Scorpio: Congratulations on the release of the new album! I hope to give it a listen in the near future.
X.: Thanks! We're putting a lot of hope into "Chaos Chronicles" and believe it will take us to a higher level.
S.: Do you like how the album sounds?
X.: Yes. Arkadiy from Navaho Hut did a perfect, highly professional engineering job. Especially considering that the recorded material wasn't of the best quality (we recorded it at Check Sound studio in Yaroslavl). If we had worked with Arkadiy from the very beginning, everything would have turned out even better. We'll do that with the third album.
S.: What's the initial print run?
X.: The first edition is 1,000 copies. But more will be printed depending on how well our fans buy it.
S.: Why was the album released on two labels at the same time?
X.: At first we arranged with More Hate for the release. But then our friend Anton from Yaroslavl, who had recently started his own label Wroth Emitter Production, also wanted to put out our album. He talked to Alex Kantemirov from More Hate, and they decided to do a joint release, splitting expenses fifty-fifty. Now both labels will distribute the CD. More Hate will focus mainly on the foreign market, and Wroth Emitter on the CIS.
S.: Did you have any problems with the labels?
X.: No, quite the opposite. It was beneficial for Alex because he had to pay less for the first edition. However, printing more copies later is cheaper than the initial pressing. That's why we actually got the album out a month earlier than originally planned.
S.: Your album just came out, but you're already working on new material. How do you explain such a creative surge?
X.: A lot of material has piled up. Some songs were written a year ago. We've dropped some things because they don't match our current mindset. We want to record the material while it's still relevant, while it's fresh. I can say that almost all the songs for the new album are already written. We plan to record it this autumn in moscow at Navaho Hut studio. Our new music will have more of a death, speed, and aggressive character. The songs will be shorter but more intense, with more carefully thought-out and complex structures. This will be music you can't just listen to once. At the upcoming gigs in st. petersburg, Yaroslavl, and Bulgaria, we'll play three completely new tracks.
S.: Why did you decide to use only English lyrics? Do you have plans to record any songs in russian?
X.: We're targeting not only russian fans, but foreign ones as well. And in the West, the standard is English lyrics. I agree that russian-language lyrics can boost a band's popularity in the CIS, as was the case with Catharsis and their album "Imago." But we don't have any plans in that direction.
S.: How did the name MIND ECLIPSE come about, and what does it mean?
X.: The name was proposed by our former vocalist and lyricist Teufel Blodhorn. We chose it because it doesn't tie us to anything specific. There's a song called "MIND ECLIPSE" on our first album "In The Light Of Eclipse Coming." It's about the death of humanity through collective madness. That theme comes up quite often in our songs. Look at the people around you — have you ever thought that most of them were born with an eclipse in their heads? Or maybe there's nothing to eclipse because there's no brain to begin with?
S.: The themes of your songs are varied. Do you have plans to make a concept album?
X.: All our lyrics are dedicated to essentially one theme — "Armageddon, made by people." On the third album, Teufel (who still writes our lyrics) will continue to develop this theme. Some songs will be connected by a common thread, complementing each other's content.
S.: Why did you decide to change your logo design?
X.: We wanted to make it more legible and readable. We haven't abandoned the old logo — it just didn't match the musical concept of the album.
S.: In your opinion, what role does the Internet play today in promoting a band, especially a young one?
X.: The main advantage of the global network is its speed and efficiency of information sharing. I believe every band should have its own website where they can post information about the musicians, albums, photos, lyrics, mp3 samples, and so on. I'm in contact with a large number of people through the Internet and e-mail. I can say that the web has helped us and continues to help us.
S.: It would be interesting to learn about the jobs or studies of MIND ECLIPSE's members.
X.: Sure. I'm in my final year at the local university and I work at the club "Partizan," organizing concerts. Guitarist Master M. is an economist at a large factory. Sid Dharta repairs computer equipment and studies in the same department as me. Vocalist Velingor works as a manager. And only drummer Battlefield is a professional musician — he plays in several local orchestras, studies at the conservatory, and is raising a daughter. I can't imagine how he manages to do it all...
S.: What do the band members do in their free time?
X.: The main pastime for everyone is music. We don't have time for much else, given that we also work and study. For example, I don't watch TV or read newspapers. I spend a lot of time at the PC and, of course, with the bass guitar. Sometimes I read a good book or watch an interesting film. We also like to drink beer and hang out with good friends.
S.: What's your opinion on the development of metal music in the CIS?
X.: It's better now than it was at the end of the 20th century. Our bands are reaching the Western market, mainly thanks to digital communications. Many talented and determined bands are emerging, and the overall recording quality has gotten higher. The trends are positive!
S.: What do you think about audio pirates?
X.: Heh, I burn CD-Rs myself. Pirates are bad guys, of course — they steal bands' money. But on the other hand, pirated copies of your album indicate a certain popularity, and they help spread the word about your band. I think that until people in our countries start earning decent money and can afford to buy original CDs, piracy won't go away.
S.: What do you think about statements like: "Underground is cool! Cradle Of Filth are sellout losers. True black is the real deal, and all posers are a disgrace to metal"?
X.: Shortsighted nonsense! Bands like Cradle Of Filth bring metal to the masses and expand the metalhead community. Every decent band strives to develop — you have to keep moving forward. If you get stuck on "true vs. not true," why did you even start? Famous bands consist of good musicians who are devoted to their craft and have done a huge amount of work for their band. That's how these groups become popular.
S.: Is the gig in Bulgaria this April the first MIND ECLIPSE concert outside of russia?
X.: Yes, it's the first, and I hope not the last.
S.: Let me know when you'll be heading to Sofia from moscow by train. It goes through Chernivtsi! Let's meet up and chat.
X.: No problem.
S.: Which famous bands would you like to share a stage with?
X.: Play with Emperor and die! But Emperor have already died themselves, so that dream will never come true. ;) Other dream lineup: MORBID ANGEL, Zyklon, Satyricon, Immortal, Mayhem, Nile, DIMMU BORGIR, Vader, and HATE ETERNAL. Behemoth cancelled their russian tour, so we won't get to play with them in Yaroslavl as planned. We really like that band.
S.: And finally, a few words for our readers.
X.: Support russian metal! Be honest with yourself!
S.: Thank you for the interview! Best of luck to MIND ECLIPSE!
X.: Thanks to you too...