DECEMBER 18th 2021
PSILOCYBE LARVAE EXCLUSIVE
MetalTitans had the opportunity to chat with Vit “Larv” Belobritsky of Psilocybe Larvae, a Melodic Doom Death Metal band from St. Petersburg, Russia. The band formed in 1996, in Vyborg, Russia, when Larv, Denis, Oleg, and Eugene got together to create a haunting melodic death metal band. The band has since had various line-up changes, but the sound and theme remains the same today. Check out our exclusive below for more.
Interview By: Metal Mom
MT - Tell us about the name of the band, how did you choose it, and what does it mean?
This is a good question and I was waiting for it, he-he ))
Well, the band name was taken from Tiamat’s song “Whatever That Hurts” and I can’t really explain why! I was very impressed by this album in those times. That phrase conquered my mind when I was reading the album’s lyrics and it just stuck in my head. We had no other ideas on how to name the band and we thought that this is a very unusual name. That’s all. I’m aware of the fact that it’s a very weird band name but I think it really fits our music.
MT - With all the line-up changes, did you ever think it was time to quit and move on to a different band?
To be honest, I thought about that from time to time. Because this leapfrog with the line-up always knocks me out of the rut. In moments like this, I used to say to myself: If you can get by without it, then it's time to quit, and right there I was answering myself that I could not quit doing it because I still have something inside me that I want to express through music. And, for sure without our fans there wouldn't be the band. They make us confident in what we do and give us that energy to move forward.
MT - Tell us how each of the members came to be in Psilocybe Larvae, did you know them before, or were they recommended to you . . or?
Our bassist Alex has been playing in PL since 2005 and he is the oldest member of the band besides me. He moved from Siberia to St. Petersburg and came to audition when we were still based in Vyborg. He failed, but when we relocated to St. Petersburg, he has proven to be a good musician and joined the band. Our new members are drummer Alexander and guitarist Anton. They are our old fellows and very skilled musicians who have solid experience playing in different local bands. We shared the stage so many times and these guys have always been big fans of Psilocybe Larvae. Besides this, Alexander played in our band a while back. So it was like meeting old friends.
MT - What kind of response do you get from your city with your music? Or does it matter to you, you do what you enjoy?
St.Petersburg is our main area where we’ve been playing gigs and selling our merch. Therefore most of our fans are concentrated here. We feel their support and much appreciate it. Sure, we get response from many regions in Russia and abroad and love to play gigs wherever possible (for this kind of style). So answering your question it doesn’t matter where you live and where you perform, just enjoy it and praise all metal gods for helping you out :)
MT - Did you have a band or anyone that influenced your style?
I’ve been always listening to a lot of different music from classic to extreme. I get into old-school music mostly (from psychedelic Pink Floyd, The Doors to American trash metal Slayer and Metallica). I like Scandinavian metal (Opeth, Katatonia), British doom metal (Anathema, My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost). I’m also a big fan of Devin Townsend, Steven Wilson, System Of A Down. Sure, it influenced me subconsciously but I hope we managed as a band to find our own way!
MT - When you first started out, did you have any kind of stage fright, and have you gotten over that? Or still have a bit before hitting the stage?
I wouldn't call it fear, it's just a feeling of intense excitement and anticipation. Because any concert is always a celebration for us. The only thing is I always worry about technical issues that may pop up during our performance because we play with playback using a computer. I don't really trust these digital devices, he-he )
MT - You have a new album out now "Where the Silence Dwells", how did you come up with the name?
The title of the album comes from our final track. This is a very epic and atmospheric song that put together all tracks as a single whole. The song, like the entire album, tells about the place where we will all get to sooner or later. It's kind of like purgatory. A place where you are left alone with your thoughts and memories while your future fate is being decided.
MT - Who writes the lyrics and where do the ideas come from?
I am responsible for all lyrics. Usually, the music itself sets the tone and atmosphere that I try to emphasize and express by lyrics. Sometimes it turns out to tell a whole story in a song, sometimes I put a puzzle from various phrases that I write down for myself from time to time. I draw inspiration from books, films, stories told by friends. Emotional experience and even extreme situations can catalyze the creative process too. So it always happens in different ways and it’s a matter of inspiration, of course.
