INTERVIEW WITH VILHELM AND MORBIUS BY JILLIAN DRACHMAN
The black metal powerhouse Grima has returned with its sixth studio album, Nightside. As Grima’s first release with the celebrated Napalm Records, Nightside contains the elements of a crowd-pleaser and represents an important moment in the band’s career.
Unrelenting vocal attacks pummel, as intoxicating melodies and alluring accents work their spellbinding magic throughout. The immersive atmospheres transport the audience directly into the freezing heart of the Siberian forests. Nightside is a polished and carefully crafted modern offering that still retains the rawness and authenticity of black metal’s roots. This majestic yet raw tribute to Russian nature presents listeners with a fresh take on the genre, seeing as Grima has cultivated a distinctive creative voice by way of daring choices. Without further ado, we spoke with the brothers behind Grima—Vilhelm and Morbius.
Nightside seems destined to be a huge success. Could you tell us about the creative process?
Vilhelm: The lyrics on this album continue the core concept of Grima. We create a mystical world around our music. I always write the lyrics after the full arrangement is ready—my words and vocals tie all the melodies together into a single whole. The songwriting process itself remains a dual effort. We always start with the guitar parts—they’re the foundation of our music. This time, we were inspired by the theme of night in art and its mystical symbolism. The new album is music for the children of the night.
Morbius: Writing music is a deeply personal process for us. We compose every song together. Some tracks start out as individual ideas, but in the end, we refine everything collaboratively. Typically, we create a detailed demo of the album with the arrangement we plan to use in the studio. We also have musicians who help us during the recording process.
When did you begin working on Nightside?
Vilhelm: We started writing music in the summer of 2023. By September, we had already recorded the drums, and we spent the entire autumn recording guitars and searching for a fresh sound. We used a lot of analog equipment. We love working the old-school way like bands from the 90s and early 2000s. Blending analog and digital elements works well for us. A lot of the gear we use has been collected over the years. No matter where we record, we bring our own setup to create an authentic, signature sound.
Morbius: We had an amazing time on tour supporting Frostbitten [2022], and that energy carried over into our enthusiasm for making a new record. It was important to us that this album showcases our strongest qualities. Each song tells a story and immerses the listener in the haunting beauty of the Siberian forest. Some of the tracks were initially imagined in our cabin in the woods, which is about an hour’s drive from the city. That’s where we usually record acoustic instruments. By the time we entered the studio, we had a clear vision of how we wanted the album to sound. The recording process itself went smoothly. We had a great time working on it.
Did your vision for the album evolve as you progressed with it? Did you make any discoveries along the way?
Vilhelm: We always go with the flow when working on new music. It’s a natural process for us. I never know in advance if a song will turn out good or bad. We just try to stay true to ourselves and be honest in our music. Every record should have an element of adventure. New ideas always involve risks, but that’s how you grow. We try to keep that spirit alive in our recordings.
Morbius: The studio process always transforms an album. It’s like a sound workshop where we experiment and develop ideas for each track. That’s when the album truly takes shape. One of the biggest surprises this time was how naturally we managed to blend unconventional rhythmic and sonic choices within our own interpretation of black metal.
There are several special appearances on Nightside. Sergey Pastukh returned on bayan and Valentina Astashova added keys yet again. What was it like collaborating with each of the guests?
Vilhelm: They’re incredible musicians. We’ve been working with them since our first albums. We always come into the studio with demo versions of our songs, where most of the arrangements are already in place. That way, the recording process is structured and efficient. Some of their parts follow melodies we’ve prepared, while others are entirely their own interpretation. They bring their artistry into the world of Grima.
Morbius: We’ve developed a strong working relationship over the years. We give them full creative freedom to bring their ideas to life. Every collaboration has been a major contribution to Grima’s sound.
The harsh vocals really pack an effective punch. In contrast, the acoustic guitars play like ear candy. One unexpected component is the addition of chanting. Do you ever visit churches for inspiration?
Vilhelm: We recorded the clean vocals in a choir-like style, as we’re big fans of Summoning, and we wanted to do something similar but in our own style. Definitely, Orthodox Church singing is something we’re familiar with, but we are more influenced by extreme metal or classic horror movie soundtracks. We love creating songs with a narrative flow, where aggression gives way to melancholic beauty.
Have you ever encountered any opposition from the Orthodox Church?
Vilhelm: Some bands in Russia do face concert cancellations and even get blacklisted, but most of them aren’t metal acts. It’s sad, but similar things may happen anywhere when it comes to extreme forms of art.
Morbius: Our themes and aesthetic are relatively harmless, so we’ve never encountered any cancellations. However, in the past, there have been cases where metal shows were canceled due to concerns over extreme imagery or violent lyrics, even when the bands were foreign and sang in English.
The song titles on Nightside are in English, but the lyrics are in Russian. Would you agree that performing in Russian adds an extra allure for international audiences?
Vilhelm: The phonetics of a language have a huge impact on how vocals sound. It’s part of our identity. Plus, I don’t have to pretend—this is my native language, and it allows me to express myself fully as a songwriter. It gives our songs a raw, direct quality that we wouldn’t achieve in English. In black metal, it’s quite common for bands to sing in their native language. Culturally, that’s very important for the genre. It creates a rich musical geography, where bands from different countries contribute to the genre with their own unique identity.
Did you encounter any production challenges along the way?
Vilhelm: Fortunately, everything went smoothly during the recording. We had full control over the process. Studio production is something we truly understand and love. Working with all the microphones and dials is pure enjoyment, though the real challenge is knowing when to stop tweaking things. The album was mixed by Vladimir Lehtinen, and he did an outstanding job as usual, or maybe even better than usual.
