Thanks to the internet, goth metal act Angelika & Demons have been able to bridge the gap between their native Moscow and the rest of the metal world. The band's demo, 'Easy Death,' has made the rounds on the Web, garnering attention for the female-fronted, string-driven project that's not unlike Evanescence or Nightwish. The demo is available on digital providers like iTunes, Amazon and Rhapsody, bringing a taste of Russia to American stereos and iPods.

Angelika, the songwriter and founder of the project, told Noisecreep, "The internet is a miracle and the greatest invention of the millennium, because it wipes off all territorial borders and gives opportunity for artists to do well without labels. Now we can collaborate with musicians from all over the world and deliver our music directly to listeners. The distance between Russia and America is just one click of mouse. We write and sing our songs in two languages: Russian and English. And we are happy to have fans in both continents."

Indeed Angelika & Demons' use of both English and Russian, sometimes at once, laces the ambient, darkly angelic music with a sense of originality and novelty. The album has an unorthodox spiritual message and concept, which further blackens the band's sonic landscape. With a title like 'Easy Death,' Angelika & Demons aren't masking their beliefs.

"[The subject of] death always attracted me," vocalist Mara told Noisecreep. "Even my name Mara -- or Moria -- means 'one of demons, Goddess of Death.' It doesn't mean that I wish to take my life as soon as possible. But I take death with a big interest, and when somebody dies, it doesn't make me upset. I have left my body many times, travelling into the world of ghosts. I've met people which you would call 'dead' and know exactly that they are not really dead but live a happy life, just near us. Death is just a beginning, and the next world is fantastic and a very interesting place."

Angelika echoed Mara's unusual sentiments, which defy the conventional wisdom, about leaving this mortal coil. "As a Christian, I know that death is not the end," she said. "But it is more than just faith. I had some personal talks to angels and even to Jesus Christ, which assured me that paradise exists. And of course, I dream to get in there. I was very close to death myself and not afraid of it anymore. When I learn that people die, I am happy for them. Now they are free from the prison of body, from all [suffering] and illnesses. They are again with God and true light. That's why I consider death to be a blessing and joy."

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