Adam Darski

Adam Darski (Nergal)
Darski at Empik, 2009.
Background information
Birth name	Adam Michał Darski
Also known as	Nergal, Holocausto
Born	10 June 1977 (1977-06-10) (age 34)
Origin	Gdynia, Poland
Genres	Blackened death metal, black metal, death metal
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, manager
Instruments	Vocals, guitars, bass, synthesizer, drums, programming
Years active	Since 1991
Associated acts	Behemoth, Mastiphal, Damnation, Hermh, Voodoo Gods
Website	www.behemoth.pl
Notable instruments
ESP Nergal Signature Model

Adam Michał Darski^[1] (born 10 June 1977 in Gdynia) also known by his stage name Nergal and previously Holocausto, is a Polish musician and television personality, best known for being the frontman for blackened death metal band Behemoth.

Biography

Adam Nergal Darski and Carl McCoy of Fields of the Nephilim, 2011

Adam Darski was born in Gdynia, Poland, raised Catholic, and started playing guitar at the age of 8.^[2] He goes by the stage name Nergal (naming himself after a Babylonian deity), and he is the founder, lyricist, main composer, frontman and manager of Behemoth, which he started when he was still a teenager. He also plays lead, rhythm and acoustic guitar. Nergal likes to interact with the crowd during live performances. He is known for his contribution with the following bands: Hermh, Nile, Damnation, Vader, Sweet Noise, Mastiphal, December's Fire, Mess Age, Corruption, Hangover, Ex Deo, The Wolverines and Hefeystos.

Nergal has completed six years of history, including one year of Latin at University of Gdańsk, and is qualified to be a museum curator.^[3]

In 2009, ESP guitars released the first Nergal's signature guitar. It is a 7-string guitar with a V-style body, which is called the "Hex-7".^[4]

In March 2010, Nergal was held on trial in Poland for publicly denouncing religion by ripping up a Bible on stage in 2007. Nergal made the argument that he has artistic license to enhance his live performances by doing such an action, and suggested that it was not meant to be offensive. He also supported that freedom of speech should come before religion in Poland. He faced up to two years in prison due to the Bible-tearing,^[5] but Darski's charges were dropped 28 June 2010.^[6]

In 2011, he assumed the position of a judge on the Polish TV show The Voice of Poland.^[7]

Personal

From mid 2009 to early 2011, he was in a highly publicised relationship with Dorota Rabczewska, a Polish pop singer popularly known as Doda.^[8] On March 17, 2011, News.pl reported the couple had called off the engagement and broken up.

Leukemia

Maciej Maleńczuk and Adam "Nergal" Darski on the shooting set for the Behemoth video clip "Lucifer", 2011

On 8 August 2010, Nergal was rushed to the hematology ward of the Gdansk Medical University Hospital for treatment of a then-undisclosed illness. All Behemoth shows until November, including a Russian and North American tour, have been canceled.^[9] As of 24 August 2010, Darski has been diagnosed with leukemia. The illness was thought to have advanced far enough to the point that chemotherapy would be ineffective against it, but such reports have since been proven false.^[10] His ex-fiancée offered to donate her marrow, but it was not a close enough match to his type.^[11][12] On 8 November 2010, Ultimate-Guitar.com reported that he has found a genetic bone marrow match and will undergo treatment to receive a bone marrow transplant.^[13]

Nergal was discharged from the Uniwersyteckie Centrum Kliniczne (UCK) hospital in Gdansk on Monday, January 16, 2011, three weeks after undergoing bone marrow transplant surgery. “Adam feels good and is resting comfortably but cannot see any visitors as he can’t risk viral infections,” said his ex-fiancée, Doda.^[14] However, Nergal has been readmitted to the hematology division of Uniwersyteckie Centrum Kliniczne (UCK) in Gdansk after he developed an infection six weeks after he underwent the bone marrow transplant procedure. It is not presently clear if the infection will affect Nergal's adoption of the bone marrow transplant and how long he will have to remain in hospital.^[15] On 30 March 2011, MetalSucks published an interview with Nergal where he said that his health is improving. He's out of the hospital for few weeks now, and everything is going according to plan.

Equipment

Guitars B.C. Rich Warlock 6 string Jackson Kelly 6 string Jackson Rhoads 6 string Gibson Flying V 6 string[16] Gibson Explorer (EMG 81/85 Setup) 6 String[16] Ibanez RG 7620 7 string Mayones Signum Gothic 6 String[17] Flame EXG Custom 7 string[18] Dean V 6 string[19] ESP LTD EC-1000 6 string ESP LTD Ninja-600 Michael Amott Signature 6 String[20] ESP STEF-7 7 string ESP M-7 Super Long Scale 7 string ESP V Custom 6 String[16] ESP LTD HEX-7 Nergal Signature 7 String[21] ESP V-II Gretsch White Falcon[22] ESP LTD PHOENIX-1000

Mark L Rack Mark L Midi Control System F-25[23] Mark L Loop & Switch LS-14[23] Mark L Power Station Custom Mark L Mini Line Mixer Eventide Time Factor Ibanez TS-808 Boss Pitch ISP Decimator Pro Rack G Dunlop Custom Rack Wah Mogami Cable Furman Power Korg DTR 1 Tuner Neutrik & Switchcraft

Amplifiers Laboga Mr. Hector[24] Krank Krankenstein[25] Hellstone Prodigy Mesa Dual Rectifier[1] Bogner Uberschall[26] Sommatone Signature Outlaw Head[27] Other Morley wah pedal[1] InTune Behemoth Picks 1.0 MM[1]

