My name is Vanja Šantak. I’m the lead guitarist, main songwriter, lyricist, spokesperson, and in many ways the driving creative force behind Trivan.
But even though I write the music and lyrics, even though I lead the charge — none of this would be possible without the rest of the band.

Each member brings something essential.
Their input, instincts, and intensity are what transform ideas into real songs.
And along with our incredible producer Dave Kaminsky, we shape everything together into something far greater than what any of us could do alone.

So while I feel comfortable speaking on behalf of the band when it comes to our direction, our message, and our purpose — I’ve chosen to answer your more personal questions from my own voice.

I had considered asking all five of us to contribute.
But I quickly realized — that wouldn’t be an interview.
It would be a book.
A full-year editorial feature.
Because we are five very different individuals.
Each with our own fears, philosophies, memories, and truths.
But just like different gears in the same machine — we move as one.

So below you’ll find my answers — raw, unfiltered, and honest.
I poured everything into them.
At times, I cried while writing.
Some questions triggered memories I hadn’t touched in years.
You stirred something real in me, and for that, I thank you.
One of your questions even sparked something that I already feel will become a future Trivan song — because when an emotion hits that hard, it must be translated into sound and shared with the world.

As for the photos — I’ll be sending them separately later today or tomorrow.
We’re currently coordinating the video shoots for both “Blackened Heart’s Pledge” and “Dance of Death”, because both songs deserve to be experienced visually.
Once we lock the filming dates, we’ll also shoot proper promo photos — but in the meantime, I’ve asked each band member to send me their best current photos, so I can create a temporary collage with our band logo in the background.
You’ll receive that very soon, along with our logo and separate images for flexibility.

Again — thank you.
Not just for the platform, but for giving us the kind of questions that demanded real answers.
This process awakened something in me. And I promise — it will echo back into our music.

With deepest respect,
Vanja Šantak
Lead Guitarist / Songwriter / Trivan

​

 

1. When did you decide that a career in music was for you?

I never really decided — music decided for me.

I grew up in a musical family. My uncle and cousin are both professional musicians, though they walk a different path stylistically. But ever since I was a child, music was always present — not as background noise, but as a presence.
The guitar was my favorite toy before I even knew what it truly was. It wasn’t just something I played — it was something I held onto, something that felt like an extension of who I was.

As I got older, I realized that music wasn’t just something I loved. It was the only way I could truly make sense of the world — to confront pain, to process beauty, to scream without speaking.

I didn’t choose music — music chose me.

To this day, I can’t imagine a life — or even a single day — without it.


2. Who are your musical inspirations and why?

We’re inspired by the pioneers of black metal — not just for their sound, but for their courage. Bands like Emperor, Mayhem, Dark Funeral, Marduk, Gorgoroth, Dissection, early Cradle of Filth, and Taake shaped a genre from pain and fire.
But inspiration also comes from outside metal: from nature, solitude, silence, literature, and personal suffering.
What inspires us is truth — wherever it comes from.


3. Can you tell me 3 things about yourself that people might not already know?

Most of my song ideas come during long walks with my dog, while watching the world fall apart in silence.

I'm also a PhD student in a completely different scientific field — which makes Trivan both my escape and my core.

I never perform anything I don’t believe in. If it doesn’t resonate spiritually, it doesn’t exist for me.


4. What song of yours best describes you and why?

Blackened Heart’s Pledge.
Because that song is me.

It was born out of introspection, raw pain, and the promise to never live a lie again.
It’s the sound of looking yourself in the mirror — stripped of ego, stripped of illusion — and whispering: I will change. I will not go back.

At the time I wrote it, I was going through one of the darkest periods of my life.
Stress had completely consumed me — to the point where I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t think, couldn’t function.
I reached a breaking point. A crossroads.
I had to ask myself:
Do I want to live like this for another 10 or 15 years, and end up with a stent in my chest, on medication, half-broken, just existing?
Or do I want to take control — completely transform my life, breathe again, live 50 more years with strength, health, and fury in my lungs?

That was my moment.
That was my Blackened Heart’s Pledge.
It wasn’t just a song — it was a vow.
A decision to stop letting the world beat me, and instead rise to conquer it.

This track isn’t just about darkness — it’s about what comes after, when you walk out of it stronger, sharper, and more alive than ever.


