Vesperian Sorrow Interview

Answers by Guitarist Will: and Keyboardist: Subverseraph

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days? 

Will: "Well, we have just released our latest album "Stormwinds of Ages". Right now, we are just trying to get the word spread about the album and the band. This has been a mutual release between us and "The Path Less Traveled Records". Basically, we have a distribution deal through them, but we are basically handling all the work involved with the process, in return we are keeping the rights to our music and having better leverage with what we can do with our album. The distribution is great though, we have RED/Sony distribution here in the states and Code7/Plastichead in Europe. So you can surely pick up our album almost anywhere. Next step for us is getting on the road and hitting the festivals." 

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from the older recordings? 

Subverseraph:  "Our progression is a willful but natural one.  Compared to our back catalogue, it's heavier, darker, more technical, more grandiose, and the recording itself is infinitely more mature and professional.  We've become equally more complex and barbaric without compromising those signature elements that make us who we've always been and will be."

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new release? 

Subverseraph:  "They all stem from visions had by our frontman Don Donni, upon which he elaborates and poetically creates worlds behind, most of which are blighted by decay in one form or another.  The flagship title track, though, heralds a metamorphosis into territory darker than anything we'd yet been known for, and its lyrical content is a reflection of that within the context of the Nephilim's call to arms, if you will." 

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

Subverseraph:  "Derived from the latin 'vesper,' the word 'vesperian' indicates that which pertains to the evening or duskfall.  Therefore, VESPERIAN SORROW is open to connotation; it can mean anything along the lines of the following examples:  mass grievance at the extinguishing of the light, plague of (eternal) night, profound bereavement for endless death marked by the falling sun and rising moon (i.e. the Grendel-Beowulf dynamic), etc.  You decide."

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance? 

Subverseraph:  "Four weeks after I moved to Austin in September of 2006 to join VS, we toured Canada/Quebec for damn' near a month, playing festivals with the likes of KATAKLYSM and QUO VADIS in front of hundreds upon hundreds of rabid fans.  Those were some of the most memorable for me.  As far as my stage performance is concerned, whenever I'm not voraciously headbanging whilst tinkling the ivories, I'm either doing back-up vocals or doing back-up vocals whilst tinkling the ivories, so yeah,...you get the picture.  (I throw the fuck down.)"

Will: "I agree with what Subverseraph says about the Canadian shows we played back in 2006, they were awesome. We are hoping to get out on the road here very soon, as we are a new creature now, and I would say that our stage performances are 100% better than what they were." 

6. Do you have any touring plans for the new release?

Will: "Absolutely! We have already starting playing shows around Texas. Hopefully, later this year we will be venturing out of our home state and into the U.S. and then abroad. We are almost a complete D.I.Y. band so obviously we will have to make sure the opportunities are the right ones for us. We are going to be trying to hook up with a booking agency this year, so that we can get things really moving in that department." 

7. There are some special guests on the new album, how did you get in contact with them and were you satisfied with the results? 

Subverseraph:  "Jon Zig (featured on 'Legacies Befallen' and 'An Empire to Mourn') is an Austin-based tattoo artist and vocalist who fronts the bad-ass brutal death metal bands IMAGES OF VIOLENCE and SARCOLYTIC, both of which have been recorded by Kristoph out of our very own Amplitude Media Studios.  He's extremely talented and known for his album artworks for SUFFOCATION, AVERSE SEFIRA, PSYPHERIA, and a slew of others.  The art donning Stormwinds of Ages is his work as well.  Jason McMaster (featured on 'Relics of the Impure' and 'Eye of the Clocktower'), the hardest-working man in metal, is known for fronting WATCHTOWER, DANGEROUS TOYS, IGNITOR, BROKEN TEETH, and (more recently) EVIL UNITED.  His vocal prowess goes without saying, and we are humbled by his presence on the album.  The female vocals throughout 'Casting Dawn into Shadow,' 'Eye of the Clocktower,' and 'Death She Cried' were performed by the emminent Erika Tandy, previously of IGNITOR and AUTUMN TEARS, who now fronts MORGENGRAU, for which she growls and grinds the axe just as masterfully as she sings operatically.  We honestly couldn't be more satisfied with the three aforementioned guest musicians' performances, and being friends with them prior to and past their contributions honors us greatly." 

