CR: To many (at least over here in Costa Rica) the Russian metal scene is still very underground, not many bands make it out of Russia, what can you tell us of the birth of Hatecraft, and what kind of obstacles did you guys have to face before actually putting the band together?
Stepashkin Alexander: Hatecraft was formed in September of 2002, when I 1st met Stoneface we started to rehearse a couple of mine and his riffs. Soon 5 songs were ready to record and we started a demo recording. Just before it we had found the drummer Boris Oreshkin. He advised us to recruit talented keyboard player Alexey Tkachov, they played together in a band before. After the demo Dmitry Volkov came in the band as lead guitarist.
As for troubles and obstacles we had them a lot! Lack of time, money, infrastructure of metal magazines, clubs and so on. Russian labels just want to “milk” the bands they‘ve signed and give no support. Almost everything is done by the bands themselves.

CR: It says in you biography that the Hatecraft is from Ryazan, what can you tell us about that city or town? (I don’t know much about Russia, so I’m intrigued by it), how’s the metal scene in your hometown?
Stepashkin Alexander: Our town is not big and one of the most ancient in Russia. Also one of the poorest =(
There are not many good metal bands here – five or six, the rest are a crap – they just want to booze and fascinate girls, not work hard.
Some of the best Russian metal bands are: Hieronymus Bosch, Stalwart, Forest Stream, Rossomahaar, Mechanical Poet. Most of them are from Moscow.

CR: Hatecraft released “Lost Consolation” this past year, what was the goal with this album, what did you guys wanted to achieve with the record?
Stepashkin Alexander: We wish to get a good contract of course! Also to promote our band abroad. I hope we’ll do it. We‘ve worked really hard for this, trying to make a good product and many people helped us in the way.

CR: I have to be honest with you, I came across Hatecraft by mistake, a friend of mine gave me some mp3’s to listen to an in the mix there was your band, I first listen to Don't Leave Me Apart and it really grab me by the balls; I couldn’t get enough of the song, the fast parts of it, the chorus, the riffs, well you know I kind of feel in love with it (the song not you..Jajajaja); what would you say is the spirit or the soul of Hatecraft, what moves you guys to make the music that you make?
Stepashkin Alexander: I do not know what to say… Hm… We try to be honest in creating the songs and all of them are about what we feel and think. Our combination of melodic stuff, gloom and aggressiveness is perfect for us. In the next album we‘ll make accent on speed and rigidity.

CR: To me Lost Consolation is an album that a Swedish band should have released instead of a Russian one (I said this because the album is great, the kind of record a band like Soilwork should have release instead of the terrible “Stabbing the drama”), is the whole Gothenburg metal sound a big influence to you personally?
Stepashkin Alexander: I was a huge fan of Swedish melodic death metal –Soilwork, At The Gates, Dark Tranquility, In Flames, but it was not the only metal we listened. Slipknot, System Of A Down, Carcass, Death, Opeth, Anathema, Behemoth, Edguy and lots more… They influenced us all, more or less. Our 1st album “Finally Free” was similar to Soilwork’s “A Predator’s Portrait” – we were shocked at that time by this album. In the second album we try to avoid imitating the whole Swedish Melodic Death sound.

CR: Lost Consolation is Hatecraft’s second full length record, (I haven’t have the pleasure of listening to your first material), what would you say is different in this album, comparing it with your previous one “Finally Free”?
Stepashkin Alexander: It’s gloomier, a lot of variations in the riffs, more clean vocals and some electronic stuff.

CR: How was the writing and recording of Lost Consolation, how do you guys work when it comes to compose music and what helps you get inspired in order to write the songs?
Stepashkin Alexander: The material for the album was written during one year, we improved it a lot… Also we got help from outstanding musicians of the Mechanical Poet band – Lex Plotnikoff and Max Samosvat lift this album up to very high standards. We started recordings in July 2005 in Navaho Hut Sound and finished it in September in Finnvox Studio (masterpiece mastering by Minerva Pappi)

CR: Do you guys have a confirmed record deal? Because Finally Free, was done with CD-Maximum if I’m not mistaken; are you guys still working with them?
Stepashkin Alexander: Yes, we continue to work with them – they offer the best conditions in Russia and kept us free for other European labels.

	Pic courtesy of: Hatecraft "We try to be honest in creating the songs and all of them are about what we feel and think. Our combination of melodic stuff, gloom and aggressiveness is perfect for us. In the next album we‘ll make accent on speed and rigidity"

CR: Going back to Lost Consolation; the record has some electronic sounds placed in the mix, what did you guys think this effects or sounds provide to the general sound of the record? Are they essential to the new album or are they just extra features?
Stepashkin Alexander: It’s just little add to the sound and I think is not shocking for old school metal fans, but with it we like our songs more and they are more modern.

