Grima still lives in darkness.

With their sixth album, Nightside, the wooden owl-masked twins Vilhelm (vocals/guitar) and Morbius (guitar) – both members of Ultar and Second To Sun – accompanied by Serpentum (bass), Vlad (drums, Ultar, Morokh), Valentina Astashova (keyboards, Eoront) and Sergey Pastukh (bayan), mark the start of their collaboration with Napalm Records.

The duo are joined on stage by Vlad Yungman (drums, Ultar, Morokh) and Denis Susarev (guitar, Ultar).

The album opens gently with Intro (Cult), where the airy guitar welcomes the bayan, first very slowly and then quite frenetically, before Beyond the Dark Horizon envelops us in its oppressive darkness. The coldness of the riffs has an immediate effect, as does the impressive vocal diversity of Vilhelm, who offers piercing screams and frightening cavernous growls, but the leads are not to be outdone and they easily hypnotize us as they lead us into Flight of the Silver Storm, which celebrates the return of Folk atmospheres. The sound becomes majestic and we find ourselves once again captivated by the soaring harmonics, the omnipresent drums and only brought back to reality by the finale which leads to Skull Gatherers where a soothing haze of sound appears, but the vocal interventions guide our steps in this dark forest, imposing their sometimes much more sustained rhythm on us. The accordion lends an almost festive tone to the virulent rhythm, but the aggression shines through on Impending Death Premonition, the next composition that reveals the different facets of the band’s palette, and even contains a few moments of mystical clean vocals by Savely Nevzorov and Ilya Panyukov. As its name suggests, The Nightside captures us once again in the darkness, first with a soothing lullaby and then with its gripping riffs, but the track is not a long quiet river and waves of violence come to shake it until Where We Are Lost grants us a small moment of respite. The introduction remains rather mysterious, the rhythmic pattern quickly takes on its most imposing form, and despite a few slightly more accessible passages, we find ourselves violently buffeted by the surrounding tumult, which even the break allows us to anticipate and which sweeps us up to the gentleness of Curse of the Void. As its predecessor, Curse of the Void lets us catch our breath, then nails us to the floor again, integrating jerky riffs, Folk tones and clean choirs before the more dissonant, ambient sound of Mist and Fog. The track is wonderfully aptly named, for it’s as if we were in a haunted forest at dusk, guided by a dying light down a wooded tunnel, where we sometimes find ourselves running for our lives before reaching Outro (Memories of a Forgotten Home), the last escape that confirms we’ve reached the end of the road, and that peace reigns once more.

Grima‘s mad dance has taken another turn with Nightside, incorporating ever more diversity and rhythm into their chilling Atmospheric Black Metal. Whether you’re looking to be hypnotized or to encounter pure darkness, the band will convince you.

95/100

Version Française ?

Hello and first of all, thank you very much for your time! How could you introduce the band Grima without using the words “Black Metal”?
Morbius (guitar/bass): Grima is dark, beautiful music that transports the listener deep into the Siberian forest.

Is the band’s name related to Lord of the Rings’ character Grima Wormtongue, or only the Old English or Icelandic word for “mask”? How do you link it to the music you play and the band’s visual identity?
Morbius: The name was created as a proper name. Grima is the name of a character we invented, a guardian spirit of the Siberian forest and its creatures. It sounds dark and strong, which fits the mood of our music. We’re big fans of the band Summoning, who draw heavily from the Lord of the Rings universe. But our Grima is not related to that world.

The band is about to release its sixth album Nightside. How do you feel about it? Do you already have any feedback?
Morbius: Our new album was released on February 28th!

How would you sum Nightside’s identity up in only three words?
Morbius : Nightside is nocturnal, heavy, and melodic.

How did the creation process happen for Nightside? Were there any differences compared to the band’s first records?
Morbius: We put a lot of work into writing the songs for this album. We’ve had a well-established process for years — we start with composing and recording detailed demos to explore the right sound in the studio. Some of the songs were written at night, and the album is infused with the atmosphere of a dark forest. Nightside blends elements from our last two records, while also bringing in many new compositional ideas. We worked on the sound together with our longtime sound engineer Vladimir Lehtinen, who understands us perfectly and helps us get the best result. We record at a fully analog studio and use a wide range of equipment. Our sound is 100% organic — we build it from scratch ourselves, without using any trendy digital presets that are so common in modern production.

The band’s sound is of course anchored in Atmospheric Black Metal and Siberian influences, but how do you create your own touch? Which bands could you quote as your inspirations?
Morbius: We draw inspiration from the stunning and unique nature surrounding our hometown of Krasnoyarsk. As kids, my brother and I discovered heavy music and started collecting CDs. We began with Nu Metal. Korn was always our favorite band. Their approach to crafting a unique sound with layers of guitar effects had a huge influence on us. Later, we dove into more extreme metal genres. Black Metal has always held the top place in our collection. Bands like Immortal, Cradle of Filth, Summoning, Wolves in the Throne Room, Deafheaven, and Paradise Lost shaped our musical identity. We’re also deeply influenced by horror movie soundtracks from the ‘80s and ‘90s. One of our favorite composers is Fabio Frizzi, who scored many of Lucio Fulci’s films.

Do you have a favorite song on this album? Or maybe the hardest one to achieve for the album.
Morbius: I tend to see our albums as a whole, so it’s hard to single out a specific track. But I can say the first part of the album features new stylistic choices we hadn’t explored before. In the middle of the record, you’ll hear clear references to our classic sound.

