Welicoruss

Formation

Initially founded as a solo project by Alexey Boganov in 2002, several demos were self-produced early on before becoming a full band in 2005. Their first full-length album, called "WinterMoon Symphony",^[2] was released in 2008 and their second album, "Apeiron",^[3] followed shortly after in 2009. Both albums were released on the major Russian label CD-Maximum, before the band broke the contract with their label in 2009.

The Early Years

Welicoruss was one of the first Symphonic Black Metal to roam in Siberia, Russia. Being pioneers at Symphonic Black Metal in Russia, Welicoruss grew extremely fast reaching out throughout the whole of Russia. The first album "WinterMoon Symphony", made such a huge impact in the scene that Welicoruss got invited to play on one stage with many bands like Gorgoroth, Samael, Moonspell, Cynic, etc.

The band received a huge recognition from all the Metal Magazines and was featured in issue #47 of the Russian print publication Dark City Magazine, gaining them further recognition.^[4] In 2009 the band did their first Headlining tour throughout a huge part of Russia, making Welicoruss one of the first Symphonic Black Metal bands to tour Russia, if not one of the first bands in this genre that toured Russia. The tour was name "WinterMoon Symphony Tour" and the tour was a little bit over 11.000 km long.^[5] Right after the tour the band also performed with the legendary Norse Viking black metal band, Helheim in 2009.

Little bit later the band was contacted by a big list of labels from Europe (mostly German and Austrian) & America too. But the band decided not take any offers as they didn't find the offers appealing, as it didn't make much sense for the band to switch to other label. In 2009 also comes out the release of the second Welicoruss album entitled "Apeiron" which shown a completely different feeling than the previous album. On the second album Welicoruss digs really deep in the Melodic, Epic and also a Death Metal vibe. Some magazines were also writing that the second album had a lot of Children of Bodom and Sonata Arctica feeling to it. Naturally the album "Apeiron" did feel more death, melodic/death and power, while still resonating that Welicrouss symphonic epic sound..^[6]

As success was growing in Russia, you can find dozens of students across the whole of Russia using Welicoruss music for theatrical, ballet and other kind of cultural performances. The symphonic element that Welicoruss delivers didn't only capture the metal-heads but also all the other music listeners out there. One of those videos can be seen here. Not only that but the leader of the band Alexey Boganov was invited to the Nation Russian TV to introduce his band and to inform the public more about Black Metal and how the scene is taking place in the whole of Russia. The video with the interview can be seen here.

On July 31, 2011 the band released an EP entitled "Kharnha", which consisted of four new songs and an orchestral version of the track Kharnha. As soon as this release has seen the light of the day it was clear that the bands sound was getting a tighter grip and slowly forming into something that Welicoruss has been developing for years. Right after the EP release labels didn't rest and continued to write Welicoruss, but the band didn't want to sign any new record deals and denied all of the offers, as they were not good enough. Somewhere in October 2011 the band decided to sign a distribution deal with the America-based record label Domestic Genocide Records.^[7] The only reason for doing so, was for the band to start expanding its horizons to America and also start to look for new fans outside of Russia too.

On December 12 of 2011 Welicoruss presented their new music video for "Kharnha" at "Rock City Club" in Novosibirsk. The video was shot by Imperium Studios under the direction of Alexander Tsurupa and Alexander Semko and features classic Russian-Scandinavian themes with the participation of the historical reconstruction group "Steel Fist" and model Sofia Sonador.

On November 2012 the new videoclip “Sons of the North” was published on YouTube. Directed by Alexey Boganov and shot by “EYE Cinema” studio, it tells about man, who accidentally awakened the sons of the north; killed by a witch, they now seek for a vengeance.

Move to Europe

After sometime Welicoruss gained a pioneer reputation in Russia, Alexey Boganov started considering moving to Europe and creating a new life for Welicoruss. Such opportunity appeared only because Welicoruss has reached its peak in the Symphonic Black Metal scene in Russia. The band had literally nowhere to grow and if it did want to see a bigger future, the only possibility was to move to Europe. After a long discussion the band members came to no agreement and none of them wanted to leave Russia. At the time being the leader of the band, Alexey Boganov left he had no other option, but to just stop the band in its existing form, move and recruit new band members.

In autumn of 2013 Alexey has already moved to Prague and continued on his quest to restart the whole band with a new fresh blood pumping. Right at his arrival he meet the Serbian guitarist Gojko Marić, who did the same thing. Gojko was found at pretty much the same situation with his band and also other personal life situations, where he decided to move to Central Europe and form a band of his own in the style of Symphonic Black Metal and start touring all over Europe. After some talking, the two came to a match and decided to work together continuing the project of Welicoruss. Where by the beginning of 2014, the two have already found rest of the band members and formed the band once again, in its new form.

During the preparation of the new long-awaited album that was postponed due to the bands move to Europe, the band came to a minor change. Where Alexey Boganov has left the guitar out as his performing duty to focus on singing and stage performance and at the same time having one guitar would allow the band to created a perfect sonic clarity they were looking to deliver.

In the middle of 2014, Welicoruss was invited to play their first European shows with Arkona. In 2014 the band was not that active live but they a very little number of shows as they were finalising, recording, mixing & mastering their third up-coming album "Az Esm'".

