intervfrankblackfire

FRANK 'BLACKFIRE' GOSDZIK

SODOM, KREATOR & MYSTIC

Frank 'Blackfire' Gosdzik is a guitarist who joined Sodom in 1987, he was only a member of the band for a little over two years but in retrospect it might have been here that the band peaked. When Frank Blackfire joined the band, Sodom's sound war refined and they went towards a more traditional thrash metal sound. First they released the Expurse of Sodomy EP in 1987 and it was a brilliant and very underrated thrash EP and two months later the magnificent Persecution mania was released and it took Sodom to new heights after the rather gritty Obsessed By Cruelty.

In 1988 the live album Mortal Way of Live was released. In 1989 it was time for another full-length release, this time it was Agent Orange a which was a huge success and established the band as a top act in the genre. But instead of riding the success Frank joined Kreator in 1989 and he was a part of the Live in East Berlin video the band recorded. In 1990 Kreator the masterpiece Coma of Souls, which is a landmark in thrash metal. After that Kreator went in a more experimental direction with the albums Renewal (1992) and Cause For Conflict (1995).  After a few years out of the spotlight Frank has now started a new band called Mystic. Now over to Frank 'Blackfire' Gosdzik...

Of all the albums that you have recorded which one is your personal favourite?

I still like everything I´ve recorded, because every album reflects a period of my life, but if I have to choose one, I guess it will be Coma of Souls.

Can you name five metal albums that have meant much to you?

AC/DC - Highway to Hell

Judas Priest - British Steel

Van Halen - II

Slayer - Reign in Blood

Accept - Breaker

Tell me more about your time in Sodom...

I´ve played with Sodom from ´86 til ´89 recorded Expurse of Sodomy, Persecution Mania, Agent Orange, did several Shows and Festivals and a European Tour with Whiplash.

Agent Orange (1989)

Tell me more about your time in Kreator...

I joined Kreator in ´89 right before the Extreme Agression -U.S.Tour, then we recorded Coma of Souls, Renewal, Cause for Conflict and Scenarios of Violence, with every album we toured Europe and the U.S.A.with Canada, we also toured South America twice, Japan and Australia, Israel, and also played Mexico, Moscow, Romania and a lot of other Festivals. We splitted in ´96 because of personal and musical diference of opinion.

Tell me more about your new project called "Mystic"...

The story with Mystic started in 2001 after I had lots of musical experience in differtent styles of music, and moved to Brazil, I formed the band after some test gigs and recorded a five track demo CD, we did some more shows and right now Iam writing new material for an upcoming album.

What do you think of Sodom and Kreator's careers after you left them?

Actually I don´t really know what Sodom is doin, the last Kreator album, I think is pretty good and I jammed two tunes with them at their Show in São Paulo, we´re still in contact and meet each other. Who knows maybe one day we´re gonna play together again.

Any regrets?

No

Who is the most talented musician you have ever played with?

I think it´s Joe Cangelosi, ex Whiplash and Kreator Drummer, this guy plays killer drums and is also a good friend.

What's the highlight of your career?

I think it´s the time from ´89 when Agent Orange(Sodom) came out and I later joined Kreator, til ´94 when Renewal was out and we played exotic places for the first time like South America, Japan, Australia, til Rob Fioretti left Kreator.

Coma of Souls (1990)

What do you think of the thrash metal scene today?

I think it´s a pity that thash-metal, (for me the most brutal form of metal) today is so underrated and at the same time Death and Melodic-Speed-kinder-metal is still big, I think it´s pretty sad, but thash is gonna come back. We´ll never give up.

Do you have any funny metal-story to tell?

There were a lot of funny storys, I think one was when we were on tour, at the Fondation Forum in L.A. in ´89 together with two guys from the band Europe at the Epic booth, we took a photo together where we appeared ugly and fucked up and the Europe boys pretty and nice, that foto appeared in a fanzine, you should have seen it. If anybody can get it please mail it to me, it´s Kreator and Europe together. Yeah, the final countdown ha ha ha.. . .

Any last words to our readers?

Thanx to all Metalheads that followed my career with Sodom and Kreator, I hope you guys also like my new band Mystic, visit my webpage www.gosdzik.com for news and ordering CDs and T-Shirts and keep thrashing.

Greetings

Frank

By/Ruthless

(20-08-2003)