AN NCS INTERVIEW: DIG ME NO GRAVE

(We present Comrade Aleks‘ interview of Alexey Rumyantsev from the Russian death metal band Dig Me No Grave, whose new album is set for co-release by Satanath Records and Metal Race Records on June 15th.)

It’s difficult to add something to Islander’s overview of Dig Me No Grave’s fourth album Necrocosmic Ceremony. Yet this interview was planned long ago indeed for this Russian band that performs quite old school death metal focused on Lovecraftian horror and Robert Howard’s most grim fantasies. So let’s consider it as a logical addition to the review, and I hope that Alexey Rumyantsev, as the band’s vocalist and founder, will help to dig into it deeper.

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Hi Alexey! Thanks for your time, it’s much appreciated. Well, let us introduce the band to our readers. First, Dig Me No Grave is a death metal band from Vologda formed in 2010. What else would you add to this?

We’re playing an old school version of death metal. Over the past 15 years, we have released four full-length albums and several mini-albums.

 

The band has a quite solid lineup, but I see that you have had problems with the rhythm section department, especially with bass. How did it happen? Do you have specific requirements for bass lines, so that not anyone can keep them?

We were just unlucky! Moreover, we recently changed two drummers, and this is quite a difficult process for most bands and slows down all the processes. The good news is that we have now managed to stabilize the line-up and seriously engage in the development of the band.

 

How important is it for you to have a constant line-up? Do you aim to be a solid regular band or is weekend warriors’ status enough for you?

A stable line-up is very important for our group. It seems that we have finally managed to achieve this, and we strive to grow and become more professional in all areas.

 

 

Your previous album Under the Pyramids was released in 2020. How long did you work on your new album Necrocosmic Ceremony? How much of the original idea was left in the end?

Work on the album began quite a long time ago, back in 2022. Some songs and riffs were written even earlier, but after each line-up change, progress stalled somewhat, so it took so much time in total. The main work on the preparation for the recording, the completion of the song arrangements, the design, and the recording itself took about a year. The overall idea of the album was formed in parallel with the work on it, writing lyrics and design, so we can say that it turned out exactly what was intended.

 

A kind of a blunt question, but why did you choose the name like this, Necrocosmic Ceremony, for your album?

The title is taken from the album’s title track. We liked this phrase the most, as it most generally reflects the rather diverse content of the album, as well as references to cosmic horror and ancient rituals.

 

 

From your first album Cosmic Cult and further, you often approach the Lovecraftian mythos, but it looks like at first you tended to interpret it from your own point of view. What prevented you from “verbatim quotation”?

Yes, Lovecraft’s work is one of the main sources of inspiration for lyrics and music. We have both songs that are direct retellings of some of his stories (“Trap of the Dead”, “Doom of Sarnath”, “From Beyond” from the third album) and lyrics inspired by the universe and atmosphere of the Cthulhu Mythos (almost the entire Cosmic Cult album). So, we can say that nothing stops, it all depends on how well a particular theme is suitable for a particular song.

 

What was your first encounter with Lovecraft? What pushed you to use his images in your lyrics?

I would say that my passion for fantasy books prompted me to create this band, as there was an irresistible desire to embody images from books in musical form. In my opinion, Lovecraft’s legacy is perfect for the lyrics of metal bands. I also want to note that in addition to Lovecraft himself, the band was greatly influenced by the works of Robert Howard, whose story the band is named after.

 

 

Which roles does cinematography play in Dig Me No Grave’s lyrics? I was surprised when I found the song based on the film They Live in the Immemorial Curse album. Actually, a quite realistic and topical movie, I would say.

Yes, the passion for horror, fantasy, and science fiction movies has always been a source for the lyrics of Dig Me No Grave. I’m also attracted to slightly crazy movies like They Live. The same album features Ancient Aliens, inspired by the Stargate universe. And the track “Valley of Serpents” from the mini-album of the same name is dedicated to the old Soviet-Polish film Curse of Snakes Valley.

The choice of all these films is not accidental. I like to explore the thin line between science fiction, fantasy, and obscurantism. Like in They Live, where seemingly completely insane people become the saviors of humanity, and the same can be said about the Stargate. “Reptile” from Cosmic Cult is dedicated to the same topic.

 

What can you tell us about the lyrics of your new album Necrocosmic Ceremony? Do you have a concept which unites all of the new songs? “Xuthal of the Dusk” is based on Howard’s story, right?

