We interviewed the Russian artist Ovfrost, mastermind of the very interesting solo project Malist, a humble person with very clear ideas about the world and what a certain type of black metal should be like.
His new and fifth album “Of Scorched Earth” is truly an example of how this very black genre can contain countless nuances capable of releasing a thousand emotions. Many of these nuances derive from a very heterogeneous source and make Malist a difficult band to place within a single genre; to this variety must be added the disturbing atmosphere of an end, if not imminent, certainly inevitable.
There is also an ongoing war in the background, but here with the Russian artist we only talk about music, which has always been a vehicle capable of uniting and not dividing peoples.
HELLO OVFROST, WELCOME TO METALITALIA.COM! YOU HAVE JUST MADE YOUR FIFTH ALBUM ENTITLED “OF SCORCHED EARTH”, A DARK ODE TO OUR DYING EARTH… ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE FINAL RESULT?
– HI! First of all I want to thank you for the in-depth and detailed review of the album. It’s always nice for an artist to discover that their ideas are understood and that the music hits straight to the heart.
For me it is essential to find the right mix between sound and songwriting with the themes developed in the lyrics and I think this time I have achieved this goal. I’m overwhelmed by the positive reviews I’ve received, it really seems like a lot of people are enjoying my new album and it warms my cold heart.
IF I’M NOT WRONG, ONE OF THE MAIN THEMES OF THE ALBUM IS THE APOCALYPSE THAT AWAITS US AND THE CONSEQUENT END OF THE WORLD. DO YOU THINK THERE IS STILL HOPE TO SAVE OUR PLANET AND THE SOUL OF MOTHER NATURE? WHAT IS THE MESSAGE YOU WANT TO CONVEY THROUGH MALIST’S MUSIC?
– The concept is actually a little more metaphorical than that: I don’t want to explain everything now, but the main idea is that if Nature wants to fully thrive again, then the survival of humanity is no longer an option. By now we have exhausted every possibility of redeeming ourselves in this sense. To be alive while Nature has returned to her primordial form is to be one with her, to join her pantheon. Is it simply not life as we know it now, or is it purely spiritual and only happens after a worthy death? I leave this question open to each of you’s interpretation.
What is the apocalypse for us humans could instead be a golden age for other existing species.
DO YOU CONSIDER NATURE AS SOMETHING DIVINE OR AS WHAT?
– It can be what you say or it can be just the opposite side of humanity. Once again, the discussion is open to individual interpretation. From a thematic point of view, almost every song represents a battle between two sides, where Nature is the winner and, consequently, the supreme judge.
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THIS MUSIC GENRE IS THE RIGHT TOOL TO RAISE OUR SOULS TO A MYSTICAL CONDITION?
– Not necessarily the music. It’s being in the right mental condition, giving Nature and other species the respect they deserve. We must free ourselves from malice towards the Earth, greed and self-pity. And, as the name of the band suggests, the world is evil and sick with all these imperfections, it is simply no longer possible to maintain these characteristics for much longer.
Through music I try to convey my ideas since I myself am an imperfect being, as we all are.
YOU HAVE MADE FIVE ALBUMS IN JUST FIVE YEARS, WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION FOR YOUR MUSIC?
– Inspiration is something that comes and goes, I just try to grab it when it arrives. What really helps me is constantly listening to new music, broadening my horizons and good taste. In my opinion it is a common misconception that a band needs at least a few years to produce good music and it is believed that the most convenient amount of time for a band is on tour, because you don’t have much time to sit down and write music.
But for a solo project the situation changes, a year is more than enough not only to create, but also to correctly publish a record. Believe me that there are for example some bands that release three to five albums in a single year, and with some pretty good songs!
THINKING ABOUT YOUR DISCOGRAPHY, WHAT ARE THE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW ALBUM AND PAST WORKS? HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EVOLUTION?
– I like to think that each of my new albums is a step forward in terms of sound in a broad sense (leaving aside the production) compared to the previous one. Every creation of an album is a learning process and I still have a lot to learn both as a musician and as a composer and it is natural that by learning new things they are then used in subsequent work.
