I'm rather curious where have you taken your moniker from? I guess, you know that "Azeroth" also appears in a certain PC game, going by the name Warcraft, the one you definitely have to be acquainted with?

- You know, this question became sort of common thing in our interviews... but it seems like I'll have to answer it anyway. First of all, no one of us (it also regards AZEROTH's ex-members) never heard about this game. Moreover, most of us don't have home PCs (with few exceptions, such as me for example... but a couple of musical programs and MS Word is all that I have at my PC, since I don't know any more worthless way to spend your spare time than playing computer games). Grigoriy (ex-drummer) was the one who came up with the moniker back in 1996, and let me assure you that it doesn't have anything in common with any games. Of course, many people told me that this word was featured in a certain game, but I just don't give a fuck about that. Therefore; no one of us doesn't know anything regarding the PC game you mentioned, so let's close this subject.

"Live In Polygon" appears as the latest offering of yours. Why have you decided to come up with a live album? It was a spontaneous decision, wasn't it?

- It wasn't a spontaneous decision at all. We have a couple of aimes releasing this album, such as; firstly, after few years of work in the studio we managed to enlarge the lineup, and thanks to that we finally were able to start live performances; and after all we decided to tape one of our gigs in order to make those motherfuckers, who were claiming that AZEROTH aren't capable of handling their instruments properly and everything featured on the albums of theirs (even guitars) was programmed, shut up. Secondly, our first three offerings have been released by Manimal Productions, and honestly speaking, we're completely dissatisfied with their promotional policy (and generally speaking, the way they treat us as a band). If you want concrete facts, here we go: in order to submit a certain person our promo materials, we had to dub it to the usual cassette or buy our own (!) albums in the store - isn't it somewhat disgusting, taking into account the fact we released two MCs and one CD? When we asked Manimal Productions' head chief to supply us at least a certain amount of covers, the answer we got was more than laconic - "buy 'em yourselves". We recorded (spending only 30-40$... isn't that cheap enough?) and released the live album on our own, and therefore, we don't have any problems with promotional campaigns anymore (especially taking into consideration the fact it's comprised of the best songs taken off all the three albums of ours).

"Live In Polygon" possesses incredibly tremendous sound for a live recording, therefore let me wonder if it has been remixed in the studio?

- Of course! It's obvious that, if you're going to record a live performance using only two channels (directly from the sound engineering's control panel), you'll never get neither tolerable sound quality, nor the required balance between the instruments. The recording has been made using 8-channel analogue recorder, and was remixed shortly after (also in "Polygon"). Nothing has been re-played... Alexey (keyboards) added multilayered choirs in parallel to piano lines in a couple of songs whilst remixing, though. By the way, I guess I should also mention that Igor Tihomirov (bass player in KINO, soundengineer for DDT, etc.) took part in mixing "Live In Polygon". He was walking nearby and simply came up nearer being interested in what the hell we're doing. He suggested us a lot of useful things and stuff, so thanks him a lot. Huge "thank you" also goes out to Pavel Klinov, it took him all the evening and half a night to complete the mixing. Anyway, we're more than pleased with the result.

Didn't you feel enough comfortable being a duo? What were you principally guided by, enlarging the lineup?

- I consider this question absolutely incorrect. What the fuck, what were we guided by?!?!? Goddammit, being a duo didn't have anything to do with some moronic ideological considerations, it was just the lack of skillful musicians. Actually, we were looking for supplementary musicians since the very beginning: firstly the second guitarist, then (after Grigoriy's departure) the drummer... and it's a complete disaster when it comes to keyboard players. Of course, two guys are enough for the studio (in fact, even one is enough), however we always wanted to play live, you see. Once again, orchestra-man is of course a good thing, but I guess it's better to concentrate on one instrument (although I must admit that practising playing various instruments helped me a lot in terms of communicating with other musicians). There's only one "but" when it comes to the current situation. Obviously it was thousand times easier to compose music being a duo... But as you know, controversy gives birth to the truth (bullshit - ED).

Besides the lineup's enlargement, you have endured yet one more metamorphosis, this time when it comes to lyrics. The ones in Russian undoubtedly appears as much more impressive, hence the question is: why didn't you start to sing in your native language since the very begining?

