Finnish modern power metal artists Arion took advantage of the time between studio records – even if a pandemic was in the mix. Their previous album Vultures Die Alone came out in 2021 – followed by touring opportunities in 2022 with Gloryhammer across the UK/Ireland and 2023 with Dream Theater and Bloodbound that covered many European countries. Setting into motion the fourth album The Light That Burns the Sky, a massive opportunity for the quintet to imprint themselves into higher spotlight terrain – and after numerous playbacks it appears that these musicians are up to the challenge.
A decidedly heavier crunchy guitar tone takes the riffs beyond power metal conventions and into territory that modern metalcore/groove-oriented listeners will also savor. Check out the riff barrage next to a crafty progressive rhythm section underpinning that pushes the title track into instant horns up approval – the subsequent addictive clean vocal melodies beyond the gang-like background support pillars that cement the status of this arrangement. The work of guitarist Iivo Kaipainen and keyboardist Arttu Vauhkonen compliments the desired sophistication with emotional resonance you hope to have in this style – a balance act between sterling hooks and virtuoso sequences. Ad Infinitum’s Melissa Bonny appears on the stunning mid-tempo anthem “Wings of Twilight”, her vocals glide seamlessly next to Lassi Vääränen in dramatic fashion, the chorus highly infectious in its pop/modern rock sensibilities.
Other times the cyber/electronic-like chord progressions take shape against some more melodic power heaviness as in “Blasphemous Paradise”, where some lower register vocals carry the verses as the staccato-oriented guitar riffs give chase to an electrifying axe shred break that mesmerizes. Progressive overtures appear in the tempo shifts during “Black Swan”, while the longest track “Into the Hands of Fate” contains almost seven minutes of dynamic intrigue between its softer keyboard overtures, extreme metal guitar/double kick maneuvers, stunted / gothic instrumental sequences all the way through to a bombastic conclusion. The eleven tracks contain the right mixture of diverse atmosphere and drive next to interesting riffs, distinction song by song that will cause many repeat listens.
Fourteen years together as a group, Arion seems ready to grab at the brass ring in their footprint on the modern power symphonic metal landscape for The Light That Burns the Sky. There aren’t many records that could grab followers into Evergrey, Kamelot, Orden Ogan, and Sonata Arctica while leaning into some current metalcore and extreme overtones when necessary – that’s what you’ll get (and so much more) here.
It’s kinda cool to have been doing this long enough to be a part of a band’s discography, at least from a standpoint of reviews. Such is the case with a band like Brainstorm and their newest offering Plague of Rats. Starting with 2014’s Firesoul I’ve reviewed each record since then. I am particularly fond of their 2018 offering Midnight Ghost. That’s not to say other works haven’t delivered, because they have. I just was entranced by that one. So I’m back and ready to rock with this one, let’s go!
Right away “False Memories” shot to #1 with a bullet. I love it! The cool tempo of “The Shepherd Girl (Gitavoginda)” easily makes this a winner for yours truly, while “Beyond Enemy Lines” is an absolute clinic in how you open a damn record, man alive! Meanwhile “Your Soul That Lingers in Me” has a big and meaty chorus any fan should love. Vocalist Andy B. Franck sounds better than ever and the guitar tandem of Torsten Ihlenfeld and Milan Loncaric is on fire, most notably on “Masquerade Conspiracy”. And as I say that the rhythm section of Dieter Bernert (drums) and Jim Ramses (bass) will surely thump your chest real quick two-time!
“From Hell” shows these guys doing what they do best: anthemic tunes that will have horns in the air from Germany to the U.S. (I should be so lucky!). Seriously this track is simply hellacious. “The Dark of Night” manages to be sinister while keeping things full of hooks. Wow. On an album chock full o’great tunes, the closing duo of “Crawling” and “Curtains Fall” delivers a great ending to the proceedings, the latter being a case study in soaring choruses and hooky guitars. Bottom line is this: Brainstorm have done it again and with Plague of Rats you’ll see they’ve continued to deliver excellent metal tunes to the masses.
