Usually the bands we cover in this kind of features have a female vocalist or are all-girl. However, this is not the rule. FemMetal doesn’t stand for Female-fronted Metal. It is Feminist Metal. And so our range of coverage would be every woman performing in the Rock and Metal scenes, even if they’re not the vocalists of their respective bands. Our goal is to support and promote these bands through featuring their bands by interviews and reviews.
Today’s band, Selenseas, has 2 female members, Liudmila Malaya on the drums and Svetlana Tyushina on keyboards. Selenseas is also formed by bassist Vladislav Tyushin, Mikhail Kudrey, and guitarists Denis Andrianov and Ivan Lisitsyn. The Russian Power Metal band are on the verge of releasing their new album, ‘The Outer Limits’, which we had the chance to listen to and write a review.
We also had the chance to chat with drummer Liudmila Malaya and talk about their upcoming album and other things. You can directly jump to the interview by clicking here.
Review
‘The Outer Limits’ is an 11-tracks album with so much power in its lyrics, music and concepts. Here are 4 reasons we think you should be waiting for the album’s release on August 7.
1. The rich, beautiful, and elegant music
Power Metal in general is a rich genre. It can hold so many elements, as much as the musicians feels like to add. Themes can really vary and the musician can use a wide variants to express the album’s concept through music. However, that is not the type of ‘rich’ we’re talking about. The melodic elements added on ‘The Outer Limits’ are not tightly related to a certain musical theme of an era or geographical location. However, the guitars and keyboards work together to produce remarkable melodies that would be nice tunes or riffs or solos on their own, but together make majestic music for songs. The Mirror, Asgard, Time, and The Milky Way are examples of the musical richness we’re talking about.
2. The Vocals
Einstein said: “Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.” Well in fact three things are infinite. In addition to what my fellow genius Einstein mentioned, great vocalists Power Metal bands are bringing us is also infinite. Mikhail Kudrey has a voice that can lead the lyrics into being felt rather than just heard. And that’s significant throughout the album because some songs were given a new dimensions because of Mikhail’s great vocals. Time, The Milky Way and Asgard are examples where we loved his vocals most.
3. New approach
There are very instances at the album where you can feel just how original Selenseas is. Their music did remind us of some Heavy Metal greats, but the album displays a whole new approach and a sound they’d be defined by. Time, The Revenge of the Ifrit, and The Milky Way are songs where that can be felt.
4. Favourite song: “Time“
We all here agreed Time is our favourite song on the ‘The Outer Limits‘. The song has all the qualities we mentioned before, plus some theatricals that make it the cherry on top of a great album.
We recommend‘The Outer Limits’to all fans of Power Metal. The album due to be released on August 7th will surely get into your heart for the true and original Metal it is made from.
Ratings
The FemMetal Team has given the album the following rates:
Betty
7.5/10
Mirk
9.0/10
Rebecca
8.5/10
Total
8.5–/10
Interview
We talked with Liudmila Malaya, drummer of Selenseas and asked her about her upcoming album, music, and other ideas.
Hello Liudmila. It’s really good to talk with you. How are you and the other members of Selenseas?
Hello! The pleasure’s all mine, thanks! Everything is great: summer time, shining sun – it’s moments like these when the inspiration is at its peak. I’m sure that together with my friends from Selenseas we’ll find the right direction for it. I really miss everyone after all this time I had to spend at home.
We’re going to talk about your upcoming album, ‘The Outer Limits’, but first would you like to tell our readers who haven’t heard about Selenseas yet what they’re missing?
In one of our songs, there’s the line: “The terrible ocean can tell many tales of sailors the sea had no power to scare”. Selenseas are fearless travelers who brave the lunar seas. We’ve got a number of exciting stories to tell, which you’ll be able to check out when ‘The Outer Limits’ is released.
That’s a brilliant way to introduce your band. ‘The Outer Limits’ is coming out on August 7th. How are you feeling as the release day of this album comes closer?
Of course, we are very excited about how the album will be perceived by foreign listeners and connoisseurs of the metal genre. However, we are also happy that such a huge work has been done and completed, and we are proud of the result. For any kind of creative artist, there is no greater joy than being able to share the results of their efforts, and we are looking forward to the release date.
How is this album different from the previous Selenseas releases?
In my opinion, this album is more mature and elaborate. We’ve managed to carry out some things for which we either had no opportunity before, or not enough resolve. Arrangements and solos were thoroughly revised, the music itself got more volume and solidity. At the same time, the English version of the album still has the same spirit and charm as the previous releases of Selenseas.