8. The new album came out on The Path Less Travelled, how did you get in contact with them and how does it differ from the previous labels you have been on?

Will: "I was sending promos out to all the labels, we were getting quite a few offers from small labels, but they all involved signing our rights over to them. We completely financed and recorded this album on our own, it's our baby, the last thing we wanted to do is just give it away just for the sake of being "signed." Plus, the labels that were making the offers did not even advertise in any print or online magazines/webzines and had no intention when asked. So I guess they thought they could peddle our record out of the back of their van or something haha. So "Metalblade" or "Nuclear Blast" never came calling, and Sean from "The Path Less Traveled" emailed me up one day saying that he could offer a distribution deal to us with RED Distribution. We would keep the majority of the profits but would have to do all the work. The deal made sense to us considering that's what we have always been about, D.I.Y. The deal differs from previous deals in that it's really more of a partnership than us being "signed" to his label. Plus, I've never met a more "Down to Earth" and honest label owner! I know that the metal business has been a struggle for him, I truly hope he can keep the machine going because many bands would benefit by what he offers. I think it's a model of what the future Band/Label partnership should be like."

9. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer album by fans of symphonic black metal?

Will: "I would say that it has been almost 100% positive. Of course there is always a few people that don't like the style and might snicker because it has keyboards or something, or because it's melodic. Other than that, we have received so much positive feedback that we are really excited about the direction we are headed and getting the next Vesperian Sorrow album done by next year."

10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

Will: "It's always going to have that signature "VS" sound to it. However, with the minds involved with this band, it will always be evolving into what interests us at that point in time. Lately, we have been concentrating on making the guitars heavier and filling out the sound more. We've become faster and more technical, but we are ALWAYS keeping the song and the structure of the song as priority #1. We want to create songs that are catchy, so that the technicality of it doesn't really take away from the song, and so that we create songs that stick in people's mind."

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Subverseraph:  "We continue to cull major inspiration from Northern European black, death, and gothic metal from the mid-late 90s and early 2000s.  Some of our mutually favorite bands include EMPEROR, ABIGOR, DISSECTION, ARCTURUS, UNLEASHED, SATYRICON, OLD MAN'S CHILD, ROTTING CHRIST, BORKNAGAR, NAGLFAR, ENTOMBED, GOD DETHRONED,...and I'm gonna stop there because the list could go on for quite a while longer, and you get my drift.  Personally, however, I've lately been obssessed with "nastier" bands like MARDUK, WATAIN, DESTROYER 666, and VALKYRJA; to me they just invoke these worlds overthrown by rust and flooded with blood and ruled by wolves and fire, and these worlds are those in which the jaded, wandering misanthropist in me thrives in most comfortably these days."

Will: "I honestly really don't listen to anything considered modern lately. All of my influences really were from the mid-90's when it comes to this style of music. Our drummer Kris who also composes a lot of the music, is pretty much the same, I would say that the same influences we had when we first started are still inspiring us even now. Now days though, we just try to put a modern slant on it and keep the music evolving always." 

12. What role does Occultism play in your music?

Subverseraph:  "I, for one, am deeply fascinated by things occultic and occult-related/inspired mythologies, but we as a band hold neither a pagan nor Satanic stance.  The extent of the occult's influence on our music is no more than say, that gained by compositions written after looking at Gustave Dore paintings, or after reading some Lovecraft, Swinburne, or Wheatley, or after watching Pumpkinhead, Bram Stoker's Dracula, or The Thirteenth Warrior for the billionth time."

13. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Subverseraph:  "Training martial arts (Tukong Moosul and Ip Sun), keeping up-to-date on the latest findings within the field of paleontology, doing stuntwork/fight choreography for movies every now and then, playing oldschool 2D fighting games, and vegging out to cheesedick European horror cinema from the 60s, 70s, and 80s." 

Will: "I love to read books on Quantum Physics, Metaphysics, The Out of Body Experience, Ancient Civilizations, and fantasy authors like Robert Jordan, Tolkien, George RR Martin. Raising a family takes up a lot of my time!  Love to get outdoors, hiking, camping, been finding a lot of arrowheads on my place out here, so that has been interesting!"

14. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Will: "Thanks for the interview! We really appreciate you helping support VS and hope to see VS fans new and old out of the road soon!"

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Vesperian Sorrow/Stormwinds Of Ages/The Path Less Traveled/2012 CD Review

  Vesperian  Sorrow  are  a  band  from  Texas  that  has  a  history  that  goes  back  to  the  90's  with  a  musical  style  that  I  would  describe  as  being  symphonic  and  melodic  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review of  their     2012  album  "Stormwinds  Of  Ages"  which  was  released  by  The  Path  Less  Traveled.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  good  amount  of  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music,  while  the  keyboards  bring  a  very atmospheric,  symphonic,  orchestra  and  classical  music  feeling  to  the  music,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow, mid  paced  to  fast  melodic  black  metal  riffs  that  utilize  a  great  amount  of  death  and  traditional  metal  influences    being  thrown  into  the  riffing  with  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  and  technical  sounding  guitar  solos and  leads,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  they  use finger  picking  and  exotic  sounding  scales  to  bring  more  variety  to  the  music.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  with  some  deep  death  metal  growls,  spoken  word  parts  and  clean  singing  male  and  female  vocals  being  thrown  in  at  times,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  occult  and  metaphysical  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Vesperian  Sorrow  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic,  symphonic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan of  this  style,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Stormwinds  of  Ages"  "Legacies  Befallen"  "Oracle  From  The  Ashes"  and  "Death  She  Cried".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

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Iblis/Menthell/DTM Productions/2012 CD Review

  Iblis  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  blacks  a  mixture  of  avant  garde  metal  and  black'n'roll  and  this  is a  review  of  their  2012  album  "Menthell"  which  was  released  by  DTM  PRoductions.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  thrown  into t he  music  at  times,  while t he  sound  effects  bring  a  very  dark  avant  garde  experimental/noise  sound  to  the  music,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  tone  with  progressive  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  avant  garde  metal  with  black  metal  and  black'n'  roll  along  with  a  great  amount  of  influences  from  experimental  music  and  there  are  little  to  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  this  recording.

  Vocals  range  from  black metal  screams,  hateful  growls,  clean  singing  and  spoken  word  parts,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  weird  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a very  strong,  powerful  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

