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Answered by Ville Sorvali
Because it is our first interview with you let's make a short excursus to the history?
[Ville] Moonsorrow was formed in 1995 by Henri and Ville Sorvali. The debut demo "Metsä" was recorded in 1997 and the so-called breakthrough demo "Tämä Ikuinen Talvi" in 1998 (released in 1999). After the demos Moonsorrow got a record deal from Plasmatica Records (Sweden), added Baron Tarwonen to their line-up to play drums, and headed recording their debut album "Suden Uni" in 2000.
Do you take part in another projects?
[Ville] Yes. My main focus is Moonsorrow, but I also play in a rock group called May Withers and in a black/whatever metal band Thornfrost (which however is currently put on ice). Then there are several not-so-important projects, but they work rather passively and thus are not crucial to mention.
The name by yours bands, what it means, what sense you have put in pawn in it?
[Ville] Besides being just a good name for a band like us, Moonsorrow has many symbolic meanings. I am not to explain any, but perhaps it has something to do with the Finnish melancholy.
What inspire you to write such kind of music? What is the basis of your style? Do you feel any limitation in your style, in any conception? Do you see any possible progress, of movement forward? I do not like to stick labels and I am interested in your opinion.
[Ville] I just like music, and particularly I find it very entertaining to play this kind of music. Our musical style is based on the inspiration from such bands as Enslaved or Bathory, but nowadays we are not limited to mimicking any famous bands. Our sources of inspiration are very various. Of course there are some limitations within our style, for example we couldn't use dance beats in Moonsorrow even if we wanted to (don't worry, we don't even want to!), but progress is happening all the time. We develop our music and create new dimensions to it all the time, certainly. I don't like labels either, but so far we have called our music "bombastic heathen metal".
Do you think that an image of a musician is a basic element of the atmosphere. Is your image of great importance or you use it only for performances?
[Ville] For sure image has something to do with the musical atmosphere, but it's not the most important thing. As we play paganic music, we don't have any difficulties to fit the concept, because we are more or less pagans ourselves. Actually we're quite like ourselves in Moonsorrow, and it supports the atmosphere.
What is the main in music - technical things and possibilities or atmosphere (soul) ?
[Ville] Obviously it is the soul. Skillful and over-technical music would be nothing without atmosphere, while even the simplest music can be excellent if it has soul.
Tell more details about your lyrics?
[Ville] A general aspect in the lyrics is that they all have a heathen concept. Mostly they are about the fights between pagans and christians, but there are also texts about nature, death etc.
Do you use national elements in your music?
[Ville] We are very fond of folk elements and try to use them as often as they serve the music.
Where are your roots, both musical and your origin, do you know anything about them ?
[Ville] I have listened to music my whole life, and I was engaged with metal when I was 11 years old. Since then I have only widened and developed my musical taste. What comes to my origin, I know that my father's bloodline comes from Karelia for at least 3 generations and my mother's bloodline from the Central Finland for perhaps more generations. I would have to make some research to figure it out.
You excited with national questions, as you understand nationalism. Whether you adhere of concepts of cleanliness of blood, cleanliness of a nation. Cleanliness of ideas.
[Ville] I'm not so excited about national questions actually. I think it's important for a nation to preserve its own culture and people to an extent, but to avoid inbreeding a nation must not keep totally "clean". Most often nationalist issues even have no rational means, culminating to the pointless violence of the skinheads, which is enough of a reason for me to disassociate myself from them. Besides, I have nothing against foreign people, on the contrary.
Underground - is it simple only a term, or you think it really exists? I mean an opposition, which was, is, and will be. What are the troubles of Underground?
[Ville] There indeed is a worldwide underground, which in fact is getting wider day by day. However, the community is not as sincere as it used to be, and sadly enough I have a strong reason to believe that the best days of the underground were lived through when I wasn't involved in it. In the future there will be more problems for the underground than the question of sincerity, since the evergrowing computerization makes it really hard for little bands to survive. Think about mp3's for example.
Many hide the lack of talent, failures under the term underground What'd you think of crisis in the direction, whether there will be an exit from crisis?
[Ville] It is very annoying nowadays that when you see an interesting flyer and decide to buy the demo, you can very possibly receive a real piece of shit. There are people who can't even play their instruments, let alone composing proper music, and still they form bands "in the name of the underground". The crisis is still getting worse, but I doubt whether the incompetent have the will to irritate us listeners for long. I suppose that the trend is going to fade, at least when the internet and such take a strangle hold of the underground.
What you think of your local scene? Whom'd you support?
[Ville] The scene in Helsinki is pretty okay. Of course the mediocrities make up the majority, as everywhere, but there is a bunch of bands worth *serious* attention, for example Mother Depth (doom), Ensiferum (heavy/folk metal), Tenhi (folk/acoustic), Finntroll (oompah/black metal) and Prophet (heavy/rock). I support the bands I like, I have no money nor will to support anything unworthy and I think no one even should.
Your advice to young bands?
[Ville] Listen to your hearts and do not follow anyone. And learn to play first, of course.
Now the most of groups make a deal with large labels. It seems the black-radicalism became the subject of commerce speculation, isn't it?
[Ville] There is no radicalism in black metal anymore, the media actually worn the subject out even before the big record deals appeared. I don't judge any bands that sign such contracts, if they deserve it with their music, only the better. It just has nothing to do with the extreme movement of the early 90's anymore, but why should it? Music seems to be more important for people today and that is good for the listener.
Do you have such notion like responsibility for your fans? I know many groups that have changed the style but remained the old name. What do you think about it?
[Ville] I'm grateful for every single fan that could ever turn up and I think of them when I drive Moonsorrow forwards, but I don't feel directly responsible for any of them. We have no intentions to radically change our style anyway. We will develop with time and the people who accept it are our real fans. Development is natural for living structures, even that of Rotting Christ... although a change of monicker would've done really good for them and their new style.
Money on the other hand gives some freedom of creativity, but the question is to be discussed there is a lot of contradictions, what's your opinion?
[Ville] I do not oppose money and actually one of my dreams is being able to make a living with Moonsorrow. I think money doesn't build borders unless one allows it. I seriosly think that I wouldn't sell my soul for anything; if I weren't awarded money for doing what I like, fine, I'll keep doing it without money then. I will graduate for occupation anyway so I won't have to worry about Moonsorrow not making money.
What is for you the Evil, Hatred, Gloom, Contempt?
[Ville] Evil is something opposing good, always depending on the morals of oneself. For me there is nothing particularly evil, as it is a subject of relativism, but there certainly are some things that I regard as "evil" (opposing to good) which actually are considered good in some circles, for example forcing people to submit to one and almighty god without any own will. Evil is individual and should never be examined inside the religious context only, it is never all about what the christians say. Hatred is the other one of the strongest human feelings, hand in hand with love. It is a powerful driving force but should never be given the grip; uncontrolled hate always has the possibility to create something mournfully permanent. Gloom resebmles melancholia, which is a beautiful and somehow positive feeling. Contempt is for those who deserve it, aimed at respectable people it is just envy.
A nature, whether you communicate with it sometimes?
[Ville] Nature is my creator, not in the sense of "god" but as the mother of all living things. I respect nature very much and strive to maintain a harmony with it, always seeking for improving our relation. Human beings have lost the contact with nature, but a person who really loves nature can, just by wandering in a forest, open channels for communication with nature. There are no words but it tells more than any conversation with another human being could.
That think of Chaos and total destruction of life, one of means which achievement Is the War! What'd you think of it? Many shout about war, but have wrong opinion (not confirmed by experience of life), others shout different slogans, and in soul feel fear (even from the words)! Many think it is necessary and there are others who will have enough boldness of spirit to kill by the hands, not simply shout about it. They will want and do it I through this boundary have passed, and I know personally what is what. Let everyone decide on it himself. All the same weak people will remain weak, independently of the environment. Those who can act seldom shout about it at each corner. This's my personal opinion. Your opinion is interesting to me.
[Ville] War is nothing to strive for, the nature has its ways to reduce population by itself. People should learn to respect each other and not go for killing in the slightest conflict. It indeed is quite amusing how people shout about war without having any personal experiences with it; and if they had, their viewpoints would be quite different! Killing by hands, out of war, does not necessarily require courage, and depending on the cause it could have lead to a death sentence since the heathen dominion. Killing for reason, self defense for example, is acceptable but never too much to shout about.
How the man ceases to be the man?
[Ville] Man (though using this word I do not exclude women from the concept, they are as "men" as men are) ceases to be a man when losing his honour, by breaking his oath or committing a shameful deed such as the murder of a defenseless victim, rape or unrespect for nature. Thus, most men are not men. Although often considered otherwise, a man losing a fair duel still has his honour and remains a man.
