1. Aren’t you disappointed that many people will not buy „Graveforests…“ and will stay listen just MP3 and supports you only through it even if they like it so much? I mean due to your alleged politics views – I heard that opinion many times. But I personally never found nothing “incorrect” in lyrics on „Graveforests…“ … So what do you think about this whole cause?

I think this is typical hypocrisy. People and their rat "morals" are disgusting, so I am never surprized to hear more of suchlike stupidities. We don't live from WALKNUT's music anyway, so the whole matter is plainly laughable. Dissapointing? At least not to me. If some paranoid losers find certain political message in WALKNUT lyrics, I'd recommend them to visit their local psycheathric center and consult with the doctor, there might be some good pills or injections against whatever bothers them.

Seriously, the "scene" is full of scumbags, rats and losers from any part of the political spectre be they "leftwinged", "rightwinged" or just the average liberal vegetables. Political "stance" alone for me isn't a reason good enough to respect someone. There are some great bands whose members have "rightwinged" world outlook (like Branikald, Forest, Der Sturmer, Satanic Warmaster et c.). There are some decent bands who are influenced by leftwinged ecofascist writings of Pentti Linkola (like Wolves in the Throne Room, (then to some extent) Tenhi and Ildjarn etc.). There are tons of garbage "rightwinged" bands, and there are even more shitty "leftwinged" outfits. All in all, I'd say this leftwinged and liberal histeria about "witchhunting" the "nazis" down in Black Metal is utterly paranoid, unhealthy and hence pathetic. Once again, this is just one of the aspects of modern mens' typical hypocrisy.

2. “Graveforests…” isn’t just melodic, but also very dark album with specific and personal atmosphere. My opinion is that artwork of CD perfectly corresponding with music on disc. Nevertheless, I would be happy if you can tell something by your own words about album itself. Some story about (if exist), maybe describe all the songs, … Understand it like late introducing of “Graveforests…” for listeners, who want to understand it in every point of view.

Everything we wanted to say in "Graveforests..." is perfectly described in music and lyrics. You want to know where the stories behind an album come from? A region here, where we live in the middle Russia is full of dead town sites (massacred down or abandoned back in Middle Ages), various burial mounds and common graves (starting from early Middle Ages to early Soviet times and World War II), old battlegrounds. I live in 15 minutes of walk from the place where the old gravehills from (VI-IX centuries) stand by the river and where more than 1 000 men where slain in a single day back in 17th century. There are 600 years old oaks and pagan sacred places worshipped for some 3 000 years. All in the same place. Up on the highest hill on the river bank there is a site called "Devil's Old Town", it was here even before my ancestors conquered these lands and built a city up north. Modern people don't see and don't know so many aspects in the world that surrounds them. This is just a basic example to where some visions of "Graveforests..." came from, there are a lot more stories to tell, be sure.

3. Are you remember, when you have started thinking about WALKNUT? Was this a connection between two friends or association of two people with musical ideas, which can’t be used elsewhere?

WALKNUT started to grow in Stringsskald's mind some 4-5 years ago while we both were working upon another project, which was in a way similar to WALKNUT (never released any demos or albums though), both music-wise and concept-wise. WALKNUT has nothing to do neither with friendship nor with any marginal musical ideas which can't be used anywhere else. It's fully conceptual and conscious project, all the riffings and all the lyrics used on "Graveforests..." were created intentionally and specifically for WALKNUT. It could be nothing else. As simple as that. When we write something, we already know where it belongs.


4. Can we call WALKNUT as a band or “just” musical project? I mean, if you have started with imagination about one album only, or was it exactly conversely?

Currently, WALKNUT is a project we work upon when we feel the certain inspirations. We don't have full line-up, and we don't play gigs at the moment, but these aspects may change in the future.

5. Well, I have already started with speaking about the future, so how about the new album? I saw some information in your MySpace, but nothing definite. So you certainly know, which way will route my question. Can we expect some new things in your music, experiments, or…?

We were thinking about the new album for some time already. A couple of songs were basically composed and some lyrical sketches were written by now. The album's project name is "Knot of the Dead". The music would be, of course, in the same spirit with "Graveforests...", we're both very stable in the matter of our musical tastes and concepts. The only thing which we may add, perhaps, is a little bit of clean male vocals or choruses on background.

6. Temnozor have had successful tour through Central Europe. Both of you are part of it, so how are you feel right now? Do you have some good memories? But, anyway, is there chance that WALKNUT will play live one day?