5. What has been the best gig you have done to date and why?

Right now, our full focus is on finishing the album — which is a challenge in itself, because all of us in Trivan still work full-time jobs.
Unfortunately, we can’t live off music yet, although that remains our greatest wish — to fully dedicate ourselves to this and nothing else.

Before Trivan, we all played in different bands — so it's hard to speak for everyone’s “best gig.”
But for me personally, one night will always stand out.

It was winter, and I was playing with my previous band Tirania at a biker party.
We were the headliners, and the energy that night was unreal.
After we played through every song we had — we only had one album at the time — the crowd still wanted more.
So we played the entire set again, one song each.
And when we finished that... they still asked for more.

So we did something insane.
We started the set a third time, and during the final repetition, all of us — except the drummer — jumped down into the crowd with our instruments.
We played face-to-face with the first few rows, screamed lyrics together, and everything became one chaotic, beautiful blur.
It was raw, human, and unforgettable.

The show finally ended when my guitar amp gave up and literally died in the middle of a solo.
It was the only thing that could’ve stopped us.
I’ll never forget that feeling — pure connection, no barrier, no distance. Just truth.


6. If you could perform a gig at any venue where would it be and why?

Our ideal venue wouldn’t be defined by size or fame — but by spirit.

Places where the veil between worlds feels thin — where sound becomes more than music, and something sacred is allowed to emerge.

At the same time, we also value the intensity of small venues — underground clubs, hidden basements, tight spaces where the air is thick and every note lands like a strike to the chest.
There’s a different kind of truth in those places — raw, intimate, undeniable.

But most of all, we want to play wherever people are open to feeling something real.
Big stage or tiny room, mountain or alley — if the fire is there, we’ll bring ours too.

Trivan’s goal is simple: to share our energy. To create moments that stay.
We don’t seek the perfect place.
We seek connection.

7. What has been your best achievement to date and what would you like to achieve in the future?

As a band, our greatest achievement so far has been staying true to ourselves — resisting trends, rejecting shortcuts, and building something real from the ground up.
We’ve also been fortunate to find people who believe in this vision — like our fans, our artist Saša Brnić, and our producer Dave Kaminsky. Without them, Trivan wouldn’t breathe the way it does.

In the future, our goal is clear:
To finish and release our full album — a complete artistic statement, visual, lyrical, spiritual — and then bring it to life on stage, wherever people are willing to truly listen.

But beyond just making music, our deeper purpose is to reach those who are lost.
We want our songs to speak to the wounded, the tired, the ones who feel like they’re standing on the edge with nothing left.
We want to give them a voice. A mirror. A hand.

We hope that someone, somewhere, hears this album and says:
"This is my Blackened Heart’s Pledge. I will not stay broken. I will rise. I will change."

If our music helps just one soul stand up and create a better life, to see truth and strength within themselves — then we've already succeeded.

That’s what Trivan is about.
Not escape. But empowerment.


8. Tell me a story from backstage or after a gig?

Since we haven’t performed much live as Trivan — our full focus right now is on creating and finalizing our debut material — we don’t yet have many traditional backstage stories.
What we do have are stories from within:
long nights of recording, debating lyrics, sending guitar takes at 3 a.m., obsessing over every note until it finally feels right.

But here’s one that marked us forever:

When we finished recording “Blackened Heart’s Pledge”, we gathered and listened to it in total silence.
No one spoke. No one moved.
We just sat there, letting it wash over us — and we all knew:
This is who we are now.
That silence said more than words ever could.

Then came “Dance of Death.”
Even though it wasn’t fully finished — just a raw guitar sketch — I sent it to the band, to our producer Dave Kaminsky, to our artist Saša Brnić, and to the core people in our Trivan Army WhatsApp group (over 50 of our closest fans, friends, and allies, including the hosts of Komodorac on Radio Student).

And the reaction?
Shock.
Messages like:
“What the hell did I just hear?”
“This is beyond.”
“You’ve created something dark, evil, and perfect.”

It wasn’t hype — it was real.
That moment reminded us why we do this.
And also of the challenge ahead: every song we finish, we raise the bar for ourselves.
And somehow, with fire in our lungs and purpose in our blood — we meet it again.

This is what fuels us.
These moments.
These people.
This communion.

