Napalm Recording Artist Arkona interview is up..
For those of us new to the Heathen Folk Metal sounds of Arkona tell us a small history of the band.. Arkona was formed more than 9 years ago in city Dolgoprudny, which is 3 km away from Moscow, and where I live so far. I played something like Nightwish with musicians from my city and this band was called "Bloody Mary". Our drummer was the first from our band who started to be interested in Slavic paganism, and then he opened it for me. In 2002 I visited one of the Slavic holidays and all my worldview was changed, I discovered a lot of bands, which are playing pagan metal, and in this time the band name was changed to Arkona and repertoire also was changed. Not all members of the band liked this changes and this line-up was together about one year.
In 2003, I united with musicians from the band Rossomahaar and from this time we playing with the same line-up.
Those, who is not know good our history and evolution of the band, can read about it on our site: http://www.arkona-russia.com/en/ehistory/
2. Your early records were on Sound Age how did you come to work with them?
They have always worked closely with Sergei, the guitar player. When our first album was ready , Sound Age offered better conditions, than other Russian labels and then for us was more comfortable working with Sound Age. This continued even when the SA began to release albums of Napalm records by license in Russia.
3.Have you seen moving to Napalm Records the fans and exposure change. Being a Slavic band was this a big move to a major metal label in Europe?
This will be 5th release on Napalm Records (including DVD "Noch Velesova and EP “Stenka na Stenku”).
Of course, as soon as we signed on this label, our business going much faster. With the support of the label we first time were in our first professional tour Paganfest. On this tour we met our booking agency Rock the Nation and signed a contact with them. With their support this summer we played at such festivals as Graspop, Hellfest, Metal Camp, 3 MetalFest open-airs, Masters of Rock, Exit, With Full Force and many others. Our audience was over 100 000 people for this summer!
At the same time we do what we want and no one have influence on our songs.
5. Arkona is a proud Heathen/Pagan force tell us a bit about how beliefs play a role in the music your create..
Beliefs are playing the main role, because in my songs I’m singing about my own worldview. If I would not have faith - I would not create songs.
6. For me it was bands like Falkenbach and Burzum that made me look into my Germanic/ Asatru past and showed me the ways of old that make sense to me. For listeners awoken to there heathen past by Arkona . Where would you tell them to start by reading or searching the web?
I would recommend:
B.A. Rybakov: "Paganism of Ancient Rus" and "Paganism of the ancient Slavs". That are great scientific works about myths and archeology, which provides the most adequate information about ancient time. This work is one of the greatest for me.
7. Your Album "Slovo" seems to be the most grandious with choirs, orchestral elements, Folk Acoustics and the most massive of sounds to were the older material was much more Pagan Black metal with a Folk element. Did the change come natural or what this the path you wanted to follow as you had a larger label supporting you?
When I’m creating my music, I never think about how album will sound like or what it should be, I’m creating the songs, which currently are the closest to my heart. Wishes of labels and fans, even desires of musicians, who are playing with me, are not making influence on me.
My creativity is completely independent.
8. Will Arkona be crossing North American shores any time soon to perform here from you live videos on youtube seems to be a very impressive event?
We will have 8 shows in Canada in November. It’s already confirmed. Perhaps, soon we will have US tour, but it is still in negotiations.
9. Slavic and Germainc Heathen beliefs seems to come from the same Asatru backgrounds. Tell us a bit about that the goal of Arkona is to tell or show to the 21st century world around them?
As far as I know, Asatru - is Neo-Pagan ideology, which is based on Scandinavian mythology. If we will compare the Scandinavian and Slavic mythology, we can find many similar moments. Firstly, it’s due to the tight integration of the Scandinavian and Slavic tribes in 5-6 century. Before it, Slavic mythology was based on the cult of Rod (god-creator) and the cult of pregnant women (women as the continue of life and the human race). All the other gods were as a faces of Rod.
The modern neo-paganism in Russia called Rodnoverie (“rodnover” - native belief).
There was a lot of books, where many people call themselves magus, re-inventing the new religion, based, ostensibly, on the lost knowledge of their ancestors. Knowledges in most cases are really lost and I don’t want to have nothing in common with these charlatans.
If we would speak about my worldview, I want to say, that I live by principles, which could live my ancestors. I'm sure they are just lived in harmony with the nature, with honor and conscience, truth and faith in themselves and what surrounds them.
10. Masha vocals are a brilliant mix of Beauty, power and fury all at the same time. Do you think singing in Russian limits who will listen and was this done as a way for only true Heathen souls will find the band?
I’m singing in my native language, language of my ancestors and language, in which I’m thinking. I think, if I would sing songs on some other language – beauty and power, magic and atmosphere would be lost.
11. Whats Arkona thoughts on the digital age ( Webzines, Internet Radio, Digital Albums , Facebook/ Myspace ) Do you miss the days of Demo tapes, Print Fanzines and College/ Underground radio supporting the scene ?
No, I have no nostalgia. Digital century – it’s comfortable and you can save a lot of time to find information, which you need.
If someone is thinking, that it’s not traditional, it’s mistake.
. My brain and the mind are living with the main traditions, which says - not to stand, but develop, because humanity did it with each generation. If our ancestors would have survived until our times, they gladly would have replaced the horse on the car because it's faster and more convenient way to travel, they would be happy to have a phone because it is an ideal method of transmitting information, they will gladly would appreciate all the advantages of running water and hot water, and many other factors. The main thing is not to destroy nature, and live in harmony with it, and if you cut down a tree - plant it, then it will give you a warm house. But TV you really can put in trash!
12. Will there ever be a long form DVD for Arkona or a collection of videos for the impressive catalog you have?
We already have 2 DVDs.
First is recorded in 2005 in small club in Moscow and it is quite underground video. Second DVD is much more big show, recorded on album’s presentation in 2007. In any case – both DVDs is not actual now. Perhaps, we will release one day new, more global video
13. Thank you again for the time any closing thoughts here.
I wish to all our readers harmony in soul and happiness in families. It’s the most important things in life.
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