/ A r c h i v e s
ENGLISH/
ENCOMIUM
zine
Issue
#1, August98
C/o Kornel Kontros, Yarockaya str.7, Uzhgorod 294000 Ukraine
e-mail: cornelius@kontr.uzhgorod.ua
GRENOUER from Perm is an interesting band to know more about. Its
a really cool Death Metal act from Russia. Since 1992 (the year
when the band was formed) they have had many problems with
line-up. Nowadays GRENOUER consists of SERGEY LIALIN drums,
ANDREW the INDIAN MERZLYAKOW vocals, VIATCHESLAV KOLTCHIN
bass, and ALEXANDER SCHATOV guitar. Their first album Border
Of Misty Times was released by METAL AGEN only in MC format.
Our questions have been answered by all members of the band. Read
this interview to get more wide
information about this great band.
- First of all, whats the meaning of the name GRENOUER?
- Well, first of all it should mean our band. We find it splendid
that theres no such a word in any dictionary. So that no one
else can use it for the name of the band, zine, etc. Its even
possible to say that the name has no actual meaning, the same as
Quorthons Valhalla, it no actual meaning. But theres
some ground for such combination of letters it originates
from the famous GRIMOIRE or GRAND GRIMOIRE book. But GRIMOIRE is
a tasty morsel and so we just changed some letters and
believe it to be a good decision because now in the world there
are not less than five bands bearing GRIMOIREs name and only
one band is called GRENOUER.
- As we can read in your biography the line-up of GRENOUER has
changed many times. How do you think, will be this line-up
constant?
- The endless change in the line-up is the damned thing about the
band, and every time it happens, it causes a lot of nervousness.
Right now we are full of hope to keep the line-up stable or at
least to go by the way of adding people, not losing or changing
them. But all the changes do not mean that the original GRENOUER
spirit is lost. Somehow varied a bit.
- What can you tell us about the anathema of patriarch? I think
nowadays anathema is a big bullshit (it is not medieval catholic
times). As for me, normal people dont give a fuck about this
now.
- Oh, the anathema episode, we just find it pretty funny. We know
it a big bullshit and not many people nowadays manage to get a
curse from the official head of a confession. We managed
ha, ha, ha! In fact the whole affair shows how stupid and
awkward this grand priest is.
- You make many gigs. What is your image on these gigs?
- Nothing very special. Spinning heads, swinging bodies,
something fast, loud, brutal. Appreciations of the funs
sometimes the vocal guy jumps like a madman, once he fell on the
drums, the other time he hit his head against the bass
finger-board and was finishing the gig bleeding. Occasionally we
use the special showman, his name is MAO, and between our songs
he tells funny stories and jumps into the crowd.
- As I understand, you have many problems with cops during the
concerts. Why do these assholes invade in your business?
- It used to be and happened twice. The first time they came just
because they had heard something going wrong in the concert hall.
Their invasion was the last stroke that broke the patience of the
fans. And the second time they came because of the official the
whole-country mourning (a bus with schoolchildren had got into an
accident and the president ordered to stop all etertainments).
Fortunately the cops were too late, we were just about to finish
the gig. Yeah, cops in our country must be a pretty big problem,
they are real saboteurs. Especially when it concerns rock
concerts. They dont have a slight idea about the atmosphere
that should reign there. We never invite them and try to hire
special security but, you know, they may come without an
invitation and spoil everything. Were glad that it has been a
long time since cops invaded the last time.
- On your flyers photo we saw Mjolnir (Thors Hammer) on the
neck of your vocalist. Does he like Scandinavian mythology?
- Oh, we are about mythology of different nations and about the
Scandinavian as well. Mythology is a mental pabulum, you know. It
can teach a man and humanity a lot. We dont mean to say we
study it thoroughly like scientists but we read some popular
books, watch films As for the Thors Hammer, when the Indian
was in Denmark (as an exchange student) he told to himself: Im
in Scandinavia now, what I really want is Thors Hammer!,
and finally in Vikingeskibshallen (the Viking Ship Museum in
Roskilde) he bought it and he is very happy. Not just a souvenir
but a souvenir from a sacred place.
- Give the readers a description of Perms underground.
- Not very promising. Not many people really want to make
anything significant. There are some bands but none of them has
got a decent demotape. We hope that the situation will be
increasing but in reality there are no prerequisities. Extreme
music is already not so much popular as several years ago. Young
fans confine themselves to Nirvana, Metallica or Prodigy. And the
old fans are growing older. Nevertheless we always try to support
a new extreme metal band if it appears. But it is too early to
mention the names of the bands, cause as weve mentioned,
they have nothing to show.
- Have any contacts with foreign bands? Have you ever played a
live in foreign countries?
- Not many contacts. We correspond with some bands from Malasia,
Costa Rica, Czekia, Poland, Latvia, and of course Ukraine and
Belarus. We never played abroad and we dream to play in any other
country. We d love to.
- Something about your lyrics conception. One track of yours is
entitled AHRIMANS HEART. Is there any connection with Persian
mythology?
- There definitely is. Persian mythology interests us as well as
Scandinavian mythology and we couldnt just pass the thrilling
name and the story and compose such song.
- What literature do you prefer to read? Name us some of your
favourite books.
- Different. A very wide scale from ancient classics to modern
literature. Favourite books.. Sergey says STRUGATSKY BROS, Andrew
O. WILDE The Picture of Dorian Gray, Alexander F.
NIETSCHE Antichrist, Slava LEV TOLSTOY War and Peace.
- What is your opinion of religion?
- Religion is a huge deception which aims to frighten and rob
weak people. During centuries it has been the means of oligarchy.
Which is more, such hypocrisy perverted the original idea and
made it absolutely unprepossessing. And also, religion serves a
consolation for the weak who dont have an idea of afterlife.
No one has got such an idea, but should we, people, speculate and
make ourselves more feeble and helpless? We shouldnt. We
should live without tears and indulgences.
- When can we expect your next recording and on what label?
- This year, July, we estimate to go to Moscow to the same
studios (ARIA-Rec) to record drums& bass. Several months
later we shall record the rest instruments. We are an unlabelled
band and we dont know anything about the future label, and
maybe its a bit early to chat about it.
- Count us your favourite bands. What are your influences?
- Too many to mention all the favourites and influences. Just
some of them HYPOCRISY, UNLEASHED, GOREFEST, DISMEMBER,
SENTENCED, CARCASS, CRADLE OF FILTH, MORBID ANGEL, THERION,
CANNIBAL CORPSE, BENEDICTION, DEICIDE, ATROCITY, SODOM, TYPE O
NEGATIVE, CATHEDRAL, BATHORY, IMMORTAL,
FAITH NO MORE, DIE KRUPPS, and many more and also not metal
stuff. Just impossible to
mention everything.
- What associations appear when you hear these names: CRONOS,
JEFF BECERRA, SCHMIER, TOM WARRIOR and EURONYMOUS
- Blitz. Viva old masters! EURONYMUS- Rest In Peace.
- Your wishes
- Tons of thanx for the interview. Wishing you good grinding luck
to everything you are involved. Readers! Believe in Underground
and never lose your chance to pick new bands from it. We need
you, your support. Viva to guttural powerful evil harsh!