The force of soul, in what is it found?
[Ville] Every human has a soul, yet likely everyone will never discover it. By following one's heart and with head up high striving for one's dreams the force of the soul can be unleashed.
How you react to criticism?
[Ville] If it's serious, I take it very seriously. Not in the smile-towards-ass style however. I listen carefully to what people have to say and try to improve the criticised aspect (be it of whatever) to a level that I can be comfortable with. For example the vocals of "Tämä Ikuinen Talvi" got very bad note and I realized the people were right: my voice sucked. I worked on it and now I can be, not completely but more satisfied. If the criticism however is unserious, plainly mocking, I don't give a shit about it... after being pissed off for a couple of moments, that is.
Look back, look on your past life. What'd you thinkof it?
[Ville] I did many foolish things when I was younger and I am not entirely satisfied with what I was like. However, it was a part of my growing process and I guess everyone else has had to go through that phase too. Of course there are also things I can be proud of, like getting the will to grow my awareness and knowledge and settling down with the person I love. But whatever may have happened, the past cannot be changed, I have learned my lessons and I'm only going to be wiser in the future.
Do you hear about such movement "Never Stop The Madness"? The weaks must die, the strongs must survive and so on. What do you think about it?
[Ville] Why *must* the strong survive? The strong *will* survive, regardless of any campaigns. "Never stop the madness" is only directed to the weak people who want to be strong by showing themselves ever weaker. I prefer "stop the madness" campaign against religions, that's all I have to do with it.
Do you think should extreme music get any ideology or not?
[Ville] Ideologies will develope, it is unnatural just to take something out of the context. The now matured anti-christian thinking is an intergral part of (black) metal, but it shouldn't be taken out to such an elitism where the "outsiders" simply aren't allowed to get into it.
Satanism- your opinion on this account? Whether the Satan is just a mirror reflection of God, but an opposed reflection, and it exists only till God exists.Satanism- is it a religion just like any other planting ideas? What your opinion?
[Ville] Satanism is a humane philosophy without any strictly religious bindings, and it is a good ideology for people who seek their inner selves. There are many people who have truthfully found themselves in satanism. Devil worshipping however is an entirely other issue, a religion among others. Just when directed against christianity in its whole it makes itself even more foolish. Satan is the enemy of god and thus exists only in the existence of god. As the existence of god as christians determine it is an utterly absurd idea, so is the existence of Satan.
Can Black exist outside of satanism?
[Ville] By most people satanism is considered the core or the basis of black metal, so I wouldn't say black metal would ever exist without satanism. Listen to it yourself; the name "black metal" is chosen from the inspiration of satanism, it is "the satanic genre" of music.
Paganism is more ancient, more perfect outlook, what'd you think? What is Pagan for you, culture or religion? Whether it is actual now?
[Ville] To me paganism is a very healthy way to live, it teaches us honour, respect for the nature and each other. We really should look into the past and learn from our ancestors. My paganism is more a culture than religion, I don't believe in personified divine forces and I do not practise any rituals. I actually think that in ancient Finland Ahti, Tapio and the other good fellows were merely titles for different phenomena in nature. People believed in them because they believed in nature, they sacrificed for them because they wanted to show their respect for nature. I respect that, and if the gods really existed they would understand why I don't believe in them in person. I can see a rise of paganism in modern society, and I can't but think it's great. People are really learning the lessons of the christianized generations and beginning to think for themselves. I think paganism has a future in Finland, not as a practised religion but as a valuable culture.
What has caused "Pagan" and "Black" trend, and what can cause their disappearance?
[Ville] The starting point for such trends was in the bands who employed satanism or paganism as their image only. Later there was a bunch of teenagers who took the image to a new, more serious extent, causing a lot of hassle leading to worldwide attention. And the snowball started to roll. The trends are already fading, but it takes a while for them to settle to a reasonable level. The reason for their weakening is obviously that those not so devoted who have made up the majority are losing their interest and seeking for new "radical" subcultures.
What'd you think about the growing popularity of black metal and more people come into a Cult?
[Ville] It is alright for any music style to get attention, because if the genre - as black metal is claimed - was supposed to be a "cult", the people not belonging into its embrace will shortly leave the way they entered. To me black metal is not more a secret cult than triphop, it is just a small corner of youth culture that remains incomprehensive for the majority.
The Death is standing near to you, whether you can bravely look at its eyes? Your last words even in this life?
[Ville] Depending on the shape of death. If I feel I still have a chance to save my life, I will not accept to die, but if I knew there's no way out, I would look straight into the eyes of death and say "apparently it's my turn, take me if you have to." I would tell all people important to me that I will always love them and ask them not to mourn after me.
What'd think of suicide? Whether it is victory of extreme egoism over all desires and feelings?
[Ville] That's very well put: victory of extreme egoism. Suicide is merely an escape from life. Every man has the right to commit suicide, but the moment should be chosen very carefully so that there would be the least harm of it to loved ones. But it's always egoistic, unless you're doing it to save someone else of course.
What keeps you in this life till now?
[Ville] I simply have a will to live; I won't have another earthly life and I do not know what expects me on the other side. I have my fiancée, my friends, my music and my interests as a driving force, and searching to improve in every aspect of human life will always keep me reaching further.
Life after death?
[Ville] I don't believe there's anything, but I cannot be sure until I see it. My time will come to know it; there are many things I want to learn before.
What is the great Truth for you?
[Ville] There is a truth for everyone and nature knows them all.
Is the division into True/False still possible?
[Ville] It was injudicious from the beginning.
Do you in general communicate with somebody? Or hatred suffer you, and you hate itself, you wonder whether you are still a man?
[Ville] I do not consider myself an extremely social person, but naturally I communicate with people, even quite often. Even if something cherished was taken from me I would never become so bittered that I would quit all social interactions for my life. That would be killing myself.
Does Misanthropy destroys you from within, or is it pointed at the environmental world?
[Ville] My misanthropy is aimed at the worhtless people and I can't see it as a destroying force. I can respect anyone who respects me.
What stimulators d'you use for expansion of your spiritual perception?
[Ville] I don't need to expand my perception, I can see everything that matters. Apart from that, I sometimes smoke weed, but not because of reaching "new levels of consciousness". Just for fun.
What is Elite for you? Is it just an opposition to the outer world?
[Ville] Somehow the word elite has become a swear word in my ears, reminding me of people who seriously think they are above all others with no justification for their claims. There is no elite, just individuals who can separate themselves from the mass with reason.
What is your future plans?
[Ville] I haven't planned much, and I would not like to reveal the little I have planned to avoid disappointments.
And in the end: what do you want to say especially for our readers in Russia? How can get aquainted with of album or demo?
[Ville] Thanks for reading this far. If anyone wants to get a hold of our album or the demos, or just to get in touch with me, my contact addresses are wille@pp.htv.fi and Ville Sorvali, Porvoonkatu 37 B 6, 00520 Helsinki, Finland. The demos cost $5 each and the album will (the most propably) cost $18. Keep on living and searching yourselves proudly and in respect for the divine!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Goathick Webzine / April 2000
Link [ENG] - Link [FIN]
[Finnish link & picture added on Apr 26th 2011. More photos from the first concert I just found: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4]
Answered by Ville, Henri and Marko... and Kharadrai! Original version in Finnish can be read below the English one.
Just before the interview Moonsorrow has played their first ever gig at West Coast Holocaust IV in Turku. The upcoming album ”Suden Uni” was already recorded in February 2000, but the Swedish Plasmatica Records has just managed to delay the release. Hopefully it will catch the bag of Santa. The fabulous three-song MCD ”Buried By Night” of Gorewinter has already been for a while in distros and we may need to wait some time for new material.
A basic question to begin with, in other words what are the latest feelings from the front?
[Ville] Well, a nice gig it was..
[Baron] Gorewinter has been doing practically nothing for a year after ”Buried By Night” MCD. Now we have done some new songs, some 40 minutes of new material. We’ve been rehearsing and we’re intending to make a demo of them, not for distribution but for checking out what does it sound like and then we’ll consider if we carry on with it. Because there’s just two of us in the band, we have to listen to ourselves from the tape sometimes, like for what does it sound like. If it sounds good, we carry on and book a studio...
And how is this record label picture of Moonsorrow? What kind of a deal?
[Ville] The deal is that Carlos pays... One album deal.
Please tell a bit of your own musical history? When did you begin to play, how etc.
