(1) Could you tell our readers about your band Aquilla? – What kind of music do you perform, when was it established, etc.?
Aquilla was founded in 2015 in Warsaw, Poland, and it emerged from the remnants
of a garage thrash metal band, serving as a springboard for mastering songwriting,
live performance, and musicianship. Built on a foundation of passion for old-school
heavy and speed metal, the band draws heavy inspiration from the New Wave of
British Heavy Metal and New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal.
Our identity blends science-fiction themes with 80s aesthetics, crafting an original
lore inspired by classics such as 2001: Space Odyssey, Dune, Alien, Blade Runner,
and Interstellar. Through energetic live shows infused with nostalgia, we tell the
futuristic tale of humanity’s quest to find a new home among the stars.
(2) Which bands or artists inspired you to play music?
At the very beginning, Aquilla was inspired mainly by NWOBHM classics like Tokyo
Blade, Parasite, Randy, or Angel Witch alongside pioneer bands that formed a trend
that we know today as NWOTHM – Enforcer, Skull Fist, Striker, and many others.
With years, of course, it evolved with us, and presently we are inspired by bands
from all kinds of rock/metal genres, from prog through heavy and speed all the way
to death and black.
(3) Who came up with the cover art for the album Sentinels Of New Dawn?.
The original concept was brought up by Hippie as a mash-up piece made from
various graphics, I believe. It was then processed through numerous ideas,
discussions, and experiments in which we tried to make the cover art ourselves.
Ultimately, we presented our vision to the cover author, Fares Maese, who drew
some initial sketches from which we picked the one that was later used as a base for
the final artwork.
(4) Who wrote the lyrics for your new album, how did they come to be?
All the lyrics were written by Captain Paradox, with some singular, very minor
incursions by Hippie and me in “Creed of Fire” and “The Chronicles”. Apart from the
lore that was established on our previous record, Captain had full creative freedom
and did an outstanding job with it.
Some of the themes were built on pre-conceptualized ideas, like Order of the Cosmic
Flame (e.g., Creed of Fire), which had been on my mind for quite some time, and
some were created from scratch by Captain himself (e.g., Mountains of Black Sleep).
We also had plenty of discussions regarding the plot points and fractions that are the
central point of the new album in which some of the themes were born (e.g.,
Technocrats’ Tyranny).
I highly recommend reading through all the lyrics, as I believe Captain crafted a
really entertaining journey in them!
(5) Who created the logo for the band, and who takes care of the graphics
and the website?
The logo was created by the mighty Mario Lopez, who made heaps of imagery for
metal bands throughout the years, including Evil Invaders, who were a big inspiration
fo us back then.
Apart from the logo and (most) cover arts, Hippie and I are responsible for the
visuals that the band uses. For “big” projects we tend to cooperate with other artists,
but smaller things like graphics for social media, merchandise, stage assets, and
smaller releases are completely managed by us.
The website was a topic that revolved in our heads for quite some time, but we never
had the time nor the skills to create one. At one point, Kris started to make one as
his passion project, and he did so well that we decided to launch it officially!
(6) How many Shows have you played? Which type of gigs do you prefer,
whether (Venues or festivals) and which of your performances would you
consider as the best?
It’s hard to track, honestly. I’d say like 100+.
As for which we prefer, it really depends on the event. We’ve had some remarkable
festival experiences, like at Wacken Open Air or Trveheim, but at the same time,
venue gigs in places like Grenaa, Progresja or Koszalin are also solid contenders for
“the best” ones. It’s really the people who make the biggest difference when you
perform on stage.
(7) Can you tell us about your discography and why the long breaks in
between albums?
I’ll allow myself to omit describing singles and “Saviors of The Universe” EP, as they
were included in the “big” releases as well.
Our first project was “The Day We Left” EP (2017), which was basically a teenager’s
insurgence to record anything longer than a single. We only had as much funds as
our monthly allowance back then (not much), no real experience, and not very good
instruments, but we had a burning dedication in our hearts, and in my opinion, you
can clearly hear that on that record. Some of the compositions weren’t even finished
when we entered the studio (Pulsar Trip), and we had to improvise, haha.
Then there’s the “Mankind’s Odyssey” LP from 2022. Five years had passed, and by
that time we were certainly more experienced as musicians and had a proper budget
— but still, not much experience in working in a professional studio. For me, there are
quite a lot of cool ideas and compositions on that album, but in terms of feel and
maturity, there was definitely room for improvement. For example, it sounds a bit
too “artificial”.
And finally, there’s our most recent LP “Sentinels of New Dawn,” which is about to be
released on 31.10.2025. It’s really too soon for me to sum it up, but surely, it’s our
most well-thought-out, consistent, and mature work to date, and the general,
enthusiastic reception of the released singles is the best confirmation of that.
Although, only time will tell if the same happens regarding the full album, haha!
As for the long breaks, it’s not much of a story, just the way life goes. Especially with
the line-up changes, and when you have to work full-time besides playing in a band.
(8) Can you tell us about the name of the new album What's the Inspiration
behind it?
It’s our little tradition that we like to have small nods to real-life science and space in
our naming scheme. That’s how “Sentinels” came to be – as a reference to the
European constellation of satellites called Sentinels.
Lore-wise, it could be interpreted as every faction fighting over Yvad’dera interpreting
themselves as the “true Sentinels” of “New Dawn”, which is the new human era in
the deep void of space.
(9) Can you tell us about the metal scene in Warsaw?
We have numerous awesome bands here, like: Armagh, Species, Rascal, Metallus,
Witch Hound or Quantum Void, but really, there’s even more to discover across the
whole Poland: Rät King, Night Lord, Roadhog, Axe crazy, Gallower, Pandemic,
Grimoire, Pursuer, or Midnight Fortress. I highly encourage you to actively search, as
there’s truly a lot of good stuff in our country.
(10) Do you have endorsements that you want to talk about or share?
Currently, the only “official” endorsement tied to the band is the one between me and
ACD Unlimited from Austria. Hands down the best drum pedals that I’ve ever played
on. Also, Dennis (ACD founder) is just a really cool guy to speak with and a true
engineering mastermind.
(11) Would you like to share any shows or festivals coming up?
Well, at the moment we have a lot going on backstage, but sadly, none of that can
be announced publicly at the moment. Be sure to follow our social media to stay
updated!
(12) How and where can your fans contact you? What about you and social
networks?
The official contact e-mail is contact@aquilla-official.com. If you’ve got any inquiries,
feel free to drop us a message there!
Our main social media activity concentrates on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
We’re also pretty active on TikTok, and of course, there’s our website: www.aquilla-
official.com.
Generally speaking, we always operate under nicks consisting of “aquilla” and
“official”, so if you want to follow us anywhere, that’s your lead!