Buzzing, swirling straight-up death metal clashing with a chugging hardcore side with tough guy swagger is something that’s been on the rise within the genre. While one could be lazy and just literally label it under ‘metalcore,’ that’s definitely not the vibe that Open Kasket is hitting with their debut, Trials of Failure. More in line with what Dying Fetus or Dyscarnate have done with death metal, there’s a distinctly deathly feeling to the music, permeated by more of a pure hardcore ethos in it’s street-level brutality.
The songs, if the above description didn’t spell it out, are the type that shoot straight and ask questions later. There’s an immediate level of abrasion, brought about from the HM2-esque buzzing of the riffs and midtempo rumblings and the urgency of the barked vocals and in-your-face hardcore energy that goes for the beatdown style. “Should” is a good indicator of what Open Kasket is all about. Crunchy riffs and aggressive barks mark the opening of the song, using just enough hooks to them to grab the listeners ear while simultaneously scraping them with the abrasion. As the music swirls to a flat-out crawl and knuckledragging level chug, things get even more aggressive. An almost hypnotic feeling permeates just as some eerie melodies take centerstage and walk the group back into more death metal inspired elements as the track fades out. “Chain Whip” doles out barbaric riffing for almost all of it’s very short runtime, and the follow-up in “Chemical Death” takes that same energy and gives it more of a deathly spin in terms of it’s sheer heaviness. It’s the play between the hardcore and death metal elements that keep the album fun, and the momentum going.
Trials of Failure is punishing and belligerent in the best of ways. It’s a fun trip through rumbling, caveman-y riffing and frantic chaos, and while the pattern shows itself a bit as the album progresses, there’s no denying the energy and heart are in the right place for this material. It’s full of breakneck grooves and unrelenting brutality, and that’s all you need to enjoy it.
Back with another round of interesting singles while we have the chance, before the spring releases start to pile up! This month we cover Electric Callboy, End Eve, Ghostkill, Jiluka, LustQueen, Mazari, Not Enough Space, Not Secured Loose Ends, Revocation, Schrodinger’s Dog, Season of Ghosts (pictured above), Stellvris, and Wraithstorm.
Electric Callboy “Elevator Operator”
Electric Callboy returns with another fun, energetic track that’s bound to stick in your head for weeks on end. A nice combination, one merges upbeat electronic and dance influences along with their metalcore-inspired riffing and moments of aggression, generates all of the band’s best qualities and pushes them right to the forefront. They continue to sit in their own musical space. (Electric Callboy official website)(Electric Callboy on Facebook)
End Eve “Taste It” Val Gallo, the voice of End Eve, is an independent artist from Los Angeles, and “Taste It” is only her second single to date. It’s an intriguing mixture of a multitude of elements from metal to rock to pop, laced with industrial and electronic touches. A modern, genre-bending sound for sure, and “Taste It” feels raw and emotionally charged, elevating melodic hooks in the chorus, and a visceral breakdown later that’s pulsating as much with electronics as it is metallic power. (End Eve on Facebook)(End Eve on Instagram)
Ghost Kill “Breakaway”
A single to follow-up their 2024 self-titled EP, “Breakaway” sees Ghost Kill continuing to provide an ear-catching dynamic that swerves between haunting melodies and infectious aggression. Some plodding, mid-tempo riffs and screams give the track the backbone to move into more melodic territory, which doesn’t go for the easy route. Instead the melodies feel more eerie yet ethereal, providing an almost melancholic edge to the song to capitalize on. (Ghost Kill on Facebook)(Ghost Kill on Instagram)
Jiluka “Kvlt”
Harsh electronics, rapped vocals, gothic atmosphere, and frantic blastbeats all mix together in Jiluka’s latest song. The track never lacks for urgency as the abrasive tones and bombastic synths fight for attention against the heavy riff backdrop. Toss in an astonishing breakdown later in the track, and you can see how it’s consistently moving around from one thing to the next, though never loosing any coherence to it. (Jiluka official website)
LustQueen “Flag”
Another upbeat, rock-forward track from LustQueen. Yuina’s vocals absolutely soar in the chorus, and the driving rthyms behind her provide an added urgency to the music, and the moments of piano are a nice touch, without slowing down the song’s energy. The bass stands out nicely too, with a playful tone that works off of the guitarwork. Hopefully we continue to get LustQueen tracks frequently. (LustQueen official website)(LustQueen on X)