[Ville] I started to play the bass and the drums in ’93, i.e. 13 years old. Moonsorrow was formed at the end of ’95. At first I played the drums in it. Then during one period I didn’t play anything than my mouth and in ’98 I started to play the bass in Moonsorrow.
How does personal chemistry work in Moonsorrow?
[Ville] The band’s personal chemistry work damn well. At least I haven’t come across any huge conflicts. I’m talking about the band line-up here, not the live line-up...
What was your first touch to black metal?
[Ville] I guess it was in ’94 when I bought ”In The Nightside Eclipse” by Emperor. I have listened to metal since ’88. Black is not the main thing.
And the same stories by Gorewinter-Baron?
[Baron] I begun playing drums 7 years old, means that a lot of time has elapsed... 15 years ago. Thanks to mom that she put me playing the drums instead of the piano or the violin! For the first ten years no band stuff happened. Only when I grew up a bit I started to form my own bands, of which the first played some kind of speed metal if I remember correctly, something on the Stone-Anthrax-Metallica axis... The chemistry in the band works fine, because there are only two of us it’s easy to deal with all things. Also outmusical, as much as there are such in this kind of a underground duo.
And you are ”just” friends with Eurén?
[Baron] We have known each other since year one, we have such a long relationship. We started playing together in ’95. At weekends we drink and see if we can do some music.
At this point I must ask whether you Ville and Henri Sorvali are cousins?
[Ville] Yes sir we are, you might be the first getting that one right. Every other thinks we’re brothers.
Well, when you look at the demo cover, you can’t make a mistake... (it says Henri Urponpoika and Ville Seponpoika) The father’s name is not the same, see...
[Ville] Yeah, but foreigners do not know what ’poika’ (son) means.
What was the composing and recording process of the songs on ”Buried By Night” like?
[Baron] The composing process was very simple. I made the songs. As nerd as I am, I made them with a computer... I played the songs to Eurén and he rehearsed them. We took a few sessions at the rehearsal place and we asked a few friends just to save time in the studio, a friend (Hellborg) to play the bass and that guy (Sir Atirkiéh), as he’s quite skilled with his hands, to play a guitar solo. This guitarist is by no means connected with metal music. The songs were recorded in the studio in a couple of days, that’s it. The lyrics were done during a few nights, heh.
What about Moonsorrow..?
[Ville] If I try to speak on behalf of Henri now... After the demo (”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi”) in ’99 we started to make some new songs before we had any deal, which we then got in April. After that Henri continued with the songs and I helped a bit. Then we realized that everything’s not right with this material, I mean we can’t play this demo-styled blasting all the time and then Henri just throwed unanimously most of the songs to the thrash bin and we started making some new material. The material on the new album is heavier than on the demo, a bit slower and there are also bits of good ol’ heavy metal there. The influence of Bathory shines through... All in all the songs were finalized in two months, we went into the studio and the process itself was pretty painless, because our engineer (Ahti Kortelainen, Tico Tico) was a very professional and nice fellow.
Are you satisfied with Plasmatica Records?
[Ville] So far yes, no confusions have occurred. The co-operation works well and mutual understanding prevails...
[Baron] As far as Carlos pays, everything’s alright. We wait for the album...
What other bands there are in Carlos’ team?
[Ville] The Peruvian folk/doom combo Kranium, Unhola from Uusikaupunki and after us there was this Swedish Midian signed, some kind of death metal. (Today there are also the Swedish Blazing Skies and the Peruvian Anal Vomit in the team.)
From where do you get your inspiration for making music?
[Baron] Gorewinter was originally formed as a tribute to the old bands, but ”Buried By Night” no more represents that style. The old Beherit and ”Transilvanian Hunger” by Darkthrone were the inspirative cases back then. Today the songs don’t create themselves from ”a tribute ground” anymore. I just take a guitar in my hands and if there’s good stuff coming we use it with Gorewinter, and if there’s shit coming we use it with some shitty band.
[Ville] In making the music for Moonsorrow I have just a little share.. I did lyrics most of the time while the music for the album was in process. In the last hand I got in a hurry anyway, I think it was in some two months when I completed all the lyrics. When time was about to end I asked Kaija (=fiancée) for help and she made one of the lyrics. And then we had the package wrapped. Some lyrics were still constructed in the studio the day the vocals were recorded.
Do you get any inspiration from literature for the lyrics?
[Ville] Not really, more from my own feelings and thoughts. Very seldom after I’ve read some literature or poems I start to work with any lyrics. More likely that happens when I’m for instance sitting at the table eating some lousy student meal. Then it just pops up like hey, now I’m gonna write some lyrics. The subjects of course have nothing to do with those macaroni..
What’s the message of Moonsorrow’s lyrics?
[Ville] Paganism is quite a prevailing theme. At least on the new recording there shines through a certain pissed-offness towards the christians who came across the continent and crushed all the pagan cultures.
Do you dig Enochian Crescent?
[Ville] I haven’t heard their new one (”Omega Telocvovim”) at all, but I heard that they have a ”Lalli-song” too (”Väkisinkastettu”). Anyway, I heard that only after I had written mine (”Köyliönjärven Jäällä”).
But the spirit is the same and what could be better.
[Ville] That’s a good spirit. But we don’t oppose christianity only, we oppose all religions and culture imperialists of all times. Everyone should be allowed to believe in what one likes.
What about Moonsorrow’s relationship to the forest, is there power in the forest?
[Ville] Although the title of our first demo was pompously ”Metsä” (Forest), our lyrics have nothing to do with forest. There is of course power in the nature.
[Baron] Nature is the greatest force in this world. Nature kills a lot of people too..
[Ville] I really don’t believe in anything, but if there is a ”creator” that’s nature. Nature and the universe are practically above everything.
Of what do Gorewinter’s lyrics tell?
[Baron] Gorewinter’s lyrics handle death because death is the toughest thing in the world. You can’t escape the fact that everyone has to die. I tell about those ways in which a man can die. I try to invent those cruel-as-possible ways, e.g. by a serial killer. No suicide stories however.
Do you deal with romantic ways to die within your lyrics?
[Baron] Well, perhaps some sort of street romanticism or street angst can be found. I don’t live in any forest, I can’t tell how the wind blows and it’s oh so dismal in the forest. It’s on the streets where the murders happen, it’s there from where the evilness derives.
What do you think of suicide, by the way?
[Baron] It’s everyone’s own decision. No one else can complain a word about it.
Is suicide a solution?
[Ville] It’s an option, just as Mika Luttinen said.
[Baron] No one can tell whether it is a solution.
Are there any pantheistic thought behind the lyrics of Moonsorrow?
[Ville] I can’t say that there’s divinity within everything. There’s divinity in nothing as such, but nature’s just such an amazing thing. It’s above all.
What are the five most important albums for you?
[Baron] King Crimson: ”Great Deceiver” box, Entombed: ”Left Hand Path”, Morbid Angel: ”Altars Of Madness”, KISS: ”Animalize” and Pink Floyd: ”Dark Side Of The Moon”. There have all changed my music listening a lot at their time.
[Ville] I could’ve listed like all 5 from the side of classical music, because they’re so important considering the development of music in general: The 5th of Beethoven, the 40th of Mozart, ”Thus Spake Zarathustra” by Strauss, ”Walkyrie” by Wagner, the 9th of Anton Dvorak and all Bachs. On the metal side the very important for me have been Slayer’s ”Reign In Blood” and absolutely Iron Maiden’s ”Somewhere In Time” and Bal-Sagoth’s ”Starfire Burning Upon...” and outside metal King Crimson’s ”In The Court Of The Crimson King”. We could talk for ages about these things but perhaps we should move on to the next question..
[Baron] And Henri listens to Rasmus, hehheh.
What is your relation to industrialized music and where do you draw the line within your own production?
[Baron] Gorewinter will not bring any machines to its music and supposedly the same concerns Moonsorrow.
[Ville] The synths are played in, nothing’s programmed. If we talk about industrial sounds like clinging and stuff, I think neither of the bands will present any of those. What do I think as a music listener, for example Godflesh’s newest (”Us And Them”) is pretty cool in all its oppressiveness, because they have created something so heart-pressing with machinery that certainly everyone will not like it. Industrialized music is at its best highly listenable. I like some industrial bands, but for example Kovenant’s newest (”Animatronic”) is not an experience to get excited about.
[Baron] I don’t consider that industrial. I don’t particularly like industrial, but I don’t hate it either.
[Ville] If we use machinery some day, the line would be great to draw enough before that techno beat.
What’s your opinion on the experimenting music styles of Ulver and Arcturus?
