Metanol: “Nothing Can Break Us. Music Should Unite, Not Divide”

Ten years of hard work, changes, setbacks and new beginnings. The band Metanol have endured a difficult start, a personnel crisis after the isolation of the COVID era and the search for their own sound, yet they never stopped believing in what they were doing. Today, they speak openly about their journey, their professional approach, their pre-show ritual and their bold definition of their own style as POPMETAL. In this interview for Rebel Sound, frontman Viktor "Vik" Kratochvíl also opens up about the unexpected connection between the two worlds that shape his life. By day, he stands in front of students as a mathematics and physics teacher; by night, he takes the stage at the helm of a metal band. As he says himself, both worlds are united by hard work, responsibility, dealing with people and the ability to learn from mistakes and keep moving forward.

If you were to describe Metanol's history as a book, what would the individual chapters be called, from the band's formation to the present day?

A tough question right at the start of the interview. Well, let's go for it…

1) Hard Beginnings
2) Hard Work
3) Shadows
4) Half-Life
5) Unification
6) Empathy
7) Still Working Hard
8) Defining POPMETAL
9) Nothing Can Break Us

Which period was the hardest for Metanol, and what kept you together at the time?

The hardest time was definitely when two members left at once after the isolation during COVID. My brother and I knew we were not going to quit. In the end, Standa was what kept it all together. He decided to give it a try with us and also brought Pepa into the band, which meant we could carry on playing shows straight away without any problems.

Was there a decision that seemed risky at the time, but that you now know was essential for Metanol to become the band it is today?

Agreeing to our first concert and deciding to step out of the rehearsal room to show people what we were trying to do. We were all genuinely stressed about it, but after that there was no stopping us.

When you look at the Czech rock and metal scene, what has changed the most during the band's existence?

Honestly, I would say almost nothing. The Czech scene is evolving, of course, but when I look at festival posters from 2016 and 2026, they mostly feature the same bands. Apart from that, we have grown ten years older, just like the other bands.

Was there a moment when you felt that people had begun to see you as a real band rather than just a group of enthusiasts?

It did not change overnight. Right from the start, we told ourselves that regardless of the event, the number of fans and so on, we would always do our utmost to come across professionally. A major turning point was the arrival of Petr, our jack-of-all-trades, technician and sound engineer, who genuinely brought us up to a professional level in that respect. Of course, this also means we need certain minimum technical standards, and by insisting on them, we definitely come across, at least to promoters, as a genuinely professional band.

Which concert or event most strongly defined what Metanol is today?

I am going to repeat myself a little here. It was the arrival of Standa, and with him Pepa, as well as the recording of the album Empatie. Standa introduced us to Martin Holly Hollander, with whom we defined the sound and style that we are trying to keep pushing towards a "world-class" level while still respecting the specific character of music in the Czech Republic. That is also why we named the new album POPMETAL, and Pepa was the band member who left the strongest mark on it. We know people do not like the word "pop", but let us be honest with ourselves: almost every major band puts a little pop into its music, even if they do not admit it. We are not ashamed of it.

What are you proud of as a band that your fans may not know about at all?

Well, what are we most proud of? The fact that we continue to follow our own style, even though it would often be easier to adapt to the mainstream. But no, we will keep writing lyrics with depth, ideas and meaning that listeners have to discover for themselves. And I believe they are succeeding.

If somebody made a documentary about Metanol today, which scene absolutely could not be left out?

So many scenes come to mind that it is hard to choose just one. But one thing has been repeated since the band's very beginning: our pre-show ritual, when we bring our fists together as a sign of unity and shout, promising one another that we will give it everything we have got. It happens before every concert, and it definitely could not be left out of the documentary.

Questions directly for frontman and vocalist Viktor.

Most people picture a teacher standing behind a desk, not onstage with a metal band. How did this story actually begin?

The funny thing is that I really got into music thanks to studying to become a teacher. Few people know that I completed teacher training in those "favourite" subjects: mathematics and physics. In our first-year physics course, there were only seven of us, including one drummer, Skoty, and one keyboard player, Honza. With help from my parents, I bought a guitar and an amp and began learning to play. I got so hooked that playing in the garage was no longer enough, and I decided to devote myself fully to music.

Which came first: the desire to teach or the desire to stand onstage?

The desire to be onstage was probably already there in childhood, although it remained hidden for a long time. I enjoy both, so my work and hobbies are closely interconnected, and I would genuinely wish that for everyone.

Have you ever brought something from concerts into the classroom, or from teaching into your music?

Definitely. First and foremost, it is working with the voice. When you teach continuously, you have to know how to use your vocal cords so that you can be heard throughout the classroom without amplification and without ruining your voice. Unfortunately, this kind of voice work is not taught at university, and many teachers have problems with their vocal cords. I did too, but music and puppet theatre helped me. I was not always a showman either. As a child, I was very shy; that only changed while I was at grammar school and university, a kind of personal transformation, you could say. Sometimes that shy little boy resurfaces, but then my work at school, where you carry enormous responsibility for many things, helps me find my balance again.

How do your students react when they discover that their teacher plays concerts with a rock band in the evenings?

Naturally, it is one of the first questions I get from new classes. The students listen to our music, and some play it at home, so I see it more as a kind of sensation. Of course, we also have fans among the students. Some of them are involved in music themselves, and I run into some of them at festivals, but I try to keep those two worlds somewhat separate.

When you look at your life as a teacher and a musician today, in what ways are those two worlds surprisingly similar?

The two worlds are surprisingly extremely similar. Both are hard work, and often you feel that nobody sees or appreciates it. No matter how hard you try, even if you do not want to argue or get into conflict with anyone, there will be people in both worlds who hate you and people who like you. It is also the same in that everyone thinks they know what you should do better and what is right. But in both worlds, you need to realise one thing: mistakes are part of life, and I do not have to know everything or be the best at everything. I can either collapse because of a mistake, or laugh at it, learn from it and move on. Throughout my life, I have tried to be the latter kind of person: someone who can laugh at himself and keep going. In closing, I wish all musicians and teachers success in their work and in making their dreams come true. And to our fans, to people who do not know us, and even to those who do not like our music, if they happen to be reading this, I hope music continues to bring them joy and that it unites us rather than divides us. We are all in the same boat.

On behalf of Metanol, Viktor "Vik" Kratochvíl - frontman

Metanol are not a band that looks for easy shortcuts or tries to fit in at any cost. Their story is built on perseverance, unity and the courage to admit that heavy music can carry a touch of pop sensitivity without losing its strength or identity. Viktor's perspective also reminds us that the stage and the classroom can be closer than they first appear. In both, a person needs a voice, patience, responsibility and, above all, the ability not to give up after making a mistake.

Metanol also show that people cannot be judged by their profession or by ingrained ideas about how they should look and what they should listen to. A teacher does not have to be just a serious figure behind a desk. They can have tattoos, love metal, take the stage at night and still be someone who does their job responsibly and with heart. Viktor breaks down prejudices and proves that education and heavy music do not exclude one another. On the contrary, they can complement each other perfectly.

Metanol have already lived through chapters called Hard Beginnings, Shadows and Half-Life. But now they are writing a chapter with a clear title: Nothing Can Break Us. And if their music carries one message, it is precisely the one Viktor expressed at the end. Music should unite people, not divide them. Because we are all in the same boat.

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