Mazari “Ushi no Koku Mairi”
マザリ, or Mazari, is a new 7-member alt idol group that is “cursed.” The song’s unique blend of traditional sounding Japanese instrumentation, heavy riffing, soaring melodies, and lots of addictive vocal melodies. They don’t shy away from some brutal screams either, making for a shocking and enticing performance. This is only their third single since their announcment back in October of last year, but it seems they’re already onto big things. (Mazari official website)(Mazari on X)
Not Enough Space “Solace in Silence”
An up-and-coming Florida-based metalcore act, Not Enough Space finds balance in providing some rather heavy moments and pairing them with more melodic ones. The two vocal approach gives them some layers to tie into the music, and the ‘get to the point’ runtime makes for a real ripper of a track. Lots of frantic riffing swirled into some standout melodic moments, even finding time for a breakdown and fiery guitar solo all in less than 3-minutes. (Not Enough Space on Instagram)(Not Enough Space on Facebook)
Not Secured, Loose Ends “VanilLament”
Alt idol act Not Secured, Loose Ends are back with their heavy yet melancholic sound for “VanilLament.” Some vicious moments with harsh riffing and screams trades blows with more somber and almost gloomy sounding sections that really stand out in the alt idol scene (which is still mostly geared in the ‘heavy yet upbeat’). It’s an intriguing cut that could offer some metal fans a nice entryway into the genre. (Not Secured, Loose Ends on X)
Revocation “Confines of Infinity”
A new stand-alone track from Revocation is brutal enough as is, but they went ahead and brought in Cattle Decapitation’s Travis Ryan to give it an even heavier touch. The track twists and turns through labyrinthine riffs and unrelenting energy, with just the right touch of an eerie atmosphere on top, particularly when the track slows down. It’s a riff monster, something Revocation always manages to produce to their best efforts. (Revocation official website)(Revocation on Instagram)
Schrodinger’s Dog “System Breaker”
Always quick to bring forth another track, Schrodinger’s Dog quickly returns with a buzzing, electronic song to sink your teeth into. The bouncing, futuristic electronics are given a rumbling metal-meets-industrial rhythm to them, bolstering the music into a catchy, pulsating hybrid. The chorus hits the most upbeat and energetic vibes, and is bound to stick into the head of anyone who encounters it. (Schrodinger’s Dog official website)(Schrodinger’s Dog on X)
Season of Ghosts “Lifeline”
Season of Ghosts return with their first new track since the pair they offered up in 2022. The futuristic electrometal band storm back with a vengeance, keeping their East-meets-West sound intact while increasing the visceral edge (including some solid growls from Sophia Aslanides). That said, there’s plenty of beauty doled out, with a potent chorus and lots of melodies, with propel the bursts of aggression with even more force. Ethereal with an explosive side, here’s hoping for more material soon from this unique group. (Season of Ghosts official website)(Season of Ghosts on Instagram)
Stellvris “Starships”
Yes, it’s a metal cover of a Nicki Minaj song. While some might be initially taken aback, Stellvris has been a consistently potent force in the modern metal world, and “Starships” is a fun and admittedly heavy take on the early ’10s track. The grooves are danceable and it does a good job of preserving the original while twisting it into heavy territory, it also goes into full on chaos as goes on with a massively aggressive breakdown. (Stellvris on Facebook)(Stellvris on Instagram)
Wraithstorm “Uniformity”
The first single from Wraithstorm to come from their upcoming album Revenant is the frantic melodeath cut “Uniformity.” The song manages to take that old school, urgent feeling that’s full of memorable riffs and hook-y melodies and recapture it quite effectively. An effective slowdown and build up later on really brings the melodies to the forefront. An album to watch for if you dig melodic death metal done right. (Wraithstorm on Facebook)(Wraithstorm on Bandcamp)
Dissonant death metal, outside of the old school variety, is one of the most dominant forms of death metal these days. Within that stylization, there’s a plethora of variety if one digs deep enough. To the tight and focused to the absolutely unhinged, the range is ever gaping. A new entry onto the scene is Hierarchies, who opt for the chaotic, to say the very least. When one investigates exactly who is involved, that concept becomes less of a surprise.
