Interview with Radzim (ŠMIERCIESLAŬ, OYHRA, ZMROK)

Note: this interview was made by me for Metallibrary webzine at 15.05.2015: http://www.metallibrary.ru/articles/interviews/594.html

For a long time already I had to talk with Radzim, one of the most odious, evil and extreme figures of Krywian underground, a member of such legendary formations as Šmiercieslaŭ, Oyhra, Zmrok. Many years ago, the interviews with Radzim took naturally HALF of printed magazines. And now, after all those years, Radzim saved his style of talking, giving absolutely exhaustive answers to all my questions. Come on in!

Hello, Radzim! Thank you for agreeing to answer my questions. Interviews with you have not been done for a very long time, so I have to start with platitudes. Tell me about yourself. When and how did evil metal take possession of your soul? Why you have chose such nickname - to honor the tribe of Radimichs I believe?

Hail, Raman! I was "lucky" to be born and grow up in the second largest city of Belarus. My childhood took place in the incredible 80's... Accept and AC/DC from every window in the evenings... You got beaten by older guys in the district if you do not know not only 10 metal bands, but even Manowar and KISS... Black and white photocopies from the records covers... HMR abbreviations everywhere, including the schools of course... The elder sister - thanks to her the first tapes of Judas Priest, Scorpions, Krokus were played in our house - she taught me that a real metalhead is not only a fan of music, but, first of all, a man who knows the history of his beloved bands and what their lyrics are about. It's still important to me today. At first I was a fan of Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Warlock, then Sepultura, Slayer, Candlemass, the n I had passion for Death Metal and Grindcore... But the turning point was Bathory's "Blood Fire Death" in 1993. In childhood, under the influence of Iron Maiden, I already imagined how soon I will spend the nights alone by the fire in the woods and meet the dawn with this music, walking on deserted places - later it turned out that this is also one of the necessary aspects of the life of Black Metal fanatic. Radzim is a name from an old book about the history of my hometown. Although I have no blood relationship with the descendants of the Radimichi tribe, yet I chose this pseudonym because I was destined to be born in their lands. Now it is no longer necessary to explain who it was, because you can read about Radzim even in the history books in the school. In 1989 my father bought me the famous book "Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece" by Nikolai Kuhn. Thanks to this book, my pagan worldview began to form, and years later, when I merged into the underground, it was not difficult for me to make correlations between the mythologies of different nations and explain some aspects of them using the examples from ancient myths. I started writing the lyrics in '93, and I bought my first electric guitar in August'1994, so by the middle of 1995 I could play the riffs in the vein of "Equimanthorn", "Total Destruction" and Ildjarn (of course I haven't heard about Ildjarn in 1995) in my "bedroom" band Dead Tormentor. And obviously I planned to continue to do that, but then I received an invitation from my old friend Paskevich to join his band Minas Morgul as a second guitarist. Then this band transformed to Oyhra...

Now tell us about your bands. Šmiercieslaŭ, Zmrok, Oyhra - how were they born, what inspired you to create them? What do they bring to the world, what is their essence and meaning of existence, the message?

Oyhra was supposed to be the first Black Pagan Metal band in Belarus, but we didn't fucking knew that in Hrodna there was a band named Pagan already... It was really worthy band, we respected it. Oyhra was inspired by Lithuanian pagan metal band Poccolus. Also we thought that we will be the first pagan metal band that sings in Belarusian. Ha, another mistake - Pagan from Hrodna already recorded the song "Magilny Klicz". About Šmiercieslaŭ: I was a long-time fan of Thrash Metal and Second Wave of Black Metal, so Šmiercieslaŭ was created pretty naturally. I still remember what exactly made us to create this band. It was a snowy November morning, I was sitting with Modgud at her kitchen listening to "Deathcrush". Next day we started to create a new material, new lyrics, and I started to learn how to play this type of riffs. I've asked Modgud and Darkut to help me, and they agreed. The name Šmiercieslaŭ came to my head only in March of year 2000, before that we called our band - it's so fucking funny now - plain and simple: Thrash! We recorded our first demo in 2 days (30.10.1999 – 31.10.1999). We composed 10 songs, I took 5 - the fifth supposed to be self-titled song that was later released on "Ciemrazoŭ" EP - but recorded only 4. Then the record was put on shelf, but we decided to play again in September of year 2000.

