TUMULUS

Scorpio: Despite the fact that almost a year has passed since our last interview, the album release date question is still relevant.

Velingor: I guess it will happen in the fall. Our earlier plans on this matter have changed slightly. So I think — in the fall.

Scorpio: Who is going to be the publisher? Recently it seemed like it was going to be Irond.

Velingor: I won't say anything specific about that either. There are some prospects related to further band promotion. We're still figuring out how to proceed. It won't necessarily be Irond. I'm not going to mention the label name anyway.

Scorpio: But the album has actually been recorded, and you keep distributing the promo copies.

Velingor: Yeah, we're actively distributing the promo copies now. Mostly to radio, zines, and we're preparing a small international tour, if you can call it that, in the second half of May — in Romania and Bulgaria. So we've sent the stuff to them too. It's already being promoted. Radio airplay, press coverage — that is, the arrival preparations are underway.

Scorpio: Besides that, you've recently had a lineup change.

Velingor: Yes, we have those quite often. By the end of last year we parted with our guitarist, Zus Obmorok, who'd been playing with us for a year. Then we did a little shake-up. Kurbat, the drummer, switched to guitar, and the former drummer Ottar returned. He'd been in TUMULUS since the beginning, from the SCALD days.

Scorpio: And where the heck had he been? Today he stands out from the rest of the band with his short haircut :)

Velingor: Yeah-yeah, he'd had his hair cut since the SCALD days. All this time he hadn't been involved anywhere. He'd been planning to give up music completely.

Scorpio: Why were the Slavonic motifs chosen as the primary direction for the band?

Velingor: I wouldn't say it was a deliberate primary choice. After SCALD was gone, we started searching through different styles with TUMULUS. We tried both death and black metal. Generally, our lyricists were me and the guitarist at the time, Harald. We admired Slavonic folklore music as interpreted by SED'MAJA VODA and KALINOV MOST. We just started trying to use those elements in our music and saw how great it turned out. At least for that time — 1997 — it sounded unusual. And we decided to go with this style, using Slavonic folk.

Scorpio: Are there similar bands in the CIS in terms of style?

Velingor: You know, don't think I'm singing my own praises, but I'll honestly tell you: I can't think of a single russian band that plays proper folk metal the way I see it. There are a lot of bands that present themselves as folk-metal, but they don't actually bring any folk. They can barely imagine what it is. The Belarusian scene is better in this regard. Bands like GODS TOWER, which sadly no longer exists, VICIOUS CRUSADE with their album "Unbroken," and ZNICH did and continue to implement folk into their music very boldly. And they do it pretty well — they experiment freely. These bands actually understand what Slavonic music is. In russia, this area really falls short.

Scorpio: So what about the bands that call themselves pagan?

Velingor: In my opinion, Slavonic folk as such is practically absent from their music. And if they consider themselves pagan — that's their business. In general, I think being a pagan in our modern society is virtually impossible. You'd need to escape into deep forests where there's not a soul within ten kilometers. Try living in an earth house for ten years with no contact with people. Then maybe you'd come closer to pagan ideology.

Scorpio: Why do you think that, unlike in the Baltic countries, interest in one's roots is so weak in russia and Ukraine?

Velingor: Both russia and Ukraine are far from Europe. They're eager to resemble civilized countries, and this reflects in the music. That's why everybody strives to play European music and copies European acts. Many consider our music "village metal." What else can I say? That's none of our concern. We want to play it, and we'll play it. We don't wish to imitate anybody. Yeah, many russian bands' quality level has grown — they've got access to solid equipment, record with competent labels, achieve a European sound. But the music itself doesn't become any more interesting or distinctive.

Scorpio: So a band should seek diversity from outside the box.

Velingor: In my opinion, a band should aim to have its own identity, its own sound. Otherwise it looks boring — there are plenty of bands just like all the others, and what makes them different, I don't quite get.

Scorpio: You keep an eye on the CIS metal scene. Which bands, in your mind, could be of real interest to the western market?

Velingor: That's kind of hard, frankly speaking. There are some nuances, because you have to have the drive if you want to enter the western scene. And most bands don't have a clue what to do to get noticed. It's not enough to record a good album and send it to some European or western label. They receive thousands of demos, all sounding pretty much the same. And naturally, most of them get tossed. First of all, you've got to go on tour, no matter what. I see these moscow bands whose members have well-paying jobs, earning one or even two thousand bucks a month. And they could afford to go to some European festival. But for some reason they don't even try.

Scorpio: When do you think the CIS will get a proper full-scale open-air festival?

Velingor: Honestly, I don't know. It will happen when someone or some organization decides to invest the money. It'll take someone with a very strong desire for it. I doubt it'll happen in the near future since everyone keeps to themselves. Many bands, if they dare, head to moscow and st. petersburg and nearby cities. They're afraid to tour the whole country because there's a good chance of getting screwed over. The same situation exists with the Yaroslavl bands. The ones that keep touring are MIND ECLIPSE and us. A few other bands have started going on the road, but there are few. Most of them are simply afraid they won't get paid.

