HÄXÄNKING are hailing from Varaždin/Čakovec, northern area of Croatia. They released an awesome debut opus, so it was about time to talk with them about various themes.

Is there any deeper meaning behind the name of the band and how would you describe HÄXÄNKING to the readers of this zine that didn’t hear your music yet?

– Not necessarily, there were many ideas for name but since there was and still is shitload of metal bands in world, most of good names were taken haha. It seemed more important at that time to me that the name should describe the music genre without even listening to the songs. Then I remembered the word ‘Hex’ which in old times was used in northern Europe and later North America to describe dark spell or witchcraft and ‘Hexa’ which sometimes described a witch. In ancient Greek and Roman times it also was also one of the meanings for number ‘6’ which, as we all know, is often used in metal subculture. Final idea for name occurred to me when I, one of many times, watched Lord of the Rings of which I was a big fan. As metalhead, I always find the appearance of Witchking of Angmar mighty and brutal, and since ‘Hex’ can be connected to ‘Witch’ I first had idea of band ‘Hexenking’ but since everything looks better with ‘umlaut’ (‘Motörhead’ is one of examples) final version was ‘Häxänking’.

Some time passed since you released your debut opus, can you tell how was the writing and recording process and how was the feedback until now? Did some label release your opus or is it all total DIY work?

– Writing some of the songs was very long process since some of them I have written in high school, most of them during college and some after forming the band. It took me a long time to find drummer to use all of that material but patience is a virtue and that time finally came. Recording was much faster than writing. I think it took 2 days to record instruments, 2 days for vocals and couple more days for patching and re-recording mistakes. Feedback was okay I guess. I am aware that this genre is not for everybody and that most metalheads today require modern sound and modern production. But, fuck them, I wanted to release album for myself and my band mates. Same reason is behind us not taking label but doing all of it ourselves. I am not one of those metalheads who live in delusion that I can make a life out of making metal music. I do all of it because I enjoy it. If someone else likes what we do, I am happy to share it with them and I often enjoy watching crowd going wild to our unholy rhythm despite of how big or small crowd is. Most of feedback we got at live gigs because I didn’t spend too much time advertising the album around and I prefer it that way because I like to make a live conversation with people about music and many other themes then looking at lifeless words on the screen of computer or phone. Album is out there, we made it. We enjoyed while making it and enjoy playing it live, and that´s all what is important.

Some of the lyrics are written in Croatian, some in English. How is it easier to write and do you plan let’s call it a breakthrough on international scene?

– Well, I prefer it both ways. Depends on what kind of inspiration hits me. Croatian is my native language and I find it beautiful. I generally like usage of Slavic languages in music. English is ‘mainstream’ language. 90% of bands I listen to write in English, almost all movies I like are in English, many books that aren’t translated to Croatian I can read in English. So it is hard not to sometimes get inspiration for lyrics in English. Well, like every other metalhead I sure hope for breakthrough. I sure want my band to grow in experience and be better and more professional  with time, but I wouldn’t call it planning a breakthrough. If that happens, great. It would be awesome experience to have gigs in peculiar and distant lands. But it is fun to do it in our homeland also. So, to me it is win either way.

What is your opinion on Croatian metal and underground scene in general? Are there some extreme music bands that you can recommend? How is the scene in your hometown?

– Underground metal scene in Croatia is brutal. Especially in my hometown (Varaždin) even since there isn’t much of adequate space for gigs. At the moment I can think of many brutal and awesome bands but I know that there is much more of them and don’t want to leave anyone out. All I can say to every filthy metalhead reading this is: support your local bands! Every metalhead knows of website called ‘Encyclopaedia Metallum’. Type in your country and scroll. You will find many awesome bands for which you will think: ‘I didn’t know band this brutal is from a city 60km away from me.’ Metalheads should take interest in local scene, not just wait when there will be some local gig at which they will or will not go to support it.

Can you still remember the first gig you attended and what was the first band that dragged you into metal scene or extreme music scene in general?

– First local gig was in Varaždin in long gone underground gig place called ‘Vakuum’. I think it was in 2015 when I was 15 or 16 years old and the bands that were playing were, at least I think were Gemišt, Devastation and BKD. Not sure if there was a fourth band or not. Regarding more mainstream gigs, first was some year later and it was Amon Amarth and Grand Magus in Zagreb. I am not interesting when it comes to first band that dragged me into metal. It was like for many other Iron Maiden. And regarding the extreme genres it was Bathory and Venom.

Where did you play? Are there any tour plans? Did you play anywhere outside of Croatia and where was your let us call it the best gig until today? What was the highest and what was the lowest point for the band until now?

– We have played mostly in Croatia. Only gig outside of Croatia was in Maribor (Slovenia) in February this year, and I would consider it as gig with most professional approach of the organization and definitely best sound ever. And it was fun as hell since it was one of the best venues I ever saw. In Croatia we have played couple of times in Varaždin, Zagreb, Split, Čakovec, Kutina, Sisak, Koprivnica and soon in Karlovac and Sinj. Žec Fest (31/10/2024) in Varaždin is also one that I would like to point out regarding the perfect ratio of fun and professionalism. I have no idea what lowest point would be. I guess at the beginning when we all were new to performing live. Highest would be now, for last half of year since we had ton of gigs of which all were glorious and enjoyable for us.

Let us talk about horror movies. Are you fans of horror fiction and movies? If so, which are your kinda favorites, mine are slasher movies and old school seventies and sixties Hammer Horror movies.

– I like horror movies, mostly old because most the new ones are boring. Most of horror movies I watched were slasher movies, classics like Halloween, Nightmare of Elm Street, etc. and psychological movies like The Shining. But one of my favorites is definitely Nosferatu from 1979, hence the name of one of the songs from our album. Of newer movies I would definitely point out Robert Eggers’ movies Witch and Nosferatu.

Are there any scary or spooky urban legends in place where you come from?

– Not that I know of unfortunately. Varaždin is beautiful but rather boring baroque town with classical legends and tales of love, battles, etc. Its history is linked with freemasonry and you can find in older parts of city and graveyard many symbols like ‘all seeing eye’. Also, at the place where today is st. Rok Chapel was place where there were witch burnings and executions in 16^th century if one would find something like that scary and spooky.

Classic zine question for the end. Is there anything you would like to say or add and what are the plans for immediate future?

– No plans, only where life takes me with a decent dose of rock´n´roll and sharing it with my family and my brothers in arms. One has only one life. Don’t plan it, live it!