Death metal, black metal, oriental and tribal instruments and sounds, throat singing … what more can we ask from Hell:on, who have released a great new album (“Shaman”) and have thrilled almost every metal listener!? Myth of Rock, having shared its enthusiasm for this release with you, came in communication with the Ukrainian band and had a really nice conversation with them. Join the tribe!
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
With “Shaman” being your seventh album, how would you say Hell:on has evolved over the years? What sets this album apart?
I think the biggest achievement for us as a band was understanding that creativity is not a result, but a Path. Now we don’t set the main goal to achieve something specific, but actually enjoy the process. And we enjoy what we do as much as possible. “Shaman” in this meaning became a more expressive reflection of our musical evolution.
The integration of oriental and tribal sounds in “Shaman” is striking. Can you share what inspired you to incorporate these elements, and how they connect to the album’s themes?
It all started with the first experiments with the sitar and the goat-pipe in 2015. Then we were largely inspired by the history of the island of Khortytsia, the cradle of the Cossacks and a number of myths about the ancient tribes that once lived there. Like the Scythians, for example. The idea was not to just take a specific instrument, but to try to bring the same vibe into the music that we felt after travelling in some parts of the island. And after the first experiments, like “Filth” ( “Once Upon a Chaos …”, 2015), we went with the wind, so to speak.
You’re experimenting with instruments and techniques not typically heard in death metal—such as oriental instruments and throat singing. What was the process of introducing these elements into your music?
Our vocalist became interested in the technique of throat singing back in 2010, but until 2015 we weren’t ready to use it in our music because it seemed very inappropriate. But after the first attempts, in the studio, we realized – this is it! Now I can’t imagine our atmosphere without the use of throat singing. It really complements this shamanic mystical atmosphere. And if on the first albums we thought about how to impress someone and ourselves with some kind of performance technique, then the greatest pleasure is to immerse ourselves in a meditative tribal state during rehearsals and recording.
Were there any specific locations, cultures, or experiences that inspired the oriental and tribal influences on this album?
Yes, as I noted above, we immersed ourselves in the history of our own land, and especially in the cultural heritage of our island of Khortytsia, which is located above the rapids of the Dnieper. A large Cossack museum has been founded there and there is a unique location: an ancient burial complex called the Scythian Stamm. And in 2015 we shot a video there and it was the beginning of understanding that this was the beginning of something more than just filming.
The album’s title, “Shaman”, evokes a sense of mysticism. What does this title mean to you, and how does it reflect the themes of the album?
“Shaman” is the second work in the trilogy dedicated to the Scythian burial complex, which I mentioned above. That is, thematically it is certainly different from the previous album, but we tried to maintain the same level of mysticism and shamanism. Maybe even dig even deeper. The concept of the album is the transformation of a young tribal leader into a mystical entity, a shaman in fact. Track by track his story, transformation unfolds.
Tracks like “Shaman” and others are atmospheric, almost ritualistic. How did you approach creating such an evocative sound?
I think it’s mostly about the unique arrangement, which took maybe even more time than the actual recording of the material. In addition, we tried to create cyclic musical loops that would return the listener to the main idea and sound a bit like a mantra. Which in a way evokes a sense of ritual. For example, this refrain: “I am the wind, I am the fire, I am the stone”, which is repeated in several tracks. Also, the use of a choir adds drama.
Your music includes black metal influences as well. How do you see the relationship between death metal and black metal in your sound?
In my opinion it is more in the philosophy of our sound than in the musical aspect. Although the musical moment’s characteristics of black metal are certainly present. But the main thing, I think, is that we put a lot of emphasis on the atmosphere and depth, which is very characteristic of black metal. Maybe also because we use a lot of elements of paganism and heathen. But if it all sounds very organic, then why not?
The production quality on “Shaman” is stellar. Who was responsible for production, and how did you work together to craft this album’s sound?
Everything was done in our own studio in Zaporizhia, Ukraine. It is called TA Productions. Our guitarist Anton is responsible for the entire process from recording to mastering. He is really good at what he is doing.
What was the most challenging song to write or record on this album, and why?
I think these are the tracks: “New Dawn” and “I Am the Path”. The first 5 tracks were written and formed, and we already had the final track “Shaman”. And we had 4 tracks to choose from 2. Each of us had our own opinion on how the second half of the album should sound and we even held a vote to decide on it. The same applies to working on the vocals. These two tracks were written last and were rewritten twice, because we could not decide on the main vocal part. Also, for some reason, it was very difficult to record the guitar solos on these two tracks. I didn’t want to record a solo for New Dawn because I didn’t feel the vibe for it. But Anton did it perfectly. But for the track “I Am the Path”, which remained the last, Anton refused to record anything, arguing that he had already said everything he wanted on the album. So I recorded the last solo. Originally, I recorded it on acoustics, because that was one of the features of this album, we wanted a lot of acoustics along with heavy riffs. But at the last moment we still changed the sound of the solo to what you hear on the album.
