The latest work of yours drastically differs from all the former efforts put out under the banner of STONEHENGE. And while one could easily draw certain parallels between "Sense Of Doom", "Tales Of Old Britain" and "Victims Gallery" despite their unlikeness, "Scum Brigade" appears as almost a new face of the band - moreover, completely different band. How would you explain such a cardinal stylistic metamorphosis?

- New people - new sound. I guess, it's not even up to the new ideas, since all the songs off "Scum Brigade" were composed pretty long time ago. It's obvious that the singer always appears as the band's "face", and if we kept on doing the same thing as on "Victims Gallery" and "Sense Of Doom", Alex's voice would doubtlessly ruin the whole thing. "Scum Brigade" was originally conceived in the year of 1998, and if we've recorded this CD in the former lineup, perhaps it would sound the way "Tales Of Old Britain" does… But it seems like everything was pre-determinated.

The lyrical side also endured irreversible alternations. Does it really fit the music "Scum Brigade" comes with?

- Yeah, the old lyrics weren't dealing with guts on the trees, sexually depraved scumbags and alike bullshit. Vlad's lyrics were all about King Arthur and other non-entities, what was no less bullshit. On the whole, the lyrics were (and still are) written the way Brooklyn's niggers speak, lacking such a trifle as intellect. However, in case with Alex, it's unpretentious. Everything was done only on purpose of compiling music and lyrics the most appropriate way.

Why did you decide to charge Alex with responsibility for composing lyrics?

- He's the singer, not me. In general, lyrics (in rock music) is megapathos. You should shriek like a tortured piglet, obligatorily out of the key. It will definitely force the atmosphere of "truth" and "underground".

By the way, how did he come to join STONEHENGE?

- Honestly speaking, Vlad completely forgot to visit the studio in order to record the vocal lines... and kept on forgetting for about three months, while brisk Alex came up with the potential he didn't manage to realize in DER GERWELT. In short, Vlad was simply replaced by Alex without any battle-alike soap operas. Truly a pity - the battle could have been magnificent!

All the drum tracks on "Scum Brigade" were programmed, however the inlay states that Dmitry was the one whom we should consider a drummer - while he didn't even took part in recording the CD!!!

- But these are his tracks! Drums weren't recorded via microphones, but via triggers into sequencer. To be honest, later on they were equalized right up to 64 triplet. Goddammit, I don't see anything criminal in programming the drumset - half of the European bands record drum tracks this way, since the drummers they have aren't even capable of putting their hands out of their asses. And then we behold smily pics of these "drummers" ornamenting the CDs...

What band amongst the ones you take part in (STONEHENGE, ROSSOMAHAAR and NARGATHROND), appears as top-priority for you at the moment?

- Actually, I don't consider NARGATHROND a real band - more likely a project of mine. I do if I want to do, and I do NOT if I do NOT want to. I have certain kind of responsibility in STONEHENGE, as well as ROSSOMAHAAR... but honestly speaking, I prefer ROSSOMAHAAR. It's 100% my self-expression.

How would you stylistically define today's STONEHENGE?

- Mock-metal! Just kidding... "Scum Brigade" is an exciting mixture of 80s' heavy and thrash metal with few folkish elements and BM-alike voice. If you'd take into consideration the ideological treatment of the last album, it's more likely a "war metal" piece.

Even though "Scum Brigade" was brought forth the light not so long ago, I guess you've already got a certain feedback...

- We started to sell the CD quite recently, therefore we didn't receive a billion reviews. As to the feedback we already got... Well, all those who liked our former works, like this one as well.

I was a bit surprised discovering a hidden-track amongst the songs "Scum Brigade" comes with, - and became nearly embarrassed when you told me, that "clean" voice belongs to Vlad...

- We spent three days in the studio to finalize this track in Vlad's interpretation. We simply couldn't throw it out, you see.

Do you still keep in touch with the band's ex-members? What were the reasons for Vlad to leave; despite that he periodically didn't give a damn about such factor as "tonal singing", Vlad possessed doubtlessly an inimitable voice...

- No, I haven't met neither Dmitry, nor Vlad or Alexander, for ages. Probably because having a couple of beers was our only common interest. As far as I know, no one of them keeps playing music - perhaps the lack of interest in doing anything connected with music caused that sort of disbandment which took place after "Sense Of Doom" was released... despite that we have been working together for almost six years. As to Vlad's departure... Well, there wasn't any actual departure. We had an album recorded, and all we had to do, was to record the vocal lines. Vlad endured plenty of problems in this process... Unfortunately, working at various jobs and having no time to control the recording, I attented the studio only after a couple of months, and... and what? Nothing! Nothing has been made! I was utterly disappointed in the people I worked / played with, and nearly decided to wave goodbye to STONEHENGE. Later on, I thought that this album is worthy enough to see the light, though. 