9. What do you like best about being a musician and why?

The greatest gift of being a musician is the freedom to express things that can’t be said in any other way.
To create sound from pain.
To find beauty in darkness.
To carve connection out of silence.

But beyond expression, there’s a deeper hope:
That one of our songs might actually change someone’s life — even in the smallest way.

Maybe someone listens to it alone at night, lost in thought…
Maybe they cry.
Or fall in love.
Or take a risk they never had the courage to take before.

Maybe our song becomes part of their life’s soundtrack — a moment they’ll never forget.
Whether it’s a first kiss, a long walk under the stars, a wild night, a quiet breakdown, or a personal vow to become stronger — just knowing that something we created will live inside someone else’s memory…
That’s beyond words. That’s everything.

We don’t just want to make music.
We want to give people a reason to feel more, to heal deeper, to grow stronger.
If even one person hears a Trivan song and says, “this made me better” — we’ve done our job.

10. If you were not in the job you are now what would you be doing?

Well, the reality is — we don’t live off music.
We’re not a wedding band, and we don’t play pop hits. We create the kind of music that demands everything from you but gives back something deeper — and that doesn't usually pay the bills.

So currently, we all have day jobs to support what we do in Trivan.
Personally, alongside my work, I’m also finishing my PhD — so my life is split between research, professional obligations, and the world of Trivan.

Right now, Trivan isn’t our job — it’s our soul, our outlet, and our sacred space.
We don’t create music to make money.
We work other jobs so we can afford to make music — so we can invest in equipment, production, and bringing this vision to life.

Of course, it would be a dream come true to be able to live from music alone.
To wake up each day and give everything to Trivan — body, mind, and spirit — without needing to split focus.
But maybe there’s something beautiful in the way things are now, too.

Because when you sacrifice sleep, time, and comfort just to write that one perfect riff...
When your only free hour that day goes into recording a vocal or discussing lyrics...
You realize just how much this means to you.
You pour all your pain, fire, and struggle into those few precious moments.
And maybe that’s why it hits harder.

Because it’s not a product.
It’s a sacrifice.

11. What has been the best gig you have been to as a fan and can you tell us about it?

It’s hard to answer this on behalf of all five members of Trivan — each of us has walked a different path, and we’ve all been shaped by different moments as fans.
But one experience stands out for me personally, and I’ll carry it with me forever.

It was a small club show by the band Uada, held at Močvara in Zagreb.
I went right up to the front row — not only because I love the music, but because I wanted to take a close look at the guitarist’s gear.
Their sound was perfect. And the moment I stood face-to-face with the band, everything else disappeared.

It was like the world stopped.
Suddenly, there was no crowd. No noise. No distraction.
Just me and them — and a current of pure energy flowing between us.
It felt as if they were playing only for me.

It reminded me of the exact moment I met my wife.
We saw each other for the first time in a parking lot of a small shopping center.
And I swear, it was like something shifted in the universe — as if all the planets aligned and locked into place.
Everything paused. I felt something so intense that I nearly collapsed.
After our first embrace, I was in such emotional shock that I actually had to run to the bathroom in the shopping mall — and I vomited.

Not because something was wrong — but because everything had suddenly become right.
It was like my body had to purge everything old and broken to make space for something real.

Since that day, she has been my greatest support — and that moment taught me something vital:
If I don’t feel that exact same thing in music, in love, in anything…
Then I don’t do it.
Because that level of connection is sacred.

I had a similar moment the first time I met my dog.
There were many puppies — playful, loud, jumping around.
But one of them was different.
He was slow, sleepy, and came to me last.
He walked over to my worn-out Dr. Martens boot, rested his paw on it, looked up at me — and in that moment, I knew.
No words. No logic.
Just truth.

That’s what that Uada concert in Močvara was.
A moment of absolute clarity.
A sacred alignment.

And to honor it, I bought every single shirt they had in my size.
Because you don’t walk away from something like that empty-handed.


12. What would your ideal festival line up be and why?

An ideal festival would be more than a lineup — it would be a gathering of visionaries. But if we’re speaking names:

Emperor

Mayhem

Mgła

Gorgoroth

Marduk

Uada

Nordjevel

1349

Funeral Mist

Dark Funeral

Dimmu Borgir

Cradle of Filth

Gorgon


and of course :) Trivan

Each of these acts brings more than music. They bring conviction.


