GRACE DISGRACED Interview (Russia) Chapter # 2

The band was founded in March 2004 by Polina “Grace Dis” Berezko (vocs) and Alexandr Istchenko (guitar). Very soon Andrey “Snakebass” Kornienko (bass) and Andrey “Kuzya” Kuznetzov (drums) joined them. The name “Grace Disgraced” appeared at once and it means what you think it should mean, as the reality where we live in is drawn by our own perception.. By the moment of foundation no one could play his instrument properly and it took them a year of training before they first compositions could be performed. In March 2005 a new guitarist joined the band – his name was Alexandr “Desil” Klaptzov. The first gig took place in R-club in May 2005. Although the style couldn’t be identified as death metal, the fiery mix of heavy, black and thrash drew public attention and there followed a set of gigs in Moscow, Tula, Taganrog, Rostov-na-Donu. In winter 2005-06 GD recorded their first demo “Natural Death”. The composition of the same name was included in the compilation “Soul of Metal”. In spring 2006 it became clear that not all the members could follow the band development – Desil composed the material which became technically more difficult. Moreover the GD vision changed into melodic death – and this didn’t suit some of the members – so Alexandr Istchenko and Kuzya left the band. In June 2006 Polina found a new drummer – Vladimir Kornev (“Oberon”), - and invited a guitarist from a thrash band called “Mortalitas” – Dmitry “Demon” Volkhonsky. These members successfully performed till the end of November 2006. After an amazing gig in Mitchurinsk – the motherland of Vladimir Kornev – he decided to leave GD as it was too difficult for him – he still lived in Mitchurinsk. Then a Polina’s friend Dmitry Arkhipov (ex-“Britva Okkama”, ex-“Djaggernaut”) came up to replace him. He was a kind of revelation for Polina and Desil as they got the ability to realize what people call technical death metal. But in September 2007 he left the band due to his personal troubles. Demon was carried away by his Mortalitas. There were 8 long months of constant searches and disappointments. Finally Polina and Desil worked out the idea to invite other musicians on a session base, though it wasn’t what they truly wanted. Suddenly in June 2008 Dmitry Arkhipov returned and now it was Snakebass’s turn to leave GD by mutual consent. In 6 months GD found what they were looking for – Dmitry Belousov became their bass and the band was ready for recording the EP “Materialized Expectation”. But in January 2010 he left the band and Yuriy Korotovskikh (ex-“Rest in pain”, “Fatal band”, “Sinful”) joined GD as a bass player. After some time and Dmitriy Arkhipov’s leaving the renewed band were ready to fry the Black sea cost at Metal Heads’ Mission Festival which took place in Ukraine in August 2010. 2 months later the guys came to CosmosSound studio in Moscow with their full-length album “Enthrallment Traced”. The album had been recorded and mastered by January 2011 but has not been released yet due to the schedule delays of the issuing label. According to the latest information it is planned for February 2012, but will be available on the net soon. Meanwhile there was another reshuffle. Yuriy left and Andrey Andreev ("Scream in Darkness", ex-"Formalin") joined the band. His play perfectly fitted the GD's work. The guys is now preparing their second album. Everyone hope that the release won't be delayed as the band are overfilled with new ideas.

Answered By Polina “Grace Dis” Berezko

Hi there guys, thanks for showing interest in answering this interview. How are you? Anything important to start with?

Polina : Hi! I’m fine, if not to say more. We have just got our second album released and we are getting ready for its presentation in Moscow. The other thing that makes me so happy is the replenishment of our stock with new merchandise: pins, patches and beautiful T-shirts with pterosaur fighting gigantic centipede, - the mascots of “The Primal Cause: Womanumental”

" The Primal Cause: Womanumental " has initiated a new run of GRACE DISGRACED I think. The bookings running good, right? How are you!

Polina : Yes, a new release is always a kind of a kick, and the more popular the band becomes – the better effect their release could produce. We are very busy now communicating with press, bookers and our fans. We could see how the album is attracting metal underground public attention and the news are being spread with a very high speed. And what is more we are trying to promote the release by all means and not to forget to work on new material.

We appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule promoting your new album and rehearsing for your tour to take some time out to answer some questions for your fans. What's going on in the GRACE DISGRACED camp these days? Any "sensationalandNice" latestnews?

Polina : These days we are working like hell promoting the album and processing orders from our fans for CD-discs and merchandise. As far as the rehearsals are concerned we have took a short time-out to free our schedule for PR work and generating ideas for the following album. Oh! Ialmostforgot. The “sensational and nice” news you are longing for, would be that a unique limited release of “The Primal Cause: Womanumental” on cassette tapes will follow soon. Another nice surprise is that we are preparing a new lyric video for a composition from our new album. So get ready!

Nowtellusabouttheconceptandstorybehindthismasterpiece. The Cool story behind " The Primal Cause: Womanumental ". The story is cool and Imentioned several influences in my review.