Aren't you going to re-issue the former works by STONEHENGE in the shape of CD, f.ex. via More Hate Productions?

- I don't consider them topical at the moment. If Alex (the mastermind behind More Hate - ED) thinks different, then why not?

By the way, what about your collaboration with SAINTS EVERLASTING REST?

- Everything's ok! An old friend of mine, Sergey Obolenskiy, asked me to help him out with his band, since he was actually the only one left in SAINTS EVERLASTING REST. I always liked the music he / they made (sort of "true doom metal"), so I asked myself "why not?", especially taking into account the fact it's always a pleasure to work with your good friends. It looks like we're going to keep on working together for a long time...

Tell us about the latest news from the ROSSOMAHAAR / NARGATHROND's camp...

- ROSSOMAHAAR have a bright future, since we inked a deal with a major European label lately. There're few difficulties, of course, such as delaying the album's release-date. All that we had to do, has been done - now everything depends on the record company. As to NARGATHROND, it's a bit different. I didn't start working on the new effort yet, due to the lack of inspiration. I was crafting "Carnal Lust..." for about two years, and I guess, the next album won't come soon. Besides that, "Carnal Lust..." wasn't really a successful venture - too rhythmically different in order to be liked by the dark ambient adherers, and too un-metal in order to please black metallers. Although there's a certain amount of people who appreciated this work, so I'm gonna continue working with NARGATHROND in future - only for these few.

Isn't it possible that "Scum Brigade" will be the last one? I mean, have you ever thought of stopping the band's activities?

- Statements like "STONEHENGE will keep on producing magnificent albums for at least 10 years" and "STONEHENGE will cease to exist this year" are equal to each other. At the moment, I still don't know what we have to do, which way to go, which path to embark on. I want music to come out naturally, and while now there's an utter lack of new ideas. Therefore, we either stop, or wait for a new source of inspiration to come. I never thought about any disbandment, since I perfectly realize that if I stop doing anything, it will stop by itself.

Should we expect you coming back to those "Victims Gallery" / "Sense Of Doom" good 'ol times (musically, of course)?

- Yeah, it was a nice time - but SAINTS EVERLASTING REST is more than enough for me, when it comes to doom metal.

You're impulsive and straightfoward kind of man, as I know you. How would you act once meeting someone who speaks of your work with STONEHENGE in an extremely negative way?

- He'd be fucking teared up and turned into a nazi cross!!! If all these dickheads only knew how hard it is, to record an album!... It's like a baby whom you endlessly cherish, figuratively speaking. And then some motherfucker simply drowns your beloved child in shit! Who would stand this?? ALthough I still haven't met such an "impulsive and straightforward" guy who could tell me this face-to-face. All of these cowardly non-entities prefer to drag you into shit via Internet, using handles instead of the real names.

The lyrics of yours still are English-written, - while no one in STONEHENGE speaks this language fluently. Isn't it time to start singing in Russian?

- I won't stand this disaster in Russian. Let them yell in their "Brooklyn's dialect".

Does the live activities you take part in, mean anything to you?

- Meant. Before. Doesn't mean anything anymore. Live performances don't give the desired promotion, therefore you can only show off being on the stage. I shown off enough during all these years I appear as a part of the underground, therefore I enter the stage only once in three months.

ROSSOMAHAAR already managed to reach a success and weighty status abroad, - and what about STONEHENGE? Does this band have any visible perspectives when it comes to European market?

- It's incredibly hard to say what awaits STONEHENGE in the future. Only time will show... Nevertheless, we already left our trace in the rock music history, even though we expected more starting the band in '94. Now we don't care how much copies we sell and how many people listen to our CDs. We crossed the border or maturity, and now we create music only to warm up our souls.

How do you evaluate Russian mass-media (I'm talking about the ones dealing with metal music, of course)?

- Few are good enough, however there're absolutely worthless ones, f.ex. Dark City. I'm not capable of reading even a half of it's contents because of the ill-matched lack of taste and subjective self-respect. Generally speaking, almost all of the editions dealing with metal music, suffer from having correspondents with utter lack of such a quality as music listener's maturity. And then we have comparisons like f.ex. DER GERWELT = JUDAS ISCARIOT.

Few words for the end…

- Throw away your sadness, throw away your neurosis. Hobby also is a nice thing, by the way. Helps to reduce depression.

STONEHENGE contact -
Email: cdm-records@mail.ru