(The long-running Russian band Psilocybe Larvae will release a surprising new EP on August 15th, and on the eve of that release we now present Comrade Aleks‘ interview with founding member Vitaly Belobritsky.)
Psilocybe Larvae, once one of the key teams of the Russian underground extreme scene, are confidently approaching their thirtieth anniversary. But there is still a year left before that date, so I did not expect any news from the band, and therefore I was surprised with the news about their new EP Novyi Divnyi Mir (Новый Дивный Мир/“Brave New World”).
Throughout their entire discography Psilocybe Larvae have tried different things, and in order to make life easier for themselves and the public, they defined their style as “manic-depressive metal”. This concept included a combination of melodic doom, death, and black-metal, with straightforward extreme vocals. Therefore, the material of this EP shocked me at first.
The first track “Brave New World” begins as a sentimental ballad, in which the founder of the group Vitaly “Larv” Belobritsky appears in a new role, thoughtfully and melancholically singing under post-acoustics guitars. The turn is unexpected, but you gradually get used to such a presentation, especially since Psilocybe Larvae manage to play with their new ideas without slipping into banality. However, it was not worth getting used to the unexpected softness of these depressive maniacs: the band literally does a somersault and now shocks with high-quality aggressive death-doom with a quasi-blackened climax, followed by a quiet, almost serene finale.
The next track, “Cherta” (“Черта” / “The Line”) also begins with ingratiating acoustics, but once again the men quickly switch to a mode of killer, non-trivial death-doom with a shamanic chant and harsh, heart-rending vocals. The last track is “Hostile Emptiness,” an updated rehash of one of the most recognizable songs from the album Agony (2003).
So what’s it all about? The interview with Vitaly Belobritsky, the band’s only remained founding member, was a matter of time, and here it is.
Hi Vitaly! How are you? What’s going on in Psilocybe Larvae’s camp?
Hi Alex! So far, so good! We are still alive and active despite all the shit that is going on here. It looks like we have a new EP coming up on August 15 🙂
I suppose that the last time we spoke with you was around 2021, when Psilocybe Larvae just released the fifth album Where Silence Dwells. How did you spend this period as the band?
We released WSD in December 2021, and then, in 2022, the war started. All our plans crashed, our lives were irrevocably changed, but all of that pales in comparison to the sheer number of people who have died, lost loved ones, been left homeless… and there’s no end in sight. I am still horrified by what is happening and am very depressed. I’ve not been able to write a single song since then. All we are working with now are ideas, melodies and riffs created during the pandemic. The only thing that saves us and keeps us from going crazy in this situation is gigs. We play live here from time to time, and it’s a vital source of energy; these concerts give us the motivation we need to keep making music.
Didn’t you think to stop the band and focus on more vital things? I guess, some of us had had such ideas like re-evaluation of life in general.
Of course, sometimes such thoughts cross my mind from time to time. But I truly understand that life would be far worse without music, and I always try to find motivation to keep moving forward. After all, it is a big part of me that cannot be replaced by anything else. For me, creativity is such an escape from reality, a cure for survival in this crazy world where everything makes you sick.
I have no contractual obligations; I do creativity in my spare time. Therefore, this allows me to set things aside and focus on other aspects of life until the inspiration comes to pick up the guitar again. It’s just a matter of time. So as long as we’re happy making music and playing together as a band, I think we will continue!
You just prepared a three-song long EP Novyi Divnyi Mir («Новый Дивный Мир» / “Brave New World”), and I was absolutely puzzled by the intro of the title song. I remember you said that the band’s first album Stigmata was written initially on acoustic guitar, but I wasn’t prepared for this. However, after these deep and tender acoustic melodies, you launch a “manic depressive metal” attack. What was it? How did you come out with the song like that?
Yes, I still compose melodies on an acoustic guitar (or, more precisely, on an unplugged electric guitar). For this album, and especially this song, the approach was the same. First, there was an acoustic part reminiscent of Anathema, and then the theme evolved into something more in the style of melodic black metal, culminating in a final epic coda. We used to write compositions like this earlier on. It’s like a reference back to where we started, I think.
Oh, Anathema… There was a lot of acoustic stuff in their “radiohead-era”, but I believe that you mean their doom-albums. Did this band influence you back then in the ’90s?
Undoubtedly, Anathema had a huge influence on our early work, along with Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, and Katatonia‘s Brave Murder Day. Well, plus some Scandinavian black metal bands like Satyricon and Emperor also influenced us. However, Anathema certainly stands apart. I admire their melodicism and musicianship, as well as how they kept evolving as a band throughout their existence, even their late period. It’s a pity that everything ended like that for them.
Nowadays, Orwell’s novel 1984 is something that comes to our mind quite often if you follow the modern political agenda or just read almost any news. Do you feel that Aldous Huxley’s story is more realistic now? Does the song have any connection with it, indeed?
Of course. In fact, this dystopia has already become our reality. The Ministry of Truth and the Ministry of Love are working tirelessly.
