Haeresis || Instrumental Metal

There are two worlds.

The world of those who love music.
And the world of those who create it.
Musicians and composers live in both worlds at once.

Vladislav can still remember the exact moment when he unlocked the power to walk between the two worlds. He had just turned 16, and his mother gave him a gift that would change his life forever: an electric guitar – a red Yamaha RGX121Z, to be precise. The boy who had spent hours in his bedroom listening to the titans of melodic heavy metal could now play along as his favorite guitarists did their thing.  The Genesis of Haeresis.

And he did, riffing with ferocious precision to the foot-tapping industrial stylings of Rammstein, and the melodic death metal mastery of In Flames. As he learned more and more about his instrument, he might have taken the path that so many teenage guitarists did, and produced technically proficient cover versions of heavy music’s biggest hits.

But, at some point, he plateaued. Learning new songs was time-consuming, and playing older songs was repetitive. So the young Vladislav decided to jump into the deep end: he started composing his own music. He started down the road that would one day lead to the Haeresis project.

He still has the earliest recordings he ever made; they are stored safely on his computer, and he is relieved that the many fans of Haeresis will never hear them. When he was starting out, he sent his first compositions to his friends, who did what good friends do, and told him they loved the music. This early encouragement took him to a place where he stopped learning other people’s songs, and focused on writing his own.

Today, Haeresis is a name to be reckoned with in the genre of heavy instrumental music. With more than 40,000 listens on Spotify alone (as of May 2023), in addition to thousands of plays on popular internet radio stations, fans flock to Vladislav’s chugging guitars, crisp production, and soaring harmonies. He’s contributed to a AAA computer game soundtrack and rubbed shoulders with the legends of his genre in curated playlists. Back in the day, however, when he first thought about letting his songs out into the wild, he experienced something that all of us have: butterflies in the stomach. Legions of them.

Feedback from friends comes to us through a filter. It can never be completely honest, even if it is given with the best intentions.

So, when Vladislav first thought of letting his music out into the big bad world, he hesitated. He was concerned about the quality of his music, and he wanted to know what others thought, even if he only received a few comments.

He took the brave option, and uploaded one of his early tracks on a web forum. Thousands of members, thousands of faceless strangers. In the minutes before the reactions arrived, he was on tenterhooks: how does one know if they’re any good at all before the people have spoken?

The first comment flashed across his screen. It said something like: “Cool. It sounds like a simple video game soundtrack.” 

This was a balanced review. Not over the top, not mindlessly cruel, not NFT spam. But it was undoubtedly positive. And it gave Vladislav strength. Even when subsequent comments were not always positive or objective, he took them in his stride. He had always known that he could create high quality audio art, and now the world agreed with him. Even now, when hundreds of thousands of minutes of his music have been streamed, he still remembers that first comment with gratitude.

In the early days of Haeresis, the songs became very popular with fans of video game soundtracks – the epic aural landscapes and energetic riffing might have had something to do with this. One of Vladislav’s fondest memories as a composer has to do with video games…

Stephen King once said: “If you write something for which someone sent you a check, if you cashed the check and it didn’t bounce, and if you then paid the light bill with the money, I consider you talented.”

When Vladislav decided to take part in a community recording project to create a game soundtrack for Watch Dogs: Legion, through the HITREC●RD website, he didn’t know if it would work out. After all, the Watch Dogs franchise was a video game juggernaut, with sales of the first two games exceeding 20 million. And, at that time, he was relatively unknown. 

But he did what he had always done: composed badass, heavy, riff-driven heavy music. He was chosen to write and play a breakdown for a song called “Sound Off”, a pivotal track that plays on the in-game radio. Even though his contribution only took up five seconds in the final edit, it was a major breakthrough for him: his music was in a AAA video game, he had got paid for his music for the first time, and people loved it!

Haeresis saw an explosion in popularity in 2020 and 2021.

In April 2020, Doom Radio – Beats to Rip / Tear To was launched: started shortly after the release of Doom Eternal, it is a streaming channel that celebrates heavy, energetic music by playing instrumental pieces back to back, 24 x 7 x 365. It is online even today, and showcases some of the most exciting composers of heavy metal game and movie soundtracks.

Vladislav, then firmly established as Haeresis, wrote to Proteh, the creator of Doom Radio, and submitted some of his songs for consideration. He did not know if even one would be selected; after all, most of the people already in rotation had worked on multiple video game OSTs, and some had been composing for decades.

