Welcome to the Moonsorrow Interviews Compilation!
Here you will find more than one hundred Moonsorrow interviews, many of which have already disappeared from where they were originally posted. Check the Index and Contact pages above and the notes in the left column for more info.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Back Drop Zine / July 2000

Link

Answered by Ville Sorvali


-OK, where should I think about when I hear the word Moonsorrow? Where does the band stand for? Tell us some history.

[Ville] Whenever the name Moonsorrow is associated with a certain heathenish metal orchestra from Finland, I’m satisfied. Always the better if people connect the name with good music, of course! The band stands strongly for what we believe in, i.e. heathenish ideals, nature and of course good music, but we don’t want to lecture to anyone. Our listeners do not have to think the same way we do, you know.
The birth of Moonsorrow dates back to 1995 when I and Henri formed it as a project. In 1996 we recorded our first demo ”Thorns Of Ice” (though we never released it) and in 1997 the next one ”Metsä” (officially spoken as our debut). We also did a promo tape after ”Metsä” but it encountered the fate of our first demo. During 1998 we struggled with recording our 2nd/3rd/4th demo (depends on how you want to count it) ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi”; stuggled because various problems held us back until the very beginning of 1999. With that demo we eventually earned a record contract from Plasmatica Records, and with a third member in our line-up (the drummer Baron Tarwonen) we headed recording our debut album ”Suden Uni” in February 2000.

-So you believe in heathenish ideals and nature. What does that mean concrete? What does the word heathenish mean to you and how much do you care for nature?

[Ville] To me being a heathen basically means a simple respect for nature and living by heathenish values, such as sincerity, rightfulness and reasonableness. Heathenism is also a general concept of rejecting the twisted morals of monotheistic religions. It is all though very personal and I’d say that there are no two heathens the same (in the sense there are 5 million christians all the same), because heathenism is mostly very flexible to the needs of an individual. People think that heathens always worship ”heathen divinities” as such, but I for example do not. To me Ukko, Ahti, Pekko and all their companions just symbolize the phenomena of nature. Nature is the only thing actually divine to me, it is my conception of ”the creator”. I care for nature very much and, as urban as I am, I am always striving to live in harmony with it, unlike a worrying number of people nowadays care to. I try to live my everyday life at least somewhat ecologically, but I really am not interested in any activism.

-You do a sort of project called Meat hook productions. Is it kind of a record label or is it a collective that supports the underground scene? Tell us more about it!

[Ville] Meat Hook Productions is a d.i.y. demo label launched in 1995 and active since 1997. We have released 25 cassettes and 1 demo-cd, all but one of Finnish bands/projects (Gorewinter, Unhola, Moonsorrow, Lunar Womb, Kharadrai...). The main focus of Meat Hook Productions is naturally metal, nevertheless we have also put out a significant number of synth music records. In my opinion all of the releases are more or less brilliant (less referring to the very early catalogue numbers) but obviously the big audience hasn’t realized that yet... We don’t make any considerable profit, existing solely to support our bits of the underground. If anyone out there is interested in our merchandise, an expansive distribution list can be asked from my address for free.

-How would you label MS musically? Which bands have inspired the sound of MS? Did the band always played such style of music?

[Ville] I very much dislike labeling due to its misleading nature, but in case a category for Moonsorrow is demanded, I would propably describe it as expressionlessly as ”pagan metal”. Our ”pagan metal” is not however any second hand black metal with ”viking” lyrics, but a selection of the finest metals (primarily heavy and black though) and elements of folk music with utter bombast and a sincerely heathenish approach. There are many bands that have inspired the sound of Moonsorrow during the years, and even though we are more making our own music than mimicking anyone, it doesn’t require that much nitpicking to distinguish the influence of such innovators as Bathory or Enslaved. Roughly bordering we have always played the same music with that certain ”Moonsorrow-sound”, we have only developed tremendously since ”Thorns Of Ice” and clarified our musical aims.

-I guess the band develops more into the folk direction when I hear the differences between the demo and the full lenght? Which image do you want to have as a band?

[Ville] That’s right. Although we have since the beginning been very much into employing folk music for our metal, our abilities of doing it properly haven’t always been that high and so the overall atmosphere isn’t as folkish on the demos as it is on ”Suden Uni”. And because we will always develop further as music writers, obtaining better abilities to express our ideas, I’m pretty sure that the next albums will only be even more folkish. We don’t want to create any musical images, we want to be recognized of what we really do. We are Moonsorrow and we want people to remember us as Moonsorrow - the epic, bombastic, folkish metal band.

