Domain 'zine / November 1999

Link

I am glad you've found a time to talk to me. What's the news?

[Henri] Of course there is always time to talk with someone who is interested in our band! Well... the news are that we are signed to Swedish Plasmatica Records and our first full-length album should be out in spring 2000. At the moment it will contain 6 bloody great pagan hymns, but nothing's sure until the album is ready... The music we've composed for it differs, however, quite a lot from the "Tämä Ikuinen Talvi" tape. We have taken a few steps back in time when our music was based more on slowish and folkish atmospheres, and thus if people expect our album to be ultra-fast Emperor-like synthetic metal as the latest demo was, they'll be quite surprised when they hear the new material. But of course it will be a huge development. Wait and see...

You wrote that you play pagan-metal, and that you and your brother are heathens. Please, tell why does this mythology appears to you. Have you changed you relation to life after that?

[Henri] First of all, we're not brothers, we're cousins. But of course we are brothers in METAL heheh. But what comes to the question; yes, I am a heathen, but I choose not to make a big fuss about it as it, after all, has quite a little to do with music. And as you might have noticed, the bands bringing pagan themes into their (usually crappy and bad-played Black Metal) music has enormously expanded in last year, so I find it a bit frustrating to be confused with the herd. Paganism is for everyone, that's for sure, but this "trend" (sorry for using the word) has caused more harm than benefit to it. But I'm not here to talk shit about anyone. Besides, I know I sure wasn't the first one around mixing pagan ideology with metal music.
So, what I'm trying to tell here is that there is no need for me to run around telling everyone how pagan I am, like everybody seems to do nowadays. I have more respect for people who choose not to boast about the ideology. After all, I'd rather boast with my music, but as we choose to call it Pagan Metal, certain questions cannot be avoided, ehh...? To answer the actual question: why paganism? Well, why not? It is the tradition which suits my personality the best, and as I've since a kid been very fascinated about nature and myths/legends/folk tales, it just developed naturally during the years. And since it's the actual tradition of my homeland, I couldn't find a better choice.

[Ville] The reason for why I have chosen to call myself a heathen is because of my deep respect for nature. Nature is the source of all life, i.e. my conception of "the creator", and thus no man or a fictional deity shall rise above or against it. What comes to pagan mythology, I have always (since I can remember at least) been really fascinated about it. Also I am always receptive for more and more folklore from all possible cultures, as all those ancient tellings are highly interesting. Besides, they can also always teach us a thing or two, not forgetting how they remind us of the wisdom of the indigenous peoples. My relation to life has only become more positive during the years, but since I was never turned to a heathen, this indeed has happened gradually.

I know practically nothing about Finnish mythology (except Kalevala). Tell a bit about Finnish heathenish deities. What gods and forces do you worship?

[Henri] Well, the Finnish/Karelian mythology is really interesting. The Kalevala does not, however, tell not so much about it - it is more like an epic containing legends are lore. It was collected orally in the 19th century, which means that the effect of Christianity on it is huge. So that is basically why there is not much about the old beliefs. But luckily there is some information preserved through the centuries.
The highest of all gods is Ukko, the god of thunder. He has a wife called Rauni. Then there's Ahti, god of the sea; Tapio, god of the forest; Pekko, god of ale; and much more, but these are the most important ones. By the way, all these names are still in use in Finland. The souls of the people will be sent to Tuonela after they've died, except for the evil ones who go straight to Horna (a place like the Judeo-Christian Hell). We have also lots of smaller deities, like elves, gnomes and other small people, like "maahiset" and "menninkäiset". One of the great things in Finland is that there still are lots of people who in some odd way believe in these "little people". And most of all, the elves etc. have a deep effect on the daily life of the Finns e.g. in the form of phrases. In addition, there has also been/still are other gods to worship than these, which are much more known around the globe. Yes, I am talking about Odin, Thor and other nordic gods. But I suppose everyone knows them, so I don't have to write more about it. What comes to my religious beliefs, I have chosen to follow the path of Aasausko, which means loyalty to old Asa gods, but as a Finn my spiritual world contains also quite a load from the other mythology I told about a few lines before. I am also interested in Slavonic mythology to an extent. However, I consider all these characters to be more like a manifestation of pure nature than concrete flesh and blood, being symbols of the divine. It is hard to explain anyway, so I'd rather just classify myself as a Finnish pagan, whatever that may mean though.