13. What would you say is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

There are a few that have stayed with me — but one of the most powerful is:

“Don’t fake it.”
In life, in music, in relationships — in anything.
If it’s not real, don’t touch it.
Truth may hurt, but pretense will poison everything it touches.
That one line shaped the entire foundation of Trivan.

Another piece of advice that hit me hard was this:
“When something bad happens in your life, you have two options — let it destroy you, or let it build you.”
Every time I stand at that crossroads, I choose to let it build me.
To turn pain into fuel.
Darkness into clarity.

And there’s one more that reflects the brutal reality of the world:
“In life, you either get slapped — or you do the slapping.”
There is no third option.
If you just stand still, you become everyone’s emotional punching bag — a vessel for their frustrations, failures, and unresolved traumas.

So I learned:
Stand your ground. Raise your voice. Swing back when needed.
Otherwise, the world will try to fold you into nothing.


14. What things make you happy and what things annoy you?

I can’t speak for all five members of Trivan — we’re all different in our own ways — but for me personally, this is how it is:

Happiness:
Long walks in silence.
Dogs.
Creating something that feels like a fragment of the soul — honest, raw, unfiltered.
Looking at my wife and knowing she gets it — without a word, without explanation. Just pure understanding.

Annoyances:
Superficiality.
Mindless scrolling.
Loud people with nothing to say.
The constant feeling that everything is performative, that people are “acting” instead of being.
That nobody is really present — everyone’s too busy performing for a world that isn’t even watching.


15. What things do you like to do when you are away from music?

When I’m not working on music, I value simplicity and silence.

I love spending time with my wife and my dog — just being close, cuddling, talking, or not talking at all.
Those are the moments that ground me — the ones that remind me why I fight so hard for everything else.

I also train boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu — both are ways to stay sharp, focused, present.
They keep my body aligned with my mind.

Sometimes I enjoy cooking, especially when I’m creating something from scratch — it’s a kind of physical meditation.

And then, of course:

Walking in nature, with my dog, where thoughts become clear.

Reading books that ask hard questions.

Spending time with people I genuinely trust — which is very few.

And constantly recording random melody ideas that I forget 10 minutes later.

But that’s okay.
Sometimes it’s not about remembering — it’s about releasing.

16. Do you think social media and the internet are a good thing in the music industry?

It’s a double-edged sword.
The internet gave underground bands like us a voice, a chance to connect with people all over the world who understand what we’re doing — and that’s priceless.
But social media also encourages shallow consumption, fake personas, and an obsession with numbers over meaning.
So we use it — but we don’t let it use us.
We believe in presence, not performance.


17. How important do you think your look and image is when it comes to being in the music industry?

Image means nothing if there's no substance behind it.
But when image honestly reflects the message — then yes, it matters.

For Trivan, the most important thing — above all — is the music.
We don’t create songs to serve an image.
We don’t hide behind masks or theatrics.
We don’t play dress-up.

What we wear, how we present ourselves — it’s all simple, minimal, and intentional.
Because our goal is connection — not distraction.
We want people to look at us and see: these are real people, carrying something real.
People with a past, with experience, and with something to say.

We could have chosen mystery and artifice.
But instead, we chose honesty — raw, imperfect, human.

Of course, our appearance reflects our sound — and yes, we wear black.
But not to follow a dress code.
We wear black because black is everything.

When you mix all colors together — you get black.
It absorbs all light, reflects nothing.
That’s the paradox we live in — the duality at the heart of our music.
Is black the absence of light… or its final resting place?
When light is swallowed whole, is it lost — or contained?

This is Trivanism.
A refusal to perform. A rejection of spectacle. A commitment to essence.

We want our audience to hear what matters.
And what matters isn't how we look — it's what we reveal.

So yes — image can matter.
But only when it grows from truth, and stays in its place — as a servant to the music.
Because the music... is the message.


18. Can you tell us about any tattoos you have and the significance of them to you?

Some of us in Trivan have tattoos — some don’t.

But for those who do, they’re never just decoration.
They’re sigils, scars with meaning, markers of a journey.
Symbols of transformation, reminders of vows, pieces of personal mythology.
A tattoo, for us, should reflect who you’ve become — or what you’ve survived.