Some of the songs on the album actually form a kind of conditional narrative chain and are connected by two instrumental interludes. At the same time, they are diluted with ordinary songs based on stories that are not directly related to the main line. As for “Xuthal of the Dusk”, this song is based on Howard’s short story “Slithering Shadow”, the original title of which was “Xuthal of the Dusk”.

 

 

You have worked mostly with Russian labels, but the third album Under the Pyramids was released by the Mexican label Iron, Blood and Death Corporation in 2020. Did this fact change something? Do you receive feedback from abroad still?

We had a big expectation about our third album, but the coronavirus and lack of promotion led to it going relatively unnoticed. Considering what is happening in the world, it is clear that development abroad is difficult now, so we decided to return to Russian labels. The latest mini-album was released on the Russian Metal Race label.

 

Under the Pyramids has a pretty expressive, remarkable artwork, and it seems that you always pay attention to the graphic side of Dig Ne No Grave’s albums. How much time do you usually spend on a search for the artist and so on?

Yes, indeed, we take a responsible approach to the design of releases. I regularly examine works of various artists who paint for metal bands and beyond. Sometimes we do custom artwork, and sometimes we get to buy the finished work right away if it fits perfectly into the release concept. Most of the time, the artwork is ready long before the album is recorded, so everything turns out naturally.

 

And who’s the author of the Necrocosmic Ceremony artwork? Did you find someone else this time?

The author of the cover was Alexander Shadrin (Nether Temple Design), as on our previous release, the mini-album Tales of the Bloody Moon. This is the first time that we revisited an artist that we have worked with before. I must say that his style fits perfectly with our concept.

 

 

Under the Pyramids was released in 2020, and February 2022 changed almost everything in our country and ruined almost all contacts of the bands with foreign labels and sometimes fans. How did it inflict upon you?

Of course, this greatly undermined our plans for the band’s development. Besides, all this was happening in the background of covid restrictions and two shifts of drummers. So, the troubles came one after another, which, by the way, is the reason why five years have passed since the release of the last full-length album. On the other hand, cooperation with local labels Metal Race and Satanath Records suits us very well.

 

Why did you choose to go on and record Necrocosmic Ceremony in the end despite all the shit happening around? Is it your way to get along with reality?

For me personally, there was no doubt that the new album would take place. Of course, all these obstacles are somewhat upsetting and unsettling for a while, but at the same time it hardens. Overcoming difficulties, you learn a lot, and you also get to know people from different angles.

 

Talking about more pleasant topics, in this album you totally embraced Lovecraftian horror. On which stories did you base these songs? Can you talk more about these tracks?

I already mentioned the pure Lovecraft tracks above: “From Beyond”, “Doom of Sarnath” (The Doom That Came to Sarnath), “Trap of the Dead” (In the Vault). Lyrics based on the Lovecraft universe include the songs “Kadath Delenda Est” (about Kadath), “When Old Gods Awake” (the awakening of the Ancient gods), and “Dark Predictions” (about Nyarlathotep). The title track of Under the Pyramids is a hybrid of the ideas of the Lovecraft and Howard short stories. The other three tracks are not directly related to him, but “Grotesque Dwellers” is based on Robert Howard’s short story “People of the Dark”, which can be attributed to the Cthulhu Mythos.

 

 

It’s right to mention the EP Tales of the Bloody Moon (2023). I think that it’s the best produced release in Dig Me No Grave’s discography. It’s solid, damn heavy, and the sound is absolutely thick. What was your vision when you started to compose this material?

This EP was recorded live at studio; it is possible that it is the live recording that creates this impression. This mini-album contains material created in 2020-2022, during a difficult period for the band. Summarizing, we can say that the material turned out to be very extreme and high-speed.

 

What’s your schedule regarding gigs this year?

This year we want to give as many concerts as possible. I think it will be a record year for the band in terms of the number and quality of performances. We have already performed in Ivanovo, Vologda, Cherepovets, St. Petersburg, Arkhangelsk, and Yaroslavl. And this is only the middle of the year…

 

How often do you play live usually? And how far have you toured with the band?

We do not do full-fledged tours. Usually these are single or pair concerts, a maximum of a series of three days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) since performances on weekdays do not attract very many people. The group has not yet been outside of Russia, but there are plans to expand its geography somewhat.

 

Okay, thanks for the interview Aleks! I wish you all the best with spreading the word about Necrocosmic Ceremony. Do you have a few more words for our readers?

Support your local scene, go to concerts, buy merch and music on CDs, tapes, and vinyl.

https://digmenograve.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/digmenograveband

https://satanath.bandcamp.com/album/sat396-dig-me-no-grave-necrocosmic-ceremony-2025