BEHEMOTH Bassist Offers Update On Leukemia-Stricken Frontman (Audio)

The inaugural episode of the Focus On Metal weekly podcast features a brand new interview with bassist Orion (real name: Tomasz Wróblewski) of Polish bands BEHEMOTH, VESANIA and BLACK RIVER.

When asked about the current condition of Adam "Nergal" Darski, the 33-year-old guitarist/vocalist from BEHEMOTH, who was recently diagnosed with a life-threatening form of leukemia, a cancer of blood-forming tissues of the bone marrow, Orion said, "[Nergal] remains in the hospital. He's going through chemotherapy now. And they're planning a bone-marrow transplant, possibly this year.

"He's doing fine. His attitude is just winning everything. He's with fighting the illness and we're all sure that he's gonne be fine.

"We're still in touch, we're still working on new BEHEMOTH releases — we're working on a DVD now. So he's doing as good as possible [under] these conditions."

On how fans' support has lifted Nergal's spirit:

"It's been just massive support that we get from the fans that he gets, and I'm sure it helps him a lot."

On what fans can do to help:

"To register in a bone-marrow bank, it's just a sample of blood, so that's the least that anybody can do. So if there is any chance for anybody to just go and do it, then go ahead, and that's a huge help. Even if it doesn't help Nergal directly, it helps some other person, most likely. So that's what people can do in order to [show their] support."

On how not all transplants will require the donor to undergo surgery if they are approved as a match (for those people who are afraid of surgery):

"The surgery of a bone-marrow donor, it's just a simple surgery — it takes two weeks to be 100 percent cured and recovered. So it's not a serious thing. And to be a match for somebody, it takes months of testing and everything at the bone-marrow bank. The chance for a person who is unrelated to be a match for somebody is 1 to 40,000, as far as I know, so being afraid of going under a knife, it sounds a little ridiculous to me if you can go through a little surgical [procedure] and save somebody's life. It takes two weeks to get recovered 100 percent — that's it."

Orion talking about Nergal's illness on Focus On Metal:

Focus On Metal inaugural podcast featuring interview with Orion:

Darski is currently receiving treatment in the hematology division of Gdansk Medical University Hospital in Poland and has already undergone his first round of chemotherapy and other procedures while waiting for a donor with complementary bone marrow. Those who wish to help Darski and others suffering from leukemia should set up a marrow drive or register to be a bone marrow donor. Every person that registers to be a donor increases the chances of survival for Darski and others suffering from the same illness.

"If you know the history of BEHEMOTH you know we achieved everything by hard work and a steely determination," Nergal previously said in a statement. "The same goes for my private life. I happen to be a strong son of a bitch. I have no faith but rely on a 100 percent victory and I am sure I will get out of it stronger than ever. Sun Tzu in his 'Art of War' said that if you know your enemy and yourself the result of a thousand battles will not surprise you ... I enter the ring with this Nietzschean attitude and I will leave it as a winner, as usual. Just watch and see."

BEHEMOTH will release a three-disc DVD titled "Evangelika Heretika" in November. "It's a real encyclopedia of BEHEMOTH with nearly five hours of material and a bonus audio CD," Nergal said. "Expect an experience of visual madness as we went to hell and back to make it."

In addition, early next year Metal Blade will reissue BEHEMOTH EPs with new art work, bonus tracks, liner notes and more. "As you can see, despite a complicated situation and difficult circumstances we're remaining active wherever we can," Nergal said.