-Where are the lyrics about? Do you think there is a place for political lyrics in black/death metal?

[Ville] Our lyrics, as vast as their scale of issues could be, can all be characterized as heathenish. Many of them deal with historical events, nature or pagan beliefs, but they are written in such a poetic way that they always leave enough room for interpretations. I think that the lyrics are an important part of the music, and just as with unvaried music, it becomes very boring if the lyrics are stictly bound to one and only theme. I can’t find a reason for why there wouldn’t be a place for political lyrics in extreme metal, but if there isn’t, all those who preach against christianity in their lyrics must immediately change the subject!

-Yeah, but still I think metal lyrics are dealing with the same subjects. They are almost all heathenish, sober and non-realistic. In my opinion, a band should have (and probably have) the power to influence the thoughts of the people who listen to your music. I mean, people who listen to satanic music mostly claim to be against christianity. People idealize bands and want to be like them, so I think bands should use that power to reach something more than turing everybody against christianity or something, but instead use it for something positive.

[Ville] Yes, most metal lyrics are dealing with the same subjects, and I really cannot defend Moonsorrow from that accusation either, after our lyrics all have that heathenish (and sober) approach. However, our lyrics usually have a strong relationship with reality; for example, can you deny that the crusades happened? I don’t know if we have the power to influence our listeners, but we have a message indeed. Not that we would be trying to convert people, not at all, we would just want them to think a little about the things we say. Unlike it might seem, the core of our lyrics is not directed towards christianity but only in favour of the freedom of people and nature, so I’d say it’s very positive indeed.

-You live in Finland. Do you like living there? How's the political situation over there? How's the economical situation?

[Ville] Yes, I pretty much like living in Finland. It is a safe place to be, even rather comfortable for a metalhead, and there’s plently of untouched nature to enjoy. The political situation is more or less stabile, sometimes even so that it feels like we wouldn’t have any government! Both the left and the right are represented in the administration and so the benefits of all classes of people are at least somewhat taken care of (but of course the rich have things much better because this a ”healthy” capitalist country), and although most of the politicians are selfish and untrustworthy, no serious complications have occurred. The economical situation is also of good industrial nation standard, and I think there is more money in Finland than what we actually need - and although the stock millionaires receive the surplus, most of the people belong to the ”middle class”, being able to make a living without grand problems.

-When there are elections, which party you're gonna vote and why?

[Ville] To be exact, I always vote for a person and not a party. However, partly due to the relative election system (which one of you Belgians invented), I have never seriously considered voting anyone outside the left wing party (the true left wing party, not to be mistaken with communists or that bunch of closet bourgeoises who dare to call themselves ”the social democrats”) or the green (environmental) party. And as the leftists are nowadays as aware of what concerns ecological issues as the greens, which by the way do not have any clear political aims, I think I have no doubts about voting for left wing party once again. Politically the choice is just the most natural, because as a bit of a socialist I support quite the same ideas as them: more equal distribution of income, more reasonable taxation, improving social services, reducing the power of the church etc. Additionally, unlike most politicians the members of the left wing party have proven themselves worthy and they have traditionally been more active and interested in politics than ”the big ones”, which are the social democrats, the center and the national coalition.

-When you were a child, then what was your vision about how life would develop? Did you had a good childhood? Can you tell us some childhood memories?

[Ville] I think I had a good childhood; I had loving parents and a roof above my head, and what more could a child ask? However, I don’t have that much clear memories about that time. My father was (and still is) a teacher and I remember I was highly interested in sciences and stuff, even so that I seriously considered becoming a scientist - though not more seriously than a simple child can consider. Later on I got interested in music and I thought it would be cool to be a rock star. I mostly enjoyed being in my own company, I invented games of my own and did cool chemical experiments. I really hadn’t much respect for authorities and I also spent much of my time doing all kinds of nasty things. I was an irritating brat for sure. I never had a clear ”vision” of the course of life, but I knew all along that the common expectation - study, get a profession, get married, have children, grow old and die - shouldn’t be taken as the only path for everyone to follow (excluding dying, of course). I think I achieved an independent model of thinking at a very early stage, ailingly leading to the aversed figure I am now.

