RAMzine’s On The Radar shines a light on bands we think you should know about, and this time it’s HKSPK, a black/death metal trio from Frankfurt (Oder) in Germany.
Formed in 2023 when vocalist and lead guitarist Jim Tonik, drummer Arne The Executer and rhythm guitarist Leon Serbius found each other through a shared love of making noise, the band has already put out an album and an EP, with a new record, Letters From The East, landing this autumn. Their latest single, ‘rot in despair’, fuses raw black/death aggression with a more atmospheric, emotional edge, and it’s that mix of icy intensity and melody that makes HKSPK worth your time. We sent them our On The Radar questions to find out more.
Who are you and where are you from? We are HKSPK, a black/death metal band from Frankfurt (Oder) in Germany. The band was founded in 2023 and consists of Jim Tonik (vocals, lead guitar), Arne The Executer (drums) and Leon Serbius (rhythm guitar). So far we’ve released one album, one EP, and are now about to release our next album this autumn.
How did HKSPK form, and how did you all find each other? We first met at a concert and talked about making music, but we briefly knew each other through our parents. We linked up pretty fast and did a little jam together. We realised very soon that we had to start a band. That fresh feeling of meeting up and making music is still very strong today, every rehearsal, every concert and every recording session feels like: “That’s how it has to be.”
How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard you? It’s hard to break our sound down to one specific genre. If I were describing HKSPK to someone who’d never heard us, I’d say imagine the icy atmosphere of black metal fused with the physical punch and groove of death metal, delivered with the energy of a band that clearly prioritises live intensity over studio polish.
The single leans on raw black/death aggression but with a more atmospheric, emotional edge. What were you reaching for with that balance? We didn’t actually reach for anything particular with that song, it was all part of our natural song growing process. The different musical parts of ‘rot in despair’ represent the different parts of the lyrics. The ending is a scream for salvation, so we went with something more atmospheric and melodic there.
‘rot in despair’ is also going on the Metallurg Music Magazine compilation and you’ve got a new album lined up for autumn. What can you tell us about both? The production of ‘rot in despair’ is more defined than our previous releases. We went more in the direction of creating melodies rather than just playing “funny sounding” riffs. This song marks a new path for HKSPK, with more serious lyric themes. It’s our most personal song so far. ‘rot in despair’ is going to be featured on our next album, Letters From The East, which is coming out in September. It includes our two newest singles and six unreleased new songs.
Tell us the story behind the track. During our time as a band we’ve got to know people with the same problems described in the lyrics. People cry out for help, and when you offer it they say things like “You don’t understand me” or “What’s wrong with you, don’t you think I can do it myself?” Then the next day they completely change. We took that as inspiration for the lyrics. The music itself started out as a small jam session where we tried to make as much impact as possible with only a few notes. This song especially felt like a painting, there was a background and we kept adding layers until it was ready. The first jam of ‘rot in despair’ was just like a river. Music is a way of expressing yourself, and we let something out that led to this song. I guess we all had a lot going on at the time (haha).
For someone discovering you through this piece, which song should they hit play on first? Very hard to make this decision, but here’s a top three: ‘Rot In Despair’, ‘Zur Letzten Rauhnacht’ and ‘Nocturnal Beheading’.
You’ve played shows with Waldgeflüster and Asagraum and gigged in Germany and the Czech Republic. What’s the black/death scene like where you are right now? Right now we feel like there’s a fresh spirit in the metal scene, something loved by the new generation and the old school dudes alike. The “f*ck ’em all” attitude is back again. Even though there are some bands who simply copy legendary groups from the past, there’s some very cool stuff in between all that boring stuff (haha). The scene is a lot of fun right now, because you can do whatever you want.
What’s been your best gig so far? There have been a lot of wonderful gigs, but one has to be the support show for Asagraum, Enisum and Waldgeflüster. We played with our idols, it was a sold out show, the sound was huge, we sold a lot of merch and the crowd was great, everything was perfect. That’s a show we’ll never forget.
Tell us a funny, deep, emotional or tragic story about the band. Our band is the reason for a lot of great stories (haha). In 2024, when we played the release show for our first album, Holy Scum, our guitarist Leon had to cancel a week prior. Our singer and lead guitarist Jim had to rearrange all the songs so he could play them with a looping pedal. It was a great show, but very stressful (haha).
What’s next for you, beyond the album? Right now we’re trying to get in touch with promoters and bookers. Our main goal is to play as many great shows as possible. We’re excited for every opportunity, our will to play live is bigger than ever.
Where can people find you? On Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Spotify you’ll find us as HKSPK. We also have our own Bandcamp store, so you can buy our merch online.
Anything else you want people to know? Stay tuned for new stuff, which is coming pretty soon. Stay as cool as you are, don’t drink and drive, and listen to ‘rot in despair’. Thank you so much for your interest and this opportunity.
