Rising Darkness / January 2005

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Interviews Moonsorrow - via mail 25.01.2005

At first let me welcome you again for an interview with the Rising Darkness Magazine! The last time we had the pleasure to do an Interview used to be at the re-release of your Suden Uni album.

Ville:
Hello again!


So tell me what happened all this whole year till the release of your actual album “Verisäkeet”?

Ville:
We started the year continuing our little creative break after "Kivenkantaja", playing some gigs, drinking and having fun. We had the studio reserved for September, so we were not in a hurry to start composing new material anyway. In the meantime we had our first foreign gig (in Croatia). During summer we sat down at Henri's home studio and started working for the material of "VerisŠkeet", spending countless hours at the computer and sweating as hell. In September we went to the studio to record, and after that started fighting with the record label about the album covers, haha.


Suden Uni – The Dream of a Wolf. In that case I was able to find a translation, but what about “Verisäkeet”? I wasn’t able at all to find out how I would have to translate it!

Ville:
It translates as "Bloodverses". The English translations of the lyrics can also be found at www.moonsorrow.com.

As I read in the album description I would have to think about animals fighting next to human beings in the woods till the end and about the nights sitting next to a big fire. So would you tell me in your own words about the story and the intentions behind the album?

Ville:
The story is that there is no story, the lyrics are just tied together with a loose concept of these "bloodverses". It's about having pagan blood in our veins, our heritage, and about the presence of death. Animals and men are fighting side by side to preserve this heritage and drive the pilgrims of the false god back to their land.


I was very impressed about the length of the songs on “Verisäkeet”. There are only five songs on a 70 minute album! Was it your intention from the beginning to create such a poetic and epic anthem?

Ville:
Epic material seems to come naturally, we don't think about it so much. We just found out while writing new songs that they are going to be long. Quite long.


I think it is the darkest Moonsorrow album I have listened to. Would you agree with me?

Ville:
Yes I would, that's my impression as well. Once again, it just happened, we found out what's it going to be like when we started writing new material. We didn't want to do a follow-up to "Kivenkantaja" anyway.

As you told me in our last interview paganism is your way of life and we used to talk about the strong relationship to the nature belonging to paganism so I would beg you to tell me this time about your relationship Finland’s nature. Which part of it do you prefer: The sea, lakes or wood? Or something completely different?

Ville:
Nature is the creator, the omnipresent force that makes all the false gods appear as mice, something that man can never control. I totally respect nature and try to obtain harmony with it (I'm living in a city, so figure that). Which part I prefer? Every single one. I think I have the uttermost serenity when I stand at the mountain slopes (pretty rare in Finland, haha) facing the wind. The vastness of nature just... impresses me so much.


How does your relationship to the nature look like? Complementary, mutual respect?

Ville:
Nature doesn't either respect or disrespect. I respect nature out of my pure pagan will.


If I would really like to feel the spirit of nature, which place in Finland would I have to visit in your eyes?

Ville:
I'd suggest to go to Lapland, the endless plains and unforgiving hills could be something I tried to describe in "Jotunheim". That's the power of nature.


As I told you the last time I was able to learn some "very important" words in Finnish like “Kippis", "haista vittu" and "perkele". You mentioned me some more words like "olut", "jääkiekko" and "jääkarhu". So what about lesson two?

Ville:
"Yksi, kaksi, kolme, ei saa peittŠŠ" = one, two, three, do not cover.


11. Alright! Let me thank you again for the time you took answering my questions! It’s been a pleasure again! Have a lot of success with “Verisäkeet” and of course a lot of “olut”. In my eyes it’s a perfect starter for the year 2005!
Kippis!

Ville:
Thank you for the interview, compliments and support! Beer is good.


martin