(In this new interview our Russian contributor Comrade Aleks talks with one of the members of the Russian black metal band Tsaretvoretz (Царетворец), whose second album was released in May by Svanrenne Music.)
The official press-release of this melancholic black metal from Russia states: “Tsars are created with blood, committing palace coups. Or with impulses of the soul, perversely evolving into the creation of idols for themselves. But after the fire, only ashes remain. Tsaretvoretz is a straightforward black metal with fiery melodies and atmospheric melancholic passages of post-black, absorbing all the best from Russian and Scandinavian examples of the coal genre. For connoisseurs of Morokh, Second to Sun, Downfall of Gaia”.
Laconic yet informative – as well as this interview with one of Tsaretvoretz’ founders we did due to the release of their second album Kostmi Usypana Zemlya / The Ground Is Strewn with Bones.
Hello, Tsaretvoretz! Svanrenne Music found a remarkable description for Tsaretvoretz – “monarchic-demonic project”. How do you reflect these two aspects, both monarchic and demonic, in your songs?
Since the monarchic implies form, order, and authority – something quite often present in our music – and the demonic can be seen as the energy and darkness that permeates the atmosphere along with despair and melancholy, then at the intersection of these elements, something like a “dark narrative” emerges.
What was your initial concept behind Tsaretvoretz? Can you tell if there’s some specific philosophy behind it?
The concept of Tsaretvoretz is to create a world that lives its own life. Tsaretvoretz is a hidden figure that changes the order of things, bringing someone favorable to power. As for the tracks themselves, each one is like a mini-story, a narrative about different fates.
How did you two come to the decision to start the band together, as a duo? Were you sure that you could handle everything without any extra members?
Once we had gathered enough material, we wanted to record and present it somehow. That’s when we decided to release it. During that process, we made the decision to form a collective. We believe that, at this stage, two members are enough – one handles vocals, the other the instrumental part.
Do you play your stuff live? Is it something you really looked for in founding the project?
No, right now we’re planning to develop more material and gather people who are interested in this kind of music. From the start, the goal was to make something that we would enjoy ourselves. We want to take pleasure not only in the result but also in the process.
Is it comfortable for you to play just together as two? Don’t you want to charge Tsaretvoretz with new members?
At this stage, it’s just the two of us, and we’re not doing live shows yet. But it’s possible that we’ll bring in like-minded people for future work.
Can you specify your influences in Tsaretvorets’ first album Mertvetsy Khoronyat Mertvetsov / Dead Bury Dead? Did you aim to get a recognizable sound or concept in order to avoid strict comparisons with other bands?
In one way or another, almost everything has already been played – now it’s all about different interpretations. Yes, we’re compared to other bands, and not bad ones at that – which means we’re doing things at a certain level, and that makes us happy. As the project continues, we’ll evolve and progress, and that’s normal. It’s a constant process of development, where one sound is born from another.
How ambitious are you regarding the project? Are you interested in its promotion or are you ok with the label doing all the stuff as you write and record the albums?
We promote the music ourselves, although the label definitely helps. We released the second album in Spain (via Base Record Production) and Russia (via Svanrenne Music). Ideally, everyone should focus on their own responsibilities, but we’re a young team and have to take on many roles.
It seems that you were quite motivated from a start, as there’s just a one-year long gap between the debut and the new album Kostmi Usypana Zemlya / The Ground Is Strewn with Bones. How long did it take from the first idea of the new songs until the recording of the album?
Actually, the material came together at a calm pace – there was no goal to release something quickly (I’m talking about the first album). Gradually, everything began to take shape. Some tracks didn’t make it into the first album due to their atmosphere, so we saved them for the second one. The second album was made in a year – from writing to recording and mixing/mastering.
Did you see the new material as an improved version of Mertvetsy Khoronyat Mertvetsov? Or do you see it as a separate entity with its own spirit?
I think it’s a separate entity – it’s not as aggressive or hate-filled as the first work. It has a more tragic tone, both in terms of lyrics and musical arrangements.
What makes you proud with the new material? Can you tell if you overcame yourself this time and did something special from your own point of view?
With the new album, we definitely made a qualitative step forward. With every release, we try to develop not only technically but also compositionally. We’re adding more interesting musical ideas and arrangements.
What’s your plan now that the album is out? Do you feel the urge to record another one as soon as possible?
We plan to take a bit of a break from working on albums and later start preparing new material. It’s quite possible that we’ll do this with an expanded lineup.
Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to you for the opportunity to be heard.
https://tsaretvorets.bandcamp.com/