Interviews
Mortem Zine
09/01/2006
1.Hallo Khors! What´s new in your camp? Do you live in concerting spree or do you prepare new material? Could you tell us about the most interesting moments in Khors´s short history... and so on the bad ones, if there are any....
Hail!
Last summer we started work on our new album COLD and keep working on it
until now, playing a number of concerts in the meanwhile. During autumn 2005
and winter 2006 we played over 10 concerts in Ukraine and Russia, including
KOLOVOROT fest (Kharkiv,Ukraine) and UNHOLY STORM 2(Sankt-Peterburg,Russia).
2.Looking on the fact, that your debut The Flame of Eternity´s Decline was
recorded during the break of 2004-2005 we can see that you composed material in
one year, which is amazing. Do you think behind it theres fact, that you played
in bands like Nokturnal Mortum, or Astrofaes?
The material for the album was composed and rehearsed within 4 months
(August — November 2004). After that in December we went to studio
AudioALchemia (Ex-Beat Studio, as well as Astrofaes,Nokturnal Mortum,Drudkh,
etc.) where we recorder all the material with the help of Nokturnal Mortum
keyboardist and their former guitarist Wortherax who played solo on several
tracks. In February 2005 I brought the material to Moscow where it was
mastered in Buddha-Cat Studio. I was very concentrated on the new material
and was in high spirits and that resulted in such a high productivity.
Probably previous experience of other musicians and mine was important
(together with Khaoth we played in Astrofaes).
3.You´ve got two guests on CD, how it works on live gigs? Keyboards go from
playback or do you need other musicians? Don´t you want to enlarge your line-up?
(How about Nort?)
Yes, currently there is a problem playing concerts caused by a lack of
keyboardist. Live sound is different compared to CD. Nort was taken into the
band to improve live performance.
4.I am interested into lyrics, could you tell us more about it, because it´s your
work. Maybe it´s not question for you, but why does Helg sing in english? Is it
intention or naturity, that he doesn´t use his vernacular?
Our Motherland has a glorious history known for many heroic deeds from
ancient times till recent. I am very proud of living in the land of
strength, will and spirit of our ancestors and worship the might of Mother -
nature. Our music is based on these feelings. The name of the band means god
of sun disk in later east Slavonic mythology. English is used in our lyrics
because it suites better out music and it more understandable outside our
country.
5.Can we find any connections between all the songs, or are they living its own
life?
In the title of the album "eternity" means Sun as the symbol of all life on
Earth. The title symbolizes the moment of sundown which is accompanied by
rend and crimson flame. The album is not conceptual, but the shade of the
title goes through all lyrics and booklet.
6.I shouldn´t forget to ask you on reactions of Ukraine fans and also of the ones
from abroad? How do you personally feel about the release?
Fans reaction on our album and live concerts is very good. Reviews in
western magazines and internet were also good.
7.Oriana Music released the CD, do you plan to stay with them? Are you satisfied
with their service?
As of now I'm satisfied with the distibution of "THE FLAME OF ETERNITY'S
DECLINE". Mostly of how it's going abroad. I can't tell what it's gonna be in
the future — may be we'll have mutual understanding with the publisher or may be
we won't ease each other but in any case taking this chance I'd like to thank
the guys for all their efforts.
8.What is the history of Khors and what was the reason to bring it to life? You
are founding member.... Do you express (in Khors) feelings, which you couldn´t
use in Astrofaes?
Whilst playing with Astrofaes I had an idea to found a band of my own and play
a bit different music in comparison of what we did, but I didn't have the time
for that. When in August 2004 our ways had run apart I founded KHORS. I've
called KHAOTH and offered to found a band. He supported the idea and for a
couple of months we played just together — only two of us, having brought to
life the major part of the content, when HELG had joined us. I've already told
the continuing of the story. With KHORS I better express myself both in
spiritual and musical ways. We managed to maintain very healthy working
enviroment, which in ASTROFAES was lacking during last years.