Hell:on is based in Zaporizhia, Ukraine. Has the cultural and political climate in your country influenced your music, directly or indirectly? How has the war in Ukraine affected you as individuals and as musicians? What about the Covid-19 pandemic?
Oh, this is a very difficult question … There is a lot that could be written about this, but I will only note the main points. Regarding Covid-19, we had a freshly recorded album “Scythian Stamm”, which is a great album, and it was supposed to be released on the cult label Hammerheart Records. But Covid-19 happened and all our plans went straight to Hell. The label suggested that we release it no earlier than in a couple of years, when the situation stabilizes. Which was obviously not very interesting to us. So we released the album on our own label, Hell Serpent, which in the end was a good idea, but still not as good as we would have liked. Regarding the war, there is a lot to write about here. In the first days of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, we did not know whether we would survive at all. All work on the album “Shaman” was stopped for two years and we did not know whether we would ever be able to return to music at all. But thanks to our Armed Forces, we got a chance to live and create further. Which is what we are trying to do. Of course, the war changed us a lot. There was a complete reassessment of everything. Attitudes to work, family, existence. I think we have become much closer to realizing the transience of human existence. And we enjoy the moment of our existence and the opportunity to create further as much as possible.
How has the Ukrainian metal scene shaped your journey as a band? Do you feel it influences the unique sounds we hear in “Shaman”?
A very complex multi-layered question. Perhaps it is better answered by music experts and critics. But I must note that since next year we will be 20 years old as a band, we are the same Ukrainian metal scene that shaped us and that we are shaping. Ukrainian music is primarily known for its Kharkiv school of black metal. And of course, we also felt a certain influence of this music on our work. But I think that over so many years we have already completely come out on our own path and our own sound, so at this moment, we are one of the oldest death metal bands in Ukraine that still exists and continues to shape this very scene.
What kinds of responses have you received from both long-time fans and new listeners since releasing the new album? Have there been any surprises?
We have a lot of fans of our early work who didn’t accept our full transition from flirting with thrash metal to death metal sometime in 2012-2013. Although I’m surprised by this, considering that our very first album was very deathly. It has shitty production, but it was very real and evil art. And rather the albums “Re:born” and “Age of Oblivion” were more uncharacteristic for our discography. Less so, now we have a strong Ukrainian fan base of our creativity. Maybe because it was from our death metal period that people started writing about us not only in Ukraine, but also in Europe. Or maybe we just finally found ourselves and our music stopped being an attempt to impress someone, and became an attempt to impress ourselves? As for surprises, we received a lot of feedback about the new album from all over the world, and the strangest were those who claimed that we play either folk metal or progressive rock. I thought a lot about this and still don’t know how to react to it. It’s probably still positive if a person was able to see these aspects of our work. So, probably, because it evokes emotions and their own vision.
With so many rich, layered elements in your music, how do you bring this sound to life in a live setting?
Oh, the most difficult one. Since we have a complex arrangement with a lot of layers, we use a whole bunch of playbacks during live performances. And it’s a real hell for our sound engineer. But we have what we have. We don’t play very much live, considering the current situation with the War. But every time we perform, we try to make it special. This applies to both the decoration and the video sequence that we’ve been adding to our show lately.
As a band, are there any particular themes or issues that drive you to keep pushing boundaries and making music?
I think it is our inner world. Its depth and immensity provide an endless source for creativity and true inspiration.
Is there a message you’d like to convey to those who might be new to your music and are experiencing Hell:on for the first time with “Shaman”?
Yes, without a doubt. Our music is not for everyone. It has its own face. It has immense depth, because we created it that way. If music for you is not just an mp3 track from the radio, but you are able to immerse yourself in worlds where there is a place for mysticism, myths, metaphors and imagery – you are our listener. So, put on your headphones, turn on the music and you will hear ancient ritual chants, see the reflections of an ancient tribal dance in the rays of the fire flame under the cold, immense starry sky. You will understand “What the Steppes dream about…”.
What are your plans moving forward? Are there any upcoming tours or special projects we should look out for?
Since due to the war we have limited conditions for any travel, we are not planning any tours. But we are fully focused on creativity. Еhese days our new video for one of the songs from the album “Shaman” will be released. And I think we will prepare something special for our 20 years anniversary in 2025. And we have already started working on our upcoming release, which, hopefully, will see the light in 2026. This will be the last release from the Scythian Stamm trilogy and we are currently working on the album cover and lyrics. Several tracks are already done.
Send your message to the readers!
Thanks for the interest in our music! Take care of your family and friends. Believe us, we know what we are talking about. Listen to quality music and enjoy every day. Because you never know when it will be your last.
