Hi again! =) Your first album, The Mysteries of Fate, revolved around cycles, myth, and rebirth. The new one feels much darker in spirit. How did the idea for Mara Comes and Darkness Shall Reign first take shape?
Hi again! The idea came to life on its own already during the writing of the music, since, as you’ve noted, the material turned out much darker than our debut.
Mara is a figure tied to nightmares and death in Slavic folklore. What drew you to her as the central symbol, and how did she shape the album’s story?
Mara is the goddess of winter and death, and all of that is an inseparable part of our earthly existence. The album is by no means dedicated specifically to this character. Rather, she serves as an image that crystallizes the main concept of our second creation—darkness and its manifestations.
Darkness isn’t only destructive – it can also be creative, even transformative. What sides of darkness did you want to capture this time?
Absolutely true! We tried to explore different sides and facets of darkness on our second album. Be it something destructive, like in Winds of the Ancient Pantheons, or creative and transformative, like in Nine Days on the Gallows Tree; suffocating and hopeless, like in When the Ravens Flow Through My Veins; or warlike and fearless, like in Through Time, Death and the Beast Within.
Ritual and esoteric imagery come through strongly in the music. Was that something you set out to emphasize, or did it appear naturally in the writing process?
Rituals, practices, esotericism—they are an inseparable part of our art. They were, are, and always will be.
When it comes to the lyrics, what themes or images do you feel are at the heart of this record?
Our second album is a conceptual creation about the various manifestations of darkness—its images, its influence, its power, its majesty. All of this formed the basis of the lyrics.
The title itself – Mara Comes and Darkness Shall Reign – sounds almost like a prophecy. Do you see it as a reflection of the world today, or more as a timeless, mythic statement?
I’ve never really thought of the title in that sense. The madness happening in the world today can, of course, be tied to our concept, but as you said—it’s more of a timeless mythic statement. Though again, the last song of the album, Born From The Ashes Of War touches on a realm of darkness connected with war, so perhaps everyone will decide for themselves what message we wanted to convey.
Looking back at The Mysteries of Fate, in what ways do you think this new album continues that journey, and where does it break new ground?
A new album means a new chapter in our art. We only move forward, without looking back. We write only what feels relevant and interesting to us at a given moment. The albums turned out to be very different—not just conceptually, but also in atmosphere. At the same time, we never had the idea of simply making two albums unlike each other. It all happened naturally.
You’ve said before that some of your lyrics are tied to personal experiences. Did anything from your own lives make its way into this album in a more direct way?
Yes, as I mentioned earlier, rituals and practices are an inseparable part of our lives. And sometimes all of that gets out of control. The brightest example is the song When the Ravens Flow Through My Veins. Just watch the video and you’ll understand everything. We still pay huge attention to visualization of images and to details.
And finally – do you imagine staying with this conceptual, myth-inspired path in future albums, or do you feel Schreigarm could move in other directions down the road? Thank you for your time!
We’ll see what happens next. We ourselves are curious about what the next album will be like. Will it be as conceptual as the first two, or will it tell several completely different stories—we don’t yet know. One thing I can say for sure: we won’t repeat ourselves. It will definitely be different in atmosphere. We’ve already started collecting material, and so far everything looks promising and exciting. But let’s stay focused on Mara Comes and Darkness Shall Reign—the album comes out on September 12th, and that’s not to be missed! Thanks for the great questions and having us. Horns UP!
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