I personally don’t have any tattoos yet.
Not because I don’t want one — but because I haven’t found the one.
I don’t want to put ink on my body just to “have a tattoo” or to look cool.
Everything I do in life, I do for myself, not for others.
And when I finally choose my first tattoo, it will be a turning point — a moment of clarity.
Just like everything else meaningful in my life has been.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about getting something that honors my wife and my dog — the two greatest loves of my life, alongside music.
But I’m not rushing it.
I know myself.
When the right design appears — when the universe gives me that feeling, that undeniable signal — I’ll know it’s time.
And that image will stay on my skin until the end of this life… and maybe into the next.

Because that’s the kind of love I have for them.

When I met my wife, I knew instantly that I didn’t want to spend just this life with her — I wanted to spend every life with her, if such a thing exists.
And the same goes for my dog — the most loyal soul I’ve ever known.
I somehow ended up with the best woman, the best dog, and the best band I could ever ask for.

And if that wasn’t enough — we also found the perfect producer, Dave Kaminsky.
From the first message we exchanged, it just clicked.
It was the same feeling again — like “this is it”.
Dave didn’t just mix our songs.
He helped us find our sound — shape it, elevate it, and make it something that truly reflects who we are.
And for all the money, fame, or offers in the world — we wouldn’t trade him for anyone.
He’s ours.
Just like everything that matters in Trivan — it found us. And we keep it close.


19. If you ran the country for a day what would you change about it and why?

We would stop everything — just for a moment.
Shut down all noise, distractions, propaganda.
Force people to sit in silence and actually feel who they’ve become.
Because real change doesn’t come from more rules. It comes from consciousness.

And right now, that’s what we lack most.


20. What would your ideal day consist of?

I can’t really answer this for all five members of Trivan — we’re all very different, and if we started answering every question as a group, this wouldn’t be an interview anymore…
It would be a book.
And probably a long one.

So I’ll answer this just for myself.

My ideal day would start by waking up in silence, far from the noise of the world.
Somewhere deep in the forest.
No phones. No deadlines. Just stillness.

I'd spend the morning writing music in a wooden cabin, letting the cold air and solitude guide my thoughts.
And then I’d record one perfect take — not flawless, but true.

Later, I’d go for a long walk with my dog under heavy clouds — that kind of weather that makes everything more honest.
I’d probably talk to no one… except maybe one person who understands me without words.

And in the evening, I’d rehearse — not just play — but connect with the music under candlelight, like a quiet ritual.

Then I’d end the day the best way I know how:
falling asleep next to my wife and our dog.
Because no matter what happens during the day — if I can wake up and fall asleep with them beside me, it was a perfect day.
That’s what wholeness feels like.

No stage. No spotlight.
Just peace, creation… and love.


21. If you could say one thing to your fans what would it be and why?

You are not just fans.
You are part of this.
This is your fire too.
Every share, every message, every late-night listen — it all matters. More than you know.

We see you.
We carry you with us.
Without you, Trivan would still exist — but it would echo in an empty chamber. You gave it life.

22. How would you answer the question “Who are Trivan” and what are the differences between you as a music artist and you away from music?

Trivan is a spiritual rebellion. A black metal band, yes — but more than that, a movement toward truth.
We are five individuals with scars, visions, and questions — and through Trivan, we confront them together.

There is no “me” outside music. The person I am away from music is the one who needs to write it.
It’s not a switch I flip. It’s the same current — just quieter.


23. What was the first record or song you purchased and why?

I’m not sure if it was the very first, but one of the most important albums I ever bought — and one that deeply marked me — was Alice Cooper’s "Trash".

I was just a kid, around 13 years old. Alice Cooper was playing a show in Zagreb, and I wanted to go more than anything.
But my parents didn’t let me — we were on vacation at the seaside, and they caught me trying to sneak away, planning to escape the coast and get to the concert on my own.
It didn’t work — but the desire never left.

When we returned home, the first thing I did was go out and buy that album on cassette.
And every night, in the dark, I would jump around, scream, imagine I was at that concert. I lived it in my own way — in my mind, in my room.
It became something sacred.