Oyhra existed from 1995 to 1998, then you created Šmiercieslaŭ. After a couple of years, it also went into the shadows, but its place was taken by Zmrok. Do you regard this as a kind of transformation of one band into another, or all these (considering that now all three groups are active) bands are independent entities?

Actually, Oyhra never disbanded. From Juny 1998 I am the only member of the band, plus I have session drummer who recorded his parts for last 2 albums. Šmiercieslaŭ and Zmrok were invented almost at one moment. Me and Modgud lived together at that time, so it was naturally for us to play in each other's bands. Darkut was our long-time companion, the other musicians didn't get get along with us, you know...

At the moment, OYHRA has two albums that will be released very soon. Tell us about them. How it turned out that you've recorded two albums at the same time?

An album "Praź piačory mistyčnaha azareńnia" is a kind of tribute and a conceptual continuation of the greatest - at least for me at that time - creation of BURZUM: "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss". Developing the concept of Varg Vikernes about "The thing that happened before the light seized us and we rushed through the Castle of Dreams into the void", "Praź piačory mistyčnaha azareńnia" can be represented by an epigraph: "Memories of sacral knowledge, inspired by the pre-dawn landscapes, direct the soul in caves of mystical illumination, so, after passing through the abyss of old age, it could re-reunite with her ancestors". If this album is more or less integral, then" Zaimhlonyja dali prynosiać uspaminy"is rather a compilation of the tunes composed in different years + cover of my beloved "Hermodr a Helferd" of BURZUM with intuitively written lyrics. The material for both albums was recorded for the first time back in 2002, but in the end these records suffered a fate similar to the unforgettable "Blood On Ice" of BATHORY. That stuff was never finished, because the quality of the recording was simply disgusting, even if you take into account, as usual, dirty and badly sounded albums of my bands... In a new studio session, held in 2014, I included only a few synth tracks from those years. Yes, all previous years I cherished the dream of finally recording these albums, but for a long time practically nothihng was done in that direction. I had no suitable instruments, equipment or even studio. I couldn't even find a drummer... However, it's been too many years, and I do not have those strong emotions that I had at the time when these albums were composed. I will only slightly open the veil of mystery for the fans: these 2 albums are the first half of the future OYHRA tetralogy. The next album will have Ritual Ambient vibe, and another one following it will be the traditional "forest" Black Metal. Time will tell you exactly how it will sound...

In 90's OYHRA released 3 demo records: “На язычніцкай зямлі”, “Ратная страла” и “Oyhra!” What do you think about them now? Do you want to see them re-released on CD?

Previously, I really loved our second demo "Ратная страла". The third one, "Oyhra", was never officially released, and I don't have the master tapes of this demo. All those tapes are lost forever in the crypts of Funeral Pyre Records. Fucking Funeral Pyre... never answered my phone calls. I have dubbed copies of the first two demos, but digitize them now... they will sound awful. Original artworks are lost, too. Fuck this shit, it's all just past. I fucked up everything. Those demos are history, nothing more.

I heard that you couldn't record new albyms of OYHRA because you were searching for the drummer who can play as good as Darkut. Who is this new guy? Is he playing anywhere else?

Yes, I did two attempts to record OYHRA albums with drum machine, and maybe I would release them like that, but then I found this drummer. In the end, according to him, he has grown significantly in terms of technique after recording, and I received real "live" drums in OYHRA- a wonderful form of cooperation, right? In addition, he performed the functions of a sound engineer at the record sessions in the studio. In general, he is quite well-known drummer in certain circles, and he is also the session drummer of VIETAH, and just a great guy.

Darkut was a part of ZMROK, ŠMIERCIESLAŬ and OYHRA for many years. Why he left?

I do not know anything about the reasons for the departure of Darkut from ŠMIERCIESLAŬ and ZMROK... I haven't spoken with him for three years now. Last thing he told me is that the drums on ZMROK's 3rd album are almost recorded, and also that he would soon present me some riffs which, in his opinion, are worthy of being part of the new ŠMIERCIESLAŬ album. Haven't heard anything from him since then... As a result, the new material of ŠMIERCIESLAŬ was written entirely by myself, and the drums of ZMROK new album are performed by another drummer. The main reason for the departure of Darkut from OYHRA in June 1998 was his rejection to play this new material. He wanted to continue playing music in the vein of the old songs, while I was already creating material that suggests that in 1998 OYHRA will be the fastest Heathen Black Metal band in the world. We didn't manage to find a balance between the old epic sound and my new ambitious goals, so me and Darkut could not continue OYHRA together. In my opinion, this was his mistake - just compare "Praź piačory mistyčnaha azareńnia / Zaimhlonyja dali prynosiać uspaminy" with all this boring bullshit that Darkut played after his departure in JAR, STORMHOLD, THELEMA and so on...

