The history of Oskord band begins on the ruins of quite successful Ukrainian band Holy Blood. Within this band, participants Oskord worked together for about five years. For now a new band has risen named Oskord, lets talk with these guys.
1-(TMR) Hello to you from The Metal Resource Holland, how are things going there in the Ukraine?
(O) The weather is nice in Ukraine, preparations for Euro 2012, and we don’t have anything to complain at.
2-(TMR) Will you introduce yourself and the band please! (name and instrument)
(O) Oskord band consists of six members:
Grigory Nazarov - vocals;
Sergey Nagorny - guitar, vocals
Max Kiprov - Guitar
Alexey Andrushchenko - bass
Andrey Yakovenko - flute, bouzouki
Dmitry Titorenko - drums
3-(TMR) Is this your first band, what other bands have you guys been in? (for everyone personal)
(O) Sergey: Prior to this, some of us played in the Holy Blood band, including me.
Max: I've played in some bands but it doesn’t make sense to mention them.
Dmitry: Holy Blood, Opozicia, TeSu, Factor 150, Evroklidon.
Grigory: Coram Deo, Usynlig Tumult, Heartquake.
Alexey: Holy Blood, Requital, St. Paul Crew. Well, the church worship team.
Andrey: I have quite a long time playing in the band Run, playing in the style of contemporary celtic.
4-(TMR) Can you tell us something about the origin of Oskord?
(O) Oskord band was formed immediately after we had to leave Holy Blood band, in August 2008. We had a long and carefully formed our line-up, aswell as working to create a new music material. At first it was difficult to start from scratch, but we don’t omit our hands.
5-(TMR) Why was chosen the name Oskord? Is there a story behind it?
(O) Oskord is Old Slavic word meaning a battle-ax. This word is good harmony with the style that we play. In addition, we believe that music is a weapon that can influence the world. Oskord is our spiritual weapon.
6-(TMR) How would you describe the music of Oskord the best?
(O) Best of all our music are able to describe the music critics and ordinary listeners. We call our style - folk metal. It’s a mix of folk music and modern metal genres.
7-(TMR) How does Oskord stands in life till events in the world, religion and politics and in which proportion stands that till your music and lyrics?
(O) Each of us has own civic position on those or other events, political issues. It is not always our opinions coincide, but this is not a matter of controversy. What about religion, we are believers, and it directly concerns our lyrics. We can’t not talk about what we live.
8-(TMR) For a lot of bands the lyrics are just an accidental circumstance, but for some bands they use them to communicate! Can you tell us how that is for Oskord?
(O) For us the lyrics aren’t just a sound addition to the music. Each text encourages people to think about their lives and make the right decision. Our lyrics are simple and clear, don’t need much to philosophize, to understand what the song about. Subject of our texts isa relationship between God and people.
9-(TMR) Is there a highlight already you will always remember, since the beginning of Oskord?
(O) I think we will always remember our first gig. We moved to this event for two years.
10-(TMR) And any worst thing? (if there is one)
(O) I can’t remember.
11-(TMR) What is your favorite food and drink? For everyone personal (no idea why people always want to know that)
(O) Sergey: I love all that delicious cooked. As for drinks, I love everything except the orange juice.
Max: Meat in French coffee with milk.
Dmitry: Sushi, cheese soup, and juices.
Grigory: Drink - Jägermeister, dishes - pies, borsch, dumplings.
Alexey: Favorite dish - mushroom soup, a drink - apple cider.
Andrey: the favorite dish has recently become a hot chicken soup with cheese and lemon, the favorite drink coffee consistently.
12-(TMR) First record you bought?
(O) Sergey: It was a collection of classical music. Operas of Russian composers.
Max: I don't remember.
Dmitry: I don’t remember) or never bought at all))
Grigory: The first disc - Black Sabbath.
Alexey: The first disc - Haggard - "And Thou Salt Trust ... The Seer".
Andrey: It is hard to remember, for sure it was some mp3 collection from Petrovka (the market in Kyiv). Maybe Deep Purple or Blind Guardian.
13-(TMR) What makes you laugh?
(O) Sergey: A good comedy.
Max: Jokes of our drummer.
Dmitry: Me personally - almost all)
Grigory: Laugh ...hmm, difficult question.
Alexey: Illogical phrases, absurd situation.
Andrey: A good mood, of course. If it is - a reason to laugh is easy to find.
14-(TMR) How did you prepare for a show?
(O) Sergey: I always pray before concerts, for people who will come and for our band. And choose what to wear and wash my hair)
Max: I try to think less about a gig, more often repeat the program at home.
Dmitry: There are technical preparation, check the pedal, the availability of all necessary, and spiritual preparation - a prayer, sometimes fast.
Grigory: Preparing for concerts ... "do not watch TV, do not listen to the radio, only water I drink, do not eat nothing” (C)
Alexey: I spend time in solitude, trying to calm down and, of course, work out the instrument.
Andrey: Play, slush the flute, change strings - nothing unusual.
15-(TMR) Favorite movie(s)?
(O) Sergey: Passion, Forrest Gump, Dancing In Darkness, Games Of Mind, The Saw, Illusionist, Tideland.
