• Hi! Can you give a brief history of TAEDIFER, including the music style and the members?
TAEDIFER was formed in 2021 as a studio project created by Pepe (guitar) and
Mára (drums), who have been playing together for almost 30 years. The project
gradually evolved into a full band when I (Rob) joined on guitar, followed by
Kebab on bass (also in Gutalax) and finally vocalist Radek Popel (Bohemyst).
Musically, we play death metal inspired by the old Swedish school, energetic,
straightforward, raw, with a touch of melody and occasional elements of doom.
Our goal is to deliver honest death metal without unnecessary technical
showing-off and with as much authenticity as possible.
• Could you provide more detailed information about Indivinus?
Indivinus is our first full-length album and it shows exactly what
TAEDIFER stands for: death metal inspired by the old Swedish school, raw,
direct, with a dark/doomy atmosphere and a touch of melody.
The album was recorded at Hellsound Studio in the Czech Republic with Honza
Kapak and mixed and mastered by Lukas Haidinger at Deep Deep Pressure in
Austria, who also worked on our 2022 demo.
Lyrically, the album deals with death, inner corruption, hatred, fear and the
darker sides of human nature. For us, Indivinus is an honest and
straightforward death metal record that represents our sound and identity.
• TAEDIFER has signed with Archaic Sound. Could you tell us more about that?
Yes, our debut album will be released through the Ukrainian label Archaic
Sound. Before that, we contacted several Czech labels as well as many labels
worldwide. Some already had a full release schedule and many simply didn’t
reply, which is quite normal I think.
In the end, three labels responded, but Archaic Sound was the one that made the
most sense for us. Communication with Yurii started quickly and smoothly. He
listened to the album, liked the direction of the band and acted professionally
from the very beginning. He offered clear communication, fair conditions and
real interest in the release.
So far, the cooperation has been excellent. Everything is running according to
plan and communication is fast and to the point. For us, it is important to
work with someone who puts time and energy into the release and treats the band
seriously.
• What is the difference between your latest record and the band's very first one?
There isn’t a dramatic difference between our 2022 demo and the new album. Both
recordings were mixed and mastered by our friend and excellent sound engineer
Lukas Haidinger from the Austrian studio Deep Deep Pressure and we have always
been very satisfied with his work.
The main difference is in the recording process itself. The demo was basically
tracked in our rehearsal room, while Indivinus was recorded properly at
Hellsound Studio in the Czech Republic under the supervision of Honza Kapák
(producer and drummer of Bohemyst, Master’s Hammer, Avenger, etc.).
That gave the new record a more focused and powerful sound, but the overall
character and approach remained true to what we established on the demo.
• What inspires TAEDIFER's music and lyric writing? What do TAEDIFER's lyrics talk about?
TAEDIFER’s musical inspiration comes mainly from the atmosphere of classic
death metal, raw, dark and intense. It’s the kind of energy we have all grown
up with and still feel strongly connected to.
When it comes to the lyrics, Radek (vocalist) is responsible for all the
writing as well as the visual identity of the band. The lyrical themes revolve
around death, human cruelty, hatred, fear, apathy, envy, and the destructive
inner thoughts that can twist a person from the inside. The texts are not
fantasy-based, they deal with the darkest aspects of human nature.
Radek builds the lyrics around the emotion and mood of each track. As a
long-time vocalist and a professional graphic designer for more than 25 years,
he puts a lot of emphasis on clear delivery, strong imagery and designs that
create an emotional impact.
The main album artwork was created by our friend Armin Schweiger (Distaste),
who perfectly captured the atmosphere of the band and the themes behind the
lyrics.
• Do you play live often? Do you enjoy performing abroad?
We are not a band that plays live every weekend, but we definitely don’t refuse
good offers. On average, we play around ten shows per year. Our schedule is
also influenced by the fact that some members are active in other bands as well
— Rob in Jig-Ai, Kebab in Gutalax and Radek in Bohemyst, but so far we manage
to plan everything without problems.
As for performing abroad, we don’t have much experience with TAEDIFER yet, so
far we have only played one show in Linz, Austria. But with the release of Indivinus,
we want to change that and focus more on the European scene.
In 2026 we will perform at Obscene Extreme, the biggest extreme music festival
in Europe and we also have several other Czech festivals and shows planned. If
interesting offers come from abroad, we are absolutely open to them. We enjoy
playing live and plan to do much more of it in the future.
• How often does the band practice and work on new material?
We meet regularly every Thursday for rehearsal, and if time allows, we usually
go for a beer together afterwards. When needed, we add an extra session on the
weekend, but that doesn’t happen very often. This schedule works well for us
and keeps the band tight and productive.
• How did the band come up with the name TAEDIFER? What does it mean to you?
The name TAEDIFER came from Mára flipping through a Latin dictionary, looking
for a word with strong symbolism. He found the term taedifer, which
means “the one who carries the torch.” Deities carrying a torch were referred
to as Taedifer or Lucifer.
We liked the sound, the meaning and the connection to the word Lucifer. It felt
right from the beginning, so the choice was clear.
• What are the band's plans for the near future?
In the near future, our main focus is promoting the album Indivinus. We
will soon release a music video for the track “Skinless,” we are preparing new
merchandise, and we’re working on booking more shows and festival appearances.
We have also started collecting the first ideas and riffs for future material,
but for now the priority is to push the new album and get it to as many
listeners as possible. There is plenty of work ahead and we’re not slowing
down.
• Do you have a message for Iron Backstage readers?
Thank you to everyone who takes the time to check out our music. We hope you
will give our upcoming album Indivinus a listen when it’s released on
December 20th, 2025.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated, new shows, new merchandise
and the upcoming “Skinless” music video are on the way.
Support from listeners means a lot to us, and if our music connects with you, we truly appreciate it.
https://www.instagram.com/taedifermetal/