Same question about Modgud. She took part in recording of the demo "Biessmjarotny czorny mietal" of ŠMIERCIESLAŬ, but didn't participated on full-length and EP. Will she perform anything on new ZMROK album?

Initially, Modgud should become vocalist / guitarist of ŠMIERCIESLAŬ. While composing the material, we even rehearsed the first three songs in two guitars. By the way, two main riffs from "Dark Tide of Destruction" song are written by her in year 2000. Then, in order not to bother with the two-guitar rehearsals where we had extremely lousy sound, we decided that she would concentrate on vocals only. What can I say... here were some problems in personal relationships, and in the end we did not work together, I had to do the vocals myself. But in my archives I still have a few rehearsal records and a fragment of live performance with Modgud on vocals. About ZMROK - it is Modgud's "personal" band, I just wrote a few texts and a good part of music, nothing more. Without Modgud, ZMROK cannot exist.

This new album of ZMROK - at what stage is it now? What can we expect from it?

In June'2014, all the instrumental parts of the new, third and obviously the last album of ZMROK were recorded. It's the same Black Metal, but now even more fast and perfect. Plus, each song has folk music fragments, so it's a bit different from previous two mini albums. The mixing is almost done. Now we should record the vocals, and then we can work on mastering. I don't know, when my dream of Modgud finally coming into the studio and sing my old lyrics will come true - ask her about that...

It is known that you are an employee of the penitentiary system. How did this affect your worldview?

It's not about working or not working in prison, it's about people who dislike that. Most of those people are "black metallers, satanists and pagans of all types" - really narrow-minded people with psychological problems. You can't see these ricket-like skeletons in SHINING t-shirts in gym, because the fucking rod, even with a weight equal to their own, will crush them. I'm not even saying about squats and deadlifts with 180-200 kgs on your shoulders. In the case of the war they so expected, these sweating little hands, I assure you, will not be able even to charge the gun, to the shame of the truly male part of us. Coming out in front of the ranks of soldiers, the mewing of such a chandelier will be lost in mockery of "comrades in arms" standing in rows. And if some of these "metalheads" is punched in the face or finds out that his lovely iPod is stolen, he runs to the police that he hates so much, and asking the policemans to help him. Should I continue?

Let's talk about ŠMIERCIESLAŬ. The material for albums “Cjomny pryliŭ razburennja” and “Ciemrazoŭ” (Dark tide of destruction / Calling Darkness) was composed between the centuries. However, the recording took a loooong time - the drums were recorded in 2004, and the recording of guitar parts started only in 2011. What is the reason for such delay?

I am not one of these musicians who run to the studio when they have only a few barely rehearsed tracks and release 1-2 albums per year. Most of the riffs that I compose during writing of the albums I mercilessly throw away or totally rewrite. he material for "Cjomny pryliŭ razburennja" and "Ciemrazoŭ" was created from '1999 to' 2003, after that we rehearsed a bit and could enter the studio to record the drums in August'2004. In the same 2004, and after that in 2005 and 2008, I tried to record the new material of ŠMIERCIESLAŬ three times in different conditions. but it was impossible to listen to it, it was so weak and tired every time... These songs began to fall into oblivion, and I felt frustrated and desperate. As a result, years passed, I gone through painful transformations which led to the blackest depression and almost ruined my fucking intelligent character. But, fortunately, the ensuing spiritual recovery and unexpected technical assistance of the old friend Antarctis (VIETAH) contributed to my return to the music. However, as always, I had many difficulties during the recording... The rhythm guitars were recorded almost completely at the first session, I like to do it that way. But then it turned out that I do not remember more than a half of guitar solos written 10 or more years ago. So I had to compose them again, inserting new fragments between the fragments that were deposited in my memory. The next problem - the bass parts that were composed by session bassist years ago, and I did not even really listened to them when we rehearsed with a full line-up in the early 2000s. Therefore, I had to compose them myself again. And finally I had to do the vocals with all the rehearsals, disappointments, erasing the recorded takes... In the end, all these 14 years, from writing the first riffs to releasing CDs, became a fascinating story for myself which sometimes is pleasant to remember. But to experience all this again? No way! Because I cannot drink the seas of alcohol anymore, and I can not stand this sense of a long jump into the abyss.

