My old Ural comrade Hlad has finally released the second album of his brainchild called ВИХРЬ, a detailed review of which you can read somewhere nearby. Hlad's activities are still shrouded in mystery, although there is something to talk about here, and we decided to lift the veil a little with the help of interview.
Hails from Bagnik Zine! As far as I know, ВИХРЬ never gave an interview before and the group is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, so we need to shed some light on a number of questions, both commonplace and not so - as much as possible. Let's start, as usual, with the history of the creation of the band. When you got this idea, what did you strive to achieve?
Hlad: Hails!
It all started with the fact that my relations within the groups in which I was then involved - Barathron and Асмодей - began to deteriorate. My ideas and my views were radically different from the directions that other musicians adhered to. At the same time, an excellent opportunity turned up to acquire decent instruments and devote myself not only to drums, but also to guitar and bass. I started to compose some songs that brought the creation of Frosset Skog.
Initially, Вихрь was Frosset Skog, but since the guitarist could not play what I brought to rehearsals, it was decided to take his work as a basis and eventually name the project differently. Chemistry appeared almost immediately. Therefore, "...ветер стуже..." turned out to be so solid and proper.
ВИХРЬ does not work in the conditions of complete anonymity so fashionable today, but your real name, as they say, is too well known to be called, and within this group (as well as some others) you act as Hlad (Cold). So who is Hlad? As far as I understand, this is not just a pseudonym used in certain category of musical projects, but something more.
H: Hlad is an essence of Urals character, the basis of music and poetry, which is born in the heart of the Ancient Mountains and I, as one of the carriers of dark creative energy, call myself this...
I try to divide everything I do. Sometimes from the outside it may seem that I have bipolar disorder, since many of my creative ideas and everyday actions strongly contradict each other. However, inside I feel like a whole person and everything that seems to others to be contradictory, I see natural and logical.
Therefore, the decision to separate my Unholy creativity from anything else seems to me to be the only correct one. After all, if people know who exactly is hiding behind a pseudonym, then the perception of creativity can change dramatically.
ВИХРЬ started right away with the full-length album "...ветер стуже" n 2012; without demo and other preparatory steps. Tell us the story of its creation. Am I right if I say that the album was conceived as a continuation of the work of OLD WAINDS and НАВЬ?
H: Initially, this material was written as a test of the pen - we just wanted to hear from the outside what we are doing. Having done 30 percent of the work, we realized that we were on the right track. We completed everything we started with and recorded it. These were very interesting times. Only 10 years have passed, but the world, and we ourselves have changed beyond recognition ... I don’t remember all the details, and they are not important. But it was a great time, a time of sincerity and accomplishment ... We did not make the record in order to publish it or put it on the Internet, ooooooh, we had a taboo on social media! We only communicated with each other by email or phone! We didn’t think about anything except the music itself and the ideas that were floating around it. The recording took place in the cold autumn / winter of 2011/2012 ...
Regarding the continuation of the work of OLD WAINDS and НАВЬ, I think it's not quite right. We didn't think about it at the time. We wanted to create something of our own, unique, purely Ural, with exceptional flavor and ideas. We just looked at OLD WAINDS, НАВЬ and BBH as at our senior comrades, but we walked exclusively on our own path. We were completely uninterested in being someone's followers, we just did what had to be done ...
In ВИХРЬ, you play the first violin; I know that you can play every instrument yourself, so why didn't you decide to do it solo? as it hard to find musicians for the band in Zlatoust city?
H: I have always believed and still believe that music is the result of certain rituals. As well as you can interact with the whole group during ritual activities, the result will be pure. Playing music, especially heavy music and especially Unholy Metal from the Urals, is more than just extracting sounds from the instrument. You need to enter a certain trance, you need a feeling of unity with the ancient land and spirits ... It is quite difficult to carry out the necessary ceremony alone, and with age it also begins to turn into a routine.
The sound of "...ветер стуже" is very lively and organic, isn't it analogue recording?
H: It's hard to answer this question withot a smile :) No, it's not analogue. The details of this recording are forever in our minds, but I think we shouldn't waste a precious space of your webzine by bringing these memories up!
