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

Pure Holocaust / June 2000

Link

Answered by Ville Sorvali


Please let say introduce Moonsorrow and your new album, and Meat Hook Prod.?

[Ville] Hello, we are Moonsorrow from Finland and we play epic pagan metal. Our debut album ”Suden Uni” was released in summer 2000. Meat Hook Productions is a d.i.y. label which has released our last demo ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi” and 25 other demos. We also have a large distribution catalogue, which can be ordered from my address (it’s free).

What are your tell us more about your band history with your current line-up with name & age?

[Ville] Moonsorrow was formed in 1995 by Ville Seponpoika Sorvali (me) and Henri Urponpoika Sorvali. In 1997 we recorded our debut demo ”Metsä” and in 1998/1999 our last demo ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi”. (We have also recorded two unreleased demos.) Then we got a record contract from Swedish Plasmatica Records and recorded our debut album ”Suden Uni” in 2000. Our current line-up is: Henri Urponpoika Sorvali (born in 1978), guitars and keyboards; Ville Seponpoika Sorvali (born in 1980), bass and vocals; Baron Tarwonen (born in 1978), drums.

What are you do playing Black Metal?

[Ville] Actually we do not play black metal, we play pagan metal. The difference is both lyrical (our lyrics are paganistic, not satanic) and musical (there are many elements of heavy metal and folk music in Moonsorrow as well). But the reason for why we play this kind of music is that we simply enjoy doing it. Paganism is in our hearts and we want to express it with music we like.

And what is your major influences?

[Ville] Metal bands like Bathory, Enslaved and Emperor and different kinds of classical and folk music. But of course we create our own music instead of copying anyone.

Who did the picture on front cover and your band logo?

[Ville] The cover photo for ”Metsä” was taken by Henri, the cover photo for ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi” was taken by Henri’s friend and the cover painting for ”Suden Uni” was made by a certainly unknown artist H. Suuronen. All the used versions of Moonsorrow’s logo have been done by Henri.

Are you fully satisfied with Moonsorrow and how many copies of it have been sold?

[Ville] We are very satisfied with Moonsorrow, but never fully – we can always improve and do things better. So far we have sold 140 copies of ”Metsä” and over 400 copies of ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi”, but it really doesn’t mean much to us.

What’s a concept of Moonsorrow? It is... war, sorrow, dark, religion, anti-christian...

[Ville] The concept of Moonsorrow is 100% paganistic, and because of that it is also strongly anti-christian.

What are you lyrics usually based on?

[Ville] Our lyrics are mostly based on the pagan past of Finland. Some common themes we sing about are battles, nature, history and legends. For example one of the lyrics on ”Suden Uni” is about the slaughter of the first bishop in Finland (year 1156).

Let say that Moonsorrow is given a show to play, which other bands would you like to play with?

[Ville] It would be nice to support Einherjer, but of course we can play with anyone. It’s not so important with who you play, it’s more important that you play.

Moonsorrow! Your band interested show concert in Thailand?

[Ville] We are interested to play concerts anywhere, we just need someone to pay our expenses. The problem is that propably no one would want to pay for our trip to Thailand and back, hehe!

Please opinion some metal bands from Finland?

[Ville] In Finland there are many good metal bands, for example ...and Oceans, Thyrane, Gorewinter, Mother Depth, Finntroll, Unhola and Ensiferum. I really don’t care about such mainstream bands as Statovarius or Children Of Bodom because they are simply boring.

You think about Thy Serpent? You anti it?

[Ville] Thy Serpent is a quite boring band, so I don’t really care about it. This is a free country, and if someone wants to play boring music, it’s his shame.

You think about satanic? And are you is a satanic?

[Ville] Satanism doesn’t really interest me much, because I am not a satanist myself. For some people it’s a good philosophy of life, but all people claiming to be satanic really don’t understand what it’s about.

What are you think underground metal worldwide?

[Ville] I have discovered many good bands from the real underground (Neglected Fields or Heresiarh from Latvia for example). I was earlier more interested in the metal underground, but I have lost a bit of my interest because most of the new bands are just bad.

You know metal scene in Thailand or Asia?

[Ville] I have heard two bands from Thailand (Surrender Of Divinity and Annular Eclipse), some from Malaysia and many from Japan. I have also heard metal bands from Pakistan, Nepal and India! I have been told that there is an active scene in Asia, but I don’t know so much about it.

Now favorite bands for you?

[Ville] I listen to so many different types of music (metal, folk, classical, prog, rock and electronic music for example) and I like so many bands that I couldn’t list them all. Just some of my eternal favourites are Slayer, Bal-Sagoth, King Crimson, Opeth, Merciless, Kingston Wall, Hedningarna, Nordman, Anton Dvorak, Bathory, Morbid Angel, Testament, The Doors, Darkthrone, When, In The Woods... and so on...

Future plans?

[Ville] There are no actual future plans for Moonsorrow. We just try to play many gigs and compose some new material. And drink beer of course.

Thank you very much Ville & Moonsorrow, and last words for the end any do recommend in this here?

[Ville] Thank you for supporting Moonsorrow. Hold your swords up high and welcome the new pagan age!

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