We asked the musicians from Samara a few questions about the band, their already announced third album and possible live activities. While we were working on this interview, it was confirmed that Vyacheslav, the founder and the main composer of Elderwind and Eisflammen, has returned to Gherzen as a guitarist.

UG: Hello, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. First of all, please introduce Gherzen to the Black Metal fans in Germany, please!

Gherzen: Hello! Thank you for getting in touch with us and for your intention to introduce our band to the European audience!

Gherzen is an atmospheric Black Metal project that originated in Samara (a city located in the middle reaches of the Volga River). Initially, it was a project of Andrey the drummer, who was joined by vocalist Alexander and guitarist Vyacheslav. In 2016, the debut album "1917" was released, and at the very end of 2019, the second album "1881" was out with a different guitarist/bassist, Artem. Now Artem has left the band and Dmitry from Elderwind/Ignis/Bastard Youth has replaced him on bass.

UG: Some people in Germany consider Russian Black Metal as an insider tip. For me personally, you are one of my favourite bands from Russia together with Vspolokh. Do you get any feedback from fans in Germany? Or do you have your fans mainly in your home country?

Gherzen: Statistics say that we are even more famous in Europe than in Russia. We also have some fans in our homeland, but they are quite few. Maybe it's because Gherzen is just a studio project so far and we haven't done any live performances yet. We’re planning to fill this gap in the near future. Our German fans sometimes write us messages on Instagram and that makes us very happy!

UG: You have released two full-length albums so far, dealing with the bloody events of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the events surrounding the assassination of Tsar Alexander II in 1881. Now you have announced a third album. Will you take up another dark theme from Russian history and go even further back into the past? And can fans expect Gherzen to sound as awesome as on the first two albums? When will the new album be released? And what else can you tell us about the new album?

Gherzen: The new album will be dedicated to the siege of Leningrad, it will be called "872". We’ve tried to create the most depressing and heavy atmosphere with our distinctive signature melodies. In general, it has a 100% traditional Gherzen sound.

UG: Is there already a teaser for the album? Can the fans expect any merch?

Gherzen: A single from our new album, which is in its final stages, will be out very soon.

Black Metal with a perfect setting. Gherzen never fails to explore the dark themes of Russian history. The Russians have exclusively shown us the artwork for their third album, which is about the siege of Leningrad in 1941. It is called "872". The figure '872' represents the duration of the blockade, which has been known to have fatal consequences.

UG: At the moment you are still listed on Metal Archives without a guitarist and you have also reported on social media that you are looking for reinforcements. Can we expect any line-up changes soon?

Gherzen: There are several guitar candidates who may join the line-up. However, it’s Andrey, the drummer and the founder of Gherzen, who composes almost all the music, so the absence or presence of a guitarist doesn’t affect the writing process.

UG: All the current members of your band also play in Elderwind, which seems to be a bit more well known in Germany than Gherzen. Despite this overlap, the two bands are quite different: Gherzen deals with dark chapters of Russian history, while Elderwind deals with nature. Gherzen's music is also more intense and aggressive, while Elderwind is more melodic and atmospheric. Is this a correct observation and will both bands keep their very independent style?

Gherzen: That’s right, all three current members are involved in Elderwind, and on our first album Vyacheslav (the founder of Elderwind) recorded the guitar parts. The music and concepts of these bands are really very different and both bands maintain their independent styles so that our fans can enjoy the diversity.

UG: You also announced on social media that you are thinking about live activities. At the moment it is difficult for Russian bands in Western Europe. Grima and Ultar recently experienced this, as they had to shorten their European Tour 2024 from several months to only 30 days due to visa problems. Can Western Europeans hope for a Gherzen gig in the future, if an organizer there would invite you? Or can we only expect activities in your home country? And while we're on the subject of Grima and Ultar: would it be possible for Elderwind and Gherzen to play together at the same event?

Gherzen: Yes, we are really determined to start giving live shows, there have been several offers to play in Russia, but they did not come to implementations. We are ready for the gigs and would like to play in Germany, if we are invited and if visa issues can be resolved. Therefore, we are open to suggestions on concerts.

It is unlikely that the two bands will play on the same stage, because the lyrical themes of the songs are too different. But it's possible. First of all, it depends on the organizers, on their proposals. As for the band members, we are all experienced enough to play two sets at the same event.

Ready for the next steps: The musicians of Gherzen are preparing to make their live debut in Russia and are eager to receive invitations to perform in Germany.

UG: Ok, thanks for the answers! What message do you have for the German fans? And which bands from the Russian Black Metal scene should they definitely check out?

Gherzen: We want to thank you for your questions and for your interest in our band. To our German fans, we would like to say "Hallo" and that one day we will definitely see each other in person, it is only a matter of time.

There are plenty of good Black Metal bands in Russia, if you start listing them all, the list would be very long. Therefore, in addition to those already mentioned, we recommend checking out the bands where the members of Gherzen take part: Ignis, Eisflammen and Altwald.

The latest track released by Gherzen is entitled "The Remains" and was made available to the public several weeks ago. The third album is currently in production.

Skog asked the questions to Gherzen for Undergrounded.

More Infos: 

Gherzen (Facebook)