Irreversible Mechanism on 'GRAVIANT': "Nothing Defined Us More Than Being Forced to Leave Our Country"
A deeply personal conversation with the Belarusian progressive metal band about displacement, atmosphere, gear obsession, survival and the weight of standing at a crossroads.
Irreversible Mechanism is a progressive metal band originally from Minsk, Belarus, whose music balances technical precision with a heavy, cinematic atmosphere. Their third full-length album, GRAVIANT, released on December 12, is their most personal and uncompromising work to date, shaped by forced displacement and the psychological weight of rebuilding life elsewhere.
We spoke with Vlad, founder, guitarist, and composer of Irreversible Mechanism, about the emotional gravity behind GRAVIANT, the deliberate visual world built around tracks like "Parasite Paradise" and "Nocturnal Light", the gear and studio decisions that shaped the album's sound, and the realities of surviving as an independent band without external backing. We also touched on the role of music blogs today, their definition of success, dream lineups across time, and the very real crossroads the band now finds itself facing.
Chris Roditis, Musicngear: You've described GRAVIANT as both technical and deeply atmospheric. When you look back at the writing process, what was the emotional or conceptual thread that guided the album from start to finish?
That's a great question, thank you. To create music, I need to fully experience and absorb life. And nothing defined us more than the moment we were forced to leave our country because of political repression and the war next door. It changed us completely.
We had to confront this brutal relocation and all the struggles it brought. So this album is filled with that pain, fear and dread.
The lyrics are our thoughts trying to make sense of it all — asking "why?" and "how do we move forward?".
So yes, you hit the nail on the head — it's a deeply atmospheric record, and that mood is central to everything it is.
Musicngear: The videos for "Parasite Paradise", "Nocturnal Light" and "COST" feel very intentional - almost like extensions of the songs rather than promotional extras. What did you want listeners to see or feel through the visuals that couldn’t be fully expressed through sound alone?
Thank you so much for the kind words about our music videos. You're absolutely right. When I wrote the concepts for them, I meticulously planned every detail to ensure the visuals would form a complete, unified whole with the audio track.
I was fortunate to work with a team of incredibly talented artists. Among them is my friend and director, Max Berg, who, while still in our homeland, remotely shot and created video material for us.
We aimed for something distinctive, hoping it might capture attention in a world increasingly saturated with AI-generated content.
For each visual piece, we carefully selected the right actor to make every element feel cohesive.
Finally, I handled the entire editing process myself to ensure the final cut matched our original vision perfectly.
Musicngear: Can you walk us through the core gear each member relies on - guitars, bass, drums, vocals, effects - that defines Irreversible Mechanism’s live and studio identity?
For studio recording and live performances, my main guitar is a 7-string Kiesel Vader with a Floyd Rose tremolo system. It's built with a very dense African tonewood, which I love - it gives it a unique character. I truly consider it one of the best guitars available today because it's incredibly versatile and perfect for sonic experimentation. Our second guitarist also uses a 7-string Kiesel Vader, but in a different configuration without the Floyd Rose.
In the studio, my go-to bass is a 4-string Fernandes Limited Edition from the 90s. It's a fantastic instrument with a massive, powerful sound that has only gotten better with time.
As for drums, we use Sonor kits for rehearsals, but we've played on Tama kits for our shows.
Our amplification has varied: for concerts, we've relied on Peavey rigs, while in the studio, we've experimented with a whole range of amps from Marshall, Randall, and Peavey to capture different textures.
For the bass, we used an Ampeg B2R amplifier - a classic, reliable workhorse for that foundational sound. In the studio, we tracked vocals through several microphones. Our primary choice was the Neumann U87 Ai, which delivers an unparalleled, pristine character. We also utilized a Shure SM 7 B for its distinct tonal qualities on certain parts.
The guitar textures were shaped using a combination of revered analogue outboard gear and modern processing. Key pieces included the Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo tape delay for its lush analogue warmth and the Eventide H3000 Ultra Harmonizer for expansive modulation and pitch effects.
Beyond these, we crafted and fine-tuned additional guitar tones using digital plugins within the DAW.
Musicngear: Zooming specifically into GRAVIANT: was there any piece of gear, setup, or studio decision that ended up shaping the album more than you initially expected, something that changed how the songs ultimately sounded or felt?
Speaking of our new album, we recorded it in two distinct phases. The first was in Norway, where we tracked drums with the incredible Bård Kolstad.