9.Keyboards helps to build the right atmosphere mainly in slower moments, they are decently used and they add the majesty to the music... was it your intention
from the start, to use it? Can we await using of it in future?
Yes, I have initially planned to use keyboards for the recording to create more gloomy, powerful and gorgeous atmosphere. In the latest album the presence of keyboards will be higher and I barely will refuse from this instrument in the future.
10.I´d like to stop by the song called Breath... it takes me fly above the ukraine
wide plains... I can say the use of flute was the right act... do you plan using
of some non traditional elements?
Breath is one of my favorite songs in the album. The main piano theme I completed playing it over on bass-guitar, and then with the help of Saturious who's indeed very talented arranger the song was brought up to the version which you can find in the album.
11.You have played on plenty, as I think, really interesting gigs. Which one of
them would you say was the best one? What does it mean for you, to play live?
KHORS pays great attention to concerting activity. We enjoy playing live, enjoy the atmosphere of concertos and everything that comes along with it. The sweetest memories we have from the gigs in such Ukrainian cities as Lugansk, Rovno and Uzhgorod, and the show at UNHOLY STORM 2 festival in St.Petersburg, where the fans were shouting "Slava(Hail) Ukraine"!
12.You maybe called the NSBM band.... do you mind with this comparison? Or do you let it be as it stays....
Initially we positioned ourselves as PAGAN BLACK METAL band, but mostly in lyrics and atmosphere not in music. You can hardly find any elements of folk in our music. I'm not interested in politics, I'm keen about bring to people's minds honorable attitude to environment. I'd like reveal their interest to history, understanding of spiritual heritage which was left to us by our ancestors.
13.Probably a little bit stereotype question, but which bands influenced you and
which ones do you listen when the mood is right? Metal, or non metal... And
please recommend us some interesting local band :).
I listen to very different types of music: The Cure, Fields Of The Nephilim, Lycia,
Ikon,Monumentum, Burzum, Kampfar, Arckanum, Nile etc, but I don't think that this influences our music much. As for our local bands, I'm not very much focused on them, but the most significant band are already pretty famous in your country (Astrofaes, Nokturnal Mortum, Drudkh, Hate Forest).
14.Ukraine has beautiful nature, how about women? Be they so nice as the nature is, then there´s nothing more to say, haha... Do you have any favourite place in
nature, where do you go to have a rest there...?
Yeah, fully agree — Ukrainian nature is amazingly beautiful and this beauty can give birth to beautiful and gorgeous women! There are many magnificent places in Ukraine and some of them I was lucky to visit. These are the astonishing Carpathian Mountains and some divine sites in Crimea and many others. And Ukraine also is known to be one the most ancient Slavic nations, which leads its origins back to Kievian Rus'. I'm very proud of this fact of our history.
15.Do you know anything about Czech Republic? Do you know any bands of Czech, or some historical memorability? We are known because of beer and pretty women
haha....
Of course, I know something about Czech Republic even from the times of united state with Slovakia. You have perfect football and ice-hockey teams and unbelievably nice beer. I also heard about the beauty of your women, but I don't think our women are less beautiful. As for music I'm aware of such bands as MANIAK BUTCHER, INFERNO, but the most significant groups to my mind are MASTER'S HAMMER and ROOT. I'm sure these bands are world wide heritage of metal music. Undoubtedly — great bands. I'm also acquainted with your publishing labels — PUSSY GOD and ECLIPSE, they used to publish the albums of the band I play then — ASTROFAES.
16.When did you start to play on the instrument? Could you play also another one?
Did you have any ideal in youth time?
I can also play keyboards a little bit — I used to play in ASTROFAES. As for ideal I can't tell anybody specifically since I always take music as a total result, never distinguishing separate musicians. The most important thing to me is beautiful harmonies, melodies and competent arrangements. If a musician blows out 10 notes per second but plays absolutely awful music, I'll never be with that.
17.I hope I don´t forget anything, if yes, last words could be yours...