“Cjomny pryliŭ razburennja / Ciemrazoŭ” is totally amazing double album. In 1,5 months I listened to the promo version more than 20 times. In my opinion, it is one / two of the best albums in Belarusian metal in general. What do you think about these records today? After all, they were composed many years ago, and you as musician and author can perceive it differently.

It's surprising, but I'm still satisfied with this material, and I can even listen to some songs every 3-4 months! New songs of ŠMIERCIESLAŬ, composed by me in 2013-14 are quite similar to “Cjomny pryliŭ razburennja", so don't expect any real development of the band's sound. People perceive these albums differently, but I don't care about anyone's opinions. All I can add is that only a few people around can create the music similar to mine.

ŠMIERCIESLAŬ lyrics are extreme, imaginary and very personal. What are your inspirations during writing of the lyrics? You work on lyrics permanently or only during the periods of obsession?

In 90's I wrote lyrics in the vein of true Black Metal: forests / graveyards / swamps / ruins / night in the dark room. I still have these old yellow sheets speckled with black ink, raindrops, wax, traces of ash, moss and dust... They all have dates, so I have no problems with chronology of creation of the old material. Now there is actually an abyss between those times and the present, and I mostly write the lyrics on the road when I travel to my girlfriend. Most of the lyrics I write consciously, choosing words, metaphors, turns... Yet my very first and most personal piece of lyrics - "Prakljaccie Nierusza" - was written completely in short 40 minutes during the twilight in a deserted interfluve with a bottle of apple wine in a snowdrift...

In the song "Восеньская пастка" (Trap of autumn) you mention some "crimes of that winter (middle 90s)". What do you mean?

...once late at night on a country graveyard I saw a monument that had collapsed in the 90s, among the fragments of which the young pine shoots broke through... I think among the readers of this interview there are people who remember the spectacular scene of the flight of Romper Stomper heroes in the slums after that glorious action in the pub. With the only difference is that I ran alone on a winter night, first on the ice, and then through wasteland and a deep snow. On my shoulder I had a meter long cult "souvenir", which I had to left on the path and the hazy night sky over my head was lit by the shiny stars... hence the line from the song "Ash on the moors" is inspired by that night - "In the light of silent stars..."

By the way, why these lyrics in the booklet are cyrillic, not latin?

Everything for the fans from Russia, haha. When I bought a tape of PAGAN's "Hate to the light of Life", it was enchantingly to read these simple texts in latin Belarusian, but I don't think that people read the lyrics too much now...

Should we expect some new material from ŠMIERCIESLAŬ?

Of course. The songs for the second full-length are composed, I slowly work on arrangements and stuff. Also I learn how to play drums, so maybe I will record this album alone right in my basement.

ŠMIERCIESLAŬ, OYHRA and ZMROK sound really old-school, even archaic. So I have to ask - are you interested in modern Black Metal? I don't even mean about "trendy" bands of today, I mean the new bands that play in the vein of old cults.

Old Black Metal - it's first three waves (1982-85, 1985-89, 1989-96) is mostly the only true Black Metal. I once tried to figure out what was the reason for the "public" success of certain, mostly weak, modern Black Metal bands. And I was pretty confused when I realized that it's just PR and capturing attention through certain intrusive manipulation. It is also necessary to take into account that each movement has its own time and its own caste of admirers and followers. My personality was formed under the influence of old Heavy Metal and later Thrash Metal, so I quite naturally was immersed in both traditional Black Metal and classical bands, like BLACK SABBATH and DEEP PURPLE, I still feel the aftertaste of that era. But I absolutely can not penetrate the ROLLING STONES or THE BEATLES, because I did not live in the era of domination of their music and, accordingly, I cannot comprehend what the old fans are feeling about them. Therefore today and always, I remain a fan of MANOWAR, SODOM, but not of the modern bullshit.

What do you feel about BATHORY?