[Ville] What do I need to say? I agree to a full extent that Finnish mythology is interesting, and as I am Finnish, I have a natural urge to explore it - and fortunately there are much more people in Finland than just me who feel the same way, so most likely the tradition will be preserved to many forthcoming generations as well. My relation to our religious heritage is however more of a spiritual kind, as to me the gods and other heathenish figures are but mere representatives of nature and not persons to be worshipped. The only entity that I consider a god of some kind is nature.

What is your attitude to christianity? What do you think about extreme aggression of the ones who play black? Usually, they call to expel christians, to burn churches etc. What do you think of this? As a continue - are you familiar with "legendary" participants of Inner Circle and other norvegian extremists (and, may be, from your own Finland)?

[Henri] My attitude on Christianity is pretty non-existant. It sure bothers me in a way, especially when I think of the systematical destroying of our pagan culture. But what is done, is done, and one cannot make it undone. But as long as there is one heathen standing, be it Finnish, Russian, Swedish, Italian or even Nigerian, the "war" ain't lost. Stand up and unite, heathen brothers and sisters!!!! Besides the abovementioned, I do not feel almost anything towards it. Let Christianity reign with its fascist god in where it was originally created. I don't need their Jewish-based religion and culture, because I have my own religion and culture and I am pretty fucking satisfied with them. And I don't need a "promised land" elsewhere, being thousands of kilometers away - I already live in mine. What comes to the Black Metal musicians with an extreme urge to set a wooden building afire or kick carved stones down... well, it may be good sports indeed, but I don't think we're about to see neither of them as an event in the next olympics. I choose to stand in the way of Christianity, Judaism and Islam with my music - I do not need violence or a matchbox to prove anyone how serious I am. That would only be stupid.

[Ville] Deep within I despise Christianity (among all other religions of slavery), but on the level of everyday life I usually just don't care about it. In Finland Christianity hasn't got a very visible role anyway, and it surely doesn't bother my way of living much. Christians are just one big herd of sheep, towards which I haven't a need to attack but in which I would not like to be included either. Frankly I even quite don't get that extreme aggression of some blackers. Attacks towards Christianity only increase Christians' alertness and suspiciousness towards "non-believers", not forgetting how every act of violence or terrorism has but strengthened their unity. Besides, every single burnt church or destroyed tomb is refunded with tax money, which every fucking devil-worshipper or whoever has to pay. If Christians are to fall, it surely ain't going to happen with senseless brutality. To build a healthier world, people need to be educated and helped to open their minds, and mindless attacks towards their stubborn beliefs just make this task harder. Perhaps everyone got my point already. About the "inner circle" of Norway then, some of the people behind it had some good opinions, but I think I already explained what do I think of their past actions. As there supposedly is nothing serious going on in Norway any longer, I have a strong reason to believe that there isn't anything similar in Finland either. Of course there are these childish morons who occassionally rise to the headlines by kicking down a few tombstones, but there is no possibility that they would be organized. Just think about another failed arson, attempted with a burning piece of paper nailed to a heavy wooden door and a molotov coctail thrown onto concrete floor! This has really happened, and I confess that I couldn't hide my innocent smile when reading about it.

Did you used finnish words in the names of your some demos ? I can not read and translate it... What it means ? What is the reason to write on finnish for you ? May be, it's not interesting for you, but I like to understand a text of song which I listen. But I didn't know finnish... Who is the leader in your creative duet ? You or your kinsman ? No conflict all that time ?

