What's up? Nice to meet you again, countrymen! How are you doing? What's your current lineup?
IGOR (bass & vocals): We recruited a keyboard player, Dmitry Gornov. The rest are the same — Sergey Bushmakin on drums, Ilya Hanzhin on guitar, and me on bass and vocals.
Well, you really piqued my interest with your new release, which sounds perfect indeed. Why did it take you so long to come back?
We were reevaluating the past and the present, building up the understanding that there's no point in living without rock'n'roll.
And then all of a sudden you entered House Of Music Studios and started working with Achim Koehler as the sound producer. Let's get into the details. How did you come up with the idea of a studio session in Germany, and how did it all come together?
You know, we just wanted a PRODUCT! To have everything done properly and to have a reputable name behind our material. We use English lyrics, and russian sound producers don't handle the task properly. It comes down to a different mentality. The preproduction was done at home in our garage. We sent it to Achim Koehler, he liked it and mailed us an invitation.
All the russian bands that have had the chance to work in studios abroad remember their sessions as an extremely positive experience. Something like a holiday, they say. How did your process go, and what was the most memorable part for you personally?
Oh, we enjoyed it very much as well. Not exactly a holiday, but very positive indeed. Europe, February, warmth, grass under your feet, Bavarian beer, canonical politeness... Then all of a sudden it started to snow toward the end of our studio session, which means they also have weather troubles!)
What did you learn from this session? What are the differences between russian and foreign sound producers and engineers?
We learned standard English studio terms, corrected our phonetics, took notes on drum recordings, and so much more! European studios deliver a real product that gives you no reason to be ashamed. There's no feeling of being either fooled or patronized — you're spending your own money.
How did you like Achim Koehler as a person, and how did he rate your music?
Achim is a great person, very responsive and responsible! He is completely devoid of any greed. He appreciated our musical skills (for example, he refused one band after hearing their drummer). As for our music, he described it as "a bit old-fashioned for big labels."
Right! So what comes next? It's high time to search for a label! Are you in the middle of the label hunt, and will you get any help from Koehler, who is connected to Nuclear Blast?
Absolutely! We are working on it now!
Let's get down to the music at last. As a matter of fact, it has changed a lot. Your early '90s sound was quite comparable to Megadeth, and now you are much more melodic, romantic, and close to love metal. What's going on — is it a commercial move, or is it simpler than that, you're just playing what your heart tells you?
Well, you've answered the question yourself. I would hardly be able to list all the factors that influenced us during the recording of this EP. Thank you very much for a great question!
So, what is playing music for you — a hobby or the main concern of your life?
The main concern.
What is your opinion of the current russian metal scene? I also remember that you were the one who spray-painted the ARIA logo on street walls in the '80s — long before ARIA gained a solid fan base. How do you rate ARIA's work now?
I have to remind you that I'm also responsible for the ALICE COOPER lettering! Well, the local metal scene doesn't really impress me. ARIA is something dear from my childhood, yet I don't listen to them much now. And I don't appreciate their split. But I still admire and enjoy ALICE COOPER a lot!
Do you listen to more extreme genres?
Well, yes. I also respect the extreme metal movement for the integrity and unity of its audience. In fact, we have to keep searching for our own audience.
What are your nearest plans now? Wishing you good luck, I just can't help asking — how long should we wait for your new material?
It won't take too long this time!