Discography

With Behemoth

Main article: Behemoth discography

• Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic) (1995)
• Grom (1996)
• Pandemonic Incantations (1998)
• Satanica (1999)
• Thelema.6 (2000)
• Zos Kia Cultus (Here and Beyond) (2002)
• Demigod (2004)
• The Apostasy (2007)
• Evangelion (2009)

With Voodoo Gods

• Shrunken Head ^[28]

Guest appearances

• Mastiphal – Nocturnal Landscape (1994) (drums)
• Hermh – Crying Crown of Trees (1996) (bass guitar)
• December's Fire – Vae Victis (1996) (vocals)
• Damnation – Coronation (1997) (bass guitar)
• Hefeystos – Psycho Cafe (1998) (vocals)
• Hangover – Terrorbeer (2002) (vocals)
• Vader – Revelations (2002) (vocals)^[29]
• Mess Age – Self-Convicted (2002) (vocals)
• Corruption – Orgasmusica (2003) (vocals)
• Sweet Noise – Revolta (2003) (vocals)
• Frontside – Teoria Konspiracji (2008) (vocals)^[30]
• The Amenta – n0n (2008) (additional vocals on the track "Slave")
• Ex Deo – Romulus (2009) (sings the famous quote Veni, vidi, vici by Julius Caesar on the song "Storm the Gates of Alesia")^[31]
• Vulgar – The Professional Blasphemy (2010)^[32]
• Czesław Śpiewa – Pop (2010) (additional vocals in Dziewczyna z branży)

Filmography

• Historia polskiego rocka (2008, documentary, directed: Leszek Gnoiński, Wojciech Słota)

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "Nergal's profile at the official website". http://www.behemoth.pl/site/index.php/eng#nergal. Retrieved 8 August 2009. 
2. ^ http://www.behemoth.pl/interviews/metalmaniacs.html
3. ^ Untitled Document
4. ^ Behemoth: Nergal ESP Signature Guitar Unveiled – News @ blabbermouth.net
5. ^ Behemoth Frontman Nergal Facing Prison Time Over Bible Tearing Incident In Poland metalunderground.com. 2010-3-10. Retrieved on 2010-3-11.
6. ^ Behemoth Frontman Off The Hook In 2007 Bible-Tearing Case blabbermouth.net. 28 June 2010. Retrieved on 28 June 2010.
7. ^ http://www.tvp.pl/rozrywka/programy-muzyczne/the-voice-of-poland/o-programie/trenerzy
8. ^ Behemoth Frontman Stepping Out With Polish Pop Star blabbermouth.net. 22 May 2009. Retrieved on 19 December 2009.
9. ^ Behemoth Frontman Rushed To Hospital; All Previously Announced Shows Cancelled blabbermouth.net. 8 August 2010. Retrieved on 14 August 2010.
10. ^ Behemoth Bassist Offers Update on Nergal's Leukemia metalinjection.net. 9 September 2010. Retrieved on 18 September 2010.
11. ^ Nergal's Illness Confirmed to be Leukemia; Nergal Awaiting Marrow Transplant. metalunderground.com. 23 August 2010. Retrieved on 24 August 2010.
12. ^ Behemoth Frontman 'In Great Spirits' Following First Round Of Chemo blabbermouth.net. 26 August 2010. Retrieved on 28 August 2010.
13. ^ Behemoth: Leukemia-Stricken Frontman Finds Bone Marrow Match ultimate-guitar.com. 8 November 2010. Retrieved on 8 November 2010.
14. ^ Behemoth Frontman Leaves Polish Hospital blabbermouth.net. 2011-01-19. Retrieved on 2011-01-19.
15. ^ Behemoth Frontman Nergal Back In The Hospital Due To Infection metalunderground.com. 2011-02-02. Retrieved on 2011-02-06.
16. ^ ^{a b c} Adam "Nergal" Darski (Behemoth) magazyngitarzysta.pl. Retrieved on 1 November 2009. (Polish)
17. ^ Signum Gothic Custom / Behemoth @ mayones.pl Polish
18. ^ Witold Trelecki. "May-Player News". „Metal Hammer”. 3/2005, p. 28. Dariusz Świtała. Metal Mind Productions Sp. z o.o.. ISSN 1231-9759 (polish).
19. ^ Nergal @ deanguitars.com
20. ^ Jon Wiederhorn, Tune-ups profiles – Behemoth Ankle's Away, Guitar World, October 2007, ISSN 1045-6295, s. 42
21. ^ http://www.espguitars.com/guitars_nergal.html
22. ^ Nergal z nową miłością w MC ! musicollective.pl. 2011-02-28. Retrieved on 2011-03-01.
23. ^ ^{a b} http://www.marklcustom.com/artists.html (serch for Nergal)
24. ^ List of guitarists @ laboga.pl Polish
25. ^ Radio Rebellion Tour With Behemoth
26. ^ http://www.marklcustom.com/gallery/artists/nergal/index.html
27. ^ Sommatone Amplification Artists sommatone.com. Retrieved on 20 September 2009.
28. ^ Behemoth's Nergal, Ex-Members of Morbid Angel, Manowar Join Forces In Voodoo Gods blabbermouth.net. 11 July 2007. Retrieved on 21 February 2010.
29. ^ Revelations, Vader, Katowice, 2002, Metal Mind Productions, MMP CD 0154 DG.
30. ^ "Nergal gościnnie u Frontside" (in polish). www.nuta.pl. http://www.nuta.pl/news.html?nid=26704. Retrieved 11 November 2010. 
31. ^ Falzon, Denise. Ex Deo Give Their First New Taste of Roman-Themed Death Metal exclain.ca. 2009-05-29. Retrieved on 2011-03-04.
32. ^ The Professional Blasphemy musyka.wp.pl. Retrieved on 2011-04-18. (Polish)

Persondata
Name	Darksi, Adam
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1977-06-10
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death