Polina : As you noticed, the album is a conceptual work. It took us some time to nurture the ideas for this album and to accomplish all the details. The base of the album is the woman’s character. She has got a lot of reincarnations in the everlasting flows of worlds, not dependent on time and place, but at the same time, it belongs to human race. The idea we are trying to develop in this album is that the primal cause of many crucial events is a woman. She is the basis of the Universe. Indifferent and enslaving, cruel and sad, cold and loving ... She has a myriad of faces, she is following side by side with the evolution, making people reach incredible accomplishments.

I wonder how's the interest from the underground Metal media so far? How did the reviews turn out? How many interviews have you answered and how's the response for " The Primal Cause: Womanumental " from the media and the fans up to now? How long did you orgasm last when the new album was released?

Polina : We are living witnesses of the news about our album is spreading all over the world and first reviews has been already published. To our delight, they are all positive. That really inspires and charges us with positive mood. Your interview is the first public interview after the release. People from media contacted us asking some questions in private conversations. I think we will have more interviews after they review the album.

Once again for writing this new material is extraordinary An excellent album that should be heard. If you really consider yourself a metalhead, give this band a try. and how the process of making this new material? whether all members are involved in every writing music? AlexandrKlaptzov for the second time it has completed its job well. whether the original formula contained in the second band is this guy? hypnotically-fascinating drumming and rich greasy guitar riffs that will definitely tread you into the ground.

Polina : Yes, working on “The Primal Cause: Womanumental”became a real revelation for us, but we did not change something in terms of process. As usual, AleksandrovKlaptsovcomposed the material which we considered and implemented during our rehearsals. This time, we just thoroughly and monotonically solved problems that arose during the making of this release; we worked like machines, making the material sound really cool, right to the point we loved it unconditionally. And that is the formula!)

I see if this is the last album with the band's drummer Andrew Ischenko, whether Andrew Ischenko still too very busy with MANY projects the band other? and whether the band for the next record will be ready to use the drummer Vladimir "Vile" Lyashkov?

Polina : By the end of 2013 Andrey became so busy that just could not devote enough time to Grace Disgraced rehearsals and live shows. So we came to this rather difficult decision to go apart for the sake of Grace Disgraced further growth.

Vladimir seriously took up the study of our material and made it on the spot! That really surprised us.) Now there is every reason to believe that he is a competent member of the band and with him GRACE DISGRACED feels much more freely in terms of gigs and rehearsals. We hope that the third album will be recorded by him.

To you, what distinguishes this release with the material you before? what if this is for you a blast form the mature concept from material before like " Enthrallment Traced " CD ? Valuable experience is that you can get from the previous recording process so that it can be an important thing used in the process of this new recording of the album?

Polina : Our first album had given us a valuable experience and we were much more trained and ready to any circumstances by the time we started working on the second album. We were not panicked even when Aleksandr’sfloyd rose went broken amid the recording session).As for the conceptual side of the question, I tried to make the concept more touching and actual, not just scarring anddepressing. I always try to bring in some philosophical impact to the lyrics, which should match the music as well as the artwork. In comparison to the previous work I felt more freedom and confidence which let me go a little farther from death metal canons and produce this concept, non-standard for this style.

What is the special thing with GRACE DISGRACED? The guitar must be always Excellent? and drums are allowed to be more progressive? Or is it much more? How much guitar overdubbing and harmonization do you do in the studio? Is layering a necessity for the GRACE DISGRACED formula to work properly?

Polina : Concerning the sound itself we’ve got some traditions which we are stuck to. First of all, the delay effect on the guitar which gives the music this recognizable depth and let us keep using just one guitar on the live shows with no harm to the sound power. The second thing which distinguishes Grace Disgraced from the majority of contemporary band is that we prefer to record our guitars in studio, using powerful amplifiers, enriching the sound with live reverberations in real studio, i.e. no fucking re-amping. This is for the sound. Now for the composing. Although we are quite conservative, sometimes referred to as “old-school”, we are not afraid to bring in other influences to our music. Yes, we adapt them to the style, but we are open-minded listeners and this help us to make the material more interesting. And the principle very important to Aleksandr and me is that there should be some abruptness is our parties, something discouraging so to say.

The musical approach is certainly ever-changing and pleasingly different. However, I hope you don't mind me saying, your Concept approach on this album is little or Changed than before. aren't always exactly what you'd expect. What was the motivation behind approaching the Changed in such an unusual manner?

Polina : We always try to be honest to ourselves and create music which is worth listening to. So our intentions to make interesting material could turn that way and we are happy that both “Enthrallment Traced” and “The Primal Cause: Womanumental” have their own faces, their own distinguishing marks.

I'm Very Surprise with Amazing Sound Production for this album, what Is this already a Trademark for GRACE DISGRACED established itself from the beginning? and how GRACE DISGRACED still able to maintain all of this until now? tell me a little about the process of execution of this footage, if you are satisfied and happy with the end result?

Polina : We should thank our sound engineer Arkadiy Navaho for his responsiveness and scrupulous work. We started co-operation with him in 2009 when recorded our first EP “Materialized Expectation” and we still fully satisfied with his work. Unlike other sound engineers he really knows how to express the band’s individuality through sound, and what is even more important is his willingness to understand what we need.