The band was unfortunately completely unknown in Europe but its uniqueness and distinct Symphonic style infused with Black Metal started to pull peoples attention and they got invited to participate on the “Made of Metal” as a headliner act and “Under the Dark Moon” as a co-headliner act in Czech Republic.

2015

The band was working hard and booked around 60 shows in 2015, playing as many as towns as possible. The band started quite fast to gain popularity and invited to play in Serbia on the Legendary Exit Festival. This was the first bands life show performed with fire on stage. Welicoruss also got invited to play on the Wolfszeit Festival to present their new album "Az Esm'", which echoed hugely amongst the German fans. They were invited to play on the biggest Slovakian Gothoom Festival. By the end of the 2015, Welicoruss managed to share stage with bands such as: Septic Flesh, Insomnium, Agalloch, Napalm Death, Nuclear Assault, Root, Therion, Haggard, Ensiferum, Alestorm, Amaranthe, Heidevolk, Dream Evil, Sirenia, and many more.^[8]

The band looked for other ways to expand their popularity and promote themselves even more, here is one of the TV commercial which was rotating on the Czech Television. And besides that, Welicoruss's appearance on the Radio's across the whole Europe was unstoppable. And as a chary on the top the band released their new video clip entitled after the album "Az Esm'". Which showed the true face of Welicoruss, the real progressiveness and vastness to compose different music and deliver different ideas. ^[9]

2016

Welicoruss "Az Esm'" 2016 tour date flyer which was printed in 2015 and is actually missing a lot of dates that were booked later on.

The band got invited to play more shows and as a result, booking around 80 shows and reaching new countries and towns they have never played before. Reaching a new public and a great number of fans, the "Best of" Compilation CD was released. The CD featured 6 best songs, yet very different sounding and showing the band's skills to compose very progressive sounding music. Due to the big fuss being spread around about Welicoruss and their music, they were the only Siberian band in Europe, especially in Symphonic Black Metal, marking yet another opportunity to spread their name. The band was very fast amongst the people called "Symphonic Black Metal From The Coldest Depths of Siberia", as that's how people mostly felt their music and stage performance combined together. Hence the reason the "Best of CD" was entitled "Symphonic Black Metal From The Coldest Depths of Siberia". Because of the huge success the band was reaching they printed 20.000 copies of the "Best of CD". ^[10]

2017

2017 was one of the most turbulent but yet important years for the development of the band Welcoruss, as said by Gojko Marić^[11]. Just two years in, touring in Europe. Welicoruss decided to go on their first headlining tour together with a German band Wolves Den, which consist of two former Equilibrium members: Manuel DiCamillo & Helge Stang. The tour was entitled "Darkness Descents Tour" which consisted of 25 dates, almost a whole month. The band's success is reaching its peak at this moment, as their 20.000 printed CD of the Best of are almost gone. They decided to print another 20.000 CD's. And push their success and to reach an audience of 40,000 across the whole continent of Europe. This is the also the year that Welicoruss got invited and performed on the biggest metal festival in the world Hellfest. This year is looking very strong as the band had around 120 shows booked. ^[12]

Right after the Hellfest performance the band bassist decided to leave the band, because of the mutual disagreement and personal reasons inside the band. Leading the band under a lot of pressure for them to find another member and also prepare his for another 60 or shows they had left to perform till the end of 2017. Right after that, their drummer "Ilya Tabacnik" had a medical operation which was a as doctors said near death experience, because if they have not operated he could have died. Right after the pile of bad news, the band has stubble upon as they were preparing and composing their new album, the studio the have with all of their gear and everything got flooded by a toilet pipe breaking and filling the whole place with water. It ended as a total disaster for the band forcing them to stop composing and repair all of their instruments and the room too. Shortly during this period there were some mentions about them having problems with a van too, and needing to buy a new one.^[13]

2018

In April the band officially announced that they started composing the new album, entitled "Siberian Heathen Horde". The band is also continuing its intense "live performance reputation" and a lot of shows will be featuring few of the tracks of the up-coming album.^[14]

Demos

• 2002 — "WinterMoon Symphony"
• 2004 — "WinterMoon Symphony" [2nd Version]

Studio Albums

• 2008 — "WinterMoon Symphony"
• 2009 — "Apeiron"
• 2015 — "Az Esm'"

Compilations

• 2002 — "Siberian xXx-treme 2" (WinterMoon Symphony, Pt. 2)
• 2006 — "Agarta. Young rock of Siberia" — (Mermaid)
• 2007 — "Siberian Death Metal" — (Apeiron)
• 2011 — "Kharnha" EP, self-produced, free download
• 2012 — "Apeiron/Kharnha" LP, previously released material, Domestic Genocide Records
• 2012 — "Untitled Album" LP, Domestic Genocide Records
• 2016 — "Best of Welicoruss [Symphonic Black Metal From The Coldest Depth of Siberia]"

Music videos

• 2007 — "Slavonic Power" (WCG)
• 2008 — "Blizzard" (WCG)
• 2009 — "Slava Rusi" (WCG)
• 2011 — "Kharnha" (Imperium Studio)
• 2012 — "Sons of the North" (EYE Cinema)
• 2015 — "Az Esm" (EYE Cinema)

Timeline