Well, ladies and gentlemen, not so long ago we have published an interview with band Moderix. Shorlty after that we were notified by the band that one of its founders (guitarist Notgrov) have left it. Okay, he has gone and that’s sad of course, but not fatal. And some time later the guitarist himself has notified us about resurrection of his old studio project Akromusto. This has become interesting for me. And as Vladimir Pozner has told: “what’s interesting for me, should be interesting for you as well”. So I’ve come in contact with Notgrov (moreover that I had no chance to talk with him previously) and he told me about the affairs of Akromusto in particular and something about black metal in general.

Mr.doctor. The first question – maybe you’re bored with it already, but it’s still important – why have you left Moderix?

Notgrov. Reply to your question: the main reason of leaving Moderix is lack of free time on that period. Later, when I’ve got some time, I’ve decided not to return to the band. I’ve decided to “revive” my old project Akromusto. Revival has happened quite successfully. There’s three of us now: Shes Foe (ex-Moderix) - drums, Notgrov (ex-Moderix) - vox, guitars, music, texts, Darkness Fall (also Moderix) - bass, music. We’ve done two rehearsals and have created new songs. I’ve completely left what I was doing in Moderix. Because in Akromusto I have more freedom and I do what I like right now.

MD. Would you continue to play expertimental black metal?

N. No, we’ve decided to move completely to Depressive Black Metal. I liked this musical style for ages, but had no chance to completely realize it, and now the time has come. By the way, I’ve visited Moderix’s rehearsal. They are doing well without me. Now all my “creative” time I spend for  Akromusto.

MD. Why haven’t you created new band? Because former Akromusto differs heavily from what I have heard on new demo. You’ve left experimental or even avant-garde black metal to enter the abyss of depression. Maybe fans of old sounding won’t understand this.

N. I also thought of it, so I wanted to continue doing art under other name – as Notgrov. This is my second solo project, but later I thought that there was a lot of different songs during long history of Akromusto. So I’ve decided to revive exactly Akromusto. By the way, fans have normally reacted to this change. That was not a problem because notes of depressive black metal can be traced in this band’s songs, if you listen attentively to the old material. In fact,  I’ve changed nothing, I’ve just approved the style in which we move on. Time will tell. There is a possibility that the next album will be done in a slightly different style. I do not like monotony. That is why I’ve created this project back in 2004. I could not afford myself to make such material in Moderix. Moreover, for me personally Akromusto is more than just a group.

MD. And why you could not fully realize your love for depressive black metal as part of Moderix? What prevented you from that? After all, Moderix  were not alien to the change of sounding.

N. Moderix was different band for me. Yes, we have changed sounding and tried something new, but anyway we’ve stayed Black Metal band. And Vergonth couldn’t sing screaming for Depressive Black Metal. And for sure the most important is that I wanted make something my own, where I am both vocalist and guitarist. That’s two different worlds, two different planets - Akromusto and Moderix.

MD. Akromusto is your project, would you be the only leader and dictator of it, or would you consider opinions of all musicians of the band?

N. Yes, the project is initially mine, but now, when we became live act, opinions of all members are counted for sure. We gathered to make private music. Yes, lyrics and music that I write are strictly my personal, but we sort out new things together, as it was before. I am not a dictator, I just simply create ideas and we approve them or not. It's simple.

MD. And if the idea would come from your colleague in the group, would you consider it?

N. Yes, for sure. There are already such ideas and we consider them together. That’s what the team means. I feel comfortable to work with this line-up.

MD. By the way, about line-up. Why have you chosen musicians from your former band? That’s because you know them as personalities, you know their abilities and you don’t want to deal with unknown people. Or that’s just because there’s no good black metal musicians in Lipetsk?

N. Line-up was chosen on the basis of experience in Black Metal, and the fact that I know them well both as personalities and as musicians has also played role. I think that they’ve gained great experience during playing in Moderix. And regarding Lipetsk: there are really no other musicians playing Black Metal. There are not so much of us. But there are now two bands that play this genre of metal. We plan to play together and to support each other. Darkness Fall has already played in Akromusto since 2012. We have recorded "Broken album" with him. And we’ve played together with Shes Foe in Moderix. So we have roots in the common cause.

MD.  Do you plan to expand line-up? To add second guitarist for example?

N. We are now authentic in terms of music. It’s minimalism which consists of 3 musical instruments. I like it because there is something of its own. It is alive. The atmosphere that reigns in our group is more than just music.

MD. Where the name of the band comes from - Akromusto? What does it means?

N. When I invited Akromusto name, I used Finnish language. I’ve bought Finnish dictionary and started searching for words. I remember that I’ve found two words and joined them together. Generally, the translation should mean “more dark”. But if you start translating it, the exact translation would lead you nowhere. It was in 2004.