Max: The Lord Of The Rings.
Dmitry: Click.
Grigory: The Terminator, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Coffeeand Cigarettes, The Book of Eli, Resident Evil, films of David Lynch.
Alexey: Tideland, Goodbye Lenin!
Andrey: Blow-up, Tous les matins du monde, Love and Death.
16-(TMR) What is your all-time album top 5?
(O) Sergey: For me it is always impossible to ask. I listen toa lot of different and good music, and select the best five albums is simply impossible.
Max: Disturbed - Belive
System of a Down -Toxicity
Blindside - Silence
As i lay Dying - Shadows Are Security
Oh sleeper - When I Am God
Dmitry: In Flames - Reroute To Remain
Ozzy Osbourne - Ozzmosis
POD - Satellite
Living Sacrifice - In Memoriam
Jeremy Camp - Restored
Grigory: Judas Priest – Jugulator
Dark Tranquillity – Projector
Death – Symbolic
Burzum - Hviss Lyset tar Oss
King Diamong - Abigail
Although the albums sooo much.
Alexey: Neurosis - Times Of Grace
Portishead – Dummy
All India Radio – Fall
The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble - Here Be Dragons
Hatebreed – Supremacy
Andrey: Very difficult to choose.
Shostakovich - Symphony no.5 (this can be considered the album?)
E.S.T. - From Gagagrin's Point of View
Opeth - Blackwater Park
Michael McGoldrick - Wired
Dervish - Spirit
17-(TMR) What is the dumbest question you have ever been asked?
(O) Sergey: I used to have a piercing in the lip, and many wondered whether the drinks poured through the hole.
Max: With a stupid questions, I pass.
Dmitry: "The first CD you bought?"
Grigory: This question)
Alexey: “How rock music can be christian?" and "Do you have sponsors?"
Andrey: "Why did you decide to play Irish music?"
18-(TMR) Do you have a life philosophy?
(O) Sergey: God and His Word is my philosophy.
Max: It's hard to call philosophy my set of beliefs and principles, so the answer is no.
Dmitry: Yes, but nobody knows. Even me.
Grigory: Philosophy: be yourself.
Alexey: Each day opens many doors for you. And you must be careful, because some of these doors - decisive.
Andrey: Yes, even quite a lot. Regular inventing philosophies of life - an integral part of it.
19-(TMR) Are you visiting many gigs by yourself and what do you listen to these days?
(O) Sergey: Usually going to concerts, I connected with our performance,or work (I work as a concert and studio soundengineer). As always I listen to music of different styles.
Max: I attend about 10 concerts a year. Listen to music quite different,such as Sia furler, Rob Stewart, Jeff Loomis, PERIPHERY, Alter Bridge.
Dmitry: Except of my concerts, attended not quite a lot. It was the Scorpions in 1997, and small concerts of friends in Kyiv.
Grigory: This year attended the concerts of all bands, which from childhood revered and loved)
Alexey: I visit about once a month - once in 2 months. Now I listen mostly trip-hop, all sorts of bands like Doctor Flake, Massive Attack, Elsiane.
Andrey: I visit concerts once or twice a month. I listen to everything -the last time Mike Stern, Porcupine Tree, Bach's Brandenburg Concertos (record, where Jordi Zavala conducts), Brian Finnegan, Opeth, Tord Gustavsen Trio, Jamiroquai.
20-(TMR) Tell us about the hard rock/metal scene in your area please?
(O) There are more and more gigs with worldwide band in Ukraine. Appeared a large choice in attending the event. Naturally, this creates some problems for local bands. As many people as before the local band can’t gather and have to move in small clubs. In general, as we know, this is a standard situation for the whole Europe.And also Ukraine has the biggest metal festival in Eastern Europe, Global East, two years running.
21-(TMR) What's your opinion on downloading music from the Internet?
(O) Sergey: it’s a hard question. On one side of me as a musician I would like that to buy our CDs. On the other hand I myself download a lot of music. I think this can’t be avoided.
Max: Positive.
Dmitry: Downloading music without permission - is wrong.
Grigory: Download, listen - buy) I buy CDs mostly at concerts.
Alexey: Downloading music is ok. But it is important to remember that your favorite bands are worth it to buy their albums. I try to do so.
Andrey: I think that's the way it should be applied. Free flow of information works for the science (otherwise we would still be living inthe Middle Ages) - why should it not work for music?
22-(TMR) What can you tell us about the upcoming album? (such as songs / release date / label)
(O) The album contains only 6 tracks, but the duration of the album 30 minutes. At this moment we are still looking for a label for cooperation, so that speak about the release date still early. We already have several offers from different labels, we hope that it will soon be able to report on who stood out our choice.
23-(TMR) Any other plans?
(O) We continue to work on new songs, and once they are ready, we will start working on our next album. And we are waiting for proposals from the concert organizers.
24-(TMR) Guys thanks for your time and the interview, we wish Oskord all the best ......Is there anything you wanna say at last? (any final statement ?)
(O) We wish your webzine further development. Thank you for your promptness, it seems this is our first interview.
We also thank all those who have left such kind comments about our work. See you at the concerts! Let God bless you.