[Ville] All of our lyrics for "Tämä Ikuinen Talvi", as well as the lyrics for our forthcoming album, are written in Finnish. The language was changed from English simultaneously when Henri gave up writing them to me, and the reasons for why I chose Finnish were more than obvious to me. I have always loved the sound of Finnish (as strange as it would seem, eheh), and furthermore the language has a magnificent expression value due to its large and colourful vocabulary and the theoretically free word order. Also it's only natural to use Finnish when dressing a Finnish pagan band's concept into words. However, the use of some English (or other languages) in future is not completely shun out, as I will use whatever language (although at the moment I can handle only three) that is the best medium of saying what I have to say. The song titles of "Tämä Ikuinen Talvi" themselves are translated to English on the demo cover, but as the actual demo title is not, it should be revealed that literally it means "This Eternal Winter". Not too original, huh, but really suitable for that recording. And "Metsä", predictably, means "Forest". Our upcoming debut album is already entitled as "Suden Uni", meaning "A Wolf's Dream", and some of the new song titles translate into English as "Son of the god of thunder", "As eternal", "Home of the wind, Home of the waves" and "Pagan feast".
The leadership question is more of a meaningless matter to us, and I could as well answer that there is no such person as a leader in Moonsorrow. Of course I write most of the lyrics and Henri writes most of the music, mostly because I write generally better lyrics and Henri writes generally better music, yet I am not any leader poet and Henri is not any leader composer. We seldom have any conflicts, and they are always settled in peace anyway.

Do you find reflection of your phylosophical opinious in a real life? And when you are not engaged in music?

[Ville] As I am not a dreamer, my own philosophy of life is firmly based on reality. From my point of view, life is an incident of nature's course. Occurring only once, it should always be delighted in to the maximum inside given limits. Being unique, all lives should be respected and given space, i.e. no animal or plant should be killed without a reason or be trapped. And nature, as the source of all life, should of course be respected the most. What comes to the contents of living, a good life is lead by heathenish values, such as sincerity, wisdom, rightfulness etc. A life successful in the forementioned terms is simple and fulfilling, and as it is possible to achieve, it indeed has a place in reality. Sadly it just seems that human beings even willing to strive for such are very rare. To the other part of the question then. I am always a thinking being, whether playing music or not, and my philosophical opinions follow the same lines regardless of the situation (although naturally they are constantly developing). And to roll it over, music is always a part of me, whether I'm playing it or not. There are moments when I am not thinking music in particular, but it still forms one crucial part of my psyche. Music is an important way for me to deliver my emotions on other levels, as e.g. paintings would be to a pictoral artist.

By the way, what do you all do besides music, what are your interests?

[Henri] My interests are pretty much based on music. I play different kinds of it besides just metal: prog rock, jazz, classical, funk... almost everything as it is not only a hobby for me, but also a job. But of course there are some other activities I prefer, which are drawing, reading (mostly history and psychology), drinking, cooking(!), fishing and stuff like that. But as I said, playing and especially composing music are my main priorities.

[Ville] As with Henri, most of my time also is spent with music in a way or another. However, as I am not very gifted as a composer, I usually just settle with playing the bass and the drums and let others do the composing. And of course I also consume a lot of music, even so that there are not many silent periods during my days. Then, my other interests that still circle around music are writing to an underground 'zine called Meathooked and running a small distribution service called Meat Hook Productions. Along with Moonsorrow, these activities also involve a lot of underground communication by regular and electronic letters. However, music aside, because I also have a plan of educating myself further in mathematical sciences, perhaps to become a teacher. Linked with this, I have a slight interest towards certain other sciences as well. And examples of those "small joys" of life I enjoy are spending time with my fiancé and friends, drinking and just wandering around.

Tell about your future. What are the following plans of Moonsorrow?

[Henri] The following plans of Moonsorrow are to conquer the world, of course! Besides that we have some other things in mind: getting the first full-length out, rehearsing, gigs, beer, beer and more beer, maybe a possible mcd with some older demo-songs reconstructed and then finally a split-up because of musical disagreements hehehe. Mostly the usual stuff I think.

What's happening on Finnish black/pagan scene? Are there any interesting bands?

[Henri] Pretty much, I suppose. New bands and projects are formed all the time, the gig situation is pretty bad as always, and the quality of new bands is on the rise which I find very pleasing. Of course pretty much crap has also risen from the basis of this newer Black Metal boom, but frankly I do not pay much attention to them. Are there any interesting bands? Do the bears crap into the forest? Of course there are. The fave ones of yours truly are: Thyrane, ...and Oceans, Tenhi, Hin Onde (ex-Svartalfheim), Rapture, Darkwoods My Betrothed, Unhola, Walhalla, Prophet (not so black though), Musta Surma and an excellent synth project called Jääportit. Of course I'd like to include Finntroll also as I play in it, but I hope Ville puts it on his list. :)

[Ville] In addition to those excellent bands Henri just listed as his favourites inside the Finnish metal scene, I would like to emphasize also Gorewinter, Nightside and of course Finntroll.