But talent cannot be denied, and seven of Haeresis’ works were selected for inclusion. This was a watershed moment in his career as a composer: he was rubbing shoulders with the elite, his compositions were heard by thousands of people each time they appeared in the stream, and he was one of just 85 video game musicians selected. During the first two years since his songs were added to Doom Radio, they were played over 4,600 times, for a total of more than 2 million streams. This placed him in the top 25% of composers by total plays, even in the rarefied atmosphere of Doom Radio.

By the end of 2021, Haeresis was firmly established, with tens of thousands of fans in dozens of different countries, and international expansion plans on the horizon. 2021 had seen the release of an EP (To the Edge of the World) into which Vladislav had poured hundreds of hours of work, hoping that it would serve as his gateway to reaching more European radio stations and listeners. He had even signed a contract with a small French independent label, and everything looked positive. Unfortunately, his resolve was to be severely tested in 2022.

The onset of war, in February 2022, was to prove devastating to Vladislav’s mental health. Even today, he can remember very little of the first few weeks after hostilities began; he likens the experience to living in a dense fog. Music, which had accompanied him through every hardship, failed to help: for the first time in several years, he could not distract himself, even for a moment, by playing the guitar.

He could not even bring himself to listen to heavy music; for a while, the future of Haeresis hung in the balance.

After two months, Vladislav found the steel core of resilience that lies within all of us, and slowly began the trudge back to his former self. Music came back into his life as he walked the paths of darkness, but in a very atypical way: he remembers listening to The Cranberries throughout spring and summer, even though he had almost exclusively listened to heavy music before that. The desire to create new music slowly reawakened within him.

There was even a silver lining. For the longest time, Vladislav had wanted a seven-string electric guitar (heavy riffing is always more interesting with an extended bass range). All of us who have ever contemplated a purchase that is important but not essential know what ended up happening: there was always an expense that was more urgent, and he’d never bought one. But the dark uncertainty of war shed some light in unexpected ways, and it became clear to him that delaying something he really wanted, while not even knowing if the next day would dawn, made no sense at all.

Later that day, he was the proud owner of a new seven-string guitar.

The new guitar proved to be the catalyst that fully reignited Vladislav’s passion for music, and he began actively writing new material. Haeresis has released no music since the war began but, as of mid-2023, one new track is complete, with another in progress. There is more experimentation and evolution than ever before, with slight deviations from previous patterns, though the key elements are still there.

We asked Vladislav if he had any advice for creative people recovering from an ordeal like his. He underscores the importance of taking a break from a hobby; he believes very strongly that stepping away for a while (after a severe shock or even just due to boredom) is beneficial. Hobbies should be enjoyable; they should be outlets. One should not force oneself to engage in a hobby, and thereby turn it into work. Practice is necessary, of course, but approaching a musical hobby with reluctance could create aversion in the long term. Whether it takes a week or six months, he encourages artists to refrain from blaming themselves for not engaging with their art. For example, he was able to discover new genres of music, and even learned more about unconventional mixing and production techniques that he had never even noticed before, having filtered them through his existing experience. Finally, he reiterates the importance of treating oneself once in a while; even if fulfilling a long term desire means that travel plans, dining out, and cinema visits might have to be sacrificed in the short term.

“Tempest” is Vladislav’s personal favorite Haeresis track. Released in March 2020, it has received critical and fan acclaim. Vladislav felt especially inspired during the making of this piece of music: the song structure fell into place almost on its own, the riffs flowed into each other like never before, and the whole process felt easy. When the track was finished, he remembers marveling at how it sounded just like he’d envisioned.

Here is a detailed look at the process that led to the creation of “Tempest”, with Vladislav’s own notes providing a fascinating level of insight:

Part 1 || A Needle of Gold in a Silver Haystack || A Foundational Riff
July 20, 2019

• Nearly 4 minutes of material recorded.
• Everything was later cut from “Tempest” except for one riff.
• That riff can still be heard in the final version of the song (embedded above), at the 1:38 mark. What a melodic monster!

Part 2 || Unsuccessful Attempts to Develop the Riff at 1:38
September 6, 2019

• Vladislav’s initial attempts to develop the riff failed.
• The second iteration went into a harmonic minor, a signature of many Haeresis tracks.
• However, he specifically wanted to try something else on this song (spoiler: he succeeded, and “Tempest” is notably more uplifting than many of his other songs, which are slightly darker in tone).