Scorpio: Has spring arrived in Yaroslavl yet?

Velingor: Barely, alas. We still live in the northern region. Everything melts, but overnight it freezes again, then it repeats, and then it snows. It'll keep going like this until about April.

Scorpio: Recently I've had this urge to just take off somewhere — anywhere — just to stay on the move, wander around unfamiliar streets. Have you ever felt anything like that?

Velingor: Yeah, and I feel it constantly. It's part of my lifestyle — I like hitting the road, and my work involves being on the move, business trips and such. But I do love the lifestyle you describe: trips, wandering around unfamiliar streets, traveling.

Scorpio: What about hiking? Oh wait, mountains are far from you.

Velingor: Yeah, the nearest mountains are about a thousand kilometers away from us.

Scorpio: The Urals, perhaps.

Velingor: Yeah, I think the Ural Mountains are probably the closest.

Scorpio: Well, we're in better shape — we've got the Carpathian Mountains right nearby.

Velingor: Yeah, the Carpathians are great indeed. The spirit of Duke Dracula, gloom, NOKTURNAL MORTUM and all that.

Scorpio: Do you go to knights' tournaments?

Velingor: You know, I see all that as a kindergarten game. When it comes to Slavonic themes, I'd rather read books.

Scorpio: Which ones? Historical material?

Velingor: No, I draw knowledge from primary sources. That means, first and foremost, ethnographic studies — generally, scholarly books intended for ethnographers.

Scorpio: And where do you get the literature? It's probably not easy to find.

Velingor: Oh no, it's not a problem. Here in Yaroslavl we've got many shops where you can order a book that's unavailable in regular stores. Everybody knows me there — they even recommend what to get. There's nothing of interest to me on the Internet.

Scorpio: The other day I ran a search online and found a German black metal band called TUMULUS.

Velingor: As far as I know, that German band doesn't exist anymore. When we started out as TUMULUS, someone brought us a printout from the Internet back in 1997. We decided not to change anything and just wait. No more information about that act appeared, and later I came across info that they'd broken up.

Scorpio: I also found a Bulgarian page selling MIND ECLIPSE, TUMULUS and other bands' discs — the ones that Anton St. Ruck brought to Bulgaria last year.

Velingor: Aha, that's our official representative and distributor in Bulgaria. His organization is called "The Other Side." He also helps us with concerts.

Scorpio: Is he an old pal of yours?

Velingor: He's a very old friend of mine. Since before I was even into music. Such an old acquaintance that I can't even figure out how long ago we met.

Scorpio: Did he ever live in russia?

Velingor: No, he lived in Bulgaria, but we happened to cross paths — I was living in Yugoslavia at the time. We had common interests, and since then we'd been into extreme music, though on a childish level. We became friends and have been keeping in touch ever since. I became the TUMULUS bassist, and he founded "The Other Side," organizing concerts and so on.

Scorpio: How many times are you going to visit Bulgaria this year? Is this the third?

Velingor: If we go, it'll be the third time already.

Scorpio: Thanks to your Bulgaria visits, you're more popular there than at home.

Velingor: Yeah-yeah. You know, from distributing our demos and seeing what happens at concerts, we've come to the conclusion that our music is more appealing to the masses there. As I already said, here in russia people are interested in conventional music. If they like IN FLAMES, they'll go see SEDUCERS EMBRACE. That kind of music is well-known, it doesn't bother anyone, you don't need to listen carefully to figure out what's new. Over there, on the other hand, we look very unusual and our music is perceived as exotic — Bulgarians take to it gladly. Plus, European bands are frequent guests there, so people are eager to hear something brand new.

Scorpio: This year's plans aren't limited to one concert in Sofia.

Velingor: This year we're planning Bucharest in Romania and two concerts in Sofia. Additionally, we have an unplugged folk project: acoustic guitar, tambourine, flute, and a vocal quartet. With this project we're planning to perform at a Bulgarian folklore festival under the name "Kurgan" — basically a near-synonym for "TUMULUS." We are indeed a folk-metal band, and we're going to show that we can pull off a folk performance. It will feature only russian folk songs.

Scorpio: Are any other russian and Ukrainian acts expected there?

Velingor: I doubt it. It's a purely Bulgarian festival, and we'll probably be the only group from russia.

Scorpio: How well developed is the metal scene in Yaroslavl?

Velingor: You know, the metal scene in Yaroslavl is actually very well developed. I've been doing music since 1991, and over the years so many bands have passed through — they appeared, shone on the Yaroslavl stage, and dissolved. And now the new generation, 15 to 17-year-olds, come to concerts and don't even remember those bands. Those people settled down, having come to see their past hobby as a waste of time. I think the same thing will happen to today's bands after a while, because the desire to be an ordinary, civilized, decent citizen will prevail. I can say this will never happen to us — at least not to me — because I'm a stubborn rock-and-roll man who considers music his life. Can't do without it. I'm 30 years old now, and I'm not going to change myself or change my ideology.