I'd like to wish you and your readers most of all to be honest and just with your soul, to treasure the past and the ancestors' faith, to love the nature, who the creature of everything beautiful around us.
Hail!
Last summer we started work on our new album COLD and keep working on it
until now, playing a number of concerts in the meanwhile. During autumn 2005
and winter 2006 we played over 10 concerts in Ukraine and Russia, including
KOLOVOROT fest (Kharkiv,Ukraine) and UNHOLY STORM 2(Sankt-Peterburg,Russia).
2.Looking on the fact, that your debut The Flame of Eternity´s Decline was
recorded during the break of 2004-2005 we can see that you composed material in
one year, which is amazing. Do you think behind it theres fact, that you played
in bands like Nokturnal Mortum, or Astrofaes?
The material for the album was composed and rehearsed within 4 months
(August — November 2004). After that in December we went to studio
AudioALchemia (Ex-Beat Studio, as well as Astrofaes,Nokturnal Mortum,Drudkh,
etc.) where we recorder all the material with the help of Nokturnal Mortum
keyboardist and their former guitarist Wortherax who played solo on several
tracks. In February 2005 I brought the material to Moscow where it was
mastered in Buddha-Cat Studio. I was very concentrated on the new material
and was in high spirits and that resulted in such a high productivity.
Probably previous experience of other musicians and mine was important
(together with Khaoth we played in Astrofaes).
3.You´ve got two guests on CD, how it works on live gigs? Keyboards go from
playback or do you need other musicians? Don´t you want to enlarge your line-up?
(How about Nort?)
Yes, currently there is a problem playing concerts caused by a lack of
keyboardist. Live sound is different compared to CD. Nort was taken into the
band to improve live performance.
4.I am interested into lyrics, could you tell us more about it, because it´s your
work. Maybe it´s not question for you, but why does Helg sing in english? Is it
intention or naturity, that he doesn´t use his vernacular?
Our Motherland has a glorious history known for many heroic deeds from
ancient times till recent. I am very proud of living in the land of
strength, will and spirit of our ancestors and worship the might of Mother -
nature. Our music is based on these feelings. The name of the band means god
of sun disk in later east Slavonic mythology. English is used in our lyrics
because it suites better out music and it more understandable outside our
country.
5.Can we find any connections between all the songs, or are they living its own
life?
In the title of the album "eternity" means Sun as the symbol of all life on
Earth. The title symbolizes the moment of sundown which is accompanied by
rend and crimson flame. The album is not conceptual, but the shade of the
title goes through all lyrics and booklet.
6.I shouldn´t forget to ask you on reactions of Ukraine fans and also of the ones
from abroad? How do you personally feel about the release?
Fans reaction on our album and live concerts is very good. Reviews in
western magazines and internet were also good.
7.Oriana Music released the CD, do you plan to stay with them? Are you satisfied
with their service?
As of now I'm satisfied with the distibution of "THE FLAME OF ETERNITY'S
DECLINE". Mostly of how it's going abroad. I can't tell what it's gonna be in
the future — may be we'll have mutual understanding with the publisher or may be
we won't ease each other but in any case taking this chance I'd like to thank
the guys for all their efforts.
8.What is the history of Khors and what was the reason to bring it to life? You
are founding member.... Do you express (in Khors) feelings, which you couldn´t
use in Astrofaes?
Whilst playing with Astrofaes I had an idea to found a band of my own and play
a bit different music in comparison of what we did, but I didn't have the time
for that. When in August 2004 our ways had run apart I founded KHORS. I've
called KHAOTH and offered to found a band. He supported the idea and for a
couple of months we played just together — only two of us, having brought to
life the major part of the content, when HELG had joined us. I've already told
the continuing of the story. With KHORS I better express myself both in
spiritual and musical ways. We managed to maintain very healthy working
enviroment, which in ASTROFAES was lacking during last years.
9.Keyboards helps to build the right atmosphere mainly in slower moments, they are decently used and they add the majesty to the music... was it your intention
from the start, to use it? Can we await using of it in future?