That album also reminds me of someone who meant the world to me — my grandfather.
He was the one who gave me the freedom to play this kind of music in the car when we were together.
He didn’t speak English, but he listened anyway — and sang along in his own way.
There’s a song on that album — “Poison” — and he used to sing it as “Pojdem.”
In our local dialect, that could loosely translate to “I’m going.”
It made no sense linguistically, but emotionally — it made perfect sense.

And now, all these years later, whenever I hear that song — I don’t hear Poison.
I hear Pojdem.
And I see him, singing it in his own voice, in his own rhythm, with a smile on his face.

It's beautiful how music can carry memories of people who are no longer here — and keep them alive inside us.
That album is more than a collection of songs.
It’s a piece of who I am, and a bond to someone I’ll never forget.

24. What would you say to someone thinking about becoming a musician and getting into the music industry?

Only do it if you have no other choice.
If it’s a job, don’t.
If it’s a game, don’t.
But if it feels like breathing, if you ache to say something no one else is saying — then welcome.

And don’t chase the industry. Build your own truth. They’ll come to you if it’s real.

25. If you could collaborate with any other band/singer or musician who would you choose and why?

Anyone who creates from a place of spiritual honesty.
We’re not interested in big names, clout, or empty prestige — what matters to us is vision.

We want to collaborate with people who carry the same fire in their bones.
That could be a visual artist, a composer, a poet, a ritual performer — anyone who means it, fully and unapologetically.

Because Trivan isn’t about fitting in.
It’s about reshaping the world around us — bending it inward, until it reflects truth.

We don’t adapt to the world — we believe the world should adapt to the individual.
Every soul is sacred. Every voice is unique.
And in a time when everything pushes people to conform and be digestible, we fight for the right to be who we truly are — and invite others to do the same.

So if someone shares that fire — that need to transform, to reclaim, to stand alone and still shine — we’re ready.
Because connection doesn’t require perfection.
It requires truth.

26. If you could have written one song from history which would it have been and why?

“Into the Infinity of Thoughts” by Emperor.

Because that song isn’t just music — it’s a cosmic invocation.
A ritual gate into the unknown.
It doesn’t offer answers — it tears open the sky and dares you to look into it.
It’s not here to comfort. It’s here to ignite.

"Into the Infinity of Thoughts" is the sound of standing completely alone — surrounded by void, crushed by silence — and still choosing to create.
To speak.
To become.

It’s a song that expands you.
If you’ve ever felt that a piece of music is a dimensional key, capable of shifting your entire perception — this is one of those rare moments.
It opens not just ears, but veins and gates.

That’s what Trivan aspires to do — not to imitate that sound, but to carry that same function.
To serve as a portal for those brave enough to step through.
To build songs not as products, but as paths.
Our goal is to create music that doesn’t entertain — but transforms.
Music that burns. That marks. That leads you to something beyond the surface.

Emperor showed us that it’s possible — to stand at the edge of infinity and scream with clarity.
And with Trivan, we want to take that torch and carry it into our own mythology, our own sacred fire.

Because if you’re not writing songs that challenge the shape of the world —
Then what are you really saying?

27. What things make you uncomfortable?

Fake smiles.
People who talk just to be heard, but never to connect.
Crowds that move without meaning.
Rooms full of noise, but no presence.

I’m deeply uncomfortable around people who aren’t really there — who exist in default mode, always online, always reacting, but never truly feeling anything.
I struggle with forced positivity, and with irony used as a shield — when people mock sincerity because they’re too afraid to confront their own depth.

We live in a time where mediocrity is masked as minimalism, where apathy is sold as coolness, and where people tear down what they don’t understand, simply because it dares to mean something.

But what disturbs me the most is how terrified the world is of sincerity.
We’re conditioned to flinch from vulnerability — to label anything honest as “cringe,” and anything passionate as “too much.”
And that’s tragic. Because real connection only happens when you drop the act.

So I choose the opposite.
I choose to be too much.
Too honest. Too intense. Too real.
Because silence, depth, and truth make others uncomfortable — but to me, that’s where the real world begins.

28. If you wrote a book about yourself what would it have in it?

Honestly, it wouldn’t really be about me.
It would be about those strange, in-between moments —
when everything is quiet,
when no one is watching,
and when something inside you suddenly shifts.

The pages would be filled with symbols,
unfinished thoughts,
black-and-white photographs,
and handwritten fragments of emotion —
scattered across the chapters like ashes over snow.