MD. About what are you going to sing? Meaning which would be your lyric themes?

N. Our lyrics are about psychology, the inner world of man, personal experiences. We have moved away from demonism in the texts. I am writing more about the amorphous and abstract nature of the soul. Here are the names of ready compositions: Father!, Split, Nothing or Nothing. The new album will be done in this style, but darkness and grief will be present, as before. In fact, Akromusto headed for a new concept in style and lyrics. The group is really different. Now everything is different. Accordingly, we will record the new album differently: alive and directly. We will record the room and play everything in one take. I will also invite guests. There will be surprises.

MD. Now you plan to perform live shows. Do you plan to play songs from previous albums?

N. I don’t know now. Possibly, but that’s not sure. I want to present new music and new sounding of the band. Old songs were different. So it’s going to be new songs for beginning, and then possibly there would be old ones. New Akromusto, new songs.

MD. Is here any options on which label you plan to record new album?

N. Yes, for sure. We will record album at rehearsal base with the help of microphones that will shoot the sound. We will release the album on tapes and CDs. We will also make T-shirts. The labels that will publish our record are Depressive Illusions records and Cvlminis. I’d like to have negotiations with More Hate Prod. There is another option for recording an album. My friend has opened his own studio and offered to record an album there. I'll consider this option. All these labels have reissued our albums on CDs and cassettes relatively recently. One thing I can say for sure is that the new album will be completely different from our other releases: recording, songs, sound quality. Everything will be different in a positive way, of course.

MD. Would you keep your stage image or do you plan to change it?

N. Most likely I would change it or, more precisely, would use none of it. Let’s see. Maybe I would keep it, but in some lite version. Because such style easily could use no stage image. But we will use it in this way or another. We haven’t come to final conclusion. I think we’ll decide that for our first live shows.

MD. Let’s go to most generic themes. There was a lot of conversations about “true” and “non-true”. Some people think that if some band has left underground and started to record albums with normal sounding and to earn money, it means that this band is sold out. How do you think, should black metal have raw sound and be recorded in garage, or it’s better to record music on normal studio with good sound? And maybe earn some money, at least for the beer?

N. No, I do not think so, since these are stereotypes of the old epoch. At that time it was relevant, but now, when there is all the technology to record your albums in good sound, this question should be closed. Some black metal bands specially record their albums with raw sound, but this is a kind of feature of this or that band. Let’s take for example the legendary Mayhem. From the album to the album, they always have a different sound. And the most important thing is that black metal musicians are among the best in extreme music. Now bands that have entered the darkness (light) earn enough to live only with music, but unfortunately, this is not about our country. I'm not going to make a commercial band. This is all for us personally, and whoever likes it can support it. From the beginning, Akromusto is an anti-commercial project.

MD. What do you think about current state of modern black metal scene? New albums of famous bands, new young bands etc.

N. Modern Black Metal scene consists of many different bands, but as it always was with all styles, there’s lot of nonsence. New Marduk and Immortal albums are pretty good. Unfortunately, I don’t keep in mind young bands. Summing up that at any time there is good and bad. So it was and always will be.

MD. Tell five bands which, in your opinion, are the biggest contributors to the development of black metal. And with which of them would you’d like the most to share the stage?

N. I would tell with pleasure. The bands that have influenced me and have finally stated this style of music are: Mayhem, Immortal, Marduk, Watain, Behemoth. I’d share stage with them with great pleasure. I’ve visited live shows of Behemoth and Marduk. For me personally these bands are very influent in musical sense. Of course, many will add such bands as Satyricon, Emperor, Dark Funeral, Darkthrone.

MD. And how about old good Varg (Burzum) who is widely considered to be founder of current sounding of black metal?

N. No, that’s not for me. I have nothing against him, but I don’t consider him to be genius musician also. Burzum as a band has become famous only due to Maymem, or, more precise, due to history which had already become cult. 

MD. What does music mean for you? Which place in your life does it take?

N. I’ve started being consumed by burden, and due to that I was fading away, as a person, as a musician, as a person. Yes, now as well it’s not easy for me to find spare time for all that, but I’m doing it because without music I will be nothing. I need to relieve stress and to spend creative energy. This is the dependency that never goes away. But the most important thing in my life is my son, for whose sake I live.

MD. I think it would be enough for now. Please tell a few words for inhabitants of our site.

N. Music should be within you. Don’t follow trends and currents of time. Do whatever you want. Live and enjoy. Don’t just kill your time. Have a good luck. Sincerely, Akromusto.

And we, in our turn, wish the band to perform at concerts, release albums, and not stand still, but develop and develop further.