Well, first of all I have to congratule you with the really impressive work; “A Devouring Rose” is what I mean! Please, tell us a bit of the band’s history, since I believe that not that many of our readers are familiar with I’MMORTAL…

- The band was formed in 1994 by Igor Markov (guitars) and Alexander Bychkov (drums, vocals). After they have composed some material they could start with, they invited a bass guitarist, namely Alexander Elin. This is a lineup which recorded “Die Forever” demo, and also the one which performed the first-ever gig in Bryansk. Generally speaking, the music was made within the bounds of death / doom metal with plenty of acoustics. After the bassist went to the army, Igor and Alexander invited Oleg Sletov (guitars, ex-MAINMORT), Vera Buraya (violin and keyboards, ex-NASTROMA) as well as Yuriy Rulev (bass), who formerly played bass and sang in the band called SHUTTLE. All of the tunes for “A Devouring Rose” was written in the end of 1996, however we managed to record it only in Spring of 1998. These two years were spent in performing gigs and working with our side-project, ON THREE ONE, which was compiled of Alexander (drums), Igor (guitars) and Yuriy (vocals, bass). The main aim behind ON THREE ONE is to perform something utterly different from I’MMORTAL, I mean genres like grunge, rock’n’roll, angry, grindcore, etc. Currently, we’re working on the new material. The lineup has been changed once again: our former bassist came back, Evgeniy Leonov (ex-KNELL) replaced Oleg on lead guitar, and Yuriy became a free vocalist. The lineup changed, and so did the music. We can’t be considered to be a doom metal band anymore, although it’s really hard to tell what is our current style.

What are your musical tastes? The spirit of AETERNUS and MY DYING BRIDE obviously inspired your inner selves, although it doesn’t mean that you didn’t manage to create anything original – everything is quite the contrary…

- All of us listen to different stuff. Formerly all of us were totally into MY DYING BRIDE, PARADISE LOST, THEATRE OF TRAGEDY, etc. (that’s why “A Devouring Rose” sounds the way you hear). But now our favourites are: DREAM THEATER, HELLOWEEN, MESHUGGAH, BLACKMORE’S NIGHT, EXTREME, Joe Satriani, SEPULTURA, FAITH NO MORE… I don’t really know, maybe we got rid of those typical ‘doom metal’ elements due to the trend, however I think that it’s just a step forward…

What about the full-length CD? Currently, I have only the demo tape of yours, which is, by the way, very well-executed…

- We don’t have such a possibility, at least while now. The demo is too ‘underground, although we have one master-disc.

I won’t ask anything regarding the lyrics: they evidently don’t have anything to do with neither satanism nor heathendom. However, I can’t escape the question concerning your philosophical and political views and convinctions…

- Our gloomy image doesn’t have anything in common with our lives. The smile is something we’re better acquainted with, than f.ex. such thing as depression or melancholy. We aren’t too serious in life, although everything changes when it comes to music. The main law for us is the following: never harm anyone. That’s it. I’m not willing to say anything about politics, although I wouldn’t say that we’re interested in it at all.

What is your attitude to the “Church Of Satan” in Russia as well as the various heathen movements in Russia?

- We don’t have any connection with neither satanism, nor paganism. Moreover, we don’t know anyone connected with it.

What is view on the Russian metal scene? Whom would you name as the most promising acts among the young ones? What about such non-entities as SATARIAL, ROD, NIGHTHATRED, TODESKAMPF…?

- There’re plenty of talented persons here, in Russia, but we don’t possess the needed info, so… I would mark out such bands as SYMBOL, END ZONE and EPILEPSY BOUT.

How do you spend your time, besides being in the band and dealing with anything close to it? As far as I know, it’s impossible to live by the music only here, in our godforsaken country…

- Studying at the institutes and universities is the answer. No free time left besides it.

How’s life in the ancient city of Bryansk? Anything special you could tell us about?

- There’s an utter silence over here for the last 1000 years… seldomly interrupted by Mamai’s assaults, World Wars… and punks. The hope dies only in the very end, so we still hope to live our own lives in happiness some time in future… The economical crisis isn’t really bad, it’s a sobering thing, simply because vodka became too exprensive for most of us, ha ha!

Would you like to talk about the day to come? What will it bring to the band you’re playing in?

- Erh… We just await the Summer, because our rehearsal place doesn’t have the heating.

The latter words are yours…

- We would like to wish you well. Check out our homepage at: www.bitmcnit.bryansk.su/we/i’mmort.html

I’MMORTAL contact –
Email: andy@aver.bgtu.bryansk.su