The visual components of Grima are fascinating. You garnered much attention with the videos for “Skull Gatherers” and “Flight of the Silver Storm.” What was it like making them? Did you have much creative input?
Vilhelm: Both videos were filmed in the forests surrounding our city. Shooting outdoors is always difficult. You have to transport a generator and all the other equipment, and the filming locations are never easily accessible. Winter shoots are even more challenging, not just because of the cold, but also because the equipment doesn’t always work properly at -25°C. We work with a small team, so we often have to come up with creative solutions on the spot. Both videos take us into the realm of the forest lord Grima, where his servants wander through twisted paths, deep swamps, and icy voids.
Morbius: We’re surrounded by incredibly beautiful nature, which can easily rival the Nordic landscapes. We’re happy that we can share our artistic vision and music with the world, drawing inspiration from the Siberian wilderness we live in. Out of the three videos we prepared for the album, the winter shoot was by far the most difficult. “The Flight of the Silver Storm” video was filmed within the city limits. The nature shots, taken by drone, feature the “Manskaya Petlya”—a stunning, winding section of the Mana River, which flows into the Yenisei. The river meanders around rocky mountains where bears and other wild animals roam. It’s a breathtaking place with an observation deck offering a panoramic view, but we needed drone footage to truly capture the scale of this mesmerizing landscape. We also filmed on the banks of the Yenisei. Every single day of shooting, the temperature was below -20°C. The first day of filming was December 29, 2023. We had been working on this video for a long time. Moving equipment through deep snow is difficult, especially in such extreme cold. Filming “Skull Gatherers” took place in September and October. We scheduled four separate shooting days at different locations. We had to explore the forest quite a bit to find the perfect spots. The most challenging part was finding a swamp where we could actually play guitar while standing waist-deep in water. It was a bit risky because the ground could easily start pulling you under. This was also our first time filming a video entirely in daylight. Working with natural light is tough — every single take looked different due to shifting clouds, and moving shadows would ruin continuity in the edit. To control the lighting, we had to stretch black fabric over frames to block out unwanted sunlight. Now, our third video is complete. This time, we focused more on the visual aspects of our band. It was a massive effort to plan and bring this idea to life. Interestingly, it’s also the first video we’ve shot outside the forest.
Nightside is your sixth album. How would you describe your evolution as a band?
Morbius: Every one of our albums carries elements of the previous ones, acting as a new step in our musical development. As a band, we’re maturing, and we’re constantly learning how to make our music more interesting. Over these 10 years, we’ve gone from being a studio project to a full-fledged touring band. We’ve built up a lot of experience and history together.
Vilhelm: We’ve been doing this for 10 years now, and we look back on our journey with pride. That’s a significant amount of time, and we’ve accomplished a lot along the way. For us, it feels like magic.
Notably, Nightside marks your first offering with the esteemed Napalm Records. What has been your relationship been like thus far.
Vilhelm: We’re really excited about this collaboration. It’s a big step forward for us. Napalm reached out with an offer at the beginning of last year. Our previous album, Frostbitten, did quite well, and the European tour in support of it was a success. We got a great response from audiences. It was really rewarding to receive such a solid offer after all that hard work.
Morbius: After Frostbitten came out, we received several offers from major labels, but these days, working with bands from Russia can be complicated. Napalm understands exactly how to work with us. Now, we have an incredible team at Napalm that’s working hard to promote our new album. We’re in contact with them daily, and there’s a lot of work being done. We really appreciate their approach towards our band.
What are your hopes for your European tour this year? Also, what has surprised you most about being on the road?
Vilhelm: We’re really looking forward to hitting the road and performing the new album live. It’s going to be a packed schedule, and we love playing as many shows as possible. As for surprises, well, the state of club bathrooms can be quite an experience sometimes.
Morbius: We’re going to see a lot of beautiful cities, which is always exciting. We love visiting new places and meeting our audience. Every tour is a huge opportunity for us to bring our ceremonies to life in the most vivid way possible. We’re working very hard on our new show.
Have you begun working on new material? Are there any plans for the future, besides your shows, that you would be willing to reveal?
Vilhelm: We’re still wrapping up everything related to Nightside. It’s not time for new material just yet. We need to fully absorb this latest work. Right now, our focus is on upcoming tours and the experiences they’ll bring.
Since you’re brothers, can you speak about how that has enhanced your artistic understanding?
Vilhelm: We share the same interests and artistic vision when it comes to music. We grew up together and learned to play heavy music side by side. We have our own musical language.
Morbius: We’ve been doing this together our entire lives. There’s a deep connection between us and a shared understanding of how to approach art.
Did you both start to experiment with music at the same time?
Vilhelm: We both picked up the electric guitar around the age of 12. At first, we had just one guitar between us, but pretty soon, our parents bought a second one. They saw how passionate we were and supported us. We took lessons from a guitarist from a local heavy metal band. Once we had some basic skills, we started learning riffs from our favorite songs, from “Spirit Crusher” by Death to “Mother North” by Satyricon. Later, I got into vocals. I would scream along to my favorite albums by Immortal and Cradle of Filth. I relied on instinct and quickly found the sound I was looking for.
How has being from Krasnoyarsk, with its unique climate, and Russia, with its folklore and traditions, influenced your music?
Vilhelm: Our city is surrounded by taiga and red mountains. We’ve always been close to nature. Sometimes nature’s beauty appears almost mystical, which goes along well with Grima’s concept. We often go on long hikes, disappear into the mountains for weeks, and travel down mighty rivers. Those are our places of power.
