Greetings, Ulf! "Where At Night The Wood Grouse Plays", already a third CD from EMPYRIUM, was unleashed this month and this is what we'll begin with. Could you please give us your own review of it?

- "Where At Night The Wood Grouse Plays" expresses during its nine songs a genuine and deep sentiment towards nature's mystics and the romanticism and spellbinding, tragic atmosphere of folkloric myths and sagas.
 
In my view, "Where At Night..." differs a lot from your former efforts. It's purely acoustic album, hence lacking any usual "metal" instruments, although that inimitable atmosphere is fortunately the same... What advanced you to such a metamorphosis?

- I view the pureness of sound that is captured by acoustic instruments as the only sincere way of expressing folkloric themes, thus the arrangement of "Where At Night The Wood Grouse Plays" was clear ever since the idea took me.

Apart from confirming your unquestionable originality, comparisons with "Eveningsongs" (Kveldssanger) by ULVER inevitably come to mind when it comes to your latest CD...

- Thank you. Of course I see common points too and having in mind that I absolutely adore ULVER for their imaginative concept and their artistic integrity, not to mention their "over the top performance" on all of their albums. I can even view this as a compliment and won't deny the influence their first three albums had on "Where At Night..."; still I think there is a difference in atmosphere on both albums - "Where At Night..." definitely does not express the classical Norwegian "trolsk" atmosphere, but a more tragic, sentimental, call it romantic feeling.

There's one more band on Prophecy performing certain mixture of sorrowful acoustic parts and modern folklore. TENHI is what I'm talking about... Did their works influence your creative self in any ways? As far as I know, they're one of your favorite bands at the moment...?

- I love TENHI, but seeing that some of the material for "Where At Night..." has been composed in 1996, so there's definitely no influence of TENHI on the album - but their music is stunning!

The singing parts featured on "Where At Night..." sound quite excellent, the fact which truly surprised me. You see, despite that your "clean" voice sounds enough original and even somewhat mesmerizing, it's too amateurish anyway; at least if talking about "A Wintersunset..." and "Songs Of Moors & Misty Fields". That's why I was surprised (almost shocked) by your development as a singer while listening to "Where At Night..." CD!

- Thank you again. You might have noticed that there's a second vocalist featured on "Where At Night..." - he goes by the name of Thomas Helm and was responsible for all tenor vocals in the choirs (whilst I have done the bass-vocals) as well as the lead vocals of "Moons Ago..." - I am very satisfied with all sung parts on "Where At Night..." As for my amateurish performances in the past - I see what you mean. My voice needs silence and close surroundings to be performed in a satisfying way, this was often not the case in the past when we recorded in the studio. "Where At Night..." was recorded in my own studio and thus I felt more at home and a warmer, closer surrounding has done my voice very good. You might call this unprofessional for a vocalist, but what can I do?

Here's the last question regarding your latest effort and it goes for that black and white artwork which is somehow reminiscent of BURZUM's covers...

- No wonder you feel the same vibes when gazing to one cover of BURZUM, since the album cover was done by Theodor Kittelsen, a Norwegian painter, who in my eyes was the only ever existing painter who managed to capture the mystic atmosphere of the forests, the mountains, moors and waters in a genuine, breathtaking way - his works are most definitely unique and otherworldly.

Almost three years passed after "A Wintersunset..." was released and I wonder if you are still pleased with the way it turned out? What would you change now if you had such a chance? What are the main differences between "A Wintersunset..." and it's follow-up, "Songs Of Moors & Misty Fields"?

- I must admit I don't feel comfortable anymore to talk about things past. "A Wintersunset..." was a charming album full of youthly enthusiasm and atmosphere, but the performance and the general outcome is very unsatisfying to me these days. Still, the reactions to it showed that people have been longing for somethings as charming as this and its sentiment is definitely deep and very heartfelt. "Songs..." is definitely more mature, with a more nocturnal feel and the outcome is definitely more satisfying and it features some of the best songs we have written so far, thus I still feel quite warm with it.

Does Nadine still contribute her flute and cello parts to EMPYRIUM's  recordings? Was it you who decided to invite her? Furthermore, are you pleased with the way she performs her parts?

- Yes, yes and yes.

Have you ever performed any gigs? I bet it's rather difficult to play live being a duo....

- No, I don't think it would do our music any good being performed in some stinky, anarcho club with drunken heavy metal fans as audience.

What about such notion as "atmosphere" (talking about this word's  application regarding metal music, of course)? Speaking plainer, what do you mean saying that "Where At Night The Wood Grouse Plays" has the deep tragic ATMOSPHERE?

- I feel that the harmonies of the guitars, vocals and the flute often convey the feeling of tragic fairytales and dark sagas. If you shut your eyes and let the tones into you, you'll be seeing those pictures in front of your mind's eye. Through the lyrics I tried to give those pictures a more abstract form - but it works without the lyrics too.

"Lover's GRIEF", "A Gentle GRIEVING Farewell Kiss" Ode To MELANCHOLY", "MOURNERS", "Dying BROKENHEARTED", "The SAD Song Of The Wind"... Erh... judging by these song titles as well as the lyrics of yours I assume that you're the kind of person liable to depression?

- I am not a depressed person, since I have already made many of my dreams come true, but I tend to be very pessimistic and notoriously obsessed by nostalgia and melancholy.

Ok, enough with the darker side of human essense. Let's better discuss such phenomenon as "romanticism" - in the shape of artistic appearance and as (an inalienable?) part of human nature...

- If you think a little deeper about what romanticism represents, that is the focus on true, sincere sentiment in art, than it'll become clear that any form of art does need romantic elements - the same goes for human nature. I generally happen to dislike the analytic, rationalistic people - they are often un-spiritual with no sense for what is important in life (at least in my definition), whilst maybe less intelligent people, with their hearts at the right place have all of my respect.

Where do you draw your inspiration from? What influences your music  and lyrics and what are the topics your lyrics deal with? Nature, I suppose?

- I feel very inspired by all art that touches me, by the mystic of nature and the sagas and tales that captured the mystics of nature and kept them alive.

What do you know (and think) about Russia as well as it's nation?  What about the metal acts coming from our lands, have you heard any?

- Russia has always been a very "obscure" country for the West. It's so vast it is impossible to be overviewed and that is very charming I think. I know Russia has some of the darkest and most beautiful landscapes on earth and I'd love visiting them some day. Also your folklore is very tragic material which I really, really like. As for bands coming from Russia, the only ones I can recall right now and that have something intersting to them must be GODS TOWER and MENTAL HOME, though both do not hit my tast perfectly, they are really good in what they are doing.

I wish I could change it but the first and the last question always turn out as rather typical ones... Therefore, here comes the Grand Finale :) ... End this with your words of wisdom ;) or whatever you feel you like...

- Thank you sincerely.

EMPYRIUM / SUN OF THE SLEEPLESS -
c/o Schwadorf - Kurf?rstenstra?e 5 - 54492 Zeltingen - Germany
Email: empyrium@prophecyproductions.de