Ahead of the release of Motherland (review here) on April 4th, Hotel Hobbies spent some time with Illia Morozov (vocalist, lyricist and songwriter), Giovanni M Ruiu (bass) and Boris Zahariev (guitarist) of Concrete Age.
Hotel Hobbies: Thanks for taking the time to talk about Concrete Age and the new album. I have been enjoying listening to the new album but the band is relatively new to me. Please could you sum up the journey the band has been on and the origin of the name.
Ilia Morozov: The name of the band is quite the opposite to the place where we want to be. We live in a concrete age; it is what is surrounding us at the moment. We want more. We want to release our inner spirit. That's what we're reflecting in our music. The journey was quite long. It started in back in the Caucasus, actually. This is what the main concept of this album is about - where the band came from. It started in 2011. I formed the band with other band members and then, due to certain circumstances, I had to relocate in London. I met Boris. I met Giovanni. I started to collaborate with Boris on the album The Totem of The Great Snake Part II in 2018 and with Giovanni on Spirituality in 2020. This is where we took the band to another level. So, thank you guys!
Hotel Hobbies: With the new album, you have said that it will be the first Kavkaz album in the history of heavy metal and the title Motherland portrays the pride associated with the history of the people there.
Giovanni M Ruiu: Yes. I don’t think any band managed to mix this folk music with such metal. I have been interested in Russian culture and I made a lot of effort to understand this folk music. I come from Italy. I think this multi-ethnic touch gives the band a more interesting side. It’s been hard but very satisfying.
Hotel Hobbies: I can understand that. Listening to the album has made me want to read more about the history of the area. It is fascinating. Ilia, you grew up in a little town there.
Ilia Morozov: Yeah, yeah, that's correct. We have lots of cultures, lots of languages and lots of nations there. I could tell you the history but it would take the whole interview! With the music, I can say the rhythmical part is very unique, although it reminds me a bit of Irish music. Some bits are like Turkish or Iranian music and that’s what makes it sound so interesting and powerful. Like Giovanni said, we come from different backgrounds but the results are amazing. On the seventh track, that was more like a Bulgarian feel. Maybe Boris would like to talk about Shalaho because for me it was the best solo on the album.
Boris Zahariev: My background is also different; I'm from Bulgaria but we have a lot of similarities with Russian culture. I mean, we're both Slavic people, right? It was interesting to play on this album because it captured the unique culture of Kavkaz music. It meant when I was trying to add my parts to it, I really had to think about what I wanted to play and try to go away from all the traditional kind lead parts that you would hear in modern rock and metal. So Shalaho is a good example. It’s probably the most ethnic song on the album; it is also an instrumental so the focus is just on the instruments. The story has to be told through the melody. That’s a challenge but also rewarding. I get to explore different kinds of melodies and techniques.
Hotel Hobbies: With the opening track Raida Rada, I have read there are folk songs with a similar name. It is full of references to the landscape in the area and is good track to set the scene for the album.
Ilia Morozov: A lot of songs have that name. It is like a rhyme. We position ourselves as an ethnic band and then (laughing) it’s just constant thrash. The only thing that saves us is the beginning with the choir. We capture the attention of the listener with the thrashy parts and then suddenly it goes back to the acapella part, which is very common in Georgian cultures. Raida Rada is a rhyme. It can be used at weddings or in a war. The songs reflect the Caucasian culture in general.
Hotel Hobbies: Some other tracks dive into the history too. The second track, Battle For The Caucasus looks back to World War II. It is a blistering ride and a call to arms.
Ilia Morozov: Back home, second World War like means a lot to us. There were very harsh battles but people managed to survive and protect their native land.
Hotel Hobbies: With the production of the album, there are a wide range of instruments merging together, instruments you would expect to find in a metal band but also a variety of ethnic instruments. The combination is powerful and the production allows for everything to be heard clearly.
Giovanni M Ruiu: I think our point of strength is that the band are able to record ourselves. We work in a singular way and then add our work altogether. Our cost would be way higher if you could not do it that way.
Ilia Morozov: That way, we can get the result to the right level with no cost. The only thing it costs is your time. I remember discussing the sound of the guitar with Boris. It should be modern but should be readable as well. I am a big fan of Fear Factory. Boris, you like more modern stuff.
Boris Zahariev: Yeah, a bit! Modern but not overly saturated. I think a lot of death metal bands have music taking up so much space. We don’t need that when we have so many different instruments there. We need them all to shine.
Ilia Morozov: And the bass sound was more like Testament. I sent it to Giovanni and was hoping he would like it.
Giovanni M Ruiu: I was very happy. There were some parts I would insert my likes but basically agree on everything because we have the same vibe. My favourite bass player is a jazz player.
Hotel Hobbies: There are lot of metal bands that have influences not simply within metal. The opening of Mestizo for example, is something more mysterious. It allows for some variation and balance from the heavier moments.
Ilia Morozov: Yes, that’s true. A lot of bands nowadays try to repeat themselves hoping to become popular and famous. They don’t think about their legacy after that. We are taking a risk doing all this weird stuff. We don’t care. I hope that in a few years and decades, people will listen to our music and say that we did something different.