-So you weren't really a proto-type person when you were young? And what do you mean with nasty things?

[Ville] No, not really. I was rather introvert and whenever I played with other kids I wanted to be in charge, and my impertinent nature and wicked sense of humour certainly irritated most adults. I was more interested in sciences than fairytales already at a very young age, and thus I knew a lot more than the other kids when I went to school; the other kids were delighted when I shared my knowledge with them, but somehow the teachers were upset. And I was that young rebel who refused to cut his long curly hair in 1st grade, just because my teacher told me that the way I looked wasn’t appropriate. I did a lot of nasty things, but they were nothing serious really, just picking on my classmates and fighting them, using bad language at teachers, always terrorizing my little sister and fooling her in trading, vandalizing some public and private property and so on. I was of course punished for most of these violations and eventually I grew up from it.

-What did you do for studies? Do you think education is important in a human's life?

[Ville] I still am in the middle of my education, actually. I am starting extensive studies in mathematics, physics and information technology at Helsinki university, and it is a considerable goal for me to graduate into teacher’s profession within the next 7 years (7 being my secondary lucky number as 13 years would be too much) - but of course anything can happen and I can’t tell yet what did I do for studies when I’m a dead rockstar. Education is important because it reduces problems caused by illiteracy, but wouldn’t we be robots with just knowledge?

-Education is a good weapon when it's used for the good cause, but what do you think about the technology of today? Isn't it developping too fast? I think we are turning into robots, but the knowledge is kept by our computers.

[Ville] Technology is definitely developing (or seeming to develop) too fast, and it’s just a matter of time when will this headless running end in a total collapse. I just can’t get how so many people can still get excited about all newer and newer ”inventions” and simultaneously forgetting more and more things they can do themselves. Obviously no one can really see that this can’t go on forever! I must agree with what you say: we give our knowledge to computers and for the sake of easier living we forget about that knowledge ourselves... but what will happen when the computers are destroyed?

-What is your opinion on emotional matters and their place in the metal scene? Don't you think the image of metal heads is too rough, they will never show some emotional let-downs. Also in metal zines you'll only find musical-orientated questions, don't you think people should use their head more instead of only listening to the music?

[Ville] Human is an emotional creature, and thus whoever is hiding his/her emotions is lying. Considering that there even is a place for the whole spectrum of emotions in metal, metalheads are certainly keeping up to too rough an image. However, they’re far from alone. It seems that - in a highly perverse manner - everyone needs to be a tough guy in this society, regardless of whatever tumults, and that is indeed a good recipe for a generation of mental cases. Anyway, what comes to the content of interviews in metal ’zines, I at least think it’s highly inspiring to read/answer these ”outmusical” questions. First of all because of the variation, secondly because of the depth. (To put it in a seemingly intellectual way: to understand the music you need to discover the minds behind it.)

-Can you tell us what your biggest dream is you want to come true and why? Do you dream often? Do you like to dream?

[Ville] As I am an amateur musician with no hope, my major dream is to be able to make a living with music (not necessarily to get rich or famous, just to survive without having another job). I also have those commonly shared dreams of getting a pleasant job (as I really am not going to achieve that forementioned), set up the best family on earth, by all means living an enjoyable life and dying as a happy man. Nothing too surprising, really. I’m a hopeless realist (some say it’s pessisism, hell, don’t know about that) and quite far from a dreamer. I just try to confront whatever life brings to me, hoping for the best and fearing for the worst.

-Maybe it's better to be a realist than a dreamer. I think when you really know and face reality, your life will be more 'intense'. At that way you can learn more about life and enjoy life more than just dream about a happy life. Sometimes the truth hurts, but we'll have to face it, that's life...

[Ville] I definitely agree. You must of course always have some goals to give a push to your life, but all the goals you set must be realistic, something you know you can achieve at some point of your life. Hopeless dreams just waste your time and eventually let you down. The truth hurts but it never kills; the more mistakes we make the more we learn.

-Can you give us some typical characteristic qualities that fit into your personality?

[Ville] Sceptic, nihilistic, ready-witted and indiscreet, philosophic, socio-political, anti-militaristic, heathenish, anticlerical, selfish, stubborn, emotionally awkward, diplomatic, rational, calculating, disgustingly systematic, non-confident, pretentiously intellectual and at least somewhat musical.

No comments:

Post a Comment