BATHORY, like IRON MAIDEN and BURZUM, are everything to me... If you need details - you're welcome. The name BATHORY I first found out in February'1993 from the encyclopedia of Death / Thrash Metal, as this band was not written about in Soviet newspapers, you know. And it wasn't some fucking EUROPE or BON JOVI that you can see on TV. I already imagined what Quorthon was singing about, and was amazed when I read the gossip about him creating the first three albums all by himself. It took me half a year to find BATHORY's records, until finally the cassette of "Blood, Fire, Death" sounded in my house. Falling in love with BATHORY more than all the other bands in 14 years, I did not let anything in my soul since then... I greedily get to know everything that was in the history of BATHORY, starting from the time when these drunk idiots recorded their first demo and reduced the loudness on their Marshall amplifier during the recording of "Under the Sign...". I really want to listen "Blood Fire Death" in the last hours of my life.

Do you have respect to any Belarusian bands?

Yes, but only a few of them I can mention. And you will never make me listen this new Belarusian Black Metal. The only "living" band I respect today is PAGAN. PAGAN has always amazed me with the ability to create the most worthy albums literally from nothing... Even now, 15 years after the release, I consider his majestic "...and darkness is above all" the most depressive Belarusian album ever. When we are jamming, we play the title track with pleasure. It's March again, so it's time to listen to this old tape... KRUK is the first Belarusian "true" band that I listened to, and I was amazed with its autencity and natural atmosphere. KARACZUN, LEGION 666, SICK... and APHOOM ZHAH. I still love their debut work "Eternal Pain", and I remember our meetings with Vaiug and Cold Flame in the beginning of 2000's.

All of your creativity is impregnated with the genuine Belarusian grim spirit of antiquity and darkness. How do you think, can a resident of another country feel and understand it? Belarus and Black Metal - what are they for you together and separately?

Belarus is a place of sorrow, especially if we recall our history from the times of Mindoug. Black Metal... man, I'm 36 years old now, and 2/3 of my life I am a crazy fan of BATHORY - what else can I say?

ZMROK and ŠMIERCIESLAŬ played live a few times. Will you play live again if someone will make a good proposition?

Modgud occasionally forces me to play with ZMROK again, but I'm not sure if it's worth it. I haven't played on stage for 8 years now, and today's fans are not the same. Also I need to find some session musicians, show them the tunes, watch for them and so on. For now I am more interested in playing everything myself and do the studio work, especially since I still have material in the archives...

Is it important for you that your music is heard only by ideologically "correct" people? If ŠMIERCIESLAŬ suddenly would became famous as, let's say, BEHEMOTH, how would you treat this?

Well, on the one hand I don't care who listens to my music. On the other hands, it sounds really rough and bad for glamour metal fans. Once I gifted some ŠMIERCIESLAŬ to my colleagues. After that I was surprised to know that their children listen the shit out of these songs. Well, in my childhood I listened the old tapes of MODERN TALKING day by day, and then I found some serious music. ŠMIERCIESLAŬ would never become as big as BEHEMOTH of course. Even because my skills are really limited. I don't know what BEHEMOTH play now, but already in 16 years they recorded a masterpiece "...from the pagan vastlands". Nergal is a genius, what can I say!

Do you have any other bands except ŠMIERCIESLAŬ, OYHRA and ZMROK?

Yes, soon me and my friend will record old primitive stuff from 90's called W.E.L. The album title will be "From where night comes...". Also, sooner of later, me and Modgud will finally get it together and record some stuff for our almost legendary military folk band ALBA RUTHENIA. Also I have some ambient material from 90's that was inpired by the final lines of Völuspá. It will be my conceptual continuation of BURZUM's "Daudi Baldrs". In the beginning of 2000s I played in MYSTERIA SCRIPTUM with Antarctis, but we only managed to play a few covers of MAYHEM, PAGAN and BURZUM. Oh yes, also I had an ambient project named IMZA in 2001. Me and my buddy Bjazymien played two roughly composed 5-minute songs on 2 synths for 6 hours without pauses, and we were really "high" because of that. Fucking BEASTUS REX/ MORTISS duo, haha. In the end Antarctis, who also was there and planned his songs from the first EP of BALRORG, was fed up with this shit. If he had something heavy near his hands, he definitely could crush our heads, haha!!

The millenium issue: why your logo reads as "Šmiercieslaŭ", with hák, and not "Śmierciesłaŭ", like it should be in Belarusian?

For the attractiveness of the logo. In November 2000, when the first tape of ŠMIERCIESLAŬ was released on Possession, I asked Ryks Asirg to design the logo with simple gothic font. Because of his "design plan" he made the logo symmetric.

All right, that's it, Thank you for your great answers! Do you want to say anything else?

Always speak the truth, be open and strong. It is great if you still survive.