Yes, I have initially planned to use keyboards for the recording to create more gloomy, powerful and gorgeous atmosphere. In the latest album the presence of keyboards will be higher and I barely will refuse from this instrument in the future.
10.I´d like to stop by the song called Breath... it takes me fly above the ukraine
wide plains... I can say the use of flute was the right act... do you plan using
of some non traditional elements?
Breath is one of my favorite songs in the album. The main piano theme I completed playing it over on bass-guitar, and then with the help of Saturious who's indeed very talented arranger the song was brought up to the version which you can find in the album.
11.You have played on plenty, as I think, really interesting gigs. Which one of
them would you say was the best one? What does it mean for you, to play live?
KHORS pays great attention to concerting activity. We enjoy playing live, enjoy the atmosphere of concertos and everything that comes along with it. The sweetest memories we have from the gigs in such Ukrainian cities as Lugansk, Rovno and Uzhgorod, and the show at UNHOLY STORM 2 festival in St.Petersburg, where the fans were shouting "Slava(Hail) Ukraine"!
12.You maybe called the NSBM band.... do you mind with this comparison? Or do you let it be as it stays....
Initially we positioned ourselves as PAGAN BLACK METAL band, but mostly in lyrics and atmosphere not in music. You can hardly find any elements of folk in our music. I'm not interested in politics, I'm keen about bring to people's minds honorable attitude to environment. I'd like reveal their interest to history, understanding of spiritual heritage which was left to us by our ancestors.
13.Probably a little bit stereotype question, but which bands influenced you and
which ones do you listen when the mood is right? Metal, or non metal... And
please recommend us some interesting local band :).
I listen to very different types of music: The Cure, Fields Of The Nephilim, Lycia,
Ikon,Monumentum, Burzum, Kampfar, Arckanum, Nile etc, but I don't think that this influences our music much. As for our local bands, I'm not very much focused on them, but the most significant band are already pretty famous in your country (Astrofaes, Nokturnal Mortum, Drudkh, Hate Forest).
14.Ukraine has beautiful nature, how about women? Be they so nice as the nature is, then there´s nothing more to say, haha... Do you have any favourite place in
nature, where do you go to have a rest there...?
Yeah, fully agree — Ukrainian nature is amazingly beautiful and this beauty can give birth to beautiful and gorgeous women! There are many magnificent places in Ukraine and some of them I was lucky to visit. These are the astonishing Carpathian Mountains and some divine sites in Crimea and many others. And Ukraine also is known to be one the most ancient Slavic nations, which leads its origins back to Kievian Rus'. I'm very proud of this fact of our history.
15.Do you know anything about Czech Republic? Do you know any bands of Czech, or some historical memorability? We are known because of beer and pretty women
haha....
Of course, I know something about Czech Republic even from the times of united state with Slovakia. You have perfect football and ice-hockey teams and unbelievably nice beer. I also heard about the beauty of your women, but I don't think our women are less beautiful. As for music I'm aware of such bands as MANIAK BUTCHER, INFERNO, but the most significant groups to my mind are MASTER'S HAMMER and ROOT. I'm sure these bands are world wide heritage of metal music. Undoubtedly — great bands. I'm also acquainted with your publishing labels — PUSSY GOD and ECLIPSE, they used to publish the albums of the band I play then — ASTROFAES.
16.When did you start to play on the instrument? Could you play also another one?
Did you have any ideal in youth time?
I can also play keyboards a little bit — I used to play in ASTROFAES. As for ideal I can't tell anybody specifically since I always take music as a total result, never distinguishing separate musicians. The most important thing to me is beautiful harmonies, melodies and competent arrangements. If a musician blows out 10 notes per second but plays absolutely awful music, I'll never be with that.
17.I hope I don´t forget anything, if yes, last words could be yours...
I'd like to wish you and your readers most of all to be honest and just with your soul, to treasure the past and the ancestors' faith, to love the nature, who the creature of everything beautiful around us.