BOHEMYST: Darkness That Lives a Life of Its Own. Okultura Is Meant to Be More Than Just an Album
Bohemyst are not a band content with merely continuing the past. After closing the twenty-five-year chapter of Avenger, since 2017 they have been building their own world step by step – dark, rooted in Czech culture and filled with horror imagery, history, superstition and a distinctive atmosphere. The 2021 debut Čerň a Smrt showed that this was not just a new name, but a unique identity of their own, which they describe as bohemian dark metal. Attention is now turning to the ambitious concept album Okultura, which has taken several years to create and which, according to the band, is meant to go beyond the boundaries of music itself. In this exclusive interview for Rebel Sound, Bohemyst speak openly about breaking with the past, creative development, collective work, performing live, waiting for the new album, and why music should above all leave behind an emotion and a lasting mark.
Bohemyst were formed in 2017, when after twenty-five years you consciously closed the chapter of Avenger. That was not an ordinary name change, but almost a decision to bury your own history and start again. What did you need to leave behind as musicians at that time for Bohemyst to truly come into being, and what, on the contrary, absolutely had to survive from Avenger?
It was quite a difficult decision, because there were plenty of arguments for not throwing away the twenty-five-year history of Avenger. But since the initial impulse came from Honza Kapák, the central figure of the band, we accepted it as a done deal. It actually made sense, because with my arrival in Avenger, the original chapter came to an end. The band had never had a standalone frontman before, and according to Honza, Avenger's historical classification would only have limited us in our future work. It wasn't just the name that changed, but also the style, the thematic direction and even the process of creating new songs itself. Of course, you can't say that Avenger isn't reflected in Bohemyst's music. It is a logical continuation, and we directly build on the original work of Avenger, which therefore lives on as the blueprint for what came next.
Ramus' note – deciding whether to stay under the original name or open an entirely new chapter was pretty difficult. There was a long discussion around it, and from my point of view it made sense to continue, but in the end I was outvoted. Frankly, I wasn't convinced that the transformation into BOHEMYST was the right move, and it took me a very long time to understand that it made sense. Looking back, though, I have to admit it was a step in the right direction. A huge bonus is the name BOHEMYST itself, simply because it is original and easy to find everywhere, which couldn't be said about AVENGER.
The 2021 debut Čerň a Smrt felt like a very confident confirmation that Bohemyst was not merely the continuation of an old band under a new logo. When did you yourselves first feel that you were no longer standing in Avenger's shadow, but had created your own world, your own language and your own identity? And were you surprised by how strongly the album was received even beyond the circle of your long-time fans?
The moment we agreed that I would be writing the lyrics. In Avenger, Honza was the sole author of the music for all the songs and, in the later phase, of all the lyrics as well (from the album Feast of Anger onward). With Bohemyst, we wanted to begin a new chapter and change the subject matter. Darkness radiated directly from the music, calling for everything to be connected into a single world dominated by the horror atmosphere of fairy tales for adults, combined with the evocative sound of the Czech language. Everything that would embody the essence of the new name Bohemyst. We didn't think about whether the album would be successful; we simply did what we enjoyed. I suppose you can hear that on the record, and that's why the fans feel close to it. We were definitely surprised by how well it was received and how smoothly it managed to build on the success of Avenger. After all, I see it as much more accessible material compared with Avenger. They are simply songs that are also much more straightforward lyrically and less philosophical.
Čerň a Smrt is built on the Czech language, dark imagery, death, landscape, superstition and a distinctive South Bohemian atmosphere. When you write music described as "bohemian dark metal", what does that "bohemian" actually mean to you? Is it a place, history, mentality, language, or something far harder to describe that a person simply has to carry within themselves?
The description suggested itself directly, since one of Avenger's albums has that title. And what else could describe the identity of Bohemyst so precisely as bohemian dark metal? Musically, it is a dark mixture of black metal, death metal and other metal subgenres, so the adjective "dark" is the most accurate. Thanks to the Czech lyrics and the general connection to the history of the Czech lands between the 17th and 19th centuries, the geographical designation "bohemian" is an obvious fit. And, of course, everything you mentioned above as well. It wasn't calculated or intentional; it simply developed naturally and came together as a new whole that has already begun to live a life of its own. So yes, it is something we had to carry within ourselves.
In Bohemyst, decades of experience from the underground, Avenger, Master's Hammer and other projects come together. Is that kind of past an enormous advantage when composing, or can it also become a burden? After so many years, can you still surprise yourselves with something in the rehearsal room that genuinely takes you out of your comfort zone?