In the same session, we captured a live piano part, which we then processed through the notoriously powerful Zynaptiq Wormhole analog effect to give it a bleak, horror-like texture. We also used a rainstick, run through analog reverb and chorus units.
This entire process left a massive imprint on the record. I've long wanted to incorporate that kind of unsettling horror atmosphere, and I'm thrilled we finally achieved it.
You can hear it, for instance, at the end of our first song "Nocturnal Light," as well as in "Rituals," "Rechaka," and "Croc Hunter."
Musicngear: Making a living as a musician today comes with its own set of challenges. How do you personally navigate the financial side of your career? Do you rely solely on music, or do you balance it with other work to sustain your artistry?
That's a pressing question, indeed.
Today, it's incredibly challenging to make a living solely from music, so I constantly have to find side jobs. I do manual labor, deliver food, and so on—everything that goes into our recordings comes from my personal savings. It's a real grind, but we keep doing it because this music is our essential form of expression.
Regardless, I hope and believe we'll reach a point where we can dedicate ourselves fully to the studio and tour the world.
If you're creating interesting and original music, see it through to the end. Don't keep it locked inside you, because it will eat you alive from the inside
Musicngear: What’s your take on the role of music blogs today, and how do you see it evolving, especially with platforms like SubmitHub, Groover, Musosoup, and Wallstream that connect artists with curators and writers?
I absolutely believe music blogs are still incredibly relevant, and I’m really glad people who run them continue to write about and uncover new bands. After all, any chance discovery can turn into a breakthrough.
I used to buy music magazines all the time—I loved holding them, looking at the artwork, and reading them cover to cover. These days, I read and explore online, but the principle is the same.
It feels like platforms and trends come and go, but passionate music writing - like in those blogs - always remains.
Musicngear: What were the biggest obstacles you’ve had to overcome together so far and what advice would you give to artists who find themselves stuck at a similar point?
The biggest obstacle I've faced was undoubtedly the COVID-19 pandemic, as it forced us to cancel so many plans and tours. It was an incredibly difficult period, and many bands never managed to recover from it.
In our case, this coincided with presidential elections in our country, which created a climate of intense suppression. It felt impossible to just sit down, compose music, and pretend everything was fine.
So my advice is this: if you're creating interesting and original music, see it through to the end. Don't keep it locked inside you, because it will eat you alive from the inside.
Musicngear: How do you personally define “success” for GRAVIANT? Is it about numbers - streams, views, shows - or is there something else you’re hoping this release will unlock? And how are you planning to get there?
I measure the success of an album by the number of physical and digital copies sold because that tells me people are truly listening to and connecting with the music. I want listeners to experience moments in their lives through my songs.
I also plan to release a small, limited vinyl edition. It will be a major milestone for us, especially since I handle our promotion myself, just as I do with composing and recording.
I'll definitely be reaching out to all the relevant magazines to spread the word about this release.
Musicngear: Now let’s get weird: your tour van accidentally drives through a time portal and drops you into a completely different musical era. Where are you, what year are you in, and what do you see (or hear)?
If I could steer our tour bus through a time portal, I'd set the GPS straight for the 1990s. That's when the most iconic bands were still in their original, raw form.
The early '90s sound is something I deeply cherish. You can just picture those insane crowds where every single person was completely lost in the music - nothing else mattered.
After the release of our third album, our band faces a choice: to continue pouring our hearts into writing and recording new music together, or to accelerate into the sunset with one final, powerful roar
Musicngear: If you could headline one show anywhere in the world, on any stage, with any lineup, even fictional or from another era, what would it look like? No rules.
If I could assemble the ultimate band? It would be Layne Staley's haunting voice front and center, Danny Carey behind the kit delivering that thunderous, technical power from his prime, and Peter Steele holding down the low end with that monumental bass tone.
Just imagine that chemistry.
Musicngear: Finally, now that GRAVIANT has been released into the world, what’s next for you as a band?
After the release of our third album, our band faces a choice: to continue pouring our hearts into writing and recording new music together, or to accelerate into the sunset with one final, powerful roar. This is a crossroads we all feel deeply...
Connect with Irreversible Mechanism
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About Chris Roditis
Chris Roditis has been an active musician since 1995 in various bands and projects across a variety of genres ranging from acoustic, electronic to nu metal, british rock and trip hop. He has extensive experience as a mixing engineer and producer and has built recording studios for most of the projects he has been involved with. His passion for music steered his entrepreneurial skills into founding MusicNGear in 2012.
Contact Chris Roditis at chrisroditis@musicngear.com
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