Robex Lundgren virkblogg.

What´s the name of your band?/How was the band formed? My band’s name is Drunemeton, it means holy grove of druids. This band was born on the remains of Heresiarch Seminary. After the first album I decided to continue in more pagan way, but other participants decided to get more extremist and aggressive and we parted. I made some more releases under this name as one man band and with help of Priest – drummer of Accursed christ. And after this I decided to get more serious music with more reliable and thoughtful approach. And so, with last HS live line-up I formed Drunemeton. So, from now only I determine the image, the concept and sound of the band, without any outside interference, as it was previously.

Where are all band members from?/Who does what in the band? I’m and some session musicians (M.S. and S.B.) are from Moscow region, Russia. But I prefer to live in suburb, because I don’t like this city. Our live bassist Njal is from Saint-Petersburg.

Could you explain your music to someone that haven't heard you? I scoop inspiration from Polish, Ukrainian, Romanian and other pagan scenes. We play dark pagan metal with powerful guitars and beautiful keyboards and also harsh, grim vocals. I can describe our music In such way like that.

Where was your first gig?/Where was the latest gig? We played first time in Mos(h)cow in 2009, I think and never played there after 2010. And I think never more will. Our last gig, was, I think in Tver about a year ago.

Who writes your songs?/Who writes the music who writes lyrics? In HS all the band written music and lyrics and image conception proceeded from tamer, the vocalist and his extremist ideas. Now, as I said, only I answer for music and lyrics. For Drunemeton, I reworked the old legacy of HS from my point of view, as I had never could do in HS.

What are your songs about? My songs about heritage of pre-christian Europe. Gods, myths, magic, battles, tales and so on. From band’s name you may conclude, that main theme will be Celtic mythology. But in some old reworked songs of HS you may also see Scandinavian motives. I will release these songs soon, in the end of November 2014.

Do you write your own material or mainly covers? We recorded two Satanic Warmaster covers in HS early era, and then in Drunemeton we recorded Graveland cover for split with Hellenic band Dizziness. I think, we will do some more covers in the future. But our own material will always prevail, surely.

Have you made any albums?/If yes what are they? In HS Tamer was depended for equipment and record and material we wrote together. Now I write all by myself, next we go to rehearsal place and play material until it’s ok. Then we just go to studio all together and record our parts in turn.

How old are you?/What got you started in music?/At what age did you start playing?  I’m 27 now. I started to listen music about 15 years ago, but was punk in a teenage years. Later I opened Satyricon for myself and with them a world of Medieval Times and Paganism. When I met Tamer we decided to form Heresiarch Seminary. Nothing interest before or behind it.

How old were you guys when you first stood on stage? We was about 20-22 years.

What year was the band started? In 2008.

Best/Best gig you've played?  Best was we supported Navjarmaahr in Saint-Petersburg and worst when we played in Sergiev Posad, Moscow region. Also we played in such Russian cities like Tver, Tula, Dmitrov, Orel and Belarusian city Grodno. All this “mini-tour” was total bullshit. Except, when we visited Tver second time.

What places will you be playing in in the immediate future?  The best place for me to play is Saint-Petersburg. I think in future we will play only there and maybe in Tver. We won’t play in Mos(h)cow in nearly future, surely.

Witch band is the best you´ve seen? The best Russian band that we played with was Navjarmaahr and maybe another one – Fimbulvinter from Saint-Petersburg.

Is it always the same songs live?  In Drunemeton studio works we use keyboards but got no good keyboardist for live show. So, we will perform without keyboards in the future.

How big crowds do you usually play for?  I think 100-150 men.

What are the plans for the rest of the year? I want to release 2 more or 1 EPs at my own little promo label and start to record a new album.

How do you get psyched up for a gig? I drink alcohol before gigs to get more courage and then to make an energy streams into the crowd. I think, other participants do the same too, except S.B.

What are your sources of inspiration?  My sources are pagan religions of pre-christian Europe and nature. My favorite bands are Graveland, Nokturnal Mortum, Astrofaes, Negura Bunget, Dordeduh, Satyricon (old), Enslaved, Kampfar, Bathory, Falkenbach, Horna, Satanic Warmaster, Sargeist, Striborg and some more. I can’t remind all in one moment, too much. Nature is the origin of all. I love it and all creatures dwelling it. Man is the ugly scar on the nature’s face. In pre-christian era our ancestors were able to live in a harmony with nature, but later monotheistic religions perverted our understanding of life and turned our civilization into collapse. Nature will ask all from men, you will see how dreadful price we would pay for years of mockery over it. I dream to move someday to Bulgaria or to Carpathian mountains to live far away from these fucking stinky cities, but at the moment I got no financial potencies.

What's the first step when making a new song? I’m sit and start to play guitar and write all good riffs in tabs. Later I do the midi drums arranges and when we meet all together we start to rehearse and song became real beside it imaginarily carcass.

How do you feel about the downloading of music instead of buying albums? I have no enough money to buy all the albums, that I want to listen, but if the band is my favorite I’ll try to get their physical albums anyway. But physical media dying and soon will remain for the true fans only. Anyway, I don’t give a fuck, true art will remain eternally.

What would be your dreams for the band?  No fucking dreams, I just work well for my band to satisfy something in the end. Later I’ll try to re-release Drunemeton at some bigger labels and get better promotion and later we will see.

What would be your greatest fears for the future? Destroying of Ukraine in a Third World War between Russia and USA.

When you are on stage, what do you fear most then? I fell into a trance or stupor. On stage, it is not necessary to think about the notes, spectators or any other shit like that. We must pass a certain energy through. Chords and lyrics are nothing more than tools.

What do you work with outside of the band and the music? I got usual work, but that’s my private case.

What would you do if there was no music? I can’t imagine world without music. If only I would get deaf.

How important are your fans? I like to get a feedback, but nothing much more. Those who listen my works won’t understand anyway whole my thoughts behind the music, but thanks to them, if they interested in my creativity.

How would you describe your sound in one sentence Dark fucking pagan celtic metal, melodic and harsh.

What was one of the most quarrelsome times for you in the band?  It was before the release of second HS full-length, but I don’t want to tell about it more widely.

Whats your Pre-show ritual? I got no any ritual, except what I said earlier. Maybe in future we will learn some pagan rites to perform before show, but anyway it will be very private and not for wide circles.

Do you have anything to add? Hails the pagan gods of Europe! Ave Cernunnos! When fire and water will unite, there will be no more place for the old world!