenoir as my purely studio project. This will continue to be the case.
Anyways, you immediately got to work hard, which resulted in releasing February 2021 debut album, “The Darkest Flame of Eternal Blasphemy”. And then cooperation, which continues until today, with Slovak Gothoom Productions has begun. Why did the choice fall on just this label?
The collaboration with Gothoom Productions was the result of our mutual friendship with the head of the publisher Peter Bet’ko, who is also the creator of the beautiful and dark Ravenoir logo. Peter is a very capable, helpful and incredibly hardworking person. Even though Gothoom Productions is a small label, tries to do things the best he can and puts a lot of time into it. I appreciate our collaboration immensely.
The only exception was your third full-length, “Cultus Inferi” released by Czech Black Barn Music. How do you remember working with them and why did it end after one thing?
I really don’t like coming back to this topic. Working with Black Barn Music and Blackfin was a completely ill-advised and bad decision on my part. In the beginning their team had huge plans and that turned out to be just bubbles of promises. Promises – mistakes, they say. The third album “Cultus Inferi” didn’t get any promotion from their side and metal fans didn’t even notice the release of this album. It’s a great pity. The mystification of our fans by the label regarding the realization of the three-disc LP Ravenoir was the last straw in my patience. Pretty much immediately after the release of “Cultus Inferi” I immediately ended my collaboration with them and returned to Gothoom Productions.
What by the way was the reason for this “split-up” with Gothoom? Did you want to be in some smaller label, or did it happen, let’s call it, by some kind of accident?
There was no problem with Gothoom Productions in the past and the switch to the pseudo-publisher Black Barn Music and Blackfin was based on very interesting offers from them. These are capacities in building air locks and greasing honey around the mouth. Nothing more nothing less. One learns by mistakes and I have been very cautious in dealing with anyone since.
Your newest, released not too long ago, is “Nocturne”. To begin with, tell me if my irresistible impression of this so-called concept album has any basis, or is this only my mad invention?
It’s not exactly a conceptual work, but there’s a common theme running through all the lyrics on the album. Whether the end of our earthly existence is followed by paradise, hell, reincarnation process or whatever else, the theme of Death concerns each of us and this is the primary theme and idea of the album “Nocturne”. Some might argue that the theme of Death in the lyrics has long been a cliché. I don’t care about that. In my case, it is a completely personal reflection and deeply mournful poetry, which I colour with dark and anguished melodies. But don’t expect any smouldering piles of human remains.
And here cooperation was mentioned before the Slovak label was resumed. Anyways, I’m sure you’ll tell us about the reasons for this decision yourself, so I will ask about something else. What it’s all about, only releasing “Nocturne” or you can also count on help with other matters?
Yes, the collaboration with Gothoom Productions was renewed long before I started writing ideas for the upcoming fourth studio album “Nocturne”. The owner of the label has always been fair and straight with me. That’s the most important thing for me. We have already discussed with Gothoom Productions about the release of the upcoming fifth album. So I have no reason to look for other publishers.
Oh… I almost forgot to ask you about something more general that always intrigues me when I have to do with solo projects. What does the process of creating individual songs look like in your case? As a guitarist with many years of experience, you probably start work with just this instrument and only then think about matching drums, etc. to it, don’t you? I know I’m a layman in this matter, but I somehow think it’d be the most logical way.
The musical side of Ravenoir was, is and always will be purely my business. As for the actual process of composing, writing lyrics and recording, it is not much different in my case and has been the same for many years. Both the musical ideas and the lyrics have been gradually honed to my full satisfaction. My main means of expression is the guitar and all musical ideas are created through it. I usually have a clear idea in the early stages of songwriting what the mood will be and how it will sound in its final form. I can hear in my head the different instruments, how they will be incorporated in the individual songs. The creative process is always divided into several phases and I spend two to three months recording the album. Creating an album is always a kind of therapy and a great adventure for me. I have been in the creative process continuously for more than three decades and I can’t quite imagine my life without writing music anymore. At least not for now. All the albums followed each other quite smoothly and naturally without any pressure. Ravenoir’s artistic position is not limited by anything. Everything is guided by my mood, need and desire to create and write new things. The reviews of music critics or the opinions of fans have never been decisive aspects for me that in any way influence the direction for further work.
As I said before, the pace of work on new songs is almost impressive, detailed considering they aren’t like from under the bar. So, my next question seems to me to be justified. Do you have any ready-made tracks for the next full-length?
Thank you for the compliment. It is a kind of unwritten rule in Ravenoir albums, that in between the release of the current album, I start to concentrate on the creation of the next one. This is mainly because I already refuse concert activities completely. This leaves enough space for creating new songs, studio work and realization of regular albums. At the moment I am slowly composing material for the fifth RAVENOIR album, which will be called “Labyrinth of Illusions”. At the moment I have three new songs in progress.
You’re active on metal scene times when Czechia and Slovakia were one country and, I think, no one thought it’d be otherwise once. And now you probably expect a request to compare that scene and today’s one. But none of that! Of course, you can do it if you wish, but I want to ask about something else. Are mutual relations between Czech and Slovak scenes as strong as then? In other words, are they still inseparable as a whole?
People in general are not as close to each other as they used to be, but I think that the connection between the two nations of Czechs and Slovaks still exists, even though they are no longer one. I personally have absolutely no problem with that.
And with this perhaps optimistic accent we end our meeting today. Are you disappointed in this fact, or even on the contrary, and have breathed a sigh of relief that it’s finally the end of my meddling? Anyways, if you’d like to say something completely different at the end, now you have a unique opportunity.
Your questions were perfectly fine. I have the feeling that I have already said everything important in all the conversations over the years. I wish you and Abaddon Magazine every success in the future.