- Hell knows why... Ivan was the one responsible for vocal department back then, so ask him... But, honestly speaking, I prefer metal music when it's sung in English, and since we're aiming to reach the certain success abroad, I guess it's better to sing in this language. As to the third album... we couldn't find a skillful translator, that's why it's been recorded in Russian. We just didn't want such a poor English as in case with our first two works. As to the future, I guess we'll keep on singing in English. As to the fact you prefer Russian lyrics over the ones in a foreign language... Well, I'm better in Russian at the moment (it would be strange if it was on the contrary - ED), and consequently, it's easier for me to express my emotions in my native language.

Should we consider AZEROTH a black metal band?

- No, we don't consider our band a black metal one, simply because we don't praise satan or whoever, and no one of us is a satanist (as well as any other "-ist"). We don't follow any kind of religion, we simply don't give a fuck.

If I'm not mistaken, a couple of those who take part in AZEROTH, previously played in ORA PRO NOBIS and PAINFUL MEMORIES, definitely not the kind of bands lyrically dealing with antichristian matters. Moreover; it seems like PAINFUL MEMORIES was a christian metal act, at least judging by their beliefs (let's recall that interview for Belorussian Legion mag, where these chaps told the interviewier they're christians)... Could you please clear the things up a bit?

- Yes, lyrically they didn't deal with antichristian subjects... but so what?! Now these people take part in AZEROTH, not ORA PRO NOBIS or PAINFUL MEMORIES. It doesn't change anything, though; since lyrically we don't have anything to do with antichristianity either. Christianity just doesn't deserve paying attention to it. As to PAINFUL MEMORIES, they never were a christian act! Where have you taken it from??? No one didn't ever suggested anything like that over here, in St.Petersburg, since all of us know each other pretty good. Rumors.... When it comes to that interview - read it once again, and this time carefully - Diamond (PAINFUL MEMORIES' ex-singer) was the only one stating that he adhers to christian belief (wrong. The same was stated by Ian. Gotcha! - ED). And if one man is a christian, who doesn't reflect it in his lyrics though, does it really gives you an opportunity to blame the whole band in being christians? And you'd definitely have to meet this "christian"... wearing MAYHEM cap, DARK FUNERAL t-shirt, pentagrams and always drunk as fuck, heh heh... However it doesn't concern AZEROTH, so what the fuck...

It strikes as you're fond of making emphasis on keyboard lines... Is that correct? Aren't you going to minimize the amount of synths in the future works of yours?

- NEVER. To clarify the situation, let me tell you about the way our songs are being composed. "In the beginning there was piano..." At least it regards all of our studio works, and it's the same at the moment. We compose the whole musical canvas in piano, and only after that we arrange guitar, bass and drum parts, basing all of them on piano structures. It's just our thing, you see. Therefore minimizing the amount of keyboards is no less than a blasphemy to us. As to those who're asserting that synths make metal music softer... well, they're right only when synths are responsible for creating soft, pop-alike harmonies.

What's you opinion on what a couple of freaks consider to be Russian (Moscow and St.Petersburg's, in particular) black metal scene?

- Honestly speaking, I'm not really interested in this kind of music, especially when it's of Russian origin, consequently I can't really say anything here, especially taking into account the fact that in my opinion there's no Russian black metal scene or whatsoever, at least few bands doing their thing nowadays can't be considered a scene.

If I'm not mistaken, you've been playing live in Moscow for a couple of times, haven't you? What's your impresion of the Moscow gigs you participated in?

- Well... I can't say anything negative when it comes to fans, since their feedback was pretty warm (in contrast to the ones coming from our native city). But when it comes to the way clubs did their work - this is total shit. They simply don't give a fuck about musicians. I don't even want to recall anything... Everything that is considered to be a norm in civilized places, wasn't done. Soundchecks, food, drinks... Fuck them.

What are you attempting to reach, being a part of AZEROTH?

- We're going to prove the Western people that there're worthy bands in Russia using our music and ability to play it, as a tool.

You've managed to bring forth the light four albums thus far, and it seems like all of them are pretty much different if we'd compare 'em to each other. What's your view on "Chasma Pelorion", "Doctrine Of The Dark Forest", "Gallery Of Dreams" and "Live In Poligon", after they've been out for a while ( well, not really "a while", but who cares anyway )...?