MT - Did you have any issues recording it?
Oh yeah! We recorded it for a year and a half, trying to find a sound that would be perfect for the album, and at the same time solving problems within the band related to the line-up. Before the recording, we were forced to part ways with our rhythm guitarist, then after the drums recording we decided to split with our drummer because it was clear that he would not be able to play this material properly live. As a result, we finished the album together with the bassist Alex. During the process I re-recorded a third of all guitar parts because I wasn’t satisfied with how it sounded, Alex was making corrections in bass lines. On top of that, while recording the vocal I damaged my vocal cords and had to recover the voice for about 3 months, and of course, the pandemic with quarantine restrictions affected the whole process too. But, no matter what, we were able to do it and created a really cool album that we are very proud of.
MT - Have you been able to do any shows in support of this new album?
First, we are going to present the album online. Live stream is scheduled for December 17 on YouTube. Here is the link to the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAI6SAAnVR8. Don't hesitate to join us, it's free! Sure, we have plans to make real album-release shows in 2022. At least in St. Petersburg and Moscow, also in my hometown Vyborg. I'm afraid of making something for the future because things are constantly changing due to this pandemic, but I hope we will manage to make it to Europe when all this shit is over. We would definitely like to visit Canada and USA, but so far it remains in our dreams.
MT - Is covid messing things up there in Russia? Are you allowed to travel?
Undoubtedly, covid hit our economy hard, first of all small and medium-sized businesses, because the government does not back it. A lot of people lost their jobs. Hiding behind the fight against the pandemic, now the authorities are trying to take total control over people by using QR-codes. It feels like we are participating in some devilish experiment, losing the last drops of freedom. We are not allowed to visit Canada, the USA and the majority of countries of the EU with the Russian vaccine. Also, there is no possibility to get vaccinated by foreign analogs in Russia. It looks like the iron curtain has come down again and it really sucks!
MT - You have 10 tracks on this album:
1. The Flame Of Dying Life
2. Run To Nowhere
3. Ghost In The Room
4. Inner Darkness
5. Dead Dreams
6. Sorvali Cemetery
7. Silent Sphinx
8. The Fall Of Icarus
9. Encounter With Nothingness
10. Where Silence Dwells
Do you personally have a favourite among them? And if so, why?
One of my favorites is Sorvali Cemetery because it's connected to the place where I was born. Sorvali is the Finnish name of the area of my hometown Vyborg. The cemetery was abandoned and ruined in the Soviet period when Vyborg became a part of the USSR after WWII. This is a song about a restless spirit wandering through this place, the connection between times, our mistakes, the indifference that leads to the destruction of history, memory and human values.
MT - What was the most important thing for you about this album?
That we managed to make a real masterpiece despite all obstacles and troubles. We went against fate and won this battle, and with the new album and new line-up we are stronger than ever. Nietzsche's quote is perfect for this case: “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger”
MT - Tell us something about Psilocybe Larvae that we might not know.
I don’t wanna bore your readers with the long band history, line-up changes and other shit that happened during our existence. Briefly, Psilocybe Larvae are four like-minded persons who are united by a passion for melodic, heavy and progressive metal. We have five full-length albums under our belt, participation in different compilations and tributes, and many live shows over Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Finland, Germany, Chezh Rep, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. We shared the stage with such bands as Anathema, My Dying Bride, SepticFlesh, Sinister, Swallow The Sun, and many others. If you are into early Opeth, Paradise Lost, Anathema, Katatonia and Moonspell this is for you!
MT - Tell us something too about the new album "Where Silence Dwells" that we need to know.
Our new album was very welcomed by the listeners and hailed as one of the best albums of the band, and we are already getting good reviews from all over the world. I think it would be interesting to listen for all fans of melodic doom/death and progressive metal.
MT - Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview with us here at Metaltitans. We wish you all the success with the new album.
Thank you very much for your interest in our band! See you at the gigs somewhere and someday! Take care!
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The words, views and opinions expressed in answers are those of the authors and do not reflect necessarily the official position, attitude or position of đ đđ§đđđ đđŚđŚđđđ ᴳᴸᴟᴎᴏᴸ.