When
we listen the music of this band we can feel some sensation that remember us the
first days of Black Metal´s brutality, but the brutality are mixed with a
marvelous touch of epic climates and apokaliptik groove sensation!!! A perfect
union of the old roots of Black metal with an intense new epic feeling. The new
album from the russian black metal masters SCRATCHING SOIL, the opus "War
Experience", released by the legendary russian label STYGIAN CRYPT, is a
masterpiece of intense & glorious black metal. KREPUSKULUM interviewed
Alastor the obscure genious minds behind this glorious black metal
combo.
KREPUSKULUM:
SCRATCHING
SOIL exist since 1996, and you already released two albums. Talk to us about the
band's history and the reason to play this intense kind of metal music.
ALASTOR:
Any reason to create doesn`t come spontaneous. If you try to compare «E Nihilo
Nihil» `96 and «War Experience» `03 you could find practically difference art
acts, cause different events, feeling and experience leave their trails and
scars inside. All of these is a history of Scratching Soil. We would like to
keep in the background any biographical facts.
The
russian metal are grown now, you are really great bands! Talk to us about the
metal scene in your country in the past and now. You have a big black metal
scene? Who are the best new russian bands of today in your opinion?
The
great influences of SCRATCHING SOIL are old epic black metal (BATHORY,
BURZUM, MAYHEM), but we can see some echoes of death metal in your music, I'm
right??
Not
only listening of somebody`s music influences on our art but everything what
we`re perceive. Yes, we can name Mayhem «De Misteriis Dom Satanas» as one of
our favorite albums until now but only as a music not as an example of lyrics.
We don`t consider ourself as a followers of somebody as in the art as on the
other ways.
The
drums and bass in SCRATCHING SOIL MUSICS as such as ICE ONLY & ENVY create a
intense climate of epic atmospheres. Where come from the inspiration to create
this epic feelings?
We
must be honest we try to remember for a long time about creating of «Ice Only»
and «Envy». Inspiration always lives beside and slight cause can turn
inspiration into action. When we`ve create «Ice Only» was piercing cold winter
day. And as the result this sond was born.
The
two members of the band are Kein and Alastor, but we can´t encounter more
informations about your instruments in the booklet of the new album. Who play
bass, drums, guitars and sing in the band?
In
our line-up Kein is charged with music and instruments, Alastor with vocal,
lyrics and design.
The
subject of the lyrics in the great "War Experience" are interesting
and powerful. Talk to us about the feelings behind the lyrics of musics as
CRACKS IN GROUND HAVE TOLD..., DEAD BY NUMBERS & MEANS NEVER.
«Cracks
In Ground Have Told» is an attempt to tell about disguisting two-thousands-year
suppression of live with dead especially with such sort of carrion as fuckstian
dogmata. «Dead by Numbers» is based on actual events where i was an
eyewitness. It was a murder cause of lie and betrayal. Those who took part in
murder was dead already before their act and court. By the way that dead exit
unpunished moreover they have stayed ass up before nailed to the cross another
dead and even hackneyed fear has leaved them. «
Means
Never» is the most deep song for me. It`s the way of those who is create, who
is fight for right to be him(her)self. It`s more mood then meaning. It`s
difficult to explain. But everytime when i see pearl claw of the sky` dawn i
want to be a breath more then flesh.
The cover artwork are simple and great and the booklet have interesting images like the hands breaking the pomegranate. What are the meaning of these images?
We
want to show different points of confrontations, tearness and destruction. So
rusty panzers, fighting cats, breaking orthodox icons, a bridge leading into
ruinous city have appeared. A pomegranate apart from the fact of it`s beauty has
many symbolic meaning. It`s fruit of discord and it`s a symbol of
self-sacrifise. For me it`s self-sacrifise for Scratching Soil in general and
especially for this album. Anyway it`s my own imagination of war and if somebody
who will inspire by this images could give them his(her) own meaning.
Talk
to us about the SCRATCHING SOIL gigs, the band have only two members, did you
invite guest musicians to the gigs?
Scratching
Soil haven`t took part in the gigs. Kein has an experience of gigs with another
bands during the first part of 90. We`ve got proposals but we have difficulties
to get full stuff because of absence of musicians who could became our
like-minded people.
In
some lyrics you demonstrate your hate for the christianity. Are you satanists?
Do you believe in Satan and Hell? What do you think about Anton La Vey, Aleister
Crowley and The Church Of Satan? What are your life doctrine?
We
couldn`n accept any form of religious fanatism. Idea of Satan and hell goes
straight from simple fuckstian shit. In spite of Church of Satan anyway is a
worship it`s doesn`t give so much irritation cause doesn`t thrust it`s views in
comparsion with the most mass religion and other world sucks. We`re acquianted
with works of Anton La Vey and Aleister Crowley but consider their works only as
literary objects. Be yourself and do what thou wilt. Well-founded doctrine
more suitable for religious fanatics.
Do
you know some brazilian metal band?
Yes
but a bit. Krisiun and Nocturnal Worshipper (I`d like to support in mind their
way). Would be interesting to know more and better.
The
new fashion in black metal is the melodic acts such as DIMMU BORGIR & CRADLE
OF FILTH. What do you think about this bands? Do you like violins, female vocals
and other stuffs?
Things
like melodic acts not so new but in the early 90 it`s wasn`t a fashion but
experiments with the aim to expand the borders of style and then we`ve listened
some of them. Now it`s became a fashion-trend. Probably this bands have many
fans but we NEVER were in their lines. But if we have a misfortune to hear such
bands the only thing come into our minds: how they contrive to make «a
masterpiece» using sets of chromatic scales and arpegios becoming really stamps as well
as violins and female vox. It`s absolutely another kind of music and mood which
goes on hand with Brithney Spears to the nearest bank.
Congratulations
again for your great music and thank you for the interview! Give your last words
to the SCRATCHING SOIL worldwide fanatics!
We`re really glad to communicate with all of your webzine crew. Believe in what you do. Be yourself. Those who can fight must fight. All of these are far from last words of Scratching Soil.
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