Definitely. We all had to step outside our comfort zones, because the material Honza prepared for the debut album is not at all easy to transfer to live performance. Of course, because the songs were created by Avenger's sole songwriter, there is also a very strong spirit of our previous band in them, which could in some way have limited us. But I see it as a continuation of history, a kind of quotation of the legacy of the previous 25 years. For Honza, it was certainly very new and difficult to hand over at least part of his original agenda to somebody else, so that was probably where the step outside the comfort zone was strongest.
You have been working on the second album for approximately three years. What is the main reason Okultura has required so much time? Is it perfectionism, the complexity of the concept, the search for the right sound, everyday life around the band, or did you deliberately tear some things down and rebuild them from scratch during the process?
Okultura represents many new things for us, as well as a certain responsibility. We don't want to churn out an album every two years that follows exactly the same tracks as the previous one. We are constantly developing, setting ourselves new challenges, and Okultura is a very ambitious project. When Honza came up with the idea of making a concept album, I wasn't thrilled, because I knew it was no joke. But once I immersed myself in developing the concept, suddenly everything (once again) fell into place and the theme came together relatively quickly. Creating something that goes beyond ordinary music-making is basically an adrenaline-filled affair. Will it work? Will the fans accept it? Will they understand it correctly? It's a lot of challenges rolled into one. That alone took up a substantial part of the time needed to prepare the album. Another factor is how much time we are able to devote to it, and since we really aren't 20 anymore and most of us have families and commitments, it is difficult to combine everything. And that doesn't even include life changes that simply cannot be predicted in advance. Fortunately, we have avoided any major rewriting of material that was already finished, so completing it is now essentially just about fine-tuning the sonic clothing and taking care of a few details.
You publicly revealed the title Okultura back in 2024. The word itself immediately opens up space for occultism, culture, mystery and multiple layers of interpretation. What does the title truly mean to you, and what kind of world is the album supposed to open up for the listener? Is Okultura one continuous story, a collection of interconnected images, or rather a gallery of different forms of human and supernatural darkness?
It is a continuous story in which the individual parts also work independently. I wanted it that way from the beginning so that we could play the individual songs live without breaking the entire concept. But only when they are connected into a single story does the suffocating darkness emerge, binding everything together into a monstrous dimension. I can reveal that it will be far from just a musical affair, and we have much more up our sleeves. I'm also really looking forward to seeing whether fans will be able to uncover all the connections to the original album. There are several such references in the concept. The title Okultura is not merely a summary of the album's attributes; at the same time, it represents the central motif of the entire story. I won't reveal any more…
The new record has been described as a concept album full of horror imagery, oppressive stories and music that can creep, explode and then disappear back into the shadows. How much has that original vision changed over the past three years? Is there a song or motif that ultimately steered the entire album in a completely different direction than you originally planned?
The vision is still the same; in fact, everything has remained true to the original intention. The disadvantage of a concept album is that if you want to change something, the entire construction collapses like a house of cards. For example, Honza suddenly came up with lyrics for one of the songs. Whether I liked it or not, I had to act like a dictator and reject them, because they wouldn't fit the concept at all and, in terms of meaning, they wouldn't work with the overall message of the story either.
Fans have already heard several of the new songs live, but Okultura itself is still waiting to be released. What stage is the album at right now, and what still needs to happen before you can say, "It's finished"? And a question your fans will probably find it very hard to forgive you for avoiding: when will they realistically be able to hear the whole thing?
A lot has already been said on this subject, but deadlines really aren't our strong point. A great many things have happened in the meantime, and there are simply too many objective reasons why it isn't finished yet. But that's life. Better to keep some distance than rush to release something we can't be satisfied with. Now it finally looks as though we might be able to get through that final stage; we have practically no concerts in the autumn, so there will be more room to finish the album. Another unknown is the label. We will only now start looking for a new one, because the company behind Petrichor, the label that released our debut, has since ceased operations.
You previously suggested that the second album would be more of a collective effort and at the same time more diverse within the framework of bohemian dark metal. How exactly has the way a song is created in Bohemyst changed today? Does having more songwriting voices bring freedom and new colours, or also many more creative clashes and compromises?