Guitarist Nicholas Turner and vocalist/drummer Jared Moran are also the tandem behind the wild tech death project Acasual Intrusion, and if you include bassist Anthony Wheeler, the Hierarchies trio also makes up the off the rails insanity that is Dwelling Below. These are all projects that are highly unique, offbeat, and at times bizarre in the best of ways. When these fellows announce another team up, don’t even attempt to come up with an expectation, because it likely won’t match what’s delivered.
Immediately, it’s evident that Hierarchies are divergent from any assumptions. They’re labeled as technical death metal, but slapping on a finer categorization proves elusive. Yes, this is very technical death metal, and although similarities to Acasual Intrusion are present, this is a different monster entirely. Front-to-back, their self-titled debut album will make the head spin by way of caustic dances via fretboard and no time signature or tempo that remains consistent. Take the mad opener “Entity” for example – it stops, starts, flies off the rails, and somehow lands right back on the track like an old Warner Brothers cartoon short. Pieces such as “Dimension” add slick soloing and a dip into the melodic, all while tearing the listener apart in disturbing fashion. “Twilight Tradition” feels more restrained in parts while leaving shrapnel in your temple when it pops off. “Complexity Parallels” lives up to its name in maddening tonality, offering up one of the most blistering compositions on offer, whereas “Subtraction” emits a jazzy doom vibe.
With all of that in mind, you may conclude that this roller coaster of a debut leans towards being disjointed, and on the surface, it could come across as something to that nature to the casual listener who wants their death metal mind-numbingly boring and predictable. There’s a thousand bands out there to drift you off to sleep, and Hierarchies isn’t one of them. Though certainly not perfect, what’s conjured is an arrangement of enticing organized chaos, which often mirrors my day-to-day life.
Hierarchies offers an odd focus within their vastly differing song structures and bleak, horrifying soundscapes, amounting to a punishing, violent, and challenging listen for whomever dares to join them. We have a record by three individuals who know what they’re after, providing us a release of cerebral, peculiar, and bewildering death metal that doubtlessly rewards repeat listens with a further descent into hysteria.
Let’s get the elephant out of the room. Many metal listeners believe it’s blasphemy for artists to re-record or reimagine older material. For those of you in that camp – Balls to the Wall Reloaded from Dirkschneider will probably not change those sentiments, despite all the guests who appear here. Now that everyone else wants to imagine how this will go, let’s dig into this ten-song platter with an open mind – and an open heart – as Udo and Peter Baltes (two of the original members when Accept released this in 1983) work with the current U.D.O. lineup and some supreme vocalists across the metal landscape to pay tribute to this pinnacle effort.
The duets carry weight to the past and present impact of these songs – the musicians doing their best to develop appropriate tones taking advantage of modern production techniques and yet not diminishing the riffs and tempos that put this in rarified air for that time period. Udo may have a bit more grit to his unique, one-of-a-kind voice, but it serves as a testament to the man’s lifelong metal affinities. Standouts change daily – one minute Saxon’s Biff Byford for “London Leatherboys” steady as two veterans in their 70s could possibly be, the next Dee Snider taking your head for a twisted ride on “Losers and Winners”. Surprises to some may include Danko Jones for “Turn Me On” or Kreator’s Mille Petrozza on the speedier “Fight It Back”, both ideal for the comfort level that these musicians sit in as far as their conventional deliveries and personalities that are more hard rock or thrash-oriented. The closing ballad “Winter Dreams” is another reunion of Udo with Doro Pesch, who many may remember appearing on the Man and Machine album in 2002 for U.D.O. for “Dancing With An Angel” – a touching number that squeezes out pure gold in the line-by-line tradeoffs to a lower register choral union that send chills up your spine.
Coinciding with the 40th anniversary tour of this album across Europe this year (and possibly other dates in many other countries), Dirkschneider relish the celebratory nature of specific albums that have touched the hearts of millions. Balls to the Wall Reloaded doesn’t rewrite history, but instead glorifies the power of heavy metal done purely for the love of the genre.
Sometimes, we all just need a bit of unbridled chaos to help us unwind or escape the day. UK metalcore act God Complex return with a follow-up to 2021’s To Decay in a Deathless World, and it’s anything but subtle about the brutal energy it wishes to conjure up. Given the band’s breakup after their first album, this EP may come as a bit of a surprise some. He Watches in Silence marks a new chapter for the band with Sharptone Records, and it’s nothing if not feral and caustic.