    In  my  opinion  Iblis  are  a  very  great  sounding  avant  garde/black  metal/black  'n'  roll  hybrid  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  style,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "12  Syncamores"  "Poison  In  Your  Food"  and  "Buck Skins  Fifth".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Dark End Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
Hi there to everyone! At the moment we are preparing our live show for the upcoming Russian tour with Marduk, Vader & Kataklysm and, in addition to this, we are writing a lot of new material for our 4th album.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from the older recordings?
Hmm, it’s quite complex. For me DARKEND are the pure expression of what I use to call “OBSCURE HORROR METAL”: there, you can find dark and melancholic extreme metal tightly combined with black metal patterns, classical symphonies and sulphur heavy riffs in the vein of Mercyful Fate/Angel Witch together with bleak ecclesiastic compositions, harmonies directly taken from the gloomy and dramatic theatrical representation of the XVIII century, straight melodic straight guitar solos and some atmospheric nocturne ambience.
Concerning “Grand Guignol – Book I”, well… it’s not a simple album but a real theatrical representation in which music, graphics, conceptual histories and lyrics complete themselves to create a whole parallel dimension: it’s more structured, more dramatic and more atmospheric than the previous albums. With it we tried to bring the most characteristic parts of our sound to their extreme point: so, what has to be aggressive is very aggressive, what has to be dark and melancholic is even more dark and melancholic, and so on.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
The ideological substrate of DARKEND is deeply related to Philosophy, Magic, Psychology, Occultism... and on a more general level, I can say that all of our songs are strongly connected to everything that is mysterious, unknown, bleak and horrorific, topics through which we activate a profound inner-ritual to investigate and at the same time to express our Souls. Lyrically, this third opus takes its moves from a conscious and profound esoteric research exploring through a rich narrative plot the common roots of occultism and spiritualism, self-martyrdom and black magic ceremonies. There, behind the curtain, you will hear a conceptual tale of sanctified sins and loathed purity, of mercy and murder, of gentle wickedness and dismal virtue, where everything is melted with its contrary: a theatre of abominations in which humanity roams unconscious of the highest cosmos’ secrets.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
The name DARKEND incarnates everything that is occult and obscure, intended as a strong fascination that gives us strength and inspiration. The end wrapped in darkness, the abyss, the unknown that opens its doors on mystery, on fantasy and on a dreamlike dimension.
In addition, our name hides an esoteric anagram that will be probably revealed in the lyrics of our 5th album.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
There has been a lot of great live shows, especially the ones during our European tours supporting Rotting Christ and then Samael, Melechesh & Keep Of Kalessin. In particular the fans from Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria and the other eastern countries were amazing and they directly contributed to render these  shows very special.
About our live performances I can say that concerts are one of the most important part of the DARKEND philosophy: we live them as genuine ceremonies of darkness and horror where every suggestion and feeling is amplified with the use of some scenic elements such as pentagrams, candles, bleak masks, incense and dead branches, all dropped in a strong theatrical and grand guignolesque interpretation. As you can see, it is not a simple show; it is a proper and real ritual.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the new release?
Yes, on May the 15th we will leave for Russia to start there the first part of the “Grand Guignol” tour, supporting great bands such as Marduk and Vader. Then we will probably take part to some Summer Festivals and then, at the beginning of Autumn, we will schedule the second part of the tour.

7. Currently you are signed to Crash And Burn Records, how did you get in contact with this label and how would you describe the support that they have given you so far?

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of symphonic black metal?
The feedback has been fantastic thus far. We are collecting superb reviews (most of them are full rating) almost everywhere  and also the comments that we found on some forums are fantastic. This is really great, it goes beyond my best expectations!

9. Are there any other projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?
Some of the band members such as Valentz and Antarktica have some side projects, but of course DARKEND stand as a priority for all of us.

10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
It will be a natural progression of what DARKEND are today. Even from “Assassine” to “Grand Guignol” there has been the introduction of new element (such as Gregorian chants, clean vocals..) and I think that we will continue to experiment on that way, trying to render our music even more impressive, vivid and theatrical. We will work a lot on new atmospheres, in strict connection to the different conceptual themes that we will deal with, that’s for sure.

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Hmm, quite difficult to say because everyone of us listen to a lot of music and have different musical tastes. Among the genres that can be considered building block for DARKEND I would name black metal of bands such as Emperor, Burzum, Mayhem, Limbonic Art, the occult-oriented NWOBHM (with bands like Mercyful Fate, King Diamond, Angel Witch), classical music of the XIX century, dark/doom metal and obscure music (Sopor Aeternus And The Ensemble Of Shadows to name one of its maximum exponents).
Regarding my musical tastes, I listen to everything listen before plus a lot of progressive prom the ’70 (King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, Van Der Graaf Generator..), ambient/ritual music, classic and death metal..

