Interview with MORTAL DISMAY
!!!THRASH/DEATH METAL FROM RUSSIA!!!
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
Tell us a few things about MORTAL DISMAY (Members, Starting Year etc).
Dmitry Molotov (guitar): “Mortal Dismay” is a thrash/death band from Moscow, Russia. It consists of 4 of us.
You have recently released your album ''Unspoken''. What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
Dmitry Molotov (guitar): The feedback is positive, although partially unexpected due to the fact that I was betting on other songs. For example, “Fuckin’ shit”, the opening album track, was made as a joke, but turned out to be very successful… In general, songs that were released as singles beforehand have more plays for now, of course, but this score is gradually evening out. After the album’s release some zines wrote positive reviews and, moreover, we’re getting some offers for gigs, though it’s hard to tell whether they will actually happen or not. All in all, the reaction of metal community is positive, and that’s nice.
Label or DIY and why?
Dmitry Molotov (guitar): More Hate Production label is the best underground metal label of this country that exists for already more than a dozen years. DIY wasn’t preferable since this way allows to cover only a small part of one country, and a real label is a completely different story – the CD-disks are being sold to partner labels all over the world!
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
Georgy Pashkov (drums): All at once is preferable, of course, but we can afford only CD + Digital Format for now.
Dmitry Molotov (guitar): I used to prefer cassettes, then CD. But nowadays very few people have sound reproduction devices, so physical formats gradually become a thing of the past and exist mostly as a passion of true collectors. If we talk about different collections, of course it’s better to buy vinyl records. After all, I also have some with “Black Sabbath”, “Motörhead”, “Iron Maiden”... But, to be honest, I no longer have a record player.
Your music style is Thrash/Death Metal. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
Dmitry Molotov (guitar): I love a lot of different genres. If we talk about what I’ve been listening to recently, than it’s definitely “Carcass”, “Overkill”, “Armored Saint” and other blues and jazz bands. As for the bands that inspired me to take up music, they are “Queen”, “Motörhead” and a great number of thrash and death ones.
Georgy Pashkov (drums): As a drummer, I was greatly influenced by Igor Cavalera, Dave Lombardo and Lars Ulrich. They are true kings of metal drumming, in my opinion. My other influences are “Sepultura”, “Nailbomb”, “Coroner”, each band of the “Big Four” thrash metal bands, both American and Teutonic, “OVERKILL”, “Deep Purple” and “Queen”, by all means. In addition to the generally accepted rock/metal classics and bands that are well-known internationally, I was also greatly influenced by many Russian bands like “Nochnaya Trost'”, “Aspid”, “Kruiz”, “Krüger”, “Chernyj Obelisk”, “D.I.V.”, “Korrozia Metalla” and hardcore punk, sort of “Orgasm Nostradamusa” and “Exploited”. I listen to the New Wave Of Thrash Metal a lot, too. Bands like "Crisix", "Toxic Holocaust" and "Hazzerd". Early “pro-pain” music will also remain in my heart forever.
Which things, do you think, a Band should sacrifice in order to succeed? Have you ever sacrificed anything in your life for a better future of your Band?
Georgy Pashkov (drums): One should sacrifice money, time and a lot of effort. If you don’t do your best, the audience response will be weaker, if at all.
Dmitry Molotov (guitar): One should sacrifice time. This resource is irretrievable.
Describe your ideal live show as a performance Band. Have you already experienced that?
Dmitry Molotov (guitar): The best thing is the interaction with the audience. Recently the unity of heavy metal fans is being lost… In the early 2000s quite a lot of people attended metal concerts, yet by the early 2010s their quantity decreased… We need the unity, just like when different band support each other, gather people for metal gigs and attend concerts… And if all these conditions come together, every show will be ideal.