[Ville] I like the new records of both bands (that is ”Themes From William Blake’s...” and ”La Masquerade Infernale”), they both dare to experiment and succeed well in it.
Well this is a bit corny, but what do you think of Black Metal’s ”church burning reputation”? Is it for good or bad?
[Ville] Bad, obviously.
[Baron] Not good for the tax payers.
[Kharadrai] I have my own view on who burned that church in Tyrnävä. It was some homophobic who couldn’t cope with how positive towards gays the lutheric church actually is. I think it was some extremist heterosexual.
[Baron] Personally I have nothing agaist christians. It couldn’t interest me any less if someone belongs to the church and likes to visit there. It has no effect on my life whatsoever.
[Ville] If one has to fight against the church it could be done by intellectual weapons. I mean, for example spreading propaganda would be much more effective than burning churches, because if you burn a church they build a new one which is even better and billed from the tax payers. In the end the black metal bands only get a worse reputation and they can’t play even in those places where they could before.
What do you think of the current state of black metal or the Finnish scene? Where would you see the development is heading?
[Baron] I don’t follow these scenes so actively that I could say anything.
[Ville] I just have to follow the scene (as the head of Meat Hook Priductions).
[Baron] Of the future or the current state of Fennometal, what could I say. There are loads of ok bands here, considering that everyone’s complaining how Sentenced is so HIM nowadays and HIM is so pop. Sure Sentenced ain’t what it was earlier, but I think it’s far greater that the Finnish spread this kind of music out to the international market than some Swedish europop.
[Ville] The black metal scene includes so much shit that it doesn’t interest me at all, but Finland is doing well on that field. There are good bands, but I would personally like some more originality and courage to do end with new solutions. There will seemingly be good bands in the future too, but any Stratovarius-Sentenced-HIM world conquerings don’t interest me a bit. Ok, HIM is pretty good, but I’m not interested if they sell well in Germany and Austria.
In your everyday life, how do you relate to the modern society which tries to control everything you do? Do christian and humanistic values and morals affect the way you act?
[Ville] Christian values do affect me, that’s why I’m so antichristian and also otherwise antireligious and as a consequence of that also humanistic, because religions ain’t humanistic. The society sucks but you have to live in it.
[Baron] The thing is that we live day by day and don’t care of those. As misanthropic as I am, I’m not interested.
[Ville] Day by day and per mille by per mille..
[Baron] As long as ALKO is around, everything’s well. And as long as I get some money from some firm... Although I have to pay those damn taxes...
[Ville] I could complain about the flaws in the society for eternities, but let’s leave that out.
[Baron] I’m that kind of a person that I’m not into politics because I can’t affect it so much.
What if there was this antichristian party...?
[Baron] I would vote for that, for sure.
Where do you see your band after five years?
[Baron] If the band is not together, I play in some other group then, but I will continue with music.
[Ville] Of course it’s hard to say, but I would hope the band being together then. And if it ain’t, perhaps I’m in another band then. I think I will keep liking music anyway.
What is your home town Helsinki like in the eyes of a metalhead?
[Ville] There’s one bar where the scene meets and that is Rock Café Maestro, and there’s two places where a couple of bands sometimes play. That sucks big time that there ain’t stages for smaller bands anywhere.
[Baron] They limit quite much to Semifinaali. Helsinki is a pretty nice place, just as the other towns in Finland.
What’s the future of christianity from 50 years now on?
[Ville] Pretty nasty. People are gradually starting to think for themselves – perhaps. Every day that religion is dying.
[Baron] God knows.
Ville, tell us what’s your view on ancient pagan religions?
[Ville] In practise I don’t believe in them, but I really am interested in especially Finnish ancient beliefs. You can’t find too much information on that matter, by the way. They have once been crushed, that’s impossible to forgive and that’s what we sing about.
What’s your relation to shamanism?
[Ville] I don’t know enough about those things, although I’m interested to know more. Perhaps I’m a sceptic but I don’t believe in exorcism or anything... But it indeed has a mental effect on a person if he starts playing with it...
Do you believe in the christian conception of personal evil, Sheitan?
[Ville] The christian conception of Satan is all the same shit as their conception about God. It has no factual grounds, it’s plain bullshit, there can’t be such.
At this point Henri Sorvali enters the stage to answers some questions and screams like a Slayer when arriving... Have you ever took singing lessons?
[Henri] Never.
Where do you get inspiration for Moonsorrow’s compositions? Is it subconscious?
[Henri] Yes, it’s pretty much subconscious, although mead is a great influence. Actually tomorrow we’re going to Kalle’s place to drink some mead. But anyway, some can find certain parallels between our music and Emperor, Enslaved and perhaps the new material points at Bathory sometimes, but in purpose we have copied nothing. Perhaps I have been inspirated by those a little, but not in purpose.
Do you follow other forms of art, like literature or painting, and do you get any inspiration to compose from them?
[Henri] Well, some painting and some literature but I can’t say whether they’re of actual inspiration. I for example like Hugo Simberg’s works a lot.
What’s your relationship with christianity?
[Henri] Well, I have this (displaying the Thor’s hammer hanging on his neck), this should tell something.
Please tell your musical history in brief?
[Henri] I have played the piano soon for eighteen years, I begun with it when I was four. I have played the guitar for nine and a half years and the bass and the drums for some five-six years. Means that the basic band instruments are in control.
Ending greetings?
[Henri] I would like to send my greetings to Sami and the following orchestras: Gorewinter, Barathrum, Thyrane, ...and Oceans, Finntroll and Throne Of Chaos. Those who I didn’t mention are either plain shit or then I’m just too drunk to remember them.
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MOONSORROW & GOREWINTER 31.3.2000
Moonsorrow on juuri ennen haastattelua soittanut historiansa ensimmäisen keikan Turussa West Coast Holocaust IV:ssa. Tuleva levy "Suden Uni" on jo äänitetty helmikuussa 2000, mutta ruotsalainen Plasmatica Records on vain onnistunut jarruttelemaan julkaisua. Toivottavasti pukin konttiin ehtii markkinoille. Gorewinterin upea kolmen biisin MCD "Buried By Night" on ollut jo jonkin aikaa distroissa, ja uutta materiaalia saadaan vielä jonkin aikaa odotella.
MS:
Ville (V) =sanoitukset, laulu ja basso
Baron-Marko (B) =rummut
Henri (H) =sävellykset ja kitarointi +taustalaulu
Sami =kosketinsoittaja keikalla - tätä nykyä on korvattu Gorewinterin Lord Eurénilla
Mitja =2-kitara keikalla
GW:
Lord Eurén –kitara ja koskettimet
Baron Tarwonen –rummut, kitara ja laulu
Alkuun aika peruskysymys, eli mitä kuuluu noin yleensä ottaen bändien riveihin?
V: Ihan mukava keikka oli..
B: Gorewinter on ollut vuoden tekemättä mitään sitten "Buried by Night"-MCD:n. Nyt ollaan tehty uusia biisejä, joku 40 minuuttia uutta matskua. Ollaan treenailtu ja aiotaan tehdä niistä oma demo, jota ei laiteta levitykseen, vaan katotaan miltä se kuulostaa ja sitten mietitään jatketaanko hommaa vai ei. Koska meitä on vaan kaksi tyyppiä bändissä, joudutaan vähän kuuntelemaan itseämme nauhalta, että miltä se kuulostaa. Jos kuulostaa hyvältä, niin jatketaan ja varataan studio…
Millanen tämä Moonsorrown levy-yhtiö kuvio on? Millainen sopimus?
V: Sopimus on että Carlos maksaa… Yhden levyn sopimus.
Kerro vähän omasta musiikillisesta historiastasi? Milloin aloit soittamaan, mitä kautta jne..
V: Minä aloitin soittamaan bassoa ja rumpuja vuonna ’93, eli 13-vuotiaana. Moonsorrow perustettiin vuoden ’95 lopulla. Aluksi soitin siinä rumpuja. Yhdessä vaiheessa en soittanut mitään muuta kuin suutani ja ’98 aloin soittamaan Moonsorrowssa bassoa.
Miten henkilökemia toimii Moonsorrowssa?
V: Bändin henkilökemia toimii mainiosti. En ole ainakaan mihinkään suuriin konflikteihin törmännyt. Siis nyt puhutaan bändikokoonpanosta eikä livekokoonpanosta…
Mikä oli sinun ensisysäys black metalliin?
V: Se oli varmaan vuonna ’94, kun ostin Emperorin "In the Nightside Eclipsen". Metallia on kuunneltu vuodesta ’88. Bläkki ei ole pääasia.
Ja samat tarinat Gorewinter-Baron?
