Interview with Marcin Wilczek, founder and vocalist of the band “Prime Prophecy”
Where did the band’s name come from?
It was formed 21 years ago after the band’s first year of existence. First the name was “Pro Pain”, but we realized that such a band already existed, so I had to come up with something else. There was no difficulty with this, however. The new name was born practically within 15-20 minutes. It sounds good and accompanies us to this day.
So it’s been two decades now?
Yes. Prime Prophecy has been playing since 2003 and last year celebrated its 20th anniversary, which culminated in the release of our third studio album, “Borders of Infinity”.
Currently, you are the only person who has been in the band from the very beginning.
That’s true. I founded the band together with guitarist Piotr Statkiewicz, who left us a year ago. After a year of the band’s existence, keyboardist Tomek Tworek and guitarist Konrad Ceremuga came to us. In the following years, guitarist Darek Pakuła and drummer Krzysiek Niewiarowski appeared, and recently the bassist Andrzej Maziarz, known for playing in the bands Raggedy and Wehikuł Czasu, joined the band. So, we can say that the core of the team has remained unchanged for many years.
How would you describe the band’s current style?
Even as Pro Pain, we started more with melodic hard rock or hardcore, but when Prime Prophecy was created, we moved towards gothic, symphonic metal, which evolved towards progressive playing. So, for today we play symphonic, progressive metal. I think this will be the most accurate description.
You have released 3 studio albums so far?
Yes. Our first album was “Perfection Finally Has Its Price”, released in 2006. In 2011, the album Dark Side of Heaven was released, and in 2023 the previously mentioned “Borders of Infinity” was released. Impressive music videos were also created for some songs. The first clip we made was for the song Viking, which was created especially for the boxer Marcin Wach and consists of fragments of his fights. This is Mariusz Wach’s official song for entering the ring and could be heard many times before his fights. Our most important music videos were created for 2 songs from the last album, i.e. End of The Beginning and Memories from the Past. We received many opinions that visually they look exceptionally atmospheric.
You have played a considerable number of concerts over 20 years.
There was a lot of it, but not as much as we would like. Like any band that has been operating for so long, we have had various ups and downs related to the change of musicians, the pandemic, or other circumstances. However, despite this, we have played many concerts in our history. One of the most significant was the performance at the Emergenza festival, in which 300 American bands participated. We made it to the finals and although we ultimately took 3rd place, I consider it a great success because there was a lot of competition and many teams performed at an excellent level.
Do you sing only in English?
Yes, because from the beginning we focused more on the American market. We wouldn’t be able to achieve much by singing in Polish in this musical genre. Which doesn’t change the fact that we really like playing for Polonia.
Do you compose all the pieces yourself?
We play and record almost exclusively original compositions. I am responsible for the lyrics, and we develop musical ideas together during rehearsals, so the music is the work of the entire band. The only cover we recorded, and which was included on the last album was the song Small Town Boy by Bronski Beat. Of course, it was completely rearranged by us. We will definitely play this number at the concert in the Center. Especially since we received a lot of positive comments after recording this number, also from Americans.
When it comes to the mentioned festival in the Center, what can participants expect from your performance?
Those who come to the festival from our side can expect a lot of positive energy and a lot of metal and symphonic music. When playing metal, we are not a typical underground or niche band that associates its work exclusively with a subculture or one group of recipients. As far as I know, we are listened to by lovers of various musical styles. Certainly, none of the festival participants will be disappointed.
You had the opportunity to appear on stage at PSC a few months ago during a rock festival right?
Yes, and I am very happy that I will be able to perform there for the second time. As Prime Prophecy, we are always very happy and honored when we can play for Polonia. After all, we are all Poles and every time we play events in Polish places, we are met with unique energy and a warm welcome. I remember the rock festival very well. A lot of people came, the atmosphere was unique and everyone had a good time. The room itself is also impressive. It has a good sound system and acoustics. Nothing but play. I wish you a successful concert and see you at the Festival.