Are there any bands that you prefer? What kind of music you prefer to listen?

[Henri] Well, at the moment I'm listening to Arvo Pärt's "Arbos". But it is not the only music I like, though. (No shit, ehh...?) Some of the stuff I listen to with great pleasure is: Cannibal Corpse, Bal-Sagoth, King Crimson, Pestilence, Marduk, Obituary, In The Woods..., Deicide, Iron Maiden, Katatonia, Black Sabbath, The 3rd And The Mortal, Leonard Cohen, Danzig, Entombed, Frank Zappa, Emperor, Arcturus, Garmarna, Hedningarna, Slayer, Pohjannaula, Einherjer, Immortal, Bathory, Broken Hope, Napalm Death, Hades, Enslaved, Terrorizer, Kiss, Sadistik Exekution, Camel, Pekka Pohjola, Absu, Suffocation, Darkthrone, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Grave, Kingston Wall, a lot of classical music etc. etc., of course not forgetting the Finnish bands I mentioned in the previous question.

[Ville] I prefer to listen to any music that is good, regardless of the genre it represents, but of course most of the music I like can be defined as metal of some kind. Other music styles that play a great role in my odd taste could be for example (psychedelic) rock, classical, prog and selected sorts of synth music. I have not such as a favourite band, but some bands/artists that I especially like include, besides those bands I and Henri mentioned in the 9th question, Slayer, Bathory, In The Woods..., Emperor, Solstice, Thine, Unholy, Grieg, Wagner, Bach, Samael, Pan.Thy.Monium, Kingston Wall, Cannibal Corpse, Entombed, Opeth, Merciless, Thyrfing, Megadeth, Dissection, Metallica, Testament, King Crimson, Katatonia, Iron Maiden, Elend, The Doors, Pohjannaula, Morbid Angel, Darkthrone, Don Huonot, Camel, Mayhem, Arcturus, Ulver, Nordman, This Empty Flow, Anathema, When, Esperanza, Prodigy, Bal-Sagoth... actually the list could be almost endless, so I better stop here.

Do you know anything about Russian black/pagan bands? May be, you listened Gods Tower, ÌÔÚ or Ù‰Õ‘¦Ž¦"ÿ ?

[Ville] Until 1998 I knew practically nothing about Russian metal, but since then I've heard a load of good bands from over there, thanks to my deeper involvement in the underground. Gods Tower indeed is one of the quality bands Russia has to offer, but I would also like to point out Mental Home, Rakoth and Satarial for instance. And of course Trupny Yad (heh), even though it has nothing to do with Black Metal or anything.

Answer the question, that I forgot to ask?

[Henri] Ok then. It is purple, smells like fish and most likely has a couple of samovars hanging from it's nipples. Now it's your turn to figure our what was the question!

[Ville] Umm... I think you already asked almost everything I possibly can answer, but after all that's only positive. A delightful interview indeed this was. If I had to invent the question number 12 for this interview, it could be anything and then I would answer something. Whew. You know it is really kind to present a question like this, and it makes this interview always the better, but I really can't figure out a thing suitable for this situation. I'm really sorry, but perhaps you already got to know everything you could possibly want to know about Moonsorrow. If it isn't so, let me know...

And in the end, what are you wishes to russian fans and Domain'zine?

[Henri] Thank you people in Russia for all your support and I hope you will like our album. Yes, I know. Pretty used phrases, but I couldn't come up with anything more original as it is now 4 o'clock in the morning and it seems that I've spent over four hours to anwer this little intie. However, it was the most interesting one I've ever done. Thank you for that and stay brutal, my friend! Our true gods we cherish, may the false one perish. Hail!!!

[Ville] To start the end with, I thank you for this utterly interesting interview! I hope that your readers enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed answering. I urge every person in Russia who could like folkish Pagan Metal from Finland to check out our album (and perhaps the demos as well), not forgetting that I'd like some of them to get in touch for feedback, more information or anything. Keep the pagan flame lit!