B: Aloitin soittamaan rumpuja 7-vuotiaana, eli siitä on julmasti aikaa.. 15 vuotta sitten. Kiitos äidille, että pisti soittamaan rumpuja eikä pianoa tai viulua! Ensimmäiseen kymmeneen vuoteen ei tapahtunut mitään bändijuttuja. Vasta sitten kun kasvoi, ruvettiin perustelemaan omia bändejä, joista ensimmäinen taisi soittaa jonkinsortin speed metallia, tyyliin Stone-Anthrax-Metallica…
Bändin henkilökemia toimii vallan mainiosti, koska meitä on kaksi, niin on helvetin helppo hoitaa kaikkia asioita. Myös ulkomusiikillisia, sikäli kun niitä on tämmöisessä duo-underground bändissä.
G: Siis tehän olette "vaan" kavereita Eurénin kanssa?
B: Me ollaan tunnettu toisemme yksi vuotiaasta asti, meillä on niinkin pitkä kaverisuhde. Aloitettiin soittamaan yhdessä ’95. Viikonloput vedetään viinaa ja katotaan jos tehdään biisejä.
G: Tähän väliin kysyn, että oletteko te Ville ja Henri Sorvali serkuksia?
V: Me ollaan serkuksia, olet todennäköisesti ensimmäinen, joka sen arvaa oikein. Kaikki muut luulee että me ollaan veljeksiä.
G: Demon kannesta kun lukee, niin ei voi erehtyä… (siinä lukee Henri Urponpoika ja Ville Seponpoika Sorvali) Isän nimi kun on eri…
V: Niin, mutta ulkomaalaisethan eivät tiedä, mitä ’poika’ tarkoittaa.
G: Millainen oli "Buried by Nightin" biisien valmistusprosessi ja levytysprosessi?
B: Biisien valmistusprosessi oli hyvin yksinkertainen. Minä sävelsin biisit. Nörtti kun olen, sävelsin ne tietokoneella.. Soitin biisit kaverille ja kaveri opetteli soittamaan. Käytiin muutaman kerran treenikämpällä harjoittelemassa ja pyydettiin pari kaveria ihan ajan takia, eli että studiossa nopeutetaan, niin pyydettiin kaveria (Hellborg) soittamaan bassoa ja yks hemmo (Sir Atirkiéh) kun on niin kätevä käsistään, soittamaan kitarasooloa. Tämä kitaristi ei ole missään tekemisissä metallimusiikin kanssa. Biisit vedettiin studiossa parissa päivässä, se oli siinä. Sanoitukset tehtiin parissa yössä, heh.
G: Entä Moonsorrow..?
V: Jos minä nyt Henun puolesta yritän puhua… Demon ("Tämä ikuinen talvi") jälkeen vuonna ’99 ruvettiin tekemään uusia biisejä, ennen kuin oli mitään diiliä, joka sitten saatiin huhtikuussa. Sen jälkeen Henu jatkoi biisien tekemistä, minä hieman autoin siinä.. Sitten todettiin että joku mättää tässä materiaalissa, että ei tätä demo-tyylistä mättöä jaksa koko ajan soittaa ja Henu sitten heitti yksi- tai kaksimielisesti suurimman osan biiseistä roskakoppaan ja ruvettiin tekemään uutta materiaalia. Uuden levyn materiaali on raskaampaa kuin demo, hieman hitaampaa ja siinä on paljon myös sellaista kunnon hevimetallia.. Bathory vaikutteet paistavat läpi… Loppujen lopuksi biisit hiottiin kuntoon kahdessa kuukaudessa, mentiin studioon ja itse prosessi sujui varsin kivuttomasti, koska äänittäjämme (Ahti Kortelainen, Tico Tico) oli erittäin asiansaosaava ja mukava mies.
G: Oletteko tyytyväisiä Plasmatica Recordsiin?
V: Ollaan toistaiseksi aivan tyytyväisiä, ei ole ilmennyt mitään häiriöitä. Yhteistyö sujuu vallan hyvin ja molemminpuolinen ymmärrys vallitsee..
B: Niin kauan kuin Carlos maksaa niin kaikki on kunnossa. Odottelemme levyä…
G: Mitä muita bändejä Carlosin tallissa on?
V:Perulainen folk/doom yhtye Kranium, Uudenkaupungin Unhola ja meidän jälkeen vielä sainattu ruotsalainen Midian, jonkinlaista death metallia. (Nykyään tallissa on myös ruotsalainen Blazing Skies ja perulainen Anal Vomit).
G: Mistä ammennat inspiraatiota musiikkiin?
B: Gorewinter perustettiin alunperin tribuutiksi vanhoille bändeille, mutta "Buried by Night" ei enää edusta sitä tyyliä. Vanha Beherit ja DarkThronen "Transilvanian Hunger" olivat silloin alussa innoittajina. Tänä päivänä biisit eivät lähde enää "tribuuttipihjalta". Ottaa vaan kitaran käteen ja jos tulee hyviä juttuja, niin ne käytetään Gorewinterillä, ja jos tulee paskoa, niin ne käytetään jonkun paskan bändin kanssa.
V: Moonsorrown biisinteossa minulla on hyvin pieni osuus.. Sanoituksia tein pitkin matkaa, kun levyä tehtiin. Viimekädessä tuli kuitenkin hieman kiire, varmaan kahden kuukauden sisällä tein kaikki sanoitukset. Loppumetreillä pyysin Kaijaa (=kihlattu) apuun ja hän teki yhdet sanat. Sitten olikin paketti kasassa. Sanoituksia viimeisteltiin vielä studiossa sinä päivänä kun lauluja nauhoitettiin.
Otatko kirjallisuudesta sanoituksiin vaikutteita?
V: Enpä oikeastaan, enemmän omista tunteista ja ajatuksista. Harvemminpa sen jälkeen kun mä oon lukenut kirjallisuutta tai runoutta rupeaa syntymään mitään sanoituksia. Ne tulee ennemmin vaikka kun mä istun pöydän ääressä syömässä jotain opiskelija-ateriaa. Sit vaan tulee yhtäkkiä idea, että hei nyt mä kirjotan sanoja. Aiheet tietysti ei liity niihin makaroneihin..
| Mikä on Moonsorrown sanoitusten viesti? V: "Pakanallisuus on aika vallitseva teema. Ainakin uudella levyllä paistaa läpi jonkinlainen vittuuntuneisuus sitä kohtaan, että kristityt tulivat mantereen halki ja kukistivat kaikki pakanakulttuurit." Diggailetko Enochian Crescentistä? Mutta samanlaista henkeä löytyy ja mikäs sen parempi. Entä Moonsorrown suhde metsään, onko metsässä voimaa? | "Profeetan Lapset, Emme tarvitse vapahtajaanne, Luonto on äitimme, -kappaleesta "Luopion veri" |
Mistä Gorewinterin sanoitukset kertovat?
B: Gorewinterin sanoitukset kertoo kuolemasta, koska se on maailman kovin juttu. Siitä ei pääse mihinkään, että jokaisen täytyy kuolla. Mä kerron niistä tavoista, millä ihminen voi kuolla. Yritän keksiä niitä mahdollisimman julmia tapoja, esim sarjamurhaajan toimesta. Ei kuitenkaan itsemurhatarinoita.
Käsitteletkö sanoissasi romanttisia tapoja kuolla?
B: No ehkä jonkinlaista katuromantiikkaa tai katuangstia voi löytyä. Mä en elä missään metsässä, mä en voi kertoa kuinka metsässä tuuli ujeltaa ja siellä on niin synkkää. Kaduillahan ne murhat tapahtuu, sieltä se pahuus lähtee.
Mitä mieltä olette itsemurhasta muutoin?
B: Itsemurha on jokaisen oma päätös. Sillä ei oo kellään muulla mitään valittamista.
Onko itsemurha ratkaisu?
V: Se on vaihtoehto, kuten Mika Luttinenkin sanoi.
B: Kukaan ei voi tietää, onko se ratkaisu.
Onko Moonsorrowlla panteistisia ajatuksia sanoitusten taustalla?
V: En mä voi sanoa, että kaikessa piilee jumaluus. Missään ei oo sinänsä jumaluutta, mutta luonto vaan on niin ihmeellinen asia. Se on kaiken yläpuolella.
Mitkä ovat viisi tärkeintä levyä itsellenne?
B: King Crimson: "Great Deceiver"-boxi, Entombed: "Left Hand Path", Morbid Angel: "Altars of Madness", KISS: "Animalize" ja Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon". Nää on kaikki muuttaneet minun musiikin kuunteluani omana aikanaan todella paljon.