12. How would you describe your views on Occultism?
I am a lot interested in it, I read a lot and I do a lot of researches, not only concerning  Magic but even Philosophy, Astronomy and Psychology, doctrines that I consider really related to the occult and esoteric side of existence. Magic as a way to see what not everyone can see, Magic as a way to express the greatness of your Soul in all its splendour.

13. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Oh well, I can really be defined a music-addicted, so a lot of my time is dedicated to music, not only in relation with DARKEND: I love to search and discover new bands, buy and collect their CDs and stuff like that. Beside this I love literature (I read a lot) and cinema, especially concerning horror movies.

14. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
I thank you too for your strong support, for the space granted to DARKEND and for the beautiful words you spent on the “Grand Guignol” review… THANK YOU! I hope to see you soon, all of you! In the meanwhile… keep on spreading our obscure Cult of Horror!

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Dark End/Grand Guignol Book I/Crash And Burn Records/2012 CD Review

  Dark  End  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays   a  very  gothic,  horror  and  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "Grand  Guignol Book  I"  which  was  released  by  Crah  And  Burn  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music  at  times,  while  the  synths  bring  a  very  epic,  horror  film,  atmospheric,  gothic  and  symphonic  sound  to  the  music  with  some  parts  that  are  influenced  by  classical  and  orchestra  music  along  with  some  violins,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  melodic  and  goes  for  more  of  the  mainstream  sound  instead  of  the  underground  one  with  some  traditional  metal  influences  with  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  guitar  solos  and  leads  that  utilize  a  great  amount  of  skill  and  talent,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  they  use  finger  picking  to  add  an  ethnic  feeling  to  the  music.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  in  the  more  mainstream  tradition  along  with  some  deep  growls,  whispers  and  a  good  amount  of  clean  signing , while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Esoteric,  Philosophy  and  Spirituality,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.  

  In  my  opinion  Dark  End  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric,  gothic  and  symphonic  black  metal  band  with  a  mainstream  appeal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  style,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "AEinsoph: Flash  Forward  To  Obscurity"  "Spiritism:  The  Transmigration  Passage"  "Bleakness:  Of  Secrecy,  Haste  And  Shattered  Crystals"  and  "Dawn:  Black  Sun  Rises".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Catamenia/The Rewritten Chapters/Massacre Records/2012 CD Compilation Review

  Catamenia  are  a  band  from  Finland  which  had  their  previous  album  reviewed  as  well  as  being  interviewed  by  this  zine  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric,  symphonic,  gothic  and  melodic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  cd  compilation  album  "The  Rewritten  Chapters"  which  was  released  by  Massacre  Records.

  Drums  range  from slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music  at  times,  while  the  keyboards  bring  in  a  very  dark,  atmospheric,  symphonic  and  gothic  sound  to  the  music,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful  an  heavy  sound  with  riffs  that  dominate  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  melodic  black  metal  riffs  that  utilize  a  great  amount  of  classic  metal  influences  as  well  as  gothic,  thrash  and  melodic  death  metal,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  heavy  metal guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  with  some  deep  growls  being  thrown  into  the  music  at  times  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  vocals,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes  with  the  songs  being  written  in  English  but  there  are  a  couple  written  in  Finnish,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  great  compilation  from  Catamenia  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Blackmension"  "Calvacade"  "Morning  Crimson"  and  "Lost  In  Bitterness".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Shturm Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

Hi, there! I sing and play guitar in Shturm! Currently music label Darknagar records has just published our album Karmaruna! We made two music videos for the songs from this album and one of the videos is already on the internet. Our next plans are to make EP, gigs and recording of a new album!
2. How would you describe the musical sound of the newer album and how it differs from the older recordings?

The sound we worked out in Karmaruna is essentially different from the works we did in the past and even from the sound of many bands which you may now listen on the internet. At the very beginning we wanted our new album to have a cold and mighty sound, but at the same time the sound which resembles the bands of 80-s and we finally managed to work it out and we proud of it! Our past records are more up-to-date – they have drive, but doesn`t have an identity!
3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new release?

