Batushka – the one fronted by vocalist Bartłomiej Krysiuk – recently revealed they'll stream their September 20 show in Poland which is "one of the last opportunities to see Batushka live." When one fan asked what exactly the "last opportunities" comment meant, the band simply responded: "will be smth NEW!"
Now Batushka has announced a handful of South American tour dates, noting it's the "LAST visit in the history of Batushka to your continent." Yet there's been no clarification on why Batushka is ending, what the "something new is," and what the hell is going on.
At this point, we should probably talk about the recent lawsuit that Krysiuk is losing against Batushka founder Krzysztof "Derph" Drabikowski, and how Krysiuk's Batushka is likely losing the name – but the kicker is that he hasn't lost yet. Krysiuk said he'd appeal the ruling, yet he's still announcing the end of Batushka as if he's already lost.
Drabikowski and Krysiuk split in 2018, with Drabikowski plotting a way forward as Batushka without Krysiuk. Ultimately, Krysiuk was the one who moved on as Batushka and signed to Metal Blade for the 2019 record Hospodi. Krysiuk has since signed to Napalm Records for a second release without Drabikowski under the Batushka name, all while touring extensively.
Drabikowski carried on as Батюшка and released one album named Панихида in 2019, all while a court battle raged on in the background over who actually owned the Batushka name.
Then came the recent ruling that Drabikowski owns the name, and that Krysiuk cannot carry on as Batushka without Drabikowski's permission. As Krysiuk notes in his statement, he and his band plan to appeal the ruling, and that until the appeal is either accepted or rejected, his Batushka will carry on as Batushka.
Krysiuk wrote: "In connection with the judgment of the District Court in Warsaw, XXII Intellectual Property Division, we would like to inform you that the judgment is not final and may be appealed against. We are disappointed with the verdict and the length of the trial. which lasted over four years.
"Adding to our sense of disappointment is the fact that the amount of evidence we presented was insufficient. The above court decision is not binding and does not change our concert and publishing plans in the near future.
"We would also like to remind you that final court judgments are enforceable, i.e. those against which no complaint was filed within the deadline specified in the proceedings, and if a final judgment is passed in the next court instance, we will certainly respect it and comply with it.
"Of course, we expect another wave of hate, so please, if you are our fan, do not engage in pointless discussions and do not waste your time, listen to our music and support us."