Scorpio: What was the reason for your departure from MIND ECLIPSE?

Velingor: You know, I've always liked and still like MIND ECLIPSE's music. They're very talented musicians, good enough for their style. But I was being given demands that had nothing to do with either my role as a vocalist or the music itself. In MIND ECLIPSE those demands were considered mandatory, but I saw them as nonsense, pure bosh. I didn't seek conflicts; I just ignored those demands, which made the other band members angrier. In the end, when I was asked to leave, I didn't resist at all — otherwise it would have ended in a colossal mess and a very ugly conflict.

Scorpio: What music have you been listening to lately?

Velingor: I actually rarely listen to anything these days, since I don't have much time for it. Lately I've been trying to listen to lighter music: SED'MAJA VODA, RAZNOTRAVIJE. But sometimes when I'm sitting at home and I want to put on some DIMMU BORGIR, I just do it and enjoy it. Sometimes I'll get stuck listening to DESTRUCTION, sometimes CANDLEMASS, things like that. I listen to a lot of different music. The only thing I can't stand at all is alternative — so-called nu-metal. I can't take it and I consider it to have no real connection to music overall; it's closer to punk-metal, if anything.

Scorpio: Which famous musicians are you acquainted with? Anyone you could brag about?

Velingor: I know quite a few musicians. Let me focus on those I've performed with and talked to personally. Going back to the SCALD days, I communicated with Kipelov. We performed together at one point. With Martin from SANATARIUM. A guy I'd call a friend, someone we hung out with and drank with — Danny McManus, the vocalist and frontman of KOROZY. I've known Lazar from ROSSOMAHAAR since a very long time ago, back when the band was still called STONEHENGE. At one point I was in close contact with Maiden from MENTAL HOME. I more or less know the folks from BUTTERFLY TEMPLE, Jeff from CATHARSIS, and many others too numerous to count. Through pen-palling via the Internet — and before that too, back when the Internet wasn't that widespread — I got acquainted with John Perez, guitarist and frontman of SOLITUDE AETURNUS, and with Rich Walker, guitarist of SOLSTICE.

Scorpio: I should tell you that SCALD is very well known abroad.

Velingor: Yes, you see, I actively participate in the Wroth Emitter label's work. And I see all these letters with orders and so on. The interest is truly tremendous. What a pity it wasn't there in SCALD's time. I swear, it looks like some kind of posthumous glory has been unveiled.

Scorpio: What are your future plans?

Velingor: The minimum plan is preparing for and carrying out the Romania and Bulgaria trips in May. There are many aspects to it. We're an underground act — no hotels and such — we arrange everything ourselves. Visas, embassies, tickets — everything on our own. Right now it's a tense moment; we're waiting for the Bulgarians to send us an official invitation as soon as possible. In other words, we're fully focused on this. We're actively rehearsing both the heavy and the folk program — russian folk songs. The maximum plan is finishing the new material, which is almost done, and recording the new album, the working title of which is "Svetokresiye."

Scorpio: I assume "Winter Wood" is entirely finished and doesn't need any more work?

Velingor: No, I think "Winter Wood" doesn't need further improvement because it already is what it is. There were some unpleasant moments during the recording — the disc didn't turn out exactly as we wanted it to — but I believe that as a debut, representing the authenticity of our music, it'll do.

Scorpio: I have to say, your music is liked not only by fans of heavy music.

Velingor: In general, TUMULUS is often liked by people with no connection to heavy music. They hear some songs and ask: "So you guys play metal? I wouldn't have guessed!" Then they come to our concerts, where we perform the heavier stuff and deliver our music more expressively, and ask: "Why the hell are you headbanging like that, guys?"

Scorpio: So what's your concert audience like overall?

Velingor: We're listened to probably by the same people who attend other metal shows. The audience is the same. As a rule, they drink a few beers during the first and second bands, and they mostly don't care what they're listening to — the main point is that it's loud and there's something to go wild to. We definitely have our true fans in Yaroslavl, but mostly the audience is the same as anywhere else. In Bulgaria it's a different situation entirely. The local shows are attended by both metalheads and outsiders. When there's a dynamic sound they have fun, and when they hear something that demands more attentive listening, they stand there taking it in — nobody leaves the venue. We've encountered all kinds of reactions to our shows, from shouts of "Pop!" to "Cool!"

Scorpio: Your final words.

Velingor: Big greetings to Ukraine from all of us! Here next to me, Ju Vugdis and Anton St. Ruck, the head of Wroth Emitter, join in sending greetings to Ukraine. Listen to TUMULUS and don't settle for the routine — try to create your own. And keep connecting with your historical roots.