Following the release of their debut album 'Bullet In Your Head' we catch up with lead singer/guitarist and founding member of the band to hear more on what Poland's best kept secret have to offer.

MM - Hi, would you like to start by introducing the band members to us and telling us a little bit of background on the band and how you all came together?
Mike – Hello, my name is Mike and I play lead guitar and sing. Tomek plays on drums, Radek holds rhythm guitar and Jarek keeps his fingers on bass guitar. That’s the whole Made Of Hate. We are all from Warsaw, capital of Poland. What’s more, we are actually almost all from the same district of Warsaw, so it was only a matter of time till we met.

The order of introducing guys from band matches also the way we met each other. So at first I met Tomek when I was like 15 maybe, maybe even younger and we started to play together. After many different experiences, also as a different band, we found Radek once in a bar at the gig. Few years later, after another searching for right people for band we found Jarek. Before we actually stood up with this line-up we had to change people on the instruments very often, until we finally found it working the way we liked.

MM - Who or what inspired you to join a band in the first place?
Mike - I don’t think of any people or event that inspired me to start a band. I believe there was a lot of small, accidental signals that along with love for metal and desire to be a part of it’s world actually put me in position of a band member. I’ve never joined a band, it was always my place. I started it at the beginning and I’ll tell when it’s over. In fact, I can’t imagine that situation. I also can’t imagine entering a someone else’s band. As for me it would be really hard to work in a different way then mine, I guess.

MM - How hard is it for band not just from Poland but the whole Eastern block to break into the European markets and beyond?
Mike – Pretty damn hard! First of all, we have some mentality issues I think. The thing is about confidence in ourselves. Secondly it’s really hard for us to get proper musical equipment, because it’s amazingly expensive here, especially when you consider our average salary and it’s just annoying when you compare polish prices to prices in the US for example. The third thing that for young bands it’s really hard not to get into the hands of labels from your country, because, as examples show, they rip off bands and it’s a pointless circle between band and label. The last thing is a barrier of language. Some bands can’t say anything understandable in English and let’s get this clear, it’s a base of any business nowadays. Metal is not an exception. That would be all what comes straight to the eyes.

MM - With the release of your debut album ‘Bullet In Your Head’ earlier this year, how are the band feeling right now?
Mike – Great! We are in a great label, the album is available in most of the metal world and our future looks really fine! We are happy that we are where we are. Considering the previous question I would say we couldn’t be happier. But it doesn’t mean we are the men. No, we always look forward a few steps ahead, so there is no time to celebrate our debut album, we need to go further and harder. No time for losers here.

MM - What feedback have you received from the fans and music media been so far to this release?
Mike - We have received a lot of positive feedback from people into metal from around the world. Recently we have also been honoured by Bruce Dickinson as he played us few times at his BBC Rock Show and commented with compliments. Media has been cool with us, they say there is something in us and we are worth the attention. Fans come closer to the band through the MySpace site which is our primary contact board with people interested in Made Of Hate. I’d say everything seems to be really, really fine.

MM - Do you have any plans to tour in support of the album? 
Mike – It depends on selling, that’s how it is. We are waiting for first selling results and in the meantime we are spreading the word about us, so we can gain constantly more attention around us. If everything goes as it looks like, we will be able to hit the road with some tour in October or November. But time will tell, let’s just stay put on our MySpace. We will put all confirmed dates over there. This way or another, we are open for any occasion to play here and there.

MM - Have you had a chance to think about how you will approach your follow up album or is it too early to say?
Mike – It’s early, that’s a fact, but anyway I’ve started to think about the new album. All I’m certain about the follower, is that it’s going to be solid and moving act of heavy metal with solos, which has become like our trade mark or something. Or at least journalists keep on saying that. I also believe that we will get improved sound. I wish I could tell you more, but it needs more time and more concerned idea.

MM - How would you best describe your music to any of our readers who are currently unfamiliar with your music? 
Mike – Well, it’s a real heavy metal, with dynamic and hard-balled rhythms, crushing riffs and chopping solos filled with lots of melody and emotions. Wild and raw vocals fulfil the space. Everything is done with huge dose of precision and passion. This is a metal from the heart.

MM - Who are your inspirations musically and spiritually? 
Mike – I usually can talk about my inspirations for a long time, but I’ll try to give it a brief. Well, at most it’s instrumental classical music. I think it’s the perfect combination of my both, musical and spiritual inspirations. I like baroque, classical and romantic era in music history. Maybe it’s easier for me to take from classical music since I’ve studied it at university. Anyway, there is also a place for heavy metal and rock, especially from 80's and 90's.

I used to play a lot of neoclassical rock and modern metal with example of Scandinavian term of “melodic metal”. Huge impression on me has progressive rock and metal. Along with those inspirations comes jazz, funky and pop music. I like to listen everything I like, no matter of music genre, but it also doesn’t mean I like everything. I’m rather picky and if something seems to be garbage to me and other people say it’s brilliant, I’ll still put this in the trash can. There are few musical elements that have to be in right place and in right proportion to attract me. If they are not, I let it go.

MM - Does music dominate your life or do you get time to relax in between?  If so how do you like to chill? 
Mike – Music definitely dominates my life. Except playing in Made Of Hate and practice my guitar skills, I study musicology at Warsaw University and I teach playing the guitar. It’s a lot about music and to keep my thoughts in right order I have chill from time to time. I usually do some sports, like gym or bike. I also enjoy, well I love, football. Watching the game is on of my favourites duties except music. I also like to play the video games from time to time. Especially football games of course. But not alone, I like multiplayer games, because it’s fun. I also watch a lot of movies in my free time, but these days it’s really hard for me to find cool movie and enjoy it. I think there are too many rubbish at the cinema theatres now.

MM - Is there anything you have done in the past that you wished you had done differently? 
Mike – Of course, there a lot of things I’d like to change in the past, but life is life and I’ve learned how to make my choices and don’t regret them. So the point is, that even if I wished I had done some things in different way, I have to face the life just the way as it is now. Besides, I don’t have time to look back, I have a lot of things before me and I’m eager for the future. I’m that kind of man.

MM - How do you see yourself in 5 years time?
Mike – I would like to become a well-known part of international heavy metal world, with 3 or more great albums on our account. I would like to earn for living from music and be healthy. I think everything of all I mentioned,  is possible. We just need to keep up the faith and keep on working on our success. This attitude has become fruitful so we just need to keep on it.

MM - What would you most like to be remembered for? 
Mike – I’d like to be remembered for my guitar playing, solos. That’s personally. As a band I’d like to be remembered as fine and kicking ass live & studio band, which used to perform on stage brilliant music. In both cases there are a lot of things to do. Anyway, time will tell whether we will be remembered of not.