Scorpio: Let's go back to 1997. Why did you decide to bury your project Scald after the vocalist's death and start a new band, Tumulus?
Velingor: Agil's voice (Scald's vocalist) was the main element of everything Scald was. The music only had its beauty with his vocals. He was also the leader of the group. We decided that Scald with any other singer just wouldn't be Scald anymore. So we changed the name and started playing different music.
S.: Your bio says that all the musicians in Tumulus also play in other bands. Which ones?
V.: Currently: I, Velingor - MIND ECLIPSE (black/death) - vocals Ju Vigdis - Krestovyy Pohod (Crusade) (heavy metal with elements of doom metal) - keyboards Zus - Metal Empire (doom/gothic) - guitar Kuchma - Triada (power/thrash) - vocals Only Kurbat is taking a break. He doesn't play anywhere except Tumulus.
S.: Is Tumulus the main project for all members?
V.: For guitarist Zus, his main project is Metal Empire. It's totally his baby — he writes the music, the lyrics, and sings. But Metal Empire is a hobby. They don't play live or make recordings. For all the other musicians, Tumulus is the main band.
S.: Is your vocalist related to our president L.D. Kuchma? :)
V.: Yes (this is not a joke — Kuchma is actually his real surname) — but of course it's a very distant relation, so he doesn't have any ties to the Ukrainian president.
S.: How is your new album coming along? When can we hear it?
V.: The recording is going very slowly — we had to change studios to get better conditions, and our guitarist Igreny left right after recording his parts. I hope the album will be ready by summer this year.
S.: Your lyrics are in three languages: russian, English, and Old Slavonic. Who can write in Old Slavonic?
V.: I write all the lyrics. As for the Old Slavonic texts, here's how I do it: I write them using ethnographic research (mainly from the North of russia) and Old Slavonic dictionaries, and then a guy who is writing his thesis on the Old Slavonic language corrects them.
S.: Have you already set up a pagan idol in Yaroslavl?
V.: We express our views through music and keep our beliefs private — we don't go around showing everyone what cool pagans we are.
S.: You'll be playing in Bulgaria this April for the second time. How did Bulgarian metalheads receive you the first time?
V.: It was great last time — Bulgarian metalheads are more emotional than ours. I hope it'll be perfect this year too.
S.: And how often does Tumulus play concerts in russia?
V.: It varies. Our permanent problem is periodic lineup changes. Because of that, we sometimes play very frequently, and sometimes only once every six months.
S.: A message to our readers.
V.: Stay faithful to your roots!!!