With 5 songs in 13-minutes, God Complex can truly focus on providing the most abrasive experience without having to worry about listener burn out. “Salt and Ash,” the opening cut, swings between some haunting and eerie guitar melodies and explosive, frantic energy that barely relents. Some slower grooves are pummeling in tone when it does, and it’s blast-ridden nature keeps the listener gasping for air. “Depraved Idol” follows suit, battering away with blast beats occasionally, but it’s more focused on almost death metal themed mid-tempo riffing and groove. “Ba’al’s Trick” comes across as an early favorite, with it’s combination of thick, massive grooves that pair up with almost unhinged bursts of energy – offering just enough hooks in the melodies to keep it interesting without watering down it’s premise. That said, “The Judge” delivers the full-on chaos, going on a 59-second pathway towards carnage and not easing off the brutality for a second. “Flooded Lungs” closes things off on a very groovy note, which feels just as catchy as it does a steamroller of a track.
A return that’s complete in it’s destruction and carnage, God Complex deliver plenty of caustic energy with He Watches in Silence. It’s swirling and almost hypnotic grooves batter the listener at every opportunity, and while it does suffer a little bit because of that unrelenting approach, it’s clear the band’s intention was to provide something that knocked the listener back in their seat. To that end, it’s a wild success and well worth seeking out if you want something that’s going to act like a musical wrecking ball.
Ambitious. Bold. Those are two of many possible adjectives to describe the latest EP On Shoulders of Giants from international act Seventh Station. Taking five compositions from their favorite classical composers of the 20th century, these musicians reimagine these works in such a way that you experience a progressive record that can be moving on multiple levels – incorporating aspects of metal, jazz, gaming themes, all the way to circus/cinematic movements. We spent time recently talking with guitarist Dmitri Alperovich about the latest EP, how decisions were made in reinterpreting this material, how color factors into the ideas and atmosphere, favorite albums, challenges, how teachers and work ethic factors into where he went career-wise, and what’s in store to support the new release.
Dead Rhetoric: On Shoulders of Giants is the latest EP for Seventh Station. Can you discuss how the songwriting unfolds on this special product – do you have specific trademarks at this point that have to be a part of the process, or do you pretty much start with a blank slate and go where the inspiration, environment, and atmosphere take you song to song?
Dmitri Alperovich: On Shoulders of Giants, it’s a reimagination of twentieth century classical pieces. With this EP we tried to give our respect and our heritage to those composers. The process of writing for this one went a bit differently, because this is already written music. The arrangement process – for some arrangements I took the original score of the orchestration and basically divided it into instruments, who plays what. After this process, we started the pre-production, which we were searching for interesting soundscapes. If it’s in the guitar world, the keyboard world, or even the vocal world. Each of us contributed our knowledge and inspiration to the general sound. That’s more or less how things went.
Dead Rhetoric: Out of the five songs which one do you believe posed the most difficulty in terms of parts or arrangement to get just right – where all the musicians would be happy with their performances?
Alperovich: I believe that each of these pieces has a very special arrangement. We tried really hard to give each piece its own life, and reimagine it. Like trailers or movies – you have everything from horror, romance, comedy. Each of these arrangements has its difficulties to play on one hand, and it’s magic while we play them. If I choose personally, one of my favorites to play was “Nagasaki Kisses” which is the Ralph Vaughan Williams first movement of Symphony Number Six. You have a lot of colors, from really cinematic, Hollywood style movements to jazz bar things – our vocalist is doing amazing stuff in his vocals there because there are no lyrics there. I believe this piece represents all of what Seventh Station is about – whatever color we want to be, we are. I really like this piece, and it ends the EP with an epic solo, at least from this side I really love this.
Dead Rhetoric: Did you have a bigger pool of composers to pull from and then decide on the five final tracks that you wanted to pay tribute to?
Alperovich: Each of us chose our own composer. Because we are all classically trained musicians, we all grew up on this. Of course, we have a lot to choose from, a lot of composers we wanted to pay tribute to. In the end we chose the ones that we felt resonate the most with us, and we wanted to have a bit different styles of composing from track to track. It was quite hard to choose from, I think we chose the right composers for each of us.