As for the song, I had Russian lyrics that worked very well for the first part. They were about the Ivan Kupala holiday, also known as Kupala lights, a celebration dedicated to the summer solstice, nature, and its rebirth. But the second part of the song is aggressive and heavy. So I needed a different mood for those lyrics, and considering how I’ve been feeling with everything going on in my country, I transformed dreams of a brave new world into a dystopia filled with grayness and hopelessness. But I still left a tiny ray of hope in the finale. Hope dies last, doesn’t it!
Let’s hope so! However, did you get any feedback on this song? How do people react?
Some of my close friends listened to it and they were very surprised and impressed. Even my bandmates consider it one of the best songs at the moment. So I hope people will dig this track too.
The first song isn’t an exception, and the second one, “Cherta” («Черта» / “Line”), starts also deceptively calm. Moreover, I think your lyrics turned out to be more personal and… sentimental. Or maybe it’s because of the lyrics written in Russian… I don’t know, actually, but maybe this question is about your inspiration.
Yes, the song is a bit sentimental and very personal. The lyrics are about saying goodbye to the old world and accepting the fact that there’s no going back. It’s about wanting to escape from this “brave new world” to save your soul and your conscience. In essence, it’s dedicated to all those who have been forced to leave their homeland.
Why did you choose to re-record “Hostile Emptiness” from the Agony album for this EP? Did you see that the song has the potential to sound anew through modern arrangements?
Over time, of course, you rethink your work. There are a lot of things we could have changed. The primary issue with our early albums was a lack of quality production. Now at gigs, those songs sound powerful thanks to modern technology and our improved skills. That’s why I’ve been thinking for a while about re-recording at least some of our most iconic tracks, just to show how this stuff should really sound. “Hostile Emptiness” is a hit song, but it didn’t have enough groove and a thick sound. That’s why we picked it out. So let’s make it a hit again! 🙂
And now, the vital question after all! The band will meet its 30th anniversary in 2026, so shall we expect a new album in the same vein as this EP, or don’t you even plan anything for the next year yet?
I’m afraid to make any plans for the future. Of course, we’d love to perform a big anniversary show next year, at least in St.Petersburg. We’ll see how it goes. As for the new album, I can say that the foundation for the recording has already been laid. For now, we don’t plan to record anything similar to this EP, as it is quite experimental material for us in terms of Russian-language lyrics and some musical ideas. Rather, the new album will be a follow-up to our previous one, Where Silence Dwells, but with a heavier sound and lots of catchy melodies. I believe it has the potential to become our magnum opus. Anyway, we’ll do our best to make it happen. The plan is to record the album in 2026. I really hope that all comes out the way we intended it.
Is it a matter of time or resources? And don’t you miss the period when you recorded your first album Stigmata? I mean the very experience of that recording session, and the excitement of the fact you recorded a first album.
It’s a matter of time and resources, of course.
Yes, I miss those times. It’s an unforgettable feeling when you realize how much fun you had during that process, there were a lot of emotions then and a fountain of ideas. A lot was improvised right in the studio. That’s probably why this album turned out so special.
By the way, your previous album, Where Silence Dwells, was released by Russian Fono LTD and the Japanese label Red Rivet Records. Did this Japanese edition turn out well for you? Did it change anything at all for the band? Opened new gates or something?
I’m truly grateful to both labels for releasing the album on physical media. I didn’t expect much promotion from them, since they’re underground labels, so we handled it ourselves (of course, as much as we could). Unfortunately, we didn’t become famous in Japan, but I hope the Japanese public appreciated our music at least.
As I understand, you aren’t going to release the EP Novyi Divnyi Mir in physical format at all. Have you changed your mind? Isn’t the game worth the candle?
Since the album only has three songs, there’s no point in doing a physical release. I think we’ll just add them as bonus tracks to the full album later.
Do you feel yourself, the band, more isolated now since Where Silence Dwells release? There’s a premonition of Iron Curtain #2 or WW #3 in the air, and who knows what will happen next.
I see it as the Iron Curtain for the poor. People with money can still travel to Europe or America, but it will just cost more. Of course, as a band and for me personally, we feel cut off, because we’ve lost a close connection to the international scene, there is less communication with foreign friends, no opportunity to perform in Europe or sell merchandise, and all our music plans have gone down the drain. But I repeat that all this is nothing compared to how many people are now suffering from the horrors of war. It’s terrible, and it feels like there’s no end to it. We’re just falling into the abyss. Sorry, I can’t say everything I think openly, it’s just not safe in this country.
What are your further plans for the rest of 2025? I saw there are two presentations planned – in Moscow and Saint Petersburg in September – will you play somewhere else?
Yes, St. Petersburg and Moscow are our main locations where we play live in Russia. We also have gigs scheduled in Nizhny Novgorod and Yaroslavl in November. That’s all for 2025.
Thanks for the interview Vitaly! I wish you all the best with promoting the new EP, and let’s hope for the best. Did we miss anything?
Thank you, Alex, for your interest in our band. I do really appreciate it! It is very important to continue the conversation now, because music unites us! Peace y’all! Take care of yourselves!
Damn, I forgot about the magic smartlink. Please pre-save the EP before and listen to it after it’s released. Here you are: https://onerpm.link/221204486002
https://psilocybelarvae.bandcamp.com/album/-
https://www.facebook.com/psilocybelarvae/