The ponderous part of the lyrics is based on the ideas of the world around us, summed up under the influence of Tibetan Philosophy. The new material also has the lyrics inspired by our country`s past, some personal experience and everyday pleasances.
4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
The name of the bans reproduces the way the word “storm” sounds in Russian! So just the might of a storm, the rush of a hurricane are the things inspired us to call the band this way! A man is weak-handed before these mightiest acts of nature, so is there anything tougher?)))

5. What are some of the best that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

I would say that our gigs are always hard, fast and loud!!! Mostly every crowd we played for  welcomes us well and we just can`t play elsewise! So a gig of Shturm is always something we do at the breaking point!!! In the past we had more black metal appearance: spikes, leather, corpse paint, but in the course of time these things remained in the past and now our appearance is not so frightful and this force us to play better to not disappoint our fans.
6. Do you have any touring plans for the new release?

Yes, certainly, this summer we are going to make several gigs supporting our Brazilian and Norwegian friends UNEARTHLY and THYRUZ , where we will play songs of Karmaruna! I think that the tour is going to be the most impressing of all those we did!
7. Currently you are signed to Darknagar Records how did you get in contact with this label and how would you describe the support that they have given you so far?

Our band manager Alexander Ermakov found the label Darknagar. We have no doubts of his choice and, I must say, we don`t regret! The label is young, but very ambitious and the management of the label really care about the bands it publish! Here is more of enthusiasm and desire to promote the bands than the music business itself and that`s the most important thing, because it defuses money, prestige and relations! So, that`s why we are with Darknagar now!
8. On a worldwide level how has your music been recieved by fans of extreme metal?

We received more and more good comments on our new album Karmaruna! We sometimes receive some ambiguous comments as the style of the album is quite indistinct! But the most important thing is the album doesn`t come inconspicuous!
9. Are there any other projects besides this band or is this a full time line-up?

Now Shturm is the basic project for each of us! But not long ago our drummer Petreno and bass guitarist Kane had their own band where they choogled earnestly complex death metal!
10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

It’s hard to say like what exactly it is going to be, but soon we will be in our rehearsal room to write the material for upcoming EP, and we have no any fixed ideas, we just will be jamming and trying some new things! The style we were mixing are death, black, thrash and heavy, now we are still going to keep this direction and broaden the limits of our music! I think that we will manage to work out of it something interesting! But there`s the one thing I must promise – it still be as hard, fast and unique as it was earlier!
11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I was influenced mostly by the old wave bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeath, also I was inspired by death and black metal! Now I began listening to the bands I was fond of in my childhood, but also I have interest towards some new bands, for example Trivium.
12. How would you describe your views on Tibetan Mythology and Buddhism?
Tibetan Buddhism has seriously influenced our works. Tibetan mythology and culture has a bit lesser influence on us. This theme is very interesting for us and especially for Omuth as when he wrote his lyrics, he wagered basically on the concepts of Tibetan Buddhism, on the interpretation of simple things which are familiar to everyone but through such perspective. But still, Karmaruna unlike Kalahia, is ideologically a symbiosis of our personal experience, remebrances and thoughts on the one hand and inspired by the philosophy of Buddhism on the other.
13. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Each of us has his own interests outside of music. I fond of the history of the Second World War, I like collecting the things of those times, combat equipment and awards! Omuth, the guitarist, pays attention to the wildlife protection, he has his own website through which he fights with the injustice towards the wildlife and animals. Bass guitarist Kane is keen on thai boxing and its more than just a hobby for him! Drummer Petreno loves bicycling and sport bikes! Also the majority of us like to pass the time in a noisy crew, drinking some hard drinks)
14. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thanks for an interesting interview and for everything you do to metal scene! I wish good luck and health to everyone who reads this lines! Just keep on listening to metal and Shturm! Follow our news!!!!
Heavy!

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