Dead Rhetoric: Being a global band with members spread out across the USA, Slovenia, and the Middle East – what do you consider some of the biggest challenges when it comes to getting things accomplished in a timely fashion?
Alperovich: I believe the hardest thing is since we are all good friends, that we don’t have the ability to see each other as friends every day. We are very close to each other, some people in this band I’ve known for twenty years already. Even before this band existed. This is the hardest part – the creative part we manage to capture through technology. It’s not that difficult to work together over long distances. Since we are all very professional in what we do, it’s actually not that hard of a task from my side. A lot of times, we will see each other during this process. I as an example flew to Turkey to record the keyboards, Israel to record the bass and vocals, Eren my co-producer he came to Slovenia to oversee the drums. We are doing it together, obviously it’s harder because we need to fly. We manage it and we are very happy. Thankfully we are able to spend more time together in person when we have tours.
Dead Rhetoric: How did the cover art come about for this EP?
Alperovich: Actually, we saw this amazing picture from a Mexican artist. We thought this would resonate with what this EP is about. The title says On Shoulders of Giants, we are trying to create from a heritage, something small that we are so humbled, we want to give this small input to these big giants. The cover art from my eyes, it’s what’s been born, this little devil from all the giants. I see it in that way. I’m not sure if that’s what the artist intended.
Dead Rhetoric: Where do you see the importance of the lyrical content and melodies next to the musical components the band develops?
Alperovich: I see things quite equal. Everything that we have to do, I see it as having an additional layer. The music can tell a magical story, but lyrics can add another layer that music can’t. And videos can add another layer that music or lyrics sometimes cannot. I see it going hand in hand – it’s all creating one big piece, one big story. Music gives the atmosphere for this storytelling.
Dead Rhetoric: So, do you believe the genre that you play in gives people a multi-sensory experience?
Alperovich: Yes, but we are trying not to think in terms of specific genres. Seventh Station, it really depends on the song. We can be classical, we can be jazzy, we can be progressive metal, we can be thrash metal. We can be whatever we want to be. That’s what I like about this band. On this EP as an example, our keyboardist put in some Japanese sounds, Gameboy sounds from the 80s. We see it as more like colors than genres. Each genre is like a color, and why should we use one color when we can use a lot of them? I don’t want to say all of them – but I want to believe that the world is full of colors, and we should use them. And that’s saying something from someone who is color blind (laughs). I still see the world full of colors even with this, and that’s how I see music as well.
Dead Rhetoric: This EP explores classical composers in a reimagined platform that works well with the band’s progressive metal outlook. Can you elaborate on where you see the similarities in these classical composers next to what you are aiming to achieve through your music? Do you enjoy the freeform experimentation that this genre naturally lends itself to?
Alperovich: Yes. It’s very natural for me personally since classical music is written based on ideas, on motifs. This is exactly the style that we use for composing. Or trying to do. Some songs are more like verse/chorus, others are advanced. The only form you can do this is like a movie – you have an idea, the continuation of an idea, the explanation. It’s similar in that way – I’m coming from a classical way of composing. I’m sitting in front of the instrument because then I can let my mind be free of what I actually want to say, not to be bound by the instrument. I think about the music, what it needs and what I want to say with the music.
Dead Rhetoric: Are you also conscious of the intricacies and technicality of some of these compositions versus creating hooks and melodies that people can hold onto and remember?
Alperovich: We like to take the listeners on a journey. I see it more like we use our knowledge and technicalities in order to show the listener the story in different ways. I would not say this process is going through my head too much when I am composing because I am afraid to lose the story. We invite people to forget about the technicalities and hooks, and just listen to the story. And hopefully for them to find something of themselves in the story. I am not always thinking about the difficulties; I want people to connect to what we want to share.
Dead Rhetoric: After independently releasing your previous two albums, you signed with Dutch label Layered Reality Productions for this new EP. What do you enjoy most about their approach to promoting your music, and do you believe the DIY approach previously helped set things in proper motion to position Seventh Station in a better light globally?