There’d be no linear plot.
No perfect arc.
Just a raw map of internal landscapes — hills of fear, rivers of memory, volcanoes of love and collapse.

Because deep inside, we are all chaos.
Messy.
Unresolved.
A storm of thoughts, fears, emotions, trauma, hunger, rage, desire.
But most people are too afraid to admit that —
So they build façades.
They wear polite smiles.
They play a part.

But underneath?
It’s survival.
It’s panic.
It’s sadness, terror, and aching.
We are all walking chaos.
And that’s okay.

Because chaos is the beginning of order.

You don’t organize a closet without pulling everything out first.
You don’t fix a shelf without making a bigger mess on the floor.
Chaos is necessary.
Because chaos is honest.
And from it, truth is born.

So my book would be exactly that:
Chaos on paper.
A hurricane of thoughts and feelings.
Because I am someone who feels deeply.
Who thinks constantly.
Who loves fiercely and breaks loudly — sometimes in the same second.

And maybe, just maybe, in all that swirling mess, you find the one person
who doesn’t try to fix your chaos —
but sees it as beautiful.
As order in disguise.

Because when two chaotic souls recognize each other,
order is born.
And everything — finally — falls into place.

That’s what my book would be.
Not a story.
But a pulse.

29. What has the rest of the year got in store for you?

This year is about fully unleashing Trivan — not just as a band, but as a voice, a force, a mirror.

In the next few weeks, we’re releasing our third single, Dance of Death.
And we say this with full conviction — it's one of the most powerful, intense, and spiritually violent pieces we've ever recorded.
Not just in Trivan — but in all bands we’ve ever played in.
And it’s not just us who feel that. Everyone who’s heard it so far has said the same:
"This is something else."

We’re also redesigning the cover art for our first single, Dark Malicious Desire.
The song deserves more — a true work of art — and that’s exactly what our visual collaborator Saša Brnić is working on.
The current cover was a rushed decision made under pressure and deadlines — and that was our mistake.
But life isn’t about never making mistakes.
It’s about owning them, correcting them, and doing better.
And that’s what we’re doing.

If time allows, we hope to release our fourth single before summer — and yes, it too will be epic.
We have this strange and beautiful problem where each song turns out better than the last, and that just keeps raising the bar — for us, and for the message we're trying to carry.

After the summer, the plan is to release our fifth single — the final one before we go quiet to finish the album.

The album will have 9 tracks, and if all goes well, it will be released in early 2027 — possibly even late 2026 if fate is kind and the stars align.

But we’re being honest here:
All of us have jobs, responsibilities, personal lives.
So sometimes, things take longer than we’d like.
But that’s okay — because we care far more about quality and truth than about timelines.

We don’t want to repeat the mistake we made with the first cover.
We’d rather take our time and release something real, something that deserves to exist — than rush out something that doesn’t speak fully for us.

So yes, we have a timeline.
But if we break it, it will only be because we’re making something better.

And with every new single, we hope to reach more people, expand the Trivan Army, and connect with those who are still searching.
We want to offer more than sound — we want to offer strength.

Strength to get through pain.
Strength to change.
Strength to rise.
To become more. To become better.
To transform.

Because in the end, that’s what Trivan is here for:
To lift people. To reflect them. To awaken something inside.

And more than anything:
Staying true.
Staying present.
Staying dangerous.

Even in a world that treats loyalty like weakness,
that breaks promises like glass,
that worships emptiness...

We remain faithful —
to our vision,
to our people,
and to ourselves.
 

30. Final words to Electric Music Magazine readers

Thank you — truly — for taking the time to read all this.
If anything you’ve seen here resonated, even a single line — welcome.
You don’t need to understand everything.
You don’t need to decode every word.
Just feel it.
That’s enough.

If you’ve ever stood in silence, heart pounding, knowing something inside you has to change —
If you’ve ever looked into the dark and felt like it was staring back —
If you’ve ever promised yourself, “I will not be broken. Not this time.” —
Then we’re already connected.

Because Trivan is not just music.
It’s not an act. It’s not a show.
Trivan is a flame. A mirror. A spiritual revolt.

And if you carry that same fire — even if it’s just a flicker —
step closer.

You are not alone in the dark.
We see you.

And this is just the beginning.