The most fascinating lyrics on the album, in my opinion, belong to the song "Топь среди гор" (Swamp among the mountains). One gets the impression that it is describing a real place. Is this true?
H: This text is based on the legend of the Chud people, who were voluntarily buried alive in the Ural Mountains. There are a lot of these legends, both old and new ones.
ВИХРЬ is undoubtedly pure-blood Ural metal. Tell us about the place of Ural in ВИХРЬ and your personal life.
H: Of course, the local nature, and city landscapes have left a serious imprint on my worldview and outlook. Sometimes, looking at local musicians, I wonder how they can play anything other than Death, Thrash or Black Metal. Where do they get their inspiration for love songs and shit? I have been to many places, but I simply cannot think of places more gloomy than Zlatoust and nearby shitholes. Surely there are, but ...
As for the lyrics of ВИХРЬ, you need to read them carefully to see that not so much is devoted to the Urals. On "...ветер стуже..." at least 3 compositions do not touch Nature at all, but are directed into the depths of Man.
Help me decide: "...ветер стуже..." means "the wind answered to cold" or it's a "wind becoming colder" ?
H: "...the wind answered to cold..."
"Ветер стуже" has impressive design but I haven't found any information on the designer.
H: The designer was Nikolay from MERKNET band.
From the very start, ВИХРЬ releases came out on Der Schwarze Tod. Tell us how your partnership started.
H: Everything is trite here - I sent a link to the album, and Nikolai six months later listened to it and replied that it would be interesting to release it. Then it seemed to us that this was the best and only proper option.
The second release for ВИХРЬ is the Ural-themed split "Among the mossy stones..." with the friendly band ВСПОЛОХ. Tell us about its history, idea, purpose.
H: We have been creating this album for four years, if not five. The idea arose after a certain publisher of pagan and right-wing music (unfortunately I don't remember the name, but I thank him) brought us together on the Internet. At that moment, I just recorded the first Frosset Skog that ВСПОЛОХ guys liked very much. Immediately, the idea arose to do a joint work.
When ВИХРЬ had already materialized, it was decided that the album would be done under this moniker, and Frosset Skog was put on ice. The first version of "...ветер стуже..." was intented for "Amon the mossy stones..." but due to the intense occupation of ВСПОЛОХ we decided to release these songs as the first ВИХРЬ album.
As for the idea and purpose, it was not without the Urals, as such. Several joint excursions into the mountains were undertaken with the guys from ВСПОЛОХ, where everything - from the ideas of the lyrics to the design - was invented. Surprisingly, the best compositions written by ВИХРЬ for "Among the mossy stones..." were written in the mountains...
Split was released not only in Russia, but also in Germany, on Purity Through Fire. How did you contacted with the German label?
H: Everything worked out as well as possible. ВИХРЬ was on DST, ВСПОЛОХ on PTF, and it was immediately agreed that each label releases and distributes music through its own channels to keep things fair. We got some fame, and the labels, I hope, sold some CDs.
On the split, ВИХРЬ sound became clear and bright, although the musical basis did not go so far forward. Why was this decision made?
H: The fact is that it was decided to record everything at the studios, not in the garage like on "...ветер стуже". I didn't have a group as such then. The guitarist, who at that time claimed to take the vacant position, was too weak (although, on the album at least two compositions were composed by him), the bassist distanced himself from us as much as possible and eventually left the project.
I recorded the drums at my friend's professional studio, and the rest was done by the guys from ВСПОЛОХ. And not only recording instruments, but also producing. Therefore, between ourselves we never call "Among the mossy stones..." a split, it's a joint album for us.
The split ended with a beautiful and rather romantic track, which I initially took for a cover of TEMNOZOR. It especially stands out by its wonderful clean vocals. Who performed it? Did you hesitate when considering including this thing on the release?
H: Names are known to be written on the water...
No, I didn’t hesitate for a second, especially since the composition received this very form already on the final recording. On the demo it sounded in the vein of Arckanum which strongly contradicted the lyrics. Thanks to Vel's brilliant production talent, it became what it is now!
After the split was released, ВИХРЬ gone silent for 7 years. I know that you've been working on "Кощунство" album all these years - tell us, why it took so long?