Yes, both Honza and I pushed for collective creation, meaning that both guitarists should contribute some songs as well. That worked out, and I think it greatly benefited the overall diversity of the album. But Honza also made a major shift in his own songwriting style, because he contributed several truly atmospheric tracks that fit the lyrical side beautifully. I have to say that Okultura is genuinely much further ahead than Čerň a Smrt. And I haven't noticed any creative clashes at all; it is a very natural and functional process. Recently, another important composer joined the band in the form of our new bassist Jakub Neuman, so an even more diverse follow-up album can be expected. But now I've wandered into the distant future (around the year 2033).
The first album established a very specific atmosphere and also set the bar high. When creating its successor, do you ever struggle with the fact that listeners are expecting "another Čerň a Smrt"? What matters more to you – satisfying someone who loves the debut, or having the courage to make a record that may unsettle or even divide them on first listen?
We definitely don't want to stand still. Every new album should naturally follow on from the previous work while also developing it further. I don't know what listeners expect from us, but considering that the new material works live without any problems, I'm not worried about the fate of Okultura at all. And above all, we're not in a position where we should be disappointed. The ambition to be "the most famous band in the world" left us a long time ago, and it's questionable whether we ever had it in the first place. We simply want to create what brings us joy, and if it speaks to other people too, all the better. But I think those who like the first album cannot be disappointed. Once again, it will be 100% bohemian dark metal (with a slight inspiration from a certain Danish legend).
In 2026, you also released the joint live title Pad Tame na Agramu / Live in Zagreb with Croatia's Elusive God. At a time when music is often reduced to individual tracks on streaming services, why is it still important for you to capture a concert as a whole and give it a physical form? What do you think a live recording can reveal about Bohemyst that a studio album never can?
For me personally, this is my very first LIVE release. And I've already been through a respectable number of bands. I'm not exactly a fan of live albums, but there are a few that manage to transfer the energy of a concert onto a recording as well. And, without false modesty, I think our split does that too. For Bohemyst, it is special because it was a unique concert in every respect. Guitarist Jirka Kocián was on a university placement in the USA at the time, so we played the show with our current bassist Kuba appearing as a guest guitarist. The live recording wasn't planned at all; the offer only came during the preparations for the concert. And none of us imagined it would turn out well enough to be used for our first official live release. So that says a lot about Bohemyst. We are capable of presenting our music live with quality and full energy, which is very encouraging.
Bohemyst are also closely connected with the ETEF festival and the South Bohemian underground scene. After so many years on stage and with experience reaching deep into the 1990s, what can still keep a metal band hungry today? And what would you like people to say about Bohemyst in ten years – not in terms of sales or numbers, but in terms of the legacy you leave behind?
You could say, "don't feed us." But seriously, every concert is a challenge, and there is joy in the energy that, when you give it to people, they return a hundredfold. The moment something is missing from that, it's over. You can't keep doing it forever just for the money either. You have to enjoy it, and above all you need people around you who feel the same way. Then it can work for decades. And what about our legacy? To leave behind something meaningful, something that might brighten (hehe) the greyness of everyday life for someone, at least a little. Something a metal fan will gladly return to even after a great deal of time has passed.
And finally: when Okultura eventually comes out and opens the second major chapter of Bohemyst, what would you like the listener to carry away from it long after the final note has faded? And what would you like to say today to the people who are waiting for the new album with you, to Bohemyst fans and to Rebel Sound readers?
My personal vision is that the listener will stand there for a moment, wondering what exactly has just happened. Then they will play the record again, and with every further listen they will live through the story we have prepared for them. Then we will be able to say that it was worthwhile. The worst thing is when music doesn't affect you emotionally at all. It just passes by and leaves nothing behind.
We would like to thank all our fans for their support, loyalty and patience so far. And to those who are hearing about Bohemyst for the first time today, I hope this interview encourages you to listen to our music. You may like it, you may not, but it definitely won't be boring!
Thank you for a very insightful interview, and we wish Rebel Sound and its readers many great musical experiences – not only with Bohemyst!
Bohemyst come across in this interview as a band that no longer needs to prove anything through numbers or by chasing quick results. Instead, they guard their own world, their connection to the past and their courage to keep moving forward. Okultura is therefore not being created as an obligatory continuation of a successful debut, but as a carefully conceived whole designed to draw the listener in, unsettle them and make them want to return. If the band's wish comes true, the final note will not be followed by silence, but by questions, images and the urge to play the whole story again. And that may be Bohemyst's greatest strength: their darkness is not a backdrop; it is a space that lives a life of its own.
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