From Hungary emerges TÜRBÖWITCH, a band that has managed to channel the rawest essence of speed, thrash, and black metal into a direct, violent, and uncompromising sound. With an attitude that echoes the untamed spirit of the 1980s, the group has been carving out a name for itself in the underground scene, reaching stages such as Wacken Open Air. Their latest release, Under Haunted Skies, reaffirms their commitment to speed and chaos as their primary language. In this interview, we talk about their beginnings over beers, their evolution as a band, and the philosophy that drives their relentless and authentic sound.
For those who still don’t know TÜRBÖWITCH, how would you describe the essence of the band in just a few words? And finally, what does the word TÜRBÖWITCH represent to you? What were you thinking when you said: This is what we want our band to be called?
Thank you for the opportunity, and welcome all the readers!
Speed, chaos, relentless.
It represents everything we do in our lives. Despite our daily jobs, this is what we truly live for, this is what drives us.
The name itself actually came from a friend of ours. He came up with it while meal prepping at home. No overthinking, no deep philosophy — just pure, primal instinct. It sounded cool, it felt right… so we took it. :D
Türböwitch - Cult Mastery (Official Video)
The project started the way many great things do: in a conversation between friends hanging out, maybe with a few drinks involved. Alcohol has helped create many bands, but it has also destroyed some. What I’m getting at is, at what point did you feel this became something serious?
At first, it was just a home project. I wanted to make some fast and violent music, basically to tell everyone to fuck off. Yeah, it was a strange period in my life, but things like that happen, especially when you’re young.
I asked Zslöd — our current singer — to do some vocals, because I knew he’d enjoy making fast, aggressive music. And that’s how it started. There was not just a little, but a lot of booze involved, and we recorded our first demo. The vocals were actually done in my bathroom, screaming all the lyrics into smartphone.
Honestly, we didn’t even realize that this was becoming something serious until mid-2024. That’s when it hit us: we’re actually getting somewhere.
Under Haunted Skies has been my introduction to TÜRBÖWITCH, what a great record. Your sound blends thrash, speed metal, and black metal in a fresh and well-executed way. Which bands or scenes do you consider essential in shaping your style? Because you sound like you came straight out of a basement in 1986.
Motörhead, Venom, Bathory, Dissection — those bands were definitely essential in shaping our style. But we also listen to a lot of different kinds of music, and I think inspiration can come from anywhere.
When the home project first started, I really wanted to make something in the vein of Deathhammer from Norway — fast, raw, and aggressive. That was the starting point, and from there, everything else naturally evolved into the mix of thrash, speed, and black metal that you hear now.
You’ve shared the stage with several cult bands from the underground. Which show has been pure chaos -something intense, crazy, or even motivational that you remember? Because not everything has to be negative, right?
Even though the new record is pretty dark, I wouldn’t call it negative. It’s really just a reflection of our past experiences in life. The road to resilience can seem endless, but you can always find your own “moshpit” at the end of the day.
Every show, every night, is chaotic in some way, that’s pretty much the essence of this genre. If I had to pick one, I’d say our show with Abigail back in 2018. That was pure metal aggression, exactly as it should be. For that night, it felt like time stopped and then rewound straight back to the ’80s.
You won the Wacken Metal Battle Hungary finals and played at Wacken Open Air. What was that experience like? How many bands did you have to compete against? I understand that until reaching Wacken, bands often have to cover all expenses themselves: travel, food, everything, but I imagine it was worth it, right? Do you see Wacken organizer covering some expenses in the metal battle contest?
It was the most life-changing, monumental, wild, and amazing experience we’ve ever had.
At the festival itself, if I remember correctly, there were about 30 bands competing in the finals. But if you think about it on a global scale, including all the national competitions leading up to Wacken, the number must have been around a 1000, maybe even more.
It was completely worth it. Music was never about making a fortune or buying a sports car after a show, hehe. We just love doing what we do, and that’s enough. That said, the local Hungarian promoters did cover part of our trip, which definitely helped.
A massive stage. Huge crowds. Did Wacken feel different, or was it just another battlefield?
Wacken is one of the biggest and most famous metal festivals in the world, so of course it felt different.
That said, we give the same show with the same energy no matter the audience, whether it’s a massive crowd or just a handful of people. Every single person came to see you perform, so you always have to give your absolute best.
What’s the purpose of releasing a new album? Is it about taking the band one step further in its career, or is it more of a cathartic process? How are your songs created, through structure or pure accident?
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I think the purpose of releasing a new album is to share your thoughts, emotions, and feelings with the world through music. That said, we’ve never looked at an album release as a duty or a checklist item. Four years had passed since our previous record, so it felt like the right time to put something new out.
During those four years, we went through a lot, and like always, this album reflects our personal experiences during a specific period of time. Life has been rough lately, which is why the whole apocalyptic, dark vibe runs through the concept of the record.
As for songwriting, it’s mostly a primal process. If we have a riff or an idea, we start building around it, and eventually a new song emerges. Of course, we also have a lot of half-finished tracks in the archive — maybe one day we’ll revisit and use them.
The ’80s aesthetic and attitude are very clear in the band. Is it nostalgia, a statement of principles, or simply a mix of both?
I think it’s a bit of both, a mix of nostalgia and a statement of principles. Part of it is a thirst to relive a decade we never actually experienced. Only our singer was born in the ’80s; the rest of us are ’90s kids.
So in a way, it’s both paying homage and embracing the attitude and energy that drew us to the music in the first place.
After touring with Enforcer, what did you learn from sharing the road with a band of that caliber?
We learned a lot, especially on the technical side, what to bring on the road, and how to be more compact and efficient on stage with your equipment.
But the biggest lesson is that no matter what happens, however long the afterparty lasts, there are fans waiting for you out there. You have to be their hero and give your best every single time. We’ve known that for a while, but touring with Enforcer really reinforced it.
If you could choose any band to tour with, which one would it be, and why?
I’d say Hellripper or Midnight. I love both bands, and realistically, it’s probably easier to make that happen than touring with some big ’80s names like Exodus or Slayer.
Both bands share the same raw energy and attitude that really resonates with us, so it would be an insane experience to hit the road with them.
Last words for the degenerates reading this.
Thanks again for the interview, and a big shoutout to all our readers and fans. Stay heavy, stay chaotic… and we’ll see you somewhere on the road!
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