Alperovich: I will answer (this) backwards. We are very proud of what we have done as a DIY act before we signed to a label. We managed to learn a little bit about the process, a little bit about the industry. It was a good lesson. What I like most about signing with Layered Reality Productions is that they are similar people to us. They are searching for music and for stories. They are really supporting their artists emotionally. From a promotional point of view, we are all in one group who love to listen to this music. They are very supportive; I went with them to the ProgPower Europe festival in the Netherlands last October. It was the first time I met (the staff) in person, and they are such amazing people. Tom the label manager – it was so fun hanging with him, good-hearted. He loves this music, it’s always good to work together. I don’t feel like it’s a label, I feel like it’s a family. I’m very thankful to the label for this opportunity, it’s a great flow of work.
Dead Rhetoric: What would you consider three of the most important albums (metal or otherwise) that have helped shape your outlook as a musician? And what would you consider the best concert experience you had as a member of the audience – plus what made that show so special to you?
Alperovich: Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory. For a lot of us in the band, this shaped our views on progressive metal. Our keyboardist has worked with Dream Theater, and works regularly with Jordan Rudess. And I would also say the discography of Frank Zappa. Not a specific album, because to talk about one specific album would be a bit of a sin. He has so much stuff, and a lot of people don’t know his classical pieces. They are amazing.
About a memorable show. There are so many of them, it’s hard for me to pick one. One of our last shows in my hometown, it was really nice. It’s always nice to play in your hometown, you see the growth of the band. We see so much love that people are giving us, we are growing together.
Dead Rhetoric: What is a pivotal or critical moment that helped shape your musical career?
Alperovich: I would say one of those moments has nothing to do with the band, but personally for me. It was through my teachers of music and guitar that really shaped my career. I have a lot of support; I had old school music teachers. It was a really great experience to see how much they cared, and how much they gave me, this belief. Through this belief I managed to work hard to become the musician that I am today. It’s a great mixture between the Russian/European old school approach with at the same time, unconditional love. This really shaped me as a musician, to be with heart open and eyes open.
Dead Rhetoric: How do you view the state of the world that we are living through currently? What concerns you most going into the future?
Alperovich: As a musician, the attention span of people today, it’s very low. We had two choices after the Heal the Unhealed album. We had really good reviews, but we also got some reviews from people that didn’t have the patience to understand the story (laughs). Because we added a lot of Russian language, the topic was of Soviet Russia from a historical point of view. I was born there, my parents are from there, so some people didn’t have the patience to understand why we did this. There is a radio sample of two minutes on there. We could be more modern in that way. A lot of prog bands prefer to write shorter songs – the attention span of people today can be three to five seconds. If there are no vocals, it’s very hard for them to listen. We choose to go all the way in what we want to say and how we want to say things.
The world became impatient, and they need a lot of stimulation from minute to minute, second to second. Social media of course contributes a lot to this. The work of artists is less appreciated with Spotify and all these streaming services. It’s a great opportunity that everyone’s music can now be heard. On the other hand it’s hard to make business when people pay ten dollars a month and listen to thousands of albums. You get 0.0027 cents out of one stream. Less power to the musicians. Money rules the world. You need balance in order to succeed. Music will always win; art will always win. Even if it’s not in my time.
Dead Rhetoric: What’s on the horizon for Seventh Station over the next twelve months? Are there other bands / side projects from the members of the group that we also should look into?
Alperovich: There is always work in Seventh Station. Our vocalist has another band Subterranean Masquerade, they are always performing in Israel and working on material. For Seventh Station, we are preparing for some shows – one in Germany, we have a tour in the UK opening for Imperial Age, some shows in Israel, some festivals in November. We are preparing for a lot of shows, and starting slowly to write the next album.
Returning for their sixth album is the nature-inspired Siberian black metal band Grima, their first record for new label Napalm Records. Nightside offers up cold, melancholic breezes and eerie melodies wrapped in a blackened whirlwind. Bringing listeners into a hauntingly epic concept of the taiga, it’s a compelling album that demands you give it your full attention so it can sweep you away into the forest. We fired off some questions to the twin brothers Vilhelm (vocals, guitar) and Morbius (guitars) to get some insight into their latest expedition. We discuss the details surrounding Nightside, their folk instrumentation, their haunting masks, inspirations from nature, and more.
Dead Rhetoric: What can you say about Nightside as your sixth full-length? Was there anything you particularly wanted to accomplish with this latest album?
