In an interview with Bloodstock TV, Behemoth’s frontman Nergal spoke about his battle with leukemia and how the diagnosis changed his perspective on life for the better as he got a second chance.
First diagnosed in August 2010, the frontman Adam ‘Nergal’ Darski was crushed to learn that he had the fatal disease. His recovery depended greatly on a stem cell transplant. Luckily, two years after his initial diagnosis, a young man named Gregory Kite donated the needed bone marrow to Darski. The frontman overcame the battle against the disease with a successful operation, and he has since made a full recovery.
During his diagnosis and recovery, Behemoth had a setback as the frontman was in a fragile condition. Nergal had received a multi-stage treatment with many rounds of chemotherapy. Shortly after his unfortunate diagnosis, Behemoth released a statement announcing that they had canceled all their upcoming gigs.
The statement didn’t disclose Nergal’s disease, only mentioned that the frontman was seriously ill. The band reassured their fans that even though the performances were canceled, they would continue working on future projects. Behemoth have since released their promised projects, including new singles and two studio albums.
Their first studio album after the frontman’s diagnosis, ‘The Satanist,’ was released in 2014, and their eleventh studio album, ‘I Loved You at Your Darkest,’ was released in 2018. The band also recently announced that their new record ‘Opvs Contra Natvram‘ will be released on September 16, 2022. Behemoth continues to be active in the music scene as they are currently on a European tour with plans for a future Latin American tour.
In the interview, the frontman Nergal opened up about his battle with cancer and described how much it affected him both physically and mentally. He mentioned how his diagnosis changed his understanding of life and existence as he realized how fragile his being was. He added that these lines of thought made him fight harder and better. He emphasized grasping the importance of life and how eager he was to be upfront in his battle with leukemia.
Nergal addressed the lesson he learned from battling leukemia:
”It kind of makes you realize that life is very short. And that’s it. And you’d better make the right use of it. It’s very existential, and it just makes you think, and it just makes you realize, ‘This is it.’ I know how it does sound like a cliché, but it does feel like that. But then again, I wasn’t really this reluctant guy that just backed off and [remained] in the shadow. It’s my nature to be upfront and ahead and, boom – I was that.”
The musician continued his words by explaining that this determination gave him strength during the treatment process, which eventually led to his recovery. Nergal explained how with a healthy body and mind, he now believes this is his second coming and is ready to live to the fullest. The frontman also mentioned that no matter how hard life might get, he is ready to enjoy it and fight all the hardships.
He continues to explain further in the interview:
”So when I had started my second life or second coming, I’m even more that. And it felt like I came out alive and healthy. I’m going to jump into deep water with no security, basically. And I’m going to enjoy the f*ck out of this water and waves. And I know there’s going to be tides, and they’ll be pushing me back, but I’ll keep on fucking swimming and just using my resources, all my physical power, to go through life the best I can.
I’m still f*cking making mistakes, but it’s not about not making mistakes; it’s about being aware of who you are, what you are, and what you’re supposed to do here. And I just realized, okay, I’m here to make a f*cking statement, and I’m going to prove that in three hours or four [when ‘Behemoth’ takes the stage at ‘Bloodstock’].”
You can watch the entire interview on YouTube below.