This time I really have the feeling that the atmosphere of the work was triumphant and epic, something that actually hasn’t always been present in my music. From the first moment I started working on “Of Scorched Earth”, I knew that this album would be a logical continuation of “Karst Relict”, my third album, at least understood in terms of atmosphere and general feeling.
I ENJOYED YOUR ALBUM VERY MUCH BECAUSE IT IS VARIED AND DYNAMIC. IT’S NOT EASY TO IDENTIFY YOUR MUSICAL INFLUENCES. I FOUND SOMETHING INSPIRED BY THE NORWEGIAN AND FINNISH SCENE, FOR EXAMPLE GROUPS LIKE OBTAINED ENSLAVEMENT, FIRST BORKNAGAR, OCTOBER FALLS, SATANIC WARMASTER… BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM YOU WHICH INSPIRED YOU.
– The reference to the Satanic Warmasters is perfect! I’m sure that some Borknagar things also had their influence on yours truly. It’s always been difficult for me to specify which band, or scene, in particular has had the most significant impact on my way of composing music.
I remember once, when I was talking to Torsten from Northern Silence Productions about the press release of my debut album, he wanted to mention some similar melodic black metal bands who released their iconic albums in the 90s, but I honestly barely knew about any of them. the goal (laughs, ed).
I was too embarrassed to admit it and I remember going to listen to them that same day. Basically my thoughts were: “How the fuck does my clumsy writing compare to that greatness?!“.
Frankly, I still think that way sometimes. Some compare me to Lord Belial, but that band is damn legendary and I’m just doing my best. However, it is touching for me to know that some people find similar emotions in my music.
If you search for Malist on Spotify, you can see the playlist I created called “Malist – Inspiration”. Here you will find all the bands and songs, except of course the promotional tracks of Malist, which for me represent the essence of black metal. Some bands from other genres are also included, but they still shaped my musical taste considerably.
DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME YOU LISTENED TO BLACK METAL MUSIC? WHAT WERE THE SENSATIONS?
– I think the first two black metal albums that really caught my attention were “Torn Beyond Reason” by Woods of Desolation and “To Lay Like Old Ashes” by Austere. When I listened to them for the first time, I couldn’t believe that such an extreme genre was able to convey such genuine emotion.
After listening to them over and over again, I spent about five years eagerly listening to all black metal bands, both classic and major, all subgenres and their variations. I think part of the reason why black metal has been so prominent and important in metal all this time is its versatility. In black metal, in fact, there is darkness, there is melancholy and sadness, there is also tragedy and anger; basically in this genre any emotion can be reproduced.
THE NORTHERN DARKNESS PROD. FIRST, AND THE AVANTGARDE MUSIC THEN BELIEVED IN YOUR MUSIC. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THESE TWO LABELS THAT HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO FIND THE MOST TALENTED BANDS IN THE INTERNATIONAL UNDERGROUND?
– The answer is very simple: the guys who run these labels and their artists have the same vision, the same idea of what good music should sound like. You have to have a great background to create such an overview. I’m happy that our paths crossed and that our conclusions about music are in agreement.
ARE YOU IN CONTACT WITH OTHER RUSSIAN BANDS? WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE HEALTH SCENE IN YOUR COUNTRY? ARE THERE ANY BANDS READY TO EMERGE INTERNATIONALLY?
– I think the scene in Russia is very competent, there are many bands performing worldwide, despite the fact that they are little known. I can’t say I’m very expert on the subject, but I can definitely recommend some bands that I like. Listen to Swampborn for example, with their great post black metal masterpiece “Beyond Ratio”.
Then there’s this band called БѢСЪ – spelled Bes – and they’re so blasphemous and self-righteous that last year local religious activists did everything they could to cancel their live performances.
Finally, a recent discovery of mine, a band called Ortha with their debut single titled “Храм”: it is a very good atmospheric black metal with melodic roots and stylistically very similar to my creation, but the guy from this project actually knows also sing very well with a clean voice, unlike myself.