Part 3 || A Breakthrough on the 1:38 Riff || Intro Doodles
September 17, 2019

• A few seconds of changes to the riff at 1:38 took it to the next level.
• One lead guitar track increased the melodic power of the riff.
• At the same time, Vladislav hit upon the idea for what would become the intro section.

Part 4 || “Tempest” Takes Shape
October 10, 2019

• About a month into intensive work on the track, its vision was well formed.
• The intro was very close to that in the final version.
• One key difference was that the first verse (0:42 to 1:06 in the embedded track above) was more dissonant and aggressive than it would become; metalcore energy!
• The grand, swaggering riff at 2:14 was entirely absent; the song went from 2:10 in the final version directly to the verse at 2:46.

Part 5 || Development of Vladislav’s Favorite Riff
November 23, 2019

• On this day, he came back to “Tempest” after a long break (PSA: it’s always okay to take breaks).
• The goal was to develop the verse starting at 2:46 in the final version.
• To transition to the part after the fast rhythm sequence, Vladislav created a contrasting piece with a slow, heavy, groovy rhythm track, lead guitars, synthesizers, and ended up with a dense wall of melody. 
• This would eventually become the second chorus of “Tempest”.

Part 6 || A Boy and his Guitar
November 24, 2019

• Vladislav was on fire; he loved the part he’d written so much that he spent the whole day with his guitar, shaping and cutting the diamond he had created.
• Finally, at 4 AM on November 25, the second chorus was done. 
• It can still be heard in its current form in the final recording.

Part 7 || Serendipity and a Thunderstorm
December 7, 2019

• During initial mixing, some tracks shifted right on the timeline.
• The riff at 2:54 in the final song was shifted right, and overlapped with a lead guitar riff.
• The result was the soaring bridge riff at 3:02. A happy accident, indeed!
• During the initial mixing process, rain and lightning sound effects were added, in keeping with the “Tempest” theme.

Part 8 || Technology 🙁 || Ctrl + S 🙂 || Contest 
January 2020

• With “Tempest” nearing completion, Vladislav’s computer crashed.
• He had to reinstall Windows; fortunately, none of his files were affected, though the same could not be said of his nerves.
• At this time, an online contest was announced by Mercuriall; he submitted the second chorus from “Tempest”.

Part 9 || The Finishing Touches
January 29, 2020

• The portion from 0:42 to 1:06 was redone to incorporate more metalcore elements.
• Only the last minute remained; the outro.
• Vladislav tried various ideas to create a powerful climax, but he was not happy with any of his initial attempts.

Part 10 || The (literal) Finishing Touch.
February 17, 2020

• The outro problem was solved when he realized that he didn’t necessarily need a fast and jagged section, or a groovy breakdown.
• He worked to create a melodic, energetic, powerful ending segment, one that was not necessarily too fast.
• Over a few days, Vladislav polished two final riffs till they became the exclamation point that a track like “Tempest” deserved.
• His favorite portion of the song is the outro (3:10 to 3:58); the soaring emotional climax fits the song perfectly.

Part 11 || Mixing and Mastering
March 6, 2020

• Haeresis is a one-man project, and so Vladislav was his own sound engineer. 
• Mixing and mastering only took a couple of weeks (he feels that audio production is not his strong suit, though we beg to differ; “Tempest” is a very well produced track).
• On the sixth of March, “Tempest” hit Spotify, Soundcloud, and YouTube.

“Tempest” is Vladislav’s favorite track for several reasons. In addition to the relative ease of composition, it was recorded during a happy time for him, both personally and professionally. He is completely satisfied with the end result, and he likes how, in contrast with some of his darker tracks, it feels almost romantic. To him, it sounds like a soundtrack to inspire people to overcome difficulties. Like a ship struggling through a storm, at risk of capsizing, and then eventually breaking through to the sunshine, calm waves, and gentle breezes. The storm is conquered, the challenge overcome.

Three bands have had a major influence on the music of Haeresis:

• In Flames: Vladislav discovered the Swedish melodic death metal legends as a teenager, and instantly fell in love with the chorus of anthems like “Only for the Weak”.
• Rammstein: Whenever he listens to “Mein Herz Brennt” or “Engel”, a wave of nostalgia washes over him.
• Trivium: The source of many of the metalcore elements in Haeresis’ music, Trivium had a strong influence on “Juliet” and “The Third“.

