1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
I Miss My Death can certainly be called a pearl of Ukrainian Gothic Doom Metal scene. We are maybe the only representative of true romantic gothic atmosphere in Ukraine. The band was formed in 2007 and at the moment released two albums (demo and full-length), one single and one DVD. Peculiar melodic sound combined with the distinctive aristocratic image allow the listener unerringly identify the band. I Miss My Death carries the atmosphere of decadence with penetrating notes of gloomy art to masses.
2.Recently you have put out a new album can you tell us a little bit more about the musical direction of the new recording and also how does it differ from your demo and single?
Well, we changed the direction because our music develops with us. We used more classic music elements, paid more attention at arrangements, used more instruments, etc. Talking about new album we want to emphasize its stylistic diversity. First part (The Last Overture) tells us the story about old lonely person. The mood of this part is dark and music has gothic/death/doom direction. Second part (Trail into the Past) – is our hero’s memoirs. They’re light and full of hope, so music gets gothic metal/gothic doom nature. Despite the stylistic differences the album is a holistic creation.
3.The band has been around for 7 years but so far has only released one demo, single and album, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap between releases?
In 2007 I Miss my Death performed its first live concert. But on that moment the band had not got permanent staff and this fact certainly inhibited the development. Really hard work began in 2009. That year we were actively performing and to the end of the year the recording process of “…At Her Funeral” has begun. From that moment our activity was predictable – touring, preparing new material, recording, filming clip, again touring and so on. In case of our new release the process of preparing new material and recording took more time, that’s usual. This is due to careful preparation and a change in staff.
4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
The main lyrical topic is love and loneliness. They are the same from album to album, but in each song they find a new face. "In Memories" album is not just a collection of compositions but a whole story that can be traced from song to song. It's the story where each paragraph is a new round of a sad legend with lonely and opposed to the whole world romantic hero in its center. Dramatic center of the story is in the memories of the hero.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'I Miss My Death'?
It symbolizes the ancient creature, that grasped eternity, survived its death, has known all of his life, eventually tired of it, and as something sublime and unique, misses its death. In the new album the name of our band finds a new face. It shows us wisdom of the old person and a burden of his past years.
6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Our stage performance is really bright. It looks like something between metal session and opera. Bright costumes, theatrical dialogues, academic vocals and a lot of other elements that differ from event to event. Because of this people call our performance style «aristocratic». One of the brightest were International Gothic Festival “Children of the Night”, the biggest Ukrainian Doom Festival “Doom over Kiev” and presentation of our album. Especially for the last mentioned evening I Miss My Death invited string section and back vocal, prepared an interesting duo, sewed new costumes, released branded merch and of course presented the new material.
7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
Yes, we plan touring, but, unfortunately, we can’t name dates. Because of political situation in our country we can’t say something even about Ukrainian tour. We hope that everything will become stable and we at last could say something specific.
8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of gothic, doom and death metal?
Of course, we are better known in Ukraine and nearest abroad. This can be explained by the lack of international promotion. But there are some real music lovers from Europe, North and South America, that found us and left positive comments even not understanding lyrics. We hope that thanks to the label Metal Scrap Records the situation will change.
9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We are not fixed on one style. We don’t create a music pattern but a continuation of our soul. Admit secretly, we have some vision for next two releases. They’ll be different from previous, but will keep the same mood.
10.What are some bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Our creativity is influenced by such bands as Draconian, Tristania, My Dying Bride, Saturnus, Tiamat, Nightwish, early Theater of Tragedy. There are lots of talented young bands that arouse our admiration today, but we are still faithful to the older bands. Moreover, we listen to more classical music at last time and it finds an outlet in our music.
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Almost all of us are non-professional musicians. There are marketers, economists, computer scientists, surveyors, builders in our band. We all like our activity and successfully combine it with music. Talking about free time, we are really interested in literature, especially historical, depressive and fantastic. Literary heroes are often reflected in our lyrics.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Even Goths are able to hope. We hope to meet personally with the readers of this interview very soon. Listen to our music and follow the news!