H: I can't say for sure ... Forces are leaving, energies are running out, gray becomes black, and white becomes gray ...
The sound of «Кощунство» is quite eclectic. At first I thought you had done a little bit too much, but now I'm used to it. How conscious was this compositional diversity?
H: All compositions except «Хранитель Туманных Хребтов» are designed in the same style and represent Unholy Metal in its true manifestation. I don't really understand what do you mean by "a little bit to much", I think that you initially expected the continuation of previous works, but received something completely different ...
At first, ВИХРЬ was originally Unholy Northern Metal, now there is not much North left in it, but there is more than enough Unholy. What made you make the new album darker and blasphemous in terms of ideas? As far as I understand, this is due to some changes in your personality, because the introspective theme on the album is also revealed very actively. What caused such a poetic loftiness and spirituality of the lyrics?
H: Maybe these are the last words of the dwindling spirit...
The cross-burning ritual that graced the cover and booklet of the album - did it serve any purpose other than a photo shoot?
H: It was on the Night of Ivan Kupala ...
"Кощунство" has a very personal nature, so I'll kind of repeat the question I asked at the beginning: why did you decide to use the services of an outside vocalist?
H: The only thing I couldn't do at the time of recording was the vocals. The person who recorded it gave himself completely to the process and did his work on 5+, and since he largely shares the ideas transmitted through the texts, there were no problems. However, on the upcoming works, I will sing myself.
As far as I know, at first "Кощунство" should have been released by Purity Through Fire, but then the label decided to back down. Why??
H: He didn't give any explanation. There was speculation that this had something to do with suspicions that ВИХРЬ is a part of some right wing organization. By the way, for the same reason our album is not and will not be on Black Metal Promotion. XXI Century… (PTF isn't left wing at all, and he doesn't care much about anyone's accusation, but in modern world, everything is indeed possible - including the most shameful chage of heart - editor)
Did you liked to play live with ВИХРЬ?
H: Nope...
A little about other projects with your participation.
FROSSET SKOG is your solo project. Tell us about its history. What is the main difference between it and ВИХРЬ? Do you still think that singing that, screaming like mad, was a good idea ?
H: This is the beginning of the journey - the first steps. But everything that has been done within the framework of this project, I consider correct. I consider the texts from "Images of Autumn" to be the pinnacle of my poetic activity. The vocals... you may like it or not... But the vocals that sound on these albums are the only proper ones.
АСМОДЕЙ - according to information from the Web, one of the oldest Black Metalbands of Russia (formed in 1994), however, the first record was released only in 2010, and you participated in it. Tell me how you infiltrated the ranks of this and why you left it. As far as I know, you are not happy with the current course of the band.
H: Yes, everything was trite ... They called me, I came ...
The year that we played in the same line-up completely divided my life into BEFORE and AFTER. The case when everything that is done is for the better! Today I am very glad that I was so shamefully kicked out of these groups, and today I am happy that nothing but acquaintance connects us. And yes, I think that what ASMOGAY s doing today is… not what a Black Metal band should be doing.
You also drummed in the band with the miraculous name BARATHRON, but it doesn't seem to work. What was it and why?
H: BARATHRON was the product of alcoholism and nihilism, which had a very serious musical and poetic potential, but, as you know, alcoholism is either treated or goes into stages incompatible with life, and nihilism eventually turns into conformism ...
Finally, you played on the first album of the unusual NS-project NOTHING. How did this collaboration come about and why did it end? Perhaps I missed any other projects with the participation of Hlad?
H: Here we need a little more detail. And I'll start with the fact that the project does not position itself as NS and, in general, does not consider itself to be the part of right-wing movement. I'm sure that the nerds from the metal archives were frightened by the logo of the project and thus, Nothing automatically got into NSBM category.
Cooperation has arisen since the preparation of ВИХРЬ / ВСПОЛОХ collaboration. A. performed vocals for that CD, he also wrote two texts. In ideological terms, Nothing is more of a successor to the ideas that were laid down by A. on "...among the mossy stones ..."
At the moment, me and A. are trying to create a label for releasing our music, and one of its first releases will be the new collaborate album of NOTHING, ВИХРЬ and ТЕМЕНЬ, where the latter is also my project.
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