V: Klassiselta puolelta olisin voinut listata vaikka kaikki viisi, koska ne ovat yleisesti musiikin kehityksen kannalta tärkeitä: Beethovenin 5, Mozartin 40, Straussin "Näin puhui Zarathustra", Wagnerin "Walkyrie", Anton Dvorakin yhdeksäs sinfonia ja kaikki Bachit.
Metallipuolelta on olleet itselle erittäin tärkeitä Slayerin "Reign in Blood" ja ehdottomasti Iron Maidenin "Somewhere in Time" ja Bal-Sagothin "Starfire Burning Upon…" ja metallin ulkopuolelta King Crimsonin "In the Court of the Crimson King". Näistähän voisi jutella vaikka kuinka kauan mutta jospa siirrytään seuraavaan kysymykseen..
B: Ja Henri kuuntelee Rasmusta, hehheh.
Mikä on suhteenne koneistettuun musiikkiin ja mihin vedätte rajan oman bändinne tuotannossa?
B: Gorewinter ei tuo koneita musiikkiinsa ja ilmeisesti sama pätee Moonsorrow'iin.
V: Syntikat on soitettu sisään, ei oo ohjelmoitu mitään. Jos puhutaan industrial-soundeista, eli kolinaa ja hässäkkää, niin tuskin kummallakaan bändillä tullaan kuulemaan kyseisiä elementtejä. Mitä sitten itse musiikinkuuntelijana ajattelen, niin esim. Godfleshin uusin levy ("Us and Them") on kaikessa painostavuudessaan aika asiallista kamaa sikäli, että he ovat luoneet kone-elementeillä ahdistavaa musaa, josta ei varmasti kaikki pidä. Koneistettu musa on parhaimmillaan erittäin kuunneltavaa. Tykkään joistain konebändeistä kyllä, tosin esimerkiksi Kovenantin uutuus ("Animatronic") ei ole kovinkaan korviahivelevä kokemus.
B: En mä pidä sitä konemusiikkina. Mä en oo mikään konemusiikin ystävä, vaikka en vihamieskään.
V: Jos me tullaan jonain päivänä käyttämään koneita, niin rajan voisi vetää hyvissä ajoin ennen sitä teknobiittiä.
Mitä olette mieltä Ulverin ja Arcturusin kokeilevista musiikkityyleistä?
V: Mä tykkään molempien bändien uusista tekeleistä (siis "Themes from William Blake's…" ja "La Masquerade Infernale"), molemmat uskaltaa kokeilla ja onnistuvat siinä erittäin hyvin.
Tämä on aika korni kysymys, mutta mitä olette mieltä Black Metallin "kirkonpolttomaineesta"? Onko siitä enemmän hyötyä kuin haittaa?
V: Haittaa ihan selvästi.
B: Veronmaksajille siitä on haittaa.
Sami: Mulla on oma käsitys, kuka poltti sen kirkon Tyrnävällä. Se oli joku homofoobikko, joka ei kestänyt sitä, kuinka homosuvaitsevainen luterilainen kirkko on. Musta tuntuu siltä, että se oli joku äärihetero.
B: Henkilökohtaisesti mulla ei oo mitään kristittyjä vastaan. Ei mua vois vähempää kiinnostaa, jos joku on kirkossa ja tykkää käydä siellä. Se ei haittaa mun elämää mitenkään.
V: Jos kirkkoa vastaan pitää taistella, niin sen voisi tehdä ihan hyvin älyllisin asein. Esim. propagandan levittäminen olisi paljon tehokkaampaa kuin kirkonpolttaminen, koska jos polttaa kirkon, niin tilalle rakennetaan entistä ehompi kirkko - veronmaksajien rahoilla. Loppujen lopuksi black metal bändit joutuvat entistä huonompaan maineeseen, eikä pysty soittamaan niissäkään paikoissa, joissa ennen pystyi soittamaan.
Mitä mieltä olette black metallin tai Suomen metalli-skenen nykytilasta? Mihin näkisitte kehityksen olevan menossa omasta näkövinkkelistä?
B: Mä en seuraa näitä skenejä niin aktiivisesti, että osaisin tuohon sanoa jotain.
V: Minä joudun väkisinkin seuraamaan skeneä (Meat Hook Prod:in päämiehenä).
B: Suomimetallin tulevaisuudesta tai tämänhetkisestä tilasta, mitäpä tuohon voisi sanoa. Onhan täällä vitusti ok bändejä, siinä suhteessa, että kaikki valittaa, kuinka Sentenced on nykyään niin him ja HIM on niin pop. Eihän Sentenced oo sitä mitä se oli aikoinaan, mutta on se mun mielestä hienompaa, että Suomesta pistetään semmoista musaa maailman markkinoille, kuin jotain tyyliin Ruotsista europoppia.
V: Black metal skene sisältää niin paljon paskaa, että se ei mua yhtään kiinnosta, mutta Suomella pyyhkii siinä suhteessa hyvin. Hyviä bändejä on, mutta mä kaipaisin itse ainakin omaperäisyyttä ja rohkeutta tehdä uusia ratkaisuja. Hyviä bändejä tulee näköjään jatkossakin mutta Stratovarius-Sentenced-HIM-tyyliset maailmanvalloitukset ei kiinnosta mua pätkääkään. Ok, HIM on ihan hyvä yhtye, mutta ei mua kiinnosta, että se myy Saksassa ja Itävallassa.
Miten suhtaudut tavallisessa elämässäsi nyky-yhteiskuntaan, joka pyrkii kontrolloimaan kaikkea mitä sitten keksitkin tekemään? Vaikuttaako kristilliset ja humanistiset arvot ja moraali toimintaasi?
V: Kristilliset arvot vaikuttavat minuun, ja niiden ansioista mä olen aikalailla antikristitty ja muutenkin antiuskonnollinen ja juuri sen seurauksena myös humanistinen, koska uskonnot eivät ole humanistisia. Yhteiskunta haisee, mutta siinä on elettävä.
B: Meininki on se, että eletään ihan päivä päivältä pikkuhiljaa eikä välitetä tuommoisista. Niin misantrooppinen kuin ikinä olenkin, niin ei jaksa kiinnostaa.
V: Eletään päivä päivältä ja promille promillelta..
B: Niin kauan kuin ALKO on pystyssä, niin kaikki on hyvin. Ja kunhan sitä rahaakin jostain firmasta saa… Vaikka niitä veroja joutuu maksaa...
V: Yhteiskunnan epäkohdista vois valittaa vaikka kuinka kauan, mutta jätetään se väliin.
B: Mä oon sellanen ihminen, että mä en jaksa paneutua politiikkaan, koska mä en siihen voi kauheesti vaikuttaa.
Entä jos ois joku antikristillinen puolue…?
B: Kyllä mä sitä äänestäisin.
Missä bändinne on viiden vuoden kuluttua?
B: Jos bändi ei oo kasassa, niin sitten oon jossain toisessa bändissä, mutta musiikin parissa aion jatkaa.
V: Vaikea tietysti sanoa, mutta toivoisin että bändi on kasassa. Jos ei oo, niin ehkä mä oon jossain toisessa bändissä. Musiikista mä ainakin luulen diggailen vielä silloinkin.
Millainen kotikaupunkinne Helsinki on metallimiehen silmissä?
V: Siellä on yksi baari, jossa skene kokoontuu, eli Rock Café Maestro, ja kaksi paikkaa, jossa pari bändiä joskus soittaa. Se on ihan perseestä, että keikkapaikkoja pienemmille bändeille ei oo missään.
B: Ne rajoittuu aika pitkälle Semifinaaliin. Kyllä Helsinki on ihan mukava paikka, siinä missä muutkin Suomen kaupungit.
Mikä on kristinuskon tulevaisuus 50 vuotta tästä eteenpäin?
V: Perin ikävä. Ihmiset alkavat pikkuhiljaa ajatella itsenäisesti – ehkä. Koko ajan tuo uskonto on kuolemassa.
B: God knows.
Ville, kerroppa vielä mitä ajattelet vanhan kansan pakanauskonnoista?
V: Mä en varsinaisesti usko niihin, mutta oon oikeestaan aika kiinnostunut varsinkin suomalaisista muinaisuskonnoista. Siitä ei muuten hirveesti tietoa löydä. Ne on joskus jyrätty ja se on erittäin anteeksiantamatonta ja siitä me myös laulamme.
Mikä on suhteesi shamanismiin?