Hotel Hobbies: Talking of doing something different, on this album you play zurna and baglama. Can you talk more about those instruments and the sounds they bring to the album.
Ilia Morozov: Yes. That was an interesting experience. Zurna is used in Turkish, Armenian or Azerbaijani music too. Basically it gives you eastern vibes. It's a very hard instrument to learn. I’m a smoker but you need to save some lungs in order to play properly. With the baglama (or saz), it mainly came from Turkey, I think. On the fifth track, Mouth of the Elbrus, I decided to use Georgian choirs and baglama. We used baglama on Spirituality for the first time. It’s very like the sun. It’s very bright. It is a nice instrument to have on stage as well. It’s a bit hard because the shape of the instrument does not allow you to stand and play. So, I decided to make my own strap.
Hotel Hobbies: There is a real sense of every song on the album being very tight and making every moment count.
Ilia Morozov: Well at the moment you write it, you think it’s complete crap! When the album goes to production, we wonder if we are doing the right thing! When it goes to production, you wonder, are they going to swallow it!?
Hotel Hobbies: When you are putting together an album, are there songs you think, I played particularly well on that one or songs that become favourites?
Boris Zahariev: We talk about favourite tracks for sure. I think us three all have different ones but my favourite is probably Cossacks Pride. Mainly because of the chants that get me every time. That’s my favourite overall. My favourite to play on was Shalaho because of the solo I mentioned earlier. Playing it live will be another challenge.
Giovanni M Ruiu: So being selfish, my favourite is Nomad because I think I did very well with the bass and it is the most folk song. The ethnic instruments are crazily good there too. But I have to say that Cossack’s Pride is where Ilia did the best with his voice. I also agree with Boris that Shahalo is the best solo on the album.
Ilia Morozov: It would have to be Cossack’s Pride for me too because it is kind of outlining the background of both my parents who are Cossacks. Also, Cossacks used to live in and still live in Caucasian region. So that kind of matches. It's a bit like you start with a choir and then it goes like a massacre. And then in the middle you have people singing traditional songs.
Hotel Hobbies: The artwork of the album appears quite symbolic. I think it’s very powerful. Can you tell me a little about that?
Ilia Morozov: Oh, thanks! The artwork is the other thing we did ourselves. When I was composing the overall picture, the idea was to show a bit of memorial places of the region where I was born. The main mountain there is the Elbrus because it is the highest mountain we have and it is also the highest mountain in Europe. Then, three figures because there are three permanent band members. It shows that our souls are returning home to get inspiration for upcoming songs. The booklet is also amazing. Every page is different. It took about 2 weeks to get things together because I was working, you know, to get the right mood, the right lights and the right colours. Every page tells its own story.
Hotel Hobbies: Turning back to songs for a moment, Adeghaga is a multi-part track and puts together a lot of what has come before on the album.
Ilia Morozov: I sometimes have ideas to write songs with a slow tempo. Writing slow songs for me is a big challenge. You should ask the guys how they feel about these types of compositions because I write the ideas. I’m not always sure about the results and the guys are first listeners.
Giovanni M Ruiu: Adeghaga was very, very easy to record and very linear. All Concrete Age work can be recognised as Concrete Age because there is a main composer – Ilia. My job is hard because he is a great composer and to cut his wings would be a mistake. So, I have to be the best bass arranger. Sometimes when he brings ideas, I say to myself, how can I improve this song? It is a very, very hard job.
Boris Zahariev: Yes, that’s true. It is hard to go in and put in your parts because you want to make sure they add to the song. Sometimes, the best approach is to keep it straightforward. Sometimes you know, less is more. I think on this album we do a good job of using a variety of songs and rhythms. Some straightforward; some more intricate. The point is they all fit together, tell the story and give you a unique experience.
Hotel Hobbies: So, thinking of bringing something different into metal, what band are there at the moment that capture your imagination musically?
Ilia Morozov: Sorry to say that for me, in metal now, none. If I do listen to metal, I go for Accept, Vader or Testament - old stuff that has spirit, soul and power. Some bands try to replicate instruments using guitar. So, for me mainly, it’s traditional artists, but because I'm a guy that likes to bring energy on stage, I will still play metal till I die, I guess.
Boris Zahariev: I think we all probably have quite different tastes, but we align on some things. I like the old school thrash bands but for me in particular, Sepultura is one of my main ones and also Soulfly. It’s harder to find a modern metal band to enjoy as lots of it sounds the same. Gojira are very interesting though. If you dig around, you can find interesting bands these days but I think the most popular ones unfortunately sound quite generic for the most part.
Hotel Hobbies: Thanks so much for your time and for the insights into your music. It has been very interesting. Good luck with the album when it is released in April.
Ilia Morozov: Thank you. Thank you!
Boris Zahariev: Thank you so much. We appreciate it.
Giovanni M Ruiu: You take care. Bye. Thanks very much. Bye bye.
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