Doomed Confessionary: Dima Zangiev (Abanamat)
Based in Berlin, Germany, heavy psych and prog merchants Abanamat come from all over the globe, united to combine their sonic wizardry into a mainlined dose of sublime psychedelia. Abanamat are Tyler Pesek (drums), Pedro Pinheiro (bass), Dima Zangiev (guitar) and Max Goetsch (guitar, vocals).
2023’s self-titled debut planted their name in the sand, and the crew’s sophomore effort »Abominat« sees them embrace the blissful side of their psychedelia and flirt with their penchant for proggy shredding. »Abominat« landed on October 17th, 2025 via Interstellar Smoke Records.
Dazzling guitarwork is again the centerpiece, weaving a tapestry of international influences across seven tracks. Vocals are sparse and let the instruments do the talking, creating a journey heavy on atmosphere and shimmering with spiraling riffs and airtight drumwork.
Upping the ante and awaiting listeners at the end of the trip is the final and title track, featuring the fiery guitarwork of none other than Isaiah Mitchell from Earthless, who cranks up the fuzz for a barn burner of a send-off.
Can you please say a few words about your band?
We are Abanamat and we play heavy fusion. We formed in Berlin and started playing heavy psych because it was fairly simple to do, we just jammed for hours. But then we started gravitating towards prog and jazz but heavy guitars stayed. Thats how, jokingly (around the time of recording the second album), the term came up but we decided to stick with it.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Find a constant line up. There are lots of good musicians in Berlin and they are all in constant movement between bands and projects. There is also lots people who say (or think) they are good, but they were just wasting our time at the end.
What can you be most proud of so far?
Our show with Earthless last summer. Isaiah is not only a long term friend but also was my guitar teacher, so it was very fulfilling to make my teacher proud and not to eat shit in front of the whole Earthless crew.
What was your biggest regret?
Time wasted on not recording and not playing music.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
Probably, still the Earthless show. It Was on our home turf, with friends organising and friends coming to see us, the whole atmosphere felt like a birthday party or a backyard BBQ. With the same emotions we are also remembering our times at Desert Church festival. It is also made by friends and most of the bands playing there are also our friends, so this is an even bigger “birthday bash” but its also being held in a church, which can be not easy for the acoustics but definitely compensates it in the vibe!
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Japanese band called Tricot, Yussef Dayes, Jazzbois.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Don’t write music to be liked by the audience, write music to be liked by yourself. Thats pretty banal, but it works.
What are your guilty pleasures?
I believe, if you feel guilt about something then it’s not really a pleasure. So, I choose not to feel guilty about my pleasures.
Can you say something more about the current music scene in Berlin?
We, very much, like the music scene in Berlin and Germany in general. People still buy CD’s here! thats amazing to me. The underground and indy scene is very active and supportive, we know lots of badass bands and its always a pleasure to play with our friends. Maybe, now we have more and more small venues closing, but you can’t blame the scene for that, people are fighting for the clubs till the last breath, it’s the “all-knowing” developers who wants to turn Berlin in another Barcelona and make it so that the locals can not afford to live in the city and rent out their property to Airbnb tourists.
Where can we see you live soon (concerts/tours)?
Last year we played a lot and didn’t really had time to finish the 3rd album. This year we will concentrate on polishing and recording the new one. We will have mostly home shows, without much travels, cause they are eating up the most of the time. So, so far, we play Berlin in April and November and a couple of small festivals.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
First of all, we wanna record the new album in Budapest. Then record the 4th album. We like writing music and the next logical step is, usually, to record it. I guess, the best enjoyment comes from realising how we progressed since the previous one. We like that feeling and plan to continue doing so in the future.
How can people best support your band?
The best way to support us would be: “Step one. Roll a marijuana cigarette. Step two. Press “play” (Ideally, should be our album). Step three. Pass it to the left. Music is best enjoyed with your friends!”
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Tell your local promoters and bookers about us! We get asked a lot when are we gonna come to this and that city/country. The thing is, right now, we can not afford travelling far, we still do it though but we lose money doing so and can not repeat it too often.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well