Maria of Copper Mountains - ''It's important not to limit yourself in your creativity.

Sparky
May 14
4 min read

“Maria of Copper Mountains is a musical project that was born in Chelyabinsk. I created it out of a desire to write dark, immersive music and apply my folk vocal skills and knowledge of folklore mythology. I came up with this idea with my musical partner Nikita (we had previously written other music) and we decided that black metal was a good medium for expressing the right mood and atmosphere. So, it was never an end in itself, but rather a good tool.

Founded by Maria Azanova in 2022 Maria Of Copper Mountains is a musical project that draws inspiration from beautiful melodies and the power of black metal. The remarkable self-titled debut album reflects this across seven induvial tracks, It is a fully immersive experience that is emotional, grandiose, personal and reflected in both the modern and traditional soundscapes.

‘’The main source of inspiration is, of course, Russian folklore. There are many references to folklore in the lyrics. For example, the song "Sviatki" plays out the story of a peasant woman, once recorded by researchers on a folklore expedition. And some songs use the lyrics of ancient songs entirely, even melodies (for example, in the songs "Lullaby" and "White Birdie"). We wrote all the songs on the album pretty quickly; it took about half a year. But the mixing process turned out to be long, the album was at this stage for almost a year, it was quite difficult psychologically, because I really wanted to release it as soon as possible.

Its bold and ambitious yet also beautiful and fragile. Was it important to have a wide range of emotions?

‘’Yes, one of the main ideas of the album was to combine beauty and tenderness with madness and grief. I think we did it.

Combining various vocals styles form the beautiful to the harsh?

‘’Yes, of course, all the vocals in the songs don't exist without purpose; in some cases, they exist as a dialogue. For example, in the song "Sviatki," which features two characters – a girl who accidentally summons evil spirits and the devil. In other cases, the addition of extreme vocals is intended to express the right emotion, to immerse the listener in the desired atmosphere.

The use of haunting melodies with black metal?

‘’I think, first of all, the use of black metal is designed to immerse you in the right atmosphere, to create a specific space. I like black metal precisely because it has a fairly wide palette and you can easily add the right colors and shades.

На той стороне (On the Other Side) what inspired its modern sound?

‘’It's a song about war. About how the forest takes those who fight on its soil and how a girl says goodbye to her lover who's leaving for war. That's why it's quite energetic, but it also has elements of melancholy. The title riff is pretty epic; I wrote it long before we started making it into a song. I think the riff was inspired by Grima. When the vocal melody for the chorus was written, it seemed to me that it sounded very much like a typical symphonic metal melody, but that's not surprising – my favorite band ever is Within Temptation.

Белой пташечкой (White Birdie) is the opposite? A beautiful folk inspired melody?

‘’Yes, this is a completely authentic folk song – from the melody to the lyrics. Despite its beauty, it's a very sad song. It's about a girl who is given away in marriage to a man she doesn't love. She transforms into a white birdie and, in this form, watches as her mother and father weep for her. At the end of the song, the bird crashes to the ground, unable to bear her own grief.

The charm and power of Lullaby?

"Lullaby" is the first song we wrote for the album. Nikita showed me his demo for his project; initially it was a classic slow doom song. After listening to it, I realized that one of my favourite folk songs fits perfectly on this instrumental, so it was decided to slightly rework the style of the demo and take it into my project. That's why the song has such a specific groove and energy. I also sing differently here, using a more authentic folk singing technique.

The power of nature? And its influence on your music?

‘’Of course, there are images of nature in the album, but they are not the main inspiration The album's primary inspiration, however, is ancient songs, folklore stories, and human relationships set in a specific, semi-magical environment.

The significance of staying loyal to your Slavic Heritage and its traditions?

‘’At this stage, it was important for me to meticulously convey the authentic, genuine folk tradition in my work, albeit in a somewhat reworked form. But I don't always rely on this ancient heritage in my work, even though it is crucial. For example, the song "Ocean – Blue Sea" has nothing of this. After all, it's important not to limit yourself in your creativity.

The importance of presenting a true expression of oneself through your music or art?

’I think this is the most important thing in my life.

Final thoughts?

‘’I'm glad the album is receiving so many positive reviews. We certainly won't stop there. I hope we can start creating new material very soon.

Top 6 favourite albums of all time?

1. Pink Floyd – The Wall

2. Within Temptation – The Heart of Everything

3. Madonna – Ray of Light

4. Lana Del Rey – Ultraviolence

5. Srub – Скорбь (Mourn)

6. Villagers of Ioannina City – Age of Aquarius

Streaming platforms: http://band.link/UOddj