The group dates back to September 1986. The very act of setting up the band took place an hour before Iron Maiden concert in Poznan, when Tomasz "Titus" Pukacki (vocal, bass guitar) met Robert "Litza" Friedrich (backing vocal, guitar) and they decided to sell the entrance tickets. The money they got was in no time spent on cheap Polish wine known locally as "kwas" (English "acid") The line up was then enlarged by Dariusz "Popcorn" Popowicz (guitar) and Maciej "Ślimak" Starosta (drums.) Soon they created a few song such as Barmy Army or Del Rocca which are performed live even these days. Unfortunately, after two months of blissful existence, the band suffered the loss of Titus - the leader, who had been called up to the army. Titus stayed there two years while the rest of the band performed with other bands. Popcorn joined Wolf Spider and Litza became a member of legendary Turbo and later Creation of Death. When Titus was finally released from the army, ACID DRINKERS was reactivated.
They first appeared on stage on 26th August 1989 in Wroclaw at a fairly big metal festival called "Metal Madness". They played three songs during which they remained completely still on stage, which was a pretty shocking idea as for a metal band at that time. The audience was absolutely taken aback. The same year they played only one more gig together with Turbo, Wolf Spider and Gomor.
In the meantime ACID DRINKERS recorded their first demo including Nagasaki Baby, Del Rocca and I Mean Acid. The demo noticed by Tomasz Dziubinski (Metal Mind Productions) was presented at Midem Fair in Cannes. A month later ACID DRINKERS signed a deal with Music for Nations. In 1990 ACID DRINKERS performed at Metalmania Festival in Katowice, which has been the largest metal festival in Eastern Europe for many years. The show was so excellent that not only fans but also critics and journalists regarded it as a triumph. In a blink of an eye the band gained popularity across the whole country. It was even called "Guns'n'Roses at Metallica's speed".
In October 1998 Litza left ACID DRINKERS, soon replaced by Przemyslaw "Perla" Wejmann. The same year the band was awarded "the Best Rock Band of the Year" by Polish Public Television. ACID DRINKERS also received "Fryderyk", the Polish equivalent of Grammy Award in category of "hard’n’heavy" in 1998, 2000, 2004. In 2003 Perla left the band. The place emptied by him was soon taken over by Tomasz ‘Lipa’ Lipnicki, the leader of another famous Polish band – Illusion. When Lipa left the band in march 2004, next guy joined the band. His name is Aleksander “Olass” Mendyk, guitar player from great hardcore band called None.
Acid Drinkers has always been one of the best and the most live-impressive Polish heavy metal bands. It has been estimated that so far they have played over 700 concerts in Poland and abroad. From 1996 to 2003 Acids headlined 7 tours and their audience reached a million of people. They headlined all the important Polish rock and metal festivals. The band supported many international stars, such as Deep Purple (in Katowice 03.06.1996 and 24.06.1998 and 27.06.2004 Legia Stadium-Warsaw), Ian Gillan ("Toolbox In" tour in Poland and Czech Republic December 1991), Megadeth, Bruce Dickinson, Sepultura, Paradise Lost and Slayer. The band has been recognized as the best Polish band of the 90s’ by Polish journalists, readers of Polish rock and metal magazines and, of course, BY FANS.
Line-Up
Tomasz "Titus" Pukacki - lead vocals, bass guitar
Wojciech "Jankiel" Moryto - guitar, bkg vocals
Darek "Popcorn" Popowicz - lead guitar
Maciej "Ślimak" Starosta - drums
Maximum Overload
Acid Drinkers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was a butcher, I even cut myself
I worked with precision, I was merciless
There was no sorrow, there was no pain
I cut my body and leashed my brain
Did you beat me
For twenty days
Burned me alive
No sorrow, no pain
I cut my body and leashed my brain
Maximum Overload
I whipped my eyes, probably a million times
I would cruise around the city wound up
I was up to no good and I never got caught
There was no sorrow, there was no pain
I cut my body and leashed my brain
Did you beat me
For twenty days
Burned me alive
And finished by pissing on my grave
No sorrow, no pain
I cut my body and leashed my brain
Maximum Overload
The lyrics to Acid Drinkers' "Maximum Overload" describe someone who is completely numb to pain and emotion, having cut and wounded themselves with no remorse. They seem to have no regard for their own wellbeing, and actively seek out trouble without any fear of consequences. The lines "Did you beat me / For twenty days / Burned me alive / And finished by pissing on my grave" have a particularly disturbing sense of violence and disregard for human life.
The repeated phrase "No sorrow, no pain / I cut my body and leashed my brain" seems to suggest that this person has intentionally inflicted harm on themselves in order to detach from their emotions and become numb to any pain that might come their way. The phrase "Maximum Overload" reinforces this idea of someone pushing themselves to the very limits of their physical and emotional capacity.
Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of someone who is deeply troubled and perhaps even suicidal, using self-harm as a way to cope with their inner turmoil. It's a bleak and disturbing image that is delivered with a relentless, heavy metal intensity.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't remember if I let it be known
I am unsure if I openly shared with others my identity as a ruthless killer
I was a butcher, I even cut myself
I was so ruthless and merciless that I would harm myself as well
I worked with precision, I was merciless
I was incredibly skilled at killing and had no mercy for my victims
There was no sorrow, there was no pain
I felt no remorse for my actions and had no empathy for the suffering of others
I cut my body and leashed my brain
I was so in control of my thoughts and actions that I willingly inflicted pain on myself
Did you beat me
For twenty days
Burned me alive
And finished by pissing on my grave
Even if I was subjected to extreme torture and humiliation, I would remain unyielding and unstoppable
Maximum Overload
I am capable of pushing myself to my absolute limits and beyond
I whipped my eyes, probably a million times
I was constantly on edge and paranoid, always looking over my shoulder
I would cruise around the city wound up
My anxiety and aggression fueled my behavior and actions
I was up to no good and I never got caught
I engaged in dangerous and illegal activities but always managed to evade detection or punishment
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paweł C.
Moje lata w liceum ależ to się nie starzeje :)