Georgy Pashkov (drums): The ideal live show for me is any show with lots of heavy metal fans who gathered to have some fun and listen to some good music together. Even better if it’s a big fest where you can share your music with a great number of people as well as perform on the same stage with creatively motivated people. Oh, and a keg of beer for everybody will do no harm, too. )
Which attributes, do you think, that a new Thrash/Death Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
Georgy Pashkov (drums): One shouldn’t behave uptight within these genres at all, but one should definitely have charisma and a sense of humor.
Dmitry Molotov (guitar): You need to analyze what other bands are playing, gain things that your music lacks and play yourself… That’s how the band’s signature sound appears.
Do you believe that Digital Platforms help the new Thrash/Death Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a Band to promote its work?
Dmitry Molotov (guitar): Of course Digital Platforms help. But, on the other hand, they give free hand to some bands that record total bullshit. I believe that it’s much better to create quality material right away and release it properly than to record some bullshit as fast as possible, ‘cause metal fans will obviously download these songs from streaming platforms and spend money on subscriptions, and their goal is definitely not to hear that crap. So, the digitalization of music certainly helps a lot, but also contributes to the saturation of the musical space with garbage that would not have been released in the past. The same situation we have with the quality music. Only 20 years ago a shitty-sounding band simply could not record a shitty-sounding album, because there were no such possibilities for editing the final record as there are now… Nowadays even the shittiest band is able to release an album… But, on the other hand, more and more good music appears, too, and that’s great.
Georgy Pashkov (drums): Yeah, digital platforms allow bands that can’t begin touring and distribute their physical recordings to be heard. The best way to promote your music is to be active and perform as much as possible, especially at festivals. And it’s also important to get some response from the metal community on social media.
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in Russia (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
Georgy Pashkov (drums): Nowadays, after some time of core music popularity, the New Wave of Thrash and Death Metal is on the rise. Many thrashers among young people aged 14-20 have appeared, and it’s pleasant to see more and more guys and girls wearing battle jackets, leather jackets and T-shirts with classic bands. They gradually become part of the metal community, find out that there are still some bands playing thrath in our country, although most people focus more on classic bands like “Exodus” and “Megadeth”. Of all modern Russian bands I’d like to mention “Grobovaya Doska” - a band that plays thrash metal with Russian lyrics about the most topical issues for Russian people, “Put’ Solntsa” – a killer battle thrash band with a bit of Slavic-Scandinavian flavor, “Antreib”- real good mix of hardcore punk and thrash metal with lyrics ridiculing and condemning modern politics, “Mass Madness” – fucking great death/thrath band with female vocals, and of course the 4 horsemen of the thrath metal apocalypse from “Mortal Dismay”. )
Dmitry Molotov (guitar): I can’t single out any special favorites of the thrash/death scene in Russia… Because I don’t know any new bands that may associate these genres with the country. There are no “big fours” here… Well, as there are none, I suppose we’re the first ones in the “Big Four of Russian Thrash Metal”.
Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
Dmitry Molotov (guitar): Oh, I know such bands as “Rotting Christ”, “Astarte”, “Septicflesh”, “Memorain” and... “Suicidal Angels”.
Georgy Pashkov (drums): “Suicidal Angels” are fucking thrash!
What are your future plans?
Georgy Pashkov (drums): More music, more concerts, more beer, more romp. And, well, maybe try to take over the world.
Since the concerts have been postponed, we’ve already started working on a new album. Our future plans are to record even more Dmitry Molotov (guitar): albums and perform all over the world, so it’s quite possible to meet at a metal gig in Greece!
Thank you very much for your time & Keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
Dmitry Molotov (guitar): Thank you! You’re doing an honorable thing spreading metal within the society!
Georgy Pashkov (drums): Listen to our new album “Unspoken” on all digital platforms and don’t forget that in addition to the cold weather, bears and vodka, real metal is being forged in Russia, too!
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
MORTAL DISMAY CONTACT:
https://www.facebook.com/mortaldismay
https://mortaldismay.tilda.ws/
https://www.instagram.com/mortaldismay/
https://soundcloud.com/mortaldismay
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2eM0twczZsQJ9tPqiZvJ1u