Here are some slightly more obscure bands from which Vladislav draws inspiration:

• Bleed From Within: Interesting musical choices, transitions, and technical rhythm sections.
• Make Them Suffer: Heavy guitar parts transitioning into melodic choruses, great breakdowns, synth / guitar interplay.
• Erra: Technical mastery (e.g. in “Monolith”); inspired Vladislav’s love of string-skipping.

Vladislav’s second favorite track is “Down to the Ground”. This is definitely one of the darker and more ominous Haeresis songs, but it still has outstanding melodic sections.

Here are Vladislav’s three favorite sections within his second favorite track:

Favorite Section #1 || Intro || Minimalist + Moody
00:00 to 00:44 || Only two instruments: 1 synthesizer + 1 crash cymbal

The perfect way to set the tone for the track, the intro of “Down to the Ground” has added reverb to create a sense of emptiness and isolation. During the beginning of the pandemic, when lockdowns were in effect, Vladislav looked out on empty streets, with occasional glimpses of lonely figures wearing masks. After a walk on an empty street, he wrote the initial melody, and developed it into its final form soon after. When he listens to it today, he still remembers the first few months of 2020.

Favorite Section #2 || Hope?
01:45 to 02:55

“Down to the Ground” was written over a period of many months. When this segment was written, the pandemic had intensified in severity, but people were learning to live with it, and communities came together to help the most vulnerable. When Vladislav wrote this section, he was inspired by how society as a whole had come together to combat the pandemic, and by how there was a positive even in that grim situation. He particularly admired the heroism and selflessness of medical workers in the most dangerous zones.

Favorite Section #3 || Melancholy
02:55 to end

This section was written at a time when the pandemic raged through Vladislav’s city, stealing away hundreds of lives. This is another apocalyptic segment; it captures the prevailing state of mind at that time, when it seemed like civilization might be wiped out.

The last part of the track influenced its overall direction, and even its title. Vladislav had planned to call it “Up to the Ground”, with an uplifting message of rising above a challenging situation. However, the beautiful melancholy of the outro made “Down to the Ground” a more fitting title – a straightforward metaphor for how easily we can fall from the heavens to the deepest pit. In our opinion, it was the right artistic choice.

In conclusion, let’s hear from Vladislav, as he talks about his future plans, and expresses his gratitude to the most important people in his life.

“In the future, I would like to work on something less heavy than the music I have released so far. The first track, which is already complete, is still quite heavy, but the second one is 50% clean parts. I would like to continue working in this direction, evolving from my current style. Also, I would like to write a really brutal track in the style of Mick Gordon, but that would require an additional string. Maybe in the future!

I hope that someday I will be able to compose a soundtrack for a video game that suits my style of music. Ideally, it would be for the Warhammer universe. And the ultimate dream is to find a vocalist (preferably a female vocalist) and record a couple of tracks. Personally, I prefer music with lyrics because it’s impossible to convey all my ideas through instrumentals alone.

As for the mid-term plans: Finish several tracks, ideally making them more diverse than regular metal. I’m not sure yet how to release them, whether as an album / EP or as singles. If I stick to singles, the new track might be released in summer 2023.

I would also like to send greetings and words of gratitude to my closest people. May this feature immortalize my appreciation for them.

First and foremost, my parents. Mom, Dad, thank you for everything. Who am I without you?

Grandma Olga and Grandpa Alexander, I don’t think you’ll read this, but I truly appreciate you and warmly remember the time we spent together.

Thank you to my better half, my loyal companion Julia; we’ve been together almost 10 years. Thank you for your support, for the warmth, and also for the fact that we haven’t killed each other yet.

Thanks to my best friends, Alexander and Vladislav. Well, you know everything better than me anyway. My gratitude goes out to my sister, as well.

And of course, a big-big hello to my beloved four-legged friends. Bonya the Dachshund and Pirate the Cat. You may be clueless and unable to read, but out of everyone, you definitely deserve a mention on this list. You’re forever in my heart.”

Gear

• Guitar: Washburn X50PROFE with EMG 81/85 pickups.
• USB Audio Interface: Focusrite Scarlett Solo 2nd Gen.
• DAW: Reaper.
• Amp Simulation: Mostly products by Mercuriall Audio Software (ReAxis, SS-11X, Euphoria).
• 7-String Guitar: IBANEZ RGA742FM-TGF.

Links

Haeresis – Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/00WhBXmPmyeubcSrddoIYf.

Haeresis – SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/hrs-8.