GRACE DISGRACED is dedicated to the destruction and recreation of the current death metal paradigm, and a return the true spirit of the Evolution brought to light by the vision quests of its progenitors. Please tell something about the lyrics and what they deal with? GRACE DISGRACED Wrote the lyrics to the concept of Humanity Philosophy Suffering meaning, so it will take a pleasure for the listener to be able to digest their meaning. exactly what you wrote all the lyrics on this matter? How With " The Primal Cause: Womanumental " mean?

Polina : Historically, lyrics in death metal should be about some scarring and disgusting things – about death, suffering, killing, war etc. But brutal and bloody images are now perceived like some comics, they could not be taken seriously if they do not have some hidden allegories behind. In my point of view the lyrics could be touching only if a listener could recognize his real self in it. So, you should be more scarred of the living than of the dead. That is why I prepare a conceptual platform for each album. And it is not a plotline – we do not compose ballads – it is exactly a conceptual platform – a message I try to present to the listeners. And this message is being considered in many aspects and from different angles. The main idea of “Enthrallment Traced” was to show pressing from different forces on personality, the limited conditions he is placed in. “The Primal Cause: Womanumental” is based on a female image taken beyond place and time.

I See For Art Cover, " The Primal Cause: Womanumental " ,This tells the story of emancipation as women, my guess this is true? Or do you want to tell that you write most of the lyrics on this album? The album can move heart with its touching, cold and torturing philosophy! The concept is based on the image of warrioress, mother, executioness, empress. Passionless, she keeps observing the roiling stream of progress, the empires built on the bones at her feet. Awesome Concept!

Polina : Yes, the lyrics are all mine. Let’s not forget that I tried to show both sides of woman’s individuality. She could be strong or week, enslaving or slaved, punishing or punished. If you watch the artwork for “The Primal Cause: Womanumental” you could notice the emblem showing Pterosaur fighting with Centipede. Centipede symbolizes pettiness, hardworking swarming of women, the desire to do everything in time in her  cozy little world, her  limitedness. On the contrary, pterosaur would symbolize timeless greatness, strength, height, beauty and aggression. These two elements are constantly fighting in a woman: pettiness and  limitedness versus  greatness and wingspan’s breadth.

And What Tell You on song " She Smells Death " and " Dragons of Emptiness ", Is it just based on the shape of your illusion to portray the actual events? Cause I Read Band Statement the result of its unrestrained fantasy, complemented with artwork for full-immersion into the world created by the band! And let the infinite regenesis go on!

Polina : “She Smells Death” raises the problem of women’s natural aging – how jealously they guard their beauty, but the decline is inevitable. This slow dying they cannot stop or fasten is sometimes a real tragedy and a real farce. “Dragons of Emptiness” was inspired by the Aliens concept. Aleksandr and I really love the Aliens world and we decided to dedicate this composition to this concept. From one hand, the main character of the eponymous movie was a woman. From the other hand, put a slight allegory to the birth-giving function of woman in the lyrics. And here is what we have: “mystic and unknown”.

I love the work of painting from New Zealand, Nicholas Keller since "Everblack" The Black Dahlia Murder, or Empire of Great Enslavement by Vomitous, what it decides band to use Nick's work? are You Paying expensive for Nick this painting?

Polina : We had watched dozens of artists before we stopped our choice on Nick Keller. His oil painting are amazing and that is what prepossessed us – his mastery. Each his painting has a soul in it, it breathes and looks at you when you are looking at it. Fortunately Nick liked our concept and gave us a small discount. Otherwise we would not have been able to afford his work.

A question I like to ask a lot on musicians that follow the underground, is the question on downloading. What would your reaction be if someone told you that he downloaded both your albums and thought they were awesome, and what to someone that told you he bought the albums and thought they were shit?

Polina : It would be quite neutral because there are pluses and minuses in both situations). To be serious I would thank the person for his feedback – either positive or negative. If the album provokes reaction – it was not created in vain. As for the financial side of the matter, we are not a commercial band and we spend much more on the music than we could ever gain selling the albums. When someone buys an album from us – this support is highly appreciated.  The Internet has given people the possibility to get acquainted with music without buying it. So listeners have become spoilt now and only real metal fans who want to contribute to long living of Metal would buy albums of the band they liked.

Overall, it's time to come to an end now. Hope you enjoyed this interview? Thanks for answering my questions and the time you spend on them. I hope I didn't forget anything? If there's something left to say at the end feel free to use this opportunity now. Thelastwords areyours!

Polina : Thank you, Herry. I think I have enlightened the main news from Grace Disgraced camp. Metal is not dead despite the golden age of digital piracy. So listen to our album on our Bandcamp page -  http://gracedisgraced.bandcamp.com/ - visit our store, stay true and let the constant regenesis go on!

Important Notes :
Interview dalam Versi Bahasa Indonesia HANYA tersedia
pada LIMITED PRINTED EDITION LOSTINCHAOS # 25

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