WALKNUT's music (unlike the most Metal or even the most Black Metal bands) is obviously a meditative and a contemplative listening. So WALKNUT playing live at normal Metal gig or a festival must be something not too logical or even "effective" just like if one could imagine BURZUM performing "Hvis Lyset..." or "Det Som..." material live. It should rather be a visual-audial installation for an intellectual listening than an average metal gig with a lots of slamming, headbanging and beer drinking people.

Basically, I don't have anything against metal gigs, beer, slamming and headbanging, as we both played live many times in past in far too many local bands and projects and in various music substyles/subcultures, so we have more than enough of live experience and we oftenly enjoyed that. But what is good and effective for more "happy" and rhythm-orientated music is not too effective for WALKNUT. Moreover, it would be hard for me to imagine a huge crowd on WALKNUT gig, because the most of the listeners of such music ("melancholic/atmospheric/progressive Black Metal", thats it) prefer an individual listen at home and in solitude, hardly in a noisy venue with alot of drinking and yelling people. We're currently thinking to do a video. Not a "live video", of course, but a professionally edited clip with a plot and certain visual concepts. Perhaps, one day we may gather enough of suchlike video material to make a live video-musical installation, however, once again I hardly imagine such event to be "popular", at least in Russia, where the most of the metalheads who visit the gigs prefer either "folky"/"happy" (so called "Pagan Metal") or "brutal"/"technical" (so called "Death Metal") stuff.

7. Which way are you sorting your musical musical ideas? As readers already know, WALKNUT isn’t your only band so separating of ideas may be hard. I feel that many Russian groups repeat himself. Do you think the same? Maybe not, cause you’re more “in the scene” than me. But I think it’s harder and harder to record something rare…

As I wrote above, we do not "sort" anything, it's clear from the very beginning which project we're currently working upon. And WALKNUT is WALKNUT, completely separate from other projects (just like these projects are separated from WALKNUT). It's clear when you listen WALKNUT it doesn't sound like anything else. I agree about the lack of originality and the spirit on the modern scene, but that is the problem of those who lack it, thus I don't care and just skip this crap.


8. Russian has actually oodles folk black metal groups. Aren’t you disappointed that something you have “created” with TEMNOZOR thirteen years back is now popular shit and export article? Are you still feel sincerity from today’s bands?

Recently overproduced Russian "folk pagan metal" bands are nothing but shame. Their foreign fans are even more fun though. The most of the currently popular Russian "pagan metal" bands were regular doom or death metal outfits without any "pagan concept" some 10-13 years ago, following the current metal trends of those times. As these genres lost some of their popularity in late 90's and the Pagan metal trend arose, they are all "Pagan Metal" by today. NOKTURNAL MORTUM and TEMNOZOR started with folk elements in dark metal shape, flutes, acoustic guitars and clean voices here 10+ years ago when all these people were listening to thein CANNIBAL CORPSE, PARADISE LOST or were just schoolkids listening to some teenage pop. It's not their fault really, but nowadays these bands and these fans keep happily chewing on 2nd and 3rd class copies of what NM and TEMNOZOR created and used in the past. There are labels and bands who plan to seriously cash in on this.

It is not dissapointing, it's just very human and thus boring. These people (both bands and fans) don't even have any idea what they sing / speak of. It has nothing to do with Paganism or times of old. The life of our ancestors was grim, full of wars, deaths, plagues and sorrow. Even their fun was full of blood and violence. The most of Russian folk songs were sad and spoke of war and death (forget the shit they show on TV or in reustarants for the foreign tourists). It has very little to do with nowadays quasi-"vikings" and quasi-"slavs", their yoopie mentality, songs about drunken trolls, beer maidens and happy dances. I completely ignore 90% of what is called "Pagan Metal" today (happy wimpy "Pagan Metal" that is). Real Pagan Metal bands like, for example, PRIMORDIAL proudly stand aside.

9. You definitely saw information that Varg Vikerness is out of the prison. I hear some influences from Burzum in your music so do you think that he’ll start with music again? Do you want it?

Indeed we were certainly influenced by BURZUM when we got into Black Metal in early/mid 90's. Varg Vikernes recordings stand as eternal masterworks of the absolute genious. And if he will record anything in the future it depends solely on him, not on my or your wishes. But would be interested to take a listen to it anyway.

10. That’s pretty all from the side of MORTEM ZINE. We wish you many best to the future and every new release will be highly appreciated. Stay the same.

Thanks for the interview and farewell.