I noticed a higher contrast between quiet parts and violent ones, like on the song Where We Are Lost, is it done on purpose?
Morbius: Yes, the contrast between calm and explosive parts is intentional. Like the calm before the storm, acoustic passages suddenly give way to relentless blast beats and crushing guitar riffs. These dynamic shifts are meant to intensify the emotional impact on the listener.

Where do you find your inspiration to create music? Is there a concept on Nightside?
Morbius: We’re surrounded by breathtaking nature. Krasnoyarsk is encircled by dense Siberian forests and red mountains with rugged cliffs. Snow covers the ground for five to six months each year, and winter feels never-ending. In winter, we draw inspiration from the cold, dark wilderness. Every summer, we go on hikes into the mountains and raft down the Mana River, which cuts through cliffs and flows into the mighty Yenisei. The new album tells the story of the forest’s nocturnal side, its secrets and dangers that can only be understood after dark. It’s about lost souls wandering the tangled paths. About the Skull Collectors — devoted servants of Grima who gather trophies from the dead to add to their grim collections. It’s a tale of the final resting place for those who find peace in the taiga, of a realm of night shadows, brutal nature, and mysticism.

Do you think you improved yourself as a musician and songwriter with this new record?
Morbius: Growth is inevitable when you’re constantly writing and recording new songs. With this album, we managed to create shorter songs, which allowed us to include more tracks overall. Maybe because of their brevity, some of them turned out to be more catchy. We also experimented more with elements from other Metal subgenres — you’ll hear touches of Doom and Death Metal. Vilhelm enjoys trying out different vocal techniques, using his wide vocal range. I think we’ve matured as musicians.

You worked in collaboration with painter Paolo Girardi, what were the guidelines you gave him for the artwork?
Morbius: The cover was painted by the talented Italian artist Paolo Girardi, known for his massive works for many extreme Metal bands. The image represents the entrance to a Siberian forest at night. We shared our concept with Paolo and sent him the album so he could fully grasp the atmosphere and reflect his vision of our music in the painting.

Nightside is also the first record on new label Napalm Records, how is the collaboration? How did you both get in touch?
Morbius: At the beginning of 2024, Napalm Records reached out to us and offered to release our new album through their label. I believe this happened thanks to our consistent work — every two years, we’ve released a new album and toured. Over the past few years, we’ve played nearly a hundred shows across Europe. The band became more visible to labels, promoters, and festivals. We’ve always wanted to sign with a major label. It’s important for us to have a strong distribution network for our albums and merchandise, which is now possible with the support of the label. Napalm gave us a great team handling promotion and media relations. Now we have a press agent and a production manager.

The band already played a lot of concerts all around the European continent, but I remember a few shows you did in Paris, especially on the boat Péniche Antipode in 2022 then at Glazart in 2024. Do you have some memories to share about those shows? Or even just playing in France.
Morbius: Oh yes! We played our first show in Paris on the boat Péniche Antipode in 2022. In 2023, we performed there again, and due to high demand, we had to play two nights in a row. Those were wild shows! The venue was packed every time, and it got really hot — it was pretty intense for our health, but we made it through. The last time, we played at a proper club. That was the final show of our last tour. We really enjoy playing in France.

In a general way, how do you get prepared to play on stage? What was your best and worst memory about playing live?
Morbius: We don’t have any special pre-show rituals. We usually handle the stage setup ourselves and do a soundcheck. Before going on stage, we put on our makeup and costumes and that’s when the ritual begins.

I don’t want to ask any political opinion with this question, but as a Russian band you often have issues to get your visas approved. How does the war affect the situation for you as a touring band, and as musicians in your country?
Morbius: Getting long-term visas has always been challenging for foreign artists. Now, the waiting times have increased, and not all countries are issuing them. There are also some logistical difficulties when traveling from Russia.

What will happen next for Grima? I’ve seen the band will soon leave for a European tour, then a few festivals (including Hellfest), how do you get prepared for this?
Morbius: On this upcoming European tour, we’ll be playing our new album Nightside live for the first time! Right now, we’re rehearsing intensively, and we really love how the songs sound on stage. Last year, we played a lot of shows and experimented with new elements in our performance. Now, we’ve updated our live sound and stage design. We love taking an artistic approach to our shows — light, sound, costumes, and special effects all play a huge role.

Are there any musicians or artists you would like to collaborate with? Whether it is for one song, or maybe more.
Morbius: There are many artists we’d love to collaborate with. The first names that come to mind are Dani Filth, Abbath, Andy LaRocque, and Mortiis.

What do you know about the French Metal scene? Are there any bands you know and like? What are your favorite bands between all those you’ve toured with?
Morbius: The French Metal scene is truly unique. Some standout names for us are Alcest, Amesoeurs, Griffon, and of course Gojira. Over the years, we’ve shared the stage with many great bands, but our favorite experience was touring with Kanonenfieber. We have a great relationship with them — we help each other with stage setup and always have a good time together.

If you had to organize a concert for Nightside’s release show, which bands would you love to play with? I let you create a poster with Grima and three other bands! Even unrealistic answers are accepted.
Morbius: Grima, Mayhem, Immortal, Cradle of Filth.

Last and funny question: which dish would you compare Grima’s music with?
Morbius: Pea soup.

That was the last question for me, so thank you very much for your time and your music, last words are yours!
Morbius: Listen to the music you love and support the artists who create it