V: Mä en tiedä niistä tarpeeksi, joskin minua kiinnostaa tietää enemmän. Ehkä mä oon skeptikko mutta en mä varsinaisesti usko siihen, että henkiä voi manata esiin jne... Mutta on sillä henkinen vaikutus ihmiseen, jos rupeaa sitä harrastamaan…
Uskotko kristilliseen käsitykseen persoonallisesta pahasta, Sheitanista?
V: Kristillinen käsitys Saatanasta on ihan samaa paskaa kuin kristillinen käsitys Jumalasta. Sillä ei oo mitään todenperäistä pohjaa, se on täyttä paskanjauhantaa, ei semmoista voi olla.
Tässä vaiheessa Henri Sorvali saapuu paikalle vastaamaan kysymyksiin ja rääkäisee tullessaan slayermaisesti... Oletko ottanut laulutunteja?
H: En koskaan.
Mistä hankit inspiraatiota Moonsorrow'n sävellyksiin? Tuleeko ne alitajuisesti?
H: Kyllä se periaatteessa alitajuisesti tulee, joskin sima on suuri vaikuttaja. Ollaan itseasiassa huomenna menossa Kallelle juomaan simaa. Mutta anyway, jotkut löytävät tiettyjä yhtymäkohtia meidän materiaalista Emperoriin, Enslavediin ja ehkä uusi materiaali viittaa hieman Bathoryyn, mutta tahallaan ei oo mitään kopioitu. Ehkä noista olen kuitenkin vähän inspiroitunut, mutta en mitenkään tahallaan.
Seuraatko muita taiteenmuotoja, kuten kirjallisuutta tai maalaustaidetta, ja saatko niistä inspiraatiota sävellystyöhön?
H: No itseasiassa jonkun verran maalaustaidetta ja kirjallisuutta, mutta en osaa sanoa, tuleeko niistä varsinaisesti inspiraatiota. Tykkään esimerkiksi Hugo Simbergin töistä oikein paljon.
Mikä on suhteesi kristinuskoon?
H: No minulla on tällainen (esittelee kaulassaan roikkuvaa Thorin vasara-riipusta), eiköhän tämä kerro jotakin.
Kerro musiikillinen historiasi lyhyesti?
H: Mä oon soittanu pianoa kohta kahdeksantoista vuotta, aloitin sen neljävuotiaana. Kitaraa oon soittanu yhdeksän ja puoli vuotta ja bassoa ja rumpuja semmoiset viisi-kuusi vuotta. Eli perus bändisoittimet on hallussa.
Lopputerveiset?
H: Haluaisin lähettää terveisiä Samille ja seuraaville orkestereille: Gorewinter, Barathrum, Thyrane, …and Oceans, Finntroll ja Throne of Chaos. Ne yhtyeet, jotka eivät tulleet mainituiksi ovat ihan paskoja tai sitten mä oon liian jurrissa muistaakseni niitä.
Bylec-Tum / February 2000
Link
Answered by Ville Sorvali
Sincerely talking about your old demo-release ”Metsä”, it didn’t shock me very much, not such your last ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi”, which is for my point of view one of the best demos published by a Finnish BM band in the last two years. Would you present it to the readers?
[Ville] Well, thanks for your compliments! To me ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi” really was a successful release, although ”Metsä” is not a disappointment either. ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi” (this eternal winter) is our demo-release of 1999, consisting of 5 heathen anthems: ”Taistelu Pohjolasta” (the battle for pohjola), ”Vihreällä Valtaistuimella” (on the green throne), ”Talvi” (winter), ”Luopion Veri” (blood of an apostate) and an instrumental one ”Kuun Suru” (the moon’s sorrow). Henri and I worked with these songs during the whole 1998 trying to record them with very misfortunate results, namely talking about the double-booking of the studio, the ”borrowed” equipment and the self-destructing master tape. So when the demo actually came out, it already was more or less old to us. However, I still haven’t totally stopped listening to it - as I haven’t stopped listening to ”Metsä”.
Listening to ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi”, I’ve noticed a strong viking-metal sound, a little in the vein of Enslaved (those of ”Eld”) but with powerful guitars alterned to humminh ones, like very few bands are able to do (perhaps the last Old Man’s Child and Emperor of ”Anthems...”). Which are your greatest influences and fonts of inspiration?
[Ville] Sounds like a compliment again, eh? If you ask me, I’d say that the demo is not just a little in the vein of Enslaved, nevertheless our attempt never was to copy anyone. Similarities just appeared. I don’t even think that these new Black or Viking Metal bands would be of much influence when considering the actual music-writing process of Moonsorrow, but then again, I don’t know which bands could be. We write music whenever we feel like it, and it can be as well after listening to 70’s prog as after Black Metal, or even after hours of silence. If we however talk of inspirations in general, three bands that certainly have had the biggest effect on what we do are Bathory, Enslaved and Emperor.
How much are history & legends important for Moonsorrow? In which ways those subjects influence your music and in which ways your music should influence the listeners?
[Ville] History and legends are interesting, and I cannot deny their influence on Moonsorrow’s music and lyrics. There are other subjects dear to us as well, but I seriously don’t think that we will ever do a Moonsorrow-release without drawing from history or legends, so I would say that they are more or less important to us. Our music should influence the listeners in the way that they can feel the presence of the glorious past times, or if they’re out of imagination they should at least hear good music. We’re not here to give any lectures about how to think, so I wouldn’t like to see our music inspire an extremist ”pagan” movement or anything like that.
”Taistelu Pohjolasta” is surely one of the nicest tracks taken from your last demo, split in 3 parts. The English traduction of the title is ”The Battle For Pohjola”; seen that I am not so much into the ancient Finnish history and mytology, I would want to know something more about ”Pohjola”, word used also by many other bands in their releases, coming from Finland...
[Ville] Pohjola is simply the old Finnish word for ”North”, an area that usually counts Finland, Sweden and Norway. It’s a strong concept, often referring to the pagan lands of the area, and thus ”the battle for Pohjola” refers to the battle between pagans and christians for the rule of North. As Sweden and Norway, however, were suppressed under christian control before Finland, one can also interpret the text as the Finnish heathens’ fight against the Swedish and Norwegian christians.
Moonsorrow is exclusively formed by Henri and Ville; have you ever though to insert other musicians in the band?
[Ville] Since spring ’99 the entity of Moonsorrow has consisted of three invididuals, a hellish beater called Baron Tarwonen being the newest member. Everything works really well with this expanded line-up, so we at least have no intentions on firing this man hehe. We feel that Moonsorrow is complete at this stage, so to preserve the functioning structure, new members shall be introduced only as session members in live occassions.
What do you think about the other bands under Meat Hook Recs.? What do you think for example about Thornfrost, Kharadrai or Gorewinter (author of a majestic demo-cd entitled ”Buried By Night”)?
[Ville] As I am the one who mostly runs this ”label”, I naturally like all bands on it - more or less (”less” referring to our very first releases). Talking about the best metal bands we have/had, they are Unhola and Gorewinter, and the worthy ambiental acts contain Kharadrai, Mikhail Atom and Lunar Womb (not forgetting its side project called Solar Tomb). Unhola is now signed to Plasmatica Records, Mikhail Atom does his own thing, and I also heard that Kharadrai got signed to a real label. About Thornfrost, I’m not too sure whether it works anymore, but I used to play in it. It would be nice to do something under that monicker again some day, though.
Have you had any interesting proposals by some labels? On what format (cd, 7”, lp, ...) should we expect the next Moonsorrow’s release?
[Ville] Thanks to the sligthly reckless promotion for ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi”, we actually got several offers from foreign labels. The proposals were all interesting, but only the one offered by Swedish Plasmatica Records was worth considering and so we signed it. The next Moonsorrow release will thus be on CD/LP format, and actually it is recently recorded. It carries the name ”Suden Uni” (a wolf’s dream), and it will hopefully be released in spring 2000.
Surely all the musicians of the today’s Black Metal / Pagan Metal world-wide scene are seen by the mass like fanatics which spread their obsessive creeds through music, making only propaganda (religious, mythological, political...) and bad ”noises”. Do you see yourself as an obsessed man which try to escape its creed thanks to Black Metal? If you couldn’t play music, for one or other reasons, should you express your inner beliefs in any other forms of art? Which?
[Ville] Perhaps I have a slight obsession for my political and religious views, including that ”pagans vs. christians” thing, but it’s not on a level of activism, meaning that I just sing about it (and make noise about it at pubs sometimes...). As I said earlier, I am not trying to make any propaganda; my target is more like to make people think for themselves. If I couldn’t play music, I wouldn’t ”express” myself by trying to play it nevertheless as too many incompetent fellows do already. I would then only continue with our precious Meathooked ’zine, which is more of a forum for different views than any music. If I lost my ability to compose text, to play any instrument or even to make evil voices from my throat, I think I wouldn’t do anything to ”express” myself and my views then, as there is nothing worse than bad art.