CR: The album is very melodic metal, I think that there is no doubt about it; in your opinion what does Hatecraft has that manages to distinguishes the band from other bands playing melodic death metal?
Stepashkin Alexander: I think this is for listeners to decide…

CR: There are two songs in Lost Consolation that really kick major ass!!! Fear Of Life & Terror Of Death and my personal favorite Don't Leave Me Apart, would you please explain each song? You know the lyrics and the ideas behind the music in both tracks.
Stepashkin Alexander: Don’t Leave Me Apart is about a man who searches for the truth during his lifetime and only his belief helps him stay clear.
Fear Of Life & Terror Of Death – is a hymn of despair. There’s no heaven on earth and nothing will change, everything is going worse. What’s for to live? Life on earth is senseless and painful, but every human being is afraid of death.

CR: Probably this question is going to be answered very quickly; what’s the idea of the track Sad Short Story, why did you guys considered important to place and instrumental piece on the record?
Stepashkin Alexander: This track was written during the recording session and we liked it a lot – so we decided to include it in the album – this instrumental is a zest, which make Lost Consolation more multifarious.

CR: I really like the use of keyboards on the record, they are present in the majority of the songs but they don’t get overused, there for they end up adding some sort of melancholy to every song with out making them too mellow, how do you guys do to select the sections on the songs where the keyboards should be played?
Stepashkin Alexander: I guess that keyboards should be played with all riffs. =) All parts of keyboards were composed by Alexey Tkachov; he did it so quickly and cool! Every single one of his solos or pads are very musical and melodic so we have no difficulties with keyboard sections.

CR: Lost Consolation goes from fast, powerful death metal to beautiful melodies using some clean vocals and great guitar riffs; how do you guys arrange or time the places in which the songs should be fast and where they should slow down?
Stepashkin Alexander: The material must be a variety of sounds and not boring, and if we feel that “here have to be tempo\ behavior change” we do it.

CR: What can you tell us of your first album “Finally Free”, I read that only you and Kharavin Alexander wrote that album, was it hard to accomplish? Is Lost Consolation did the other members of the band wrote some songs? What about the goal that you had for the general sound of Finally Free?
Stepashkin Alexander: It wasn’t hard, but the album is not as good as Lost Consolation, which was written by the whole band. The sound of FF is weak – we had no money for normal studio and had no experience in album producing.

CR: How is Lost Consolation doing in record sales? How did Finally Free do in this same aspect?
Stepashkin Alexander: Lost Consolation sales good – more Cd’s for 1 month that Finally Free during a year.

CR: You said in a previous interview “European labels prefer to sign European bands – it’s easy to understand why: no problem with visas and it’s a pity to say Russians are disliked by Europeans” (I read that in this web site http://webplaza.pt.lu/infest/InterviewHatecraft.htm) has that situation changed for Hatecraft or the whole visas and discrimination topics are still hurting the band and many other Russian bands?
Stepashkin Alexander: It is so and the situation changes very slowly.

	Pic courtesy of: Hatecraft "The material must be a variety of sounds and not boring, and if we feel that “here have to be tempo\ behavior change” we do it"

CR: Would you guys consider leaving Russia to pursue a better career in metal? Where would you go if the opportunity presented it self?
Stepashkin Alexander: It is not easy to get citizen status in a European country, also it’s hard to destroy our usual order of life and create new in an unfamiliar place. Now it’s not rational to move abroad, but as for me I would be happy to live in Finland – this is my favorite European country.

CR: How would you describe Hatecraft music in just three words?
Stepashkin Alexander: Gloomy, melodic, and aggressive.

CR: What about touring, what has been the biggest tour in which the band has been involved? Are you guys planning a new tour?
Stepashkin Alexander: It was “Hate Is Reality Tour” in Ukraine during 2 weeks. It was really great, fans were mad and metal!! Now we are thinking over some offers about new tours in Ukraine and Russia.

CR: What have you heard of the Latin America metal movement?
Stepashkin Alexander: Very little bit. I know Buffalo and Avernal from Argentina and nothing more. Shame on me =(

CR: What does “sell out” means two you?
Stepashkin Alexander: It means that something is sold and nothing more =)

CR: Are you guys just musicians or do you have “day jobs” if so what do you do other than music?
Stepashkin Alexander: Of course we have day jobs for providing finances for the band and we need money to live. I have a little music store, 2 guitarists are salesmen, the drummer is a builder, and the keyman is a programmer.

CR: What do you see in the future for Hatecraft?
Stepashkin Alexander: I like to dream that we will be metalstars. =)

CR: Well Stepan it’s been a real pleasure, I just wanted to tell you that Lost Consolation is a great album, and I hope you get the recognition you deserve; if there is something else that you would like to add, please do.
Stepashkin Alexander: Thanx a lot, it was a nice interview. Also thank you for lots of good words about our music, it’s so pleasant! =)