· Hi ARHAT! What's the meaning of your band’s title? What's the origin of that name? Have you changed the band's name before?
Ні! Arhat means the enlightened one. One who has reached the highest point of perfection. In our opinion, this is exactly what people need to do.
The hardest work is work on yourself.
· What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?
We decided to combine groove rhythms and oriental melodies. This as a distinctive feature of our band. We think it sounds cool.
We are inspired by bands such as: Hatebreed, Nile, Sepultura, Pantera, Slayer. There are also many more metal bands, we can list for a long time)
· How long have you all known each other? How did you meet?
We met at different times at metal concerts. And we knew each other from other projects in which we previously participated.
· When did you form your band? What inspired you to make music together?
We formed in 2017. We wanted to play something powerful and heavy. As a result, we chose such directions as Groove and Death.
· Are you a member of any music organizations?
So. We have created a concert agency "Metal Rise Concerts", we do concerts where we perform ourselves and invite interesting bands in our opinion.
· What can you tell me about your instruments? (i.e., Are you subject to brand loyalty or will you play with whatever's available? What made you choose the instruments you have now? Was it cost or was it a style/model/brand/color preference?
A musical instrument is a very personal thing. Color, sound, design, convenience. All this must be picked up for yourself.
We have musical instruments of different brands.
As for the equipment on stage, we usually work with what is available.
· Where have you performed? What are your favorite and least favorite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?
The last gig took place in Kyiv. Covid made its own adjustments. Many concerts had to be canceled.
We have performed in many Ukrainian cities such as Kyiv, Poltava, Cherkasy, Kherson, Kryvyi Rih, Dnipro, Zaporizhia, Kremenchug and others.
We also have two festivals Black Sea Metal Festival and United Metal Festival (Belarus).
· Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers? Do you have a set playlist?
Yes, now we have a cover of Slayer and Sepultura, we are also preparing a few more covers.
We make a new playlist every time but there are a few songs that we play almost at the code concert.
These are Stately Ruins, Dead Life and Maximalism.
· Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs? Do you think these topics will change over time?
Our songwriter Alexander Kharechko. He's works on the lyrics. Music is written by Anton Skrebov (guitarist).
· Could you briefly describe the music-making process?
Initially, Anton wrote music. Then Alexander creates lyrics for the music.
Then we work with the whole band on the final arrangement of the song.
The process is something like this.
· What are your rehearsals generally like? Do you have a set time each week in which you practice or are rehearsals more spontaneous?
Rehearsals are held once a week. And everyone works for us at home.
· How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?
The new songs we create for the second album will be faster but the groove element will definitely be present.
· What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
The challenge is at the forefront now. It's our first clip. We plan to shoot in early 2021. I hope we will do well.
· What's your ultimate direction for your band? Are you seeking fame and fortune?
The way we go is more important to us. If we talk about a dream, it is to perform at Wacken on the same stage with world-famous bands.
· What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?
First, learn to play well. Secondly, be stubborn. Do your job no matter what. Third, play the music you really like.
· How can fans-to-be gain access to your music?
Our music is presented on all major platforms such as: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Deezer, Bandcamp, SoundCloud and others.
· Is there anyone you'd like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?
People who come to our concerts are the best emotional support. So we want to thank everyone who is with us.
Thanks to you we play our music.
· Any last words?
Listen metal! Remember who you are! Stay True!