Firstly, what inspired you to name your project Malist, and why?

• Ovfrost: It’s a derivative of Malism - a belief that evil dominates the world. It’s a word that I found in my English dictionary, and I liked what it means. I haven’t been able to get any more context, like who first used it, what it was based around, etc. But I got enough of a meaning to use it in the band name because I myself subscribe to this belief.

• With that in mind, could you please share the origins of Malist and how the project came into existence?

• Ovfrost: I started my first band back when I was about to graduate from university, when I discovered one of my classmates was into extreme genres of metal, just like I was. We created an unnamed project and rehearsed some covers, along with some doom / post-metal - influenced songs of our own. At some point we realized that our views on the band didn't go the same way, so I created a solo project and called it Malist, where I took everything that I had been writing for that previous band. After adding some new songs I decided to release it as the debut album - especially since my guitar teacher at the time was very impressed with the material, and suggested mixing and mastering all the songs for a friendly price. My friend and I continued to make music together until we had enough songs to pack an album. We released this album in 2020 as Bewailer, a death doom metal band this time. He still comes to my help with Malist sometimes, when I need some poetry declared (he is credited as Flammarius), I think he is miles better at reading poetry than I am.

• Many like myself, were first drawn to Malist because of its perfect blend of atmospheric, intense, and melodic elements, how do you approach songwriting to achieve such a diverse sound?

• Ovfrost: When it comes to composing & recording, it's the same every time for me - first I do a draft in Guitar Pro software, then spend a lot of time refining it. The initial song is usually composed fairly quickly, it is the refining process that takes several months after. I'm trying to do as detailed drafts as possible - makes it easier for me to hear finished songs in my head. I think the diversity of the sound comes out of my wish to keep things interesting and not repeat myself too much, at least within the context of an album. That said, I generally value simplicity in music - when a band can translate their ideas to simple yet catchy riffs and arrangements, it's usually right up my alley, so I’m always trying not to overcomplicate things myself when writing music for Malist.

• Being a one-man band, I can imagine there is a lot more hard work that goes behind an album release, can you please give us some insight into what are some of the biggest challenges and benefits of being a solo artist?

• Ovfrost: For me, the biggest benefit has to be the ability to work at my own tempo. Also, I have no one else to proof-listen to everything before it goes live, so it’s only my musical taste and composition proficiency vs. the world. Can’t say it’s a good or a bad thing - perhaps, sometimes having a producer or a band member to step in and question some of the lead composer’s decisions might be good. But I’m yet to find someone with whom I wouldn’t disagree in this regard, and who would also make it into my budget, because you know, making music is expensive these days, unless you are great at a lot of things at the same time.

• Your lyrics often delve into the theme of Folklore and mythology. Do these elements have an impact on your overall songwriting, and what significance does it hold for you personally?

• Ovfrost: I can’t say that these things have much impact on the songwriting, maybe just a bit. Inspiration is a capricious child, and sometimes it dictates things on its own terms. I personally like the approach of musicians continuing to use a certain theme and visual concept to identify themselves. On top of that, I have always conceptualized the band lore and album settings. It makes it easier to write the lyrics for me. And being able to work on an album within a framework always makes the album more cohesive in terms of its story and overall presentation.

• Everyone who knows Malist will agree that the artwork is always 10/10. Going through the Malist discography, the album artwork seems to always convey a story within itself, I think you can look at the album cover and feel your musics presence within. What role does imagery and visual aesthetics play in conveying the mood and atmosphere because It is evident you take your album artwork very seriously.

• Ovfrost: The visual concept always has to do with the lyrical themes presented on the album, as well as some of my recent inspirations. I think it's very important to trust the illustrator you are working with, and not boss them around - this way they can really share the essence of their craft, and all of the nuances that make their artwork stand out. The artwork itself is also very important in music promotion because it’s the face of the album, the first thing people see and judge you by. That’s why I always try to not only convey the mood of the album within that picture but also to make sure it is a beautiful piece of art in itself, which would naturally grab people’s eyes.

• “Of Scorched Earth” was your latest album, what themes or concepts does it explore and was the creative process any different from your last album “As I Become Darkness”

• OvForst: The new album, Of Scorched Earth, was inspired by watching popular science documentaries about the consequences of the sudden extinction of the human race. It would seem that a hypothetically terrible tragedy ultimately leads to the planet blossoming, returning to its former greatness. The theme of playing God on the part of man is as old as the world, but I wanted to describe it from my own point of view. And the visual style seen on the cover artwork was largely inspired by Percy Shelley's poem "Ozymandias". It’s a record where I got to experiment and evolve the sound that I came to with the release of Karst Relict. My previous record, As I Become Darkness, was more of a mournful tribute to second-wave black metal in its darkest form, because It was appropriate for my emotional state at that time. But on Of Scorched Earth, I let myself use more intricate compositions, away from primitivism, and also play around with the triumphant and lighter moods. In this regard, the arrangement may not be to the liking of all fans of brutal black metal, but keep in mind that these moods can be interpreted in different ways. After all, even when black metal conveys some kind of joy, this emotion is not necessarily associated with cliches from more popular music. If you take the chorus of the track Rotting into Primal, there is a minimalistic riff with a rather light piano melody. If you open the lyrics, you will see that it glorifies the oblivion of the human race and the subsequent blossoming of the earth. Blossoming is always a joy, isn't it? Even if most of the human race had to die for it...

• Blackmetal as a genre usually explores the themes of darkness, Nihilism and anti religion, how does this effect your music, If at all?

• Ovfrost: I’m trying not to use these themes directly, just to not be as much of a cliche, but they still pierce most of my lyrics here and there, just because of the nature of the music and the settings that I create.

• Can you please share any insight on what the future holds for malist? Are there any plans for new material or collaborations that your fans can look forward to?

• Ovfrost: I’m currently working on an album that can be characterized as 90-s melodic death / doom metal with black metal influences. There are lots of solos, lots of prominent riffs, and I’m thinking of adding some more clean vocals as well. The mood of this material is rather dark and tragic, very solid in terms of concept. I doubt it will be released as Malist, because it doesn’t sound much like what I do for Malist, so I will most likely need a new band name for that. Can’t wait to finish this thing and put it out there, because I think it holds a lot of potential. As for Malist, we’ll see when I have enough atmospheric black material to justify a new release. I’m working on new music all the time, so I don’t think people would need to wait that long. Just keep in mind that maybe it will not be a 1 year - 1 album schedule, like it used to be.