Vilhelm: We dedicated this album to the mystical concept of the Siberian night forest. It tells a story of tragedy unfolding in the shadowy depths of the taiga at night. We’ve continued to develop our signature style, which has taken shape over the past ten years. The new album has a dense, detailed sound, offering a slightly different perspective on us. The rhythmic aspects of our songwriting have evolved, which is reflected in the guitar work and the arrangement of additional instruments. We are very happy with the sound—mixing for Nightside was done by a true master of his craft, Vladimir Lekhtinen, with whom we have been working for years.
Morbius: This new album is dark and beautiful music. We worked on it during nighttime, and it is infused with the atmosphere of the night forest and the horrors hidden within its darkness. Our latest release embodies the best and most expressive elements of Grima. We built upon the experience of our previous records and discovered a new sound. While we have our unique style, we are constantly evolving it. Once again, we’ve managed to create an interesting and self-sufficient album that showcases our vision of the genre and our passion for heavy music.
Dead Rhetoric:The band has been around for 10 years at this point. How do you feel the band has changed over the last decade?
Morbius: We’ve grown into a mature band that has traveled a long road—from a studio duo to a full-fledged group that tours. Over the past ten years, Grima has become one of the most notable Russian metal bands, not only in our home country but also in Europe. However, we originally envisioned this project as a studio duo, where my brother and I wrote music together.
Dead Rhetoric: When someone hears Nightside, what do you hope that they take away from it?
Morbius: I hope the listener can immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the Siberian night forest and truly feel the grandeur of the primeval woodland spirit.
Dead Rhetoric: What’s the most important thing that you think about as songwriters when it comes to adding in varied elements to the music, such as accordions or folk instrumentation?
Morbius: In our music, we use the bayan, an instrument similar to the accordion but with buttons on both sides instead of keys on one of the sides. The bayan has a very expressive sound—its melodies are piercing, evoking a sense of sorrow and cold. We also use acoustic guitars and keyboards with various effects. However, when incorporating these elements, we never aim to stylize the band as folk-oriented. These instruments are used to enhance the melodies and enrich the arrangements with vibrant tones, giving the songs a deeper, more immersive sound.
Dead Rhetoric: Could you talk about the wooden masks and the connection to the music? Are they meant to invoke a deeper connection to nature?
Vilhelm: We wear masks and costumes, transforming into entities that embody the mystical concept of our music. Our shows are true ceremonies, where the audience can experience the magic and become part of the ritual.
Dead Rhetoric: The two of you are twin brothers. Grima isn’t the only band that the two of you play in together. What can you say about the musical connection between the two of you?
Morbius: We’ve always shared the same interests. We’re very close as brothers and do everything together. In school, we formed our first metal band when our parents bought us guitars. Since then, we’ve been writing music and performing together. This is our lifelong journey, and we have an immense shared experience.
Dead Rhetoric: What’s the most inspiring thing that you take away from nature? How do you take that and then craft it into music?
Morbius: The nature of our homeland is our main source of inspiration. Every year, we retreat deep into the remote taiga for several weeks to absorb the energy of this magical place. The environment where we live is harsh—nature is dangerous, and the weather is unpredictable. We try to capture this feeling in our music, constantly playing with contrasts between raging and serene sections.
Dead Rhetoric: What makes black metal the best vehicle for making atmospheric, nature-driven music?
Vilhelm: Black metal has always gazed into the darkness of the ages. The primal fear of beastly coldand impenetrable darkness fits naturally into the concept of the genre, which inherently carries a strong mystical essence. The spiritual depth of this music depends on the ideology woven into it. Compared to other styles and concepts, black metal’s flexibility and variety allow for the creation of entirely new, unique worlds.
Dead Rhetoric: At one point, the band was studio-only. What’s been the most positive thing about getting out to be able to play live?
Morbius: Our team has an extensive shared experience. We’ve been playing together for over a decade and have toured extensively as Ultar. Because of that, it was easy for us to form a live lineup for Grima. Honestly, we see all aspects of live performances as positive. We absolutely love playing live and have always dreamed of it. It’s amazing to start the band’s live career with a strong fan base that we built over years of work, allowing us to tour actively.
Dead Rhetoric:What plans does Grima have for the rest of 2025, outside of the release of Nightside?
Morbius: At the end of April, we’re heading out on tour, and in the summer, we’ll be playing at Hellfest. We might add some more shows before our fall tour at home.
