What about enlightening us in regards to the upcoming MCD of yours? Some time ago you told me it's going to be comprised of a couple of new tracks, a remake on "Nocturne" (the song), as well as few covers, right? Aren't you going to change anything in this outline?

- No, our plans didn't change yet. We're still going to issue three completely new tracks as well as remake on "Nocturne" (although, it's not actually a remix... more like a new song. In my view, it sounds like a sequel to "Nocturne" theme). Furthermore, we're finishing our work on covering IN FLAMES ("Stand Ablaze") and THERION ("Melez").

If I'm not mistaken, you have a deal with both, Sound Age and Metal Agen. Are you still pleased with the way they treat RADIGOST? Let me doubt that Price still didn't vex you (he's able of doing it in many ways... :( )

- At the moment we're busy sending our promo stuff and, if we won't get any interesting offers, I guess we'll have to stay at Metal Agen / Sound Age.

Have you found the second keyboardist already? Furthermore, why do you need the second if you have Alice? I mean, I can't really conceive the way synth-parts should be complicated in order to invite two persons who would perform 'em.

- You're right, our new material is really complicated to be performed by only one person behind the synth, however we decided to put this idea (of inviting second keyboardist) on ice for a while due to various problems. Anyway, we fear that our music will sound too "bleak" when playing live.

As far as I know, you haven't played any gigs yet. Therefore, are you going to perform any in times to come; if yes, where and when?

- Yep, you're right. We din't perform live yet... again, due to endless problems with lineup and rehearsal place. However, it seems like we've resolved 'em and I hope we'll be able to play live in the nearest future. You will be definitely one of the first whom we'll notify.

Would you like to make any comments on the Russian black metal scene? Are there any bands worthy enough to mark out at the moment?

- Depends on what you consider Russian black metal scene. Lately I had a chance to listen to quite a lon of bands, and TVANGESTE (from Kaliningrad) was the one I really liked (even though, we wouldn't reckon them to black metal).

Ok, the time has come to ask you a question regarding your view upon religion. Since the lyrics "Nocturne" comes with, broach the topic of both, satanism and heathendom, it seems to be strange when you say you don't have anything to do neither with our precious Mr. Ass With Goathorns, nor with pagan subjects.

- The thing is that we don't follow any religious confessions, each of us has his (her) own view regarding religion and all that stuff. As to paganism, we broach it since we consider it our ancestors' faith, inalienable part of our history... too bad that a lot of people already forgot it. We don't worship "Mr. Ass with Goathorns", furthermore, you can easily figure our what is our attitude to satanism from reading our lyrics.

Horror films and metal somehow seem to be tied to each other, don't you think so? I often ask myself a question, however there's still no answer to it, at least inside my mind: why do most of those who're into metal also become freaks on horror movies?

- We don't consider horror films as an alienable part of metal. And even if we watch suchlike movies, we have never identified 'em with metal culture.

Are there any plans to re-issue "Nocturne" in the shape of CD?

- Of course. The question of issuing "Nocturne" as a CD still is open. While now, everything depends on money... you see, we don't have enough finances in order to make it self-released. So, the only thing we can do is either to wait until some foreign label will offer us a deal... or continue to collaborate with Price and co. However, as life shows, even if the CD is out under the banners of Metal Agen, it won't happen too soon.

Did you contribute with any songs of yours to various compilations? By the way, did you get any response to "Nocturne" from abroad?

- Yes. Currently there're two compilations including our songs. The first one is our label's, Metal Agen Compilation, and the second one is "Hellfire, volume II". I guess, it will be (is?) released through CDM Records. The third one is in work. By the way, in fact we were just informed that we've took part (without knowing it!) in "Idillia, volume I" comp (with "Winter Dusk"-track)...

I often hear people talking about some kind of a plot of West European countries directed against Russia... What is your opinion on this sort of discussions... If you ask me, I'd say that it really may take place in the world we're living in... Just recall all these talks regarding the way our military forces act in Chechnya, those shots portraying our soldiers burying Chechen guerrillas which provoked mass hysteria in Western mass media... They want make us to stop this campaign (war?), however no one's really interested in knowing the fact we can't do this. So, "Chechens are innocent people who are being raped and killed by violent barbarians", i.e. us. Whatta nonsense.

- Do you really thing we could ever support such an idiocy?! If we'd recall Russian history, it's clear that these "innocent" ones were only killing, raping and kidnapping people, taking part in the endless wars, thus earning some money. And by the way, it seems like everyone has forgotten the bombing of Kosovo???!

Proceeding with this subject... Here comes yet one more weird phenomena: most (or more likely, absolute majority) of Europe-based labels simply refuse to sign our bands, they just ignore Russians! (while everything's different with groups coming from Baltic States) Why so??

- Obviously, no one in the world needs Russia being strong and powerful State, be it in terms of economics or music. Although, as far as I know, MENTAL HOME recently have signed a deal with Century Media....

Nowadays black metal and ambient appear as some kind of a common thing, even though this and that are utterly different in terms of approach to music and music itself... And the question is: why do we consider (dark) ambient as a part of black metal scene? What are the reasons for this?

- Some ambient-acts usually have a lot in common with black metal. There're plenty of bands, whose participants also have started a BM project (or on the contrary). Therefore, they don't betray their ideology... and that's why I guess we can say that ambient is a part of "black metal culture".

By the way, concerning ambient, or so-called "dark ambient"... There're plenty of Mortiis-clones (this is the way I prefer to define 'em) spawning in a truly enormous number nowadays+ Don't you think that Mortiis and others of that ilk, i.e. those who started this "trend", simply made the scene to get drowned in a pack of low-tech, minimalistic attempts to create anything that would sound at least similar to real music, speaking literally? Now you don't need anything to start a band, with an exception for the few programs like Cakewalk or Cubase Score, a couple of weeks to figure out what they're all about and some lousy 486PC!

- We wouldn't like to judge them... There's nothing bad in using PC during composing or recording your stuff. But if you don't possess even minimal doze of talent, nothing will help you - neither super-kind of computer nor professional software.

Closing down. How would you end it all?

- Well, I can only wish each of us success in what we're doing, heh heh...

RADIGOST contact -
Email: radigost@mail.ru