How is today to live in Finland? What kind of relationships do you have with the other mew infesting Helsinki?
[Ville] Living in Finland is actually pretty nice, or at least nicer than I could think of living almost anywhere else. We have a proper social funding system (which unfortunately means high taxes, but you can’t win everything, can you?), a suitable number of people around, good beer etc. In general, the climate on the coast where I live is not the best around, as a half of every summer is cool and a half of every winter is warm, and everything between them is simply wet, but at least we do not have any major natural catastrophes. All in all, I like to live here even if it wouldn’t be too perfect. These shores are my home after all. What comes to my relations to other people here, they are somewhat limited as most Finnish people are very introvert and it’s hard to get any contact to them. An exception is when they’re drunk (which Finnish people often are), when everyone is either very talkative and ”social” or very angry and violent, and then it’s impossible to avoid contact with these people. However, I have my circle of friends and they’re mostly whom I deal with.
What Henri and Ville usually do in their private life (jobs, etc.) waiting for their corporal death?
[Ville] At the moment I’m serving my civil (non-military) service at a local high school doing all kinds of things you can imagine happening in a school building. I am fully served in July 2000, after which I’m attending the university to study mathematical sciences with a propable intention of becoming a teacher. Most of my free time I spend with music in a way or another, listening to good albums and demos, (besides playing the bass) playing the drums in May Withers (dismal rock) + in several projects, writing things to Meathooked ’zine and partly running Meat Hook Productions. Besides these activities, I just hang around with my fiancée and friends and occassionally drink a beer or two. Not much more happening in my life, I suppose, but I do not look forward to my death; it comes whenever it chooses to. For what I know, Henri is educating himself to be a professional musician. He plays in several good bands, of which Finntroll (troll metal) and Luokkasota (instrumental prog) must be mentioned, and drinks a lot more beer than most people could. Also Baron plays in many bands, including Gorewinter (battleblack metal), Circus Of Flesh (attitude wrenching) and Kuha (weird progpop). He is the only one of us who has an honourable job, ehh, though I never remember what he was doing.
Moonsorrow has the fame of ”Viking Black M.” band and all the warning followers of Nordic BM acts have supposed that your tracks are based on mythology and history. ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi” however doesn’t encloses the lyrics, so we don’t know what are the contents of your tracks. Can you share with us about the lyrical subjects?
[Ville] Our lyrics deal with various topics from a heathen point of view. The lyrics Henri wrote for ”Metsä” were strictly about northern mythology, but since then I went to a bit more abstract direction with my lyrics. I already explained a part of ”Taistelu Pohjolasta” in question 4 and I won’t go deeper in detail on that one, but perhaps the rest of the lyrics on ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi” deserve some dissection. ”Vihreällä Valtaistuimella” is all about nature, our mother and creator, ”Talvi” tells a legend of eternal winter (weather report) and ”Luopion Veri” is a gory telling about how the Finnish heathen folk eventually crush the betrayers who came from the west and forced everyone their faith. ”Kuun Suru” is just an effective title for the last piece, it is a strong name under which one cannot write lyrics. The new lyrics which appear on our debut album several times involve the fight of heathens and christians, just as many verses on ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi”, but the scale within that subject is wide enough, so the lyrics are not too similar with each other. The other themes I handle on the album could be for instance nature, home, death and those sorts of subjects. Naturally I hope that my lyrics will be interpreted in many personal ways, as poetry as they are, so I absolutely am not trying to explain their meaning.
In the past, to be a ”Black M.” band meaned to be ”satanists” or occultists. Today instead many BM acts are going to sing about legends, folklore, poetry, pornography, political (see to all the neo-nazi bands, for example...), etc.. How do you see this way of performing Black Metal?
[Ville] To me, being a Black Metal band still and forever means to be satanists, as simple as that. Black Metal is satanic music exclusively, and thus, I have awaited to say this until this question, Moonsorrow is not a Black Metal band. I don’t see anything wrong in bands singing about the themes you mentioned (except the neo-nazist subjects which are total idiocy), as long as they can proudly disconnect them from the label of ”Black Metal”. If a band states to play Black Metal but only sing about vikings, there is a major contradiction. Who are the ”satanic vikings” anyway?
If you could kill someone, in what way would you commit the homicide? What are your points of view about the violence between the humans and what do you think about the words ”peace & love” or ”make love, not wars”, etc.?
[Ville] The hypothesis should not be ”if I could kill someone”, for I know that I can kill a person. I just hope that I never confront the situation where it’s necessary to kill for protection of someone, including myself, because I am not willing to go to jail for someone’s worthless life. But actually I think that you meant it ”...without getting caught”, or am I wrong? As the only scenario in which I could think of killing is a severe defense situation, I would go for the fastest and the most effective way. Nothing too violent, just a releasing death. Speaking of violence, I think it is a false way of using power. I use violence only when there’s no other option, i.e. in such a situation where someone in need of protection, including myself, is attacked, meaning that I wouldn’t use violence at all if other people weren’t. I despise violent actions very much and I wouldn’t like to display such myself ever, but unfortunately there are situations in which I’m forced to. ”Peace & love” is much better than ”war & hate”, or what do you think?
I know that some Scandinavian countries (Denmark for sure) in some periods of the year they remember the old viking-hystory, making travels and using old uses and customs, eating and drinking old foods and drinks, dancing and singing old music, etc.. Has also Finland some of these tradictions? What do you think about this way of remembering the ancient glorious times?
[Ville] I think there’s nothing concrete going on on that field in Finland. Of course we have our folk music festivals and a seemingly annual ”medieval carneval”, but nothing that could be compared to what you described happening in Denmark. It seems that Finnish people aren’t used to glorificating their past, which is a shame. All kinds of such events would be a very nice way to escape reality if they were made to look as authentic as possible.
Well, winter is going to end and soon the hot and lighted rays will blind our eyes... How has been the last winter in Helsinki? Do you feel yourself influenced by these natural climatic changes?
[Ville] The last winter in Helsinki has been a joke for most of the time, for the snow has melted quite a few times due to the temperature rising way over 0°C and sometimes it has even rained water! At current, looking outside it seems pretty alright with a few degrees of frost, but who knows when it’s going to change again. I await for the summer already. I don’t know if I’m influenced by any climatic changes, perhaps just pissed off because of the unstability of the coast weather.
What are the future plans of Moonsorrow?
[Ville] While waiting our debut CD to be released, we just hope to keep in touch with some cool metal people and to play as many gigs as possible. After the release, we haven’t planned anything, and why should we? The future will bring what it wishes to.
It’s the end... last words from a bleeding apostate...
[Ville] The bleeding apostate doesn’t say a word for he’s the one we killed, but I would like to use this space for thanking you very much for this intelligent and personal interview! You have done a great job with these questions, and I just hope my devotion will reach your expectations. And to all readers who consider to contact us, do not hesitate but do it! Keep the pagan flame lit! Hail!!!
Answered by Ville Sorvali
Sincerely talking about your old demo-release ”Metsä”, it didn’t shock me very much, not such your last ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi”, which is for my point of view one of the best demos published by a Finnish BM band in the last two years. Would you present it to the readers?
[Ville] Well, thanks for your compliments! To me ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi” really was a successful release, although ”Metsä” is not a disappointment either. ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi” (this eternal winter) is our demo-release of 1999, consisting of 5 heathen anthems: ”Taistelu Pohjolasta” (the battle for pohjola), ”Vihreällä Valtaistuimella” (on the green throne), ”Talvi” (winter), ”Luopion Veri” (blood of an apostate) and an instrumental one ”Kuun Suru” (the moon’s sorrow). Henri and I worked with these songs during the whole 1998 trying to record them with very misfortunate results, namely talking about the double-booking of the studio, the ”borrowed” equipment and the self-destructing master tape. So when the demo actually came out, it already was more or less old to us. However, I still haven’t totally stopped listening to it - as I haven’t stopped listening to ”Metsä”.
Listening to ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi”, I’ve noticed a strong viking-metal sound, a little in the vein of Enslaved (those of ”Eld”) but with powerful guitars alterned to humminh ones, like very few bands are able to do (perhaps the last Old Man’s Child and Emperor of ”Anthems...”). Which are your greatest influences and fonts of inspiration?
[Ville] Sounds like a compliment again, eh? If you ask me, I’d say that the demo is not just a little in the vein