Selenseas
‘The Outer Limits’ has 13 tracks. I know you might love all these songs, but which of these tracks are you excited most to see the reaction of the fans to? And which of these tracks are you most excited to play live?
That’s correct, I do love all the songs from the album, they were all performed many times. But “The Revenge of the Ifrit” is one of my all-time favorites. I’m charmed by the eastern vibe of this song, and its deceivingly slow pace that ultimately leads to an explosive ending. Vladislav (our band’s founder, bass player and main composer) has an amazing gift of creating what the soul is drawn to, and this song is definitely a perfect match for me.
I’ll tell you something . When I was young I saw Phil Collins play drums and said I want to play drums too. I never did. IT’S VERY HARD. Who are the drummers that made you fall in love with the instrument you now play?
True, Phil Collins is a famous and a very charismatic musician. I have no doubt that such a man can light a fire in you and get you interested in playing drums. I got acquainted with drums in a very spontaneous and unexpected way, though. One day I had to walk my little sister to music school, and I had to wait for her until the classes were over. The waiting spot was located near the drum class, and it was very lively there: students came and went, waited for each other and their teacher. It was the teacher who noticed my interest, invited me to try the drum kit and inspired me for further studies. Just one hit on the snare drum – and BOOM! Even now, after many years, I still remember that moment. Some time later, when I was already able to play more confidently and analyze other drummer’s parts in the songs I listened to, I was inspired by Thomen Stauch (who played in Blind Guardian at that time) in the same way as you were by Phil Collins. Max Duhamel and Mike Portnoy are also among my all-time favorites.
Liudmila Malaya – Drums
That’s a great story! Do you remember the first time you ever played live in front of an audience? How did it feel?
Oh, it was both my personal nightmare and my hour of triumph! I was intending to put up a brilliant performance using all the skills I’ve acquired and having rehearsed for so long with my band. But I couldn’t make a single step towards the stage! I was standing there clutching onto my snare drum and dropping the sticks. I was pale and shaking, as though I was going to perform in front of an enormous hall of a huge festival, even though it was just an ordinary small club. It was our bass player who saved the day (rhythm section rules!). He gave me a slap on the shoulder, got me out of the trance, and we went out on stage together. After the show, a waiter brought some beer to our table and said it was on the house. Looks like the administration liked the blues rock we played that night!
Aside from music I saw you had an arts page on Instagram with some really wonderful drawings. Is drawing to you more of a hobby or do you do it like music also professionally?
Thanks a lot, I didn’t expect that someone other except for my friends would see these drawings. Yes, it’s just a hobby, and it very much depends on my mood. I had no chance to have any decent studies to polish my skills, but sometimes it’s the call of the soul, and all you can do is follow your inspiration.
If you had the chance to get rid of one and only one problem the world is facing right now, be it hunger, racism, poverty, pollution, or any of these, what would this problem be?
This is a very complex and important issue. None of the above should exist in the 21st century and a civilized society. If I had the opportunity to fix something, I would start with the environment. Huge areas are now used as waste dumps, and the ocean is polluted as well. These lands and resources could be re-distributed for those who live in desolate places, in hunger and poverty. That’s what I’d choose, some of my friends would choose to solve other problems, and in the end we’d solve them all!
Svetlana Tyushina – Keyboards
Have you ever been treated in a sexist way? How would you face sexism and what advice would you give to women around the world who face discrimination and bad treatment every day?
You know, in the musical field, it sometimes happened in the past, when I was just beginning to perform live. Sometimes I had to listen to male drummers say things like: “Oh, a girl! Can you even play?” I always try to judge my own abilities fairly, and I would never walk on stage if I couldn’t play. Words can be hurtful, and people often say them without thinking about something more, without thinking about the effort required to perform in public. But if you have a goal and a desire, such words cannot hurt you. I try to avoid unnecessary conflicts and don’t take such comments personal. It’s often better just to joke back to soothe the situation. I think everyone can face prejudice, not only women. There can be totally different situations. But speaking of those who face discrimination on a daily basis, I wish for them to be strong and find something that could fill the void within with a desire to move forward no matter what.
Thank you for the interview Liudmila. It has been a pleasure! Good luck for you and Selenseas in this and all your future projects.
It was very nice to chat, thank you for your warm wishes.