- Don't really know what to speak about here... I don't like to praise or discuss my own works. The only thing I can tell you is, I hate all of our studio efforts in terms of sound quality. We never had enough money in order to book a good studio, and computer simply transforms the energy into mere nothing. All the three albums stink with spiritual stagnation as much as they could. Fortunately, we have a live album, but it's obviously not the kind of recording of full value, more likely a compilation. In short, why the fuck should I keep on discussing the sound quality, if there's NO sound? (it was you who seemingly wanted to elaborate on this subject, not me, man - ED). When it comes to musical canvas, I guess it was logically getting more exciting, complicated and idearich. We didn't really gain by it, though - since we're capable of playing only two tracks off our latest album live due to the fact they're way too complicated (we could perform 'em live having a symphonic orchestra or at least three-four keyboard players, though). And we LOVE playing live. That's why we don't really like "Gallery Of Dreams", even though it was a certain step ahead which literally told us what kind of path we should embark on (it was kind of experiment, you know). That's why "Doctrine..." still is our fave. The songs off this one are being peformed live most often, and I guess it says enough concerning our own attitude to it.

Incorporating drummachine instead of a real drummer is quite a common thing nowdays, at least when it comes to black metal hordes. But, hey man, isn't it disgusting? Drummachine sometimes simply ruins the whole goddamn atmosphere, besides sounding repulsively unnatural, you see... AZEROTH may be easily reckoned to this horde (or at least could have been reckoned, when you were still a duo)...

- We never used drummachine because it was popular to do it this way! AZEROTH never pursued any kind of trend, we always played the music of our own. We just didn't have a good drummer, man! Actually, there're only few of them even now... Fucking cripples. Drummachine at least does it's parts without mistakes, you see. Nevertheless, I'm very glad that we have a real drummer now, and NO WAY, we won't use drummachine anymore, NEVER EVER. I completely agree with you in regards to everything you said about it. It's really disgusting.
 
Would you like to make any comments on the evolution (both musical and lyrical) the band has endured throughout these years?

- Who has ears, will hear. I guess I don't have anything to tell those who own our albums, as to those who don't, I believe they just don't need any kind of comments from my side.

What's your attitude to those bands who start to sing in Norwegian, being, for instance, of Italian origin?

- Personally I think it's pure nonsense, to worship the Norwegian black metal wave this blindingly. Of course, you can say - hey man, you're no better, choosing English instead of Russian! Well, you're right. But wait a bit, English is sort of international language, especially when it comes to metal music, almost all the bands sing either in English, or in their native language. Perhaps metal sung in Italian sounds ridiculous (not at all - ED), this is no grim language, so why didn't they sing in English... Probably, they had an intention to stand against the background due to their "exclusiveness" (and they succeeded... at least judging by the fact you mentioned 'em). I can't really discuss this subject without knowing what the situation really is alike. Maybe they have a singer of Norwegian origin... I don't want to be guided by rumors in my reasonings, since AZEROTH is the perfect example of how false they often are.

What are synthetic structures based upon? Perhaps, some classical music's resemblance...?

- Your perspicacity is almost inhuman. Of course, no other way. At least when it comes to synth lines. In fact, personally I think that metal music (NOT that American bullshit mixed with nigger rhythms and patters with a blues basis, and NOT that anti-music consisting solely of technically performed chromatic gammas), EUROPEAN METAL is very close to classical music.

Sincere rawness of insincere professionalism?

- Insincere professionalism is nothing but a crap without arguing, since the quantity of perfectly performed notes per minute would never replace the actual music. But as to "sincere rawness", everything's a bit more sophisticated. If you can't fucking play, and blame it on the bad sound quality, go and fuck yourself. These fags only fucking talk instead of learning how to handle their instruments properly. As to the BAD SOUND QUALITY, it would never kill the music, taking DARKTHRONE as an example - it's almost an equivalent of rawness for the most of people. Yes, they have pretty bad producership. HOWEVER, each and every skillful musician definitely would figure out they're good musicians once he has heard 'em. Or let him simply check out the first album... let me assure you that they didn't lose the art to play with years. And they never veiled any kind of drawbacks with a shitty sound, just like many others do.

What do you consider a border between reality and surreality?

- A sleep.

Do you believe in dimensional multitudes? As far I know, some people don't consider three dimensions a limit, y'know...

- Honestly speaking, I'm not really fond of expanding on such elevated subjects. It's all serious, and will definitely last for a long time. Besides, it's more than easy to be passed for a churl. Ask some stoned hippies or simply someone else... I don't want to answer this question.

What's for the end?

- Listen to AZEROTH without prejudices.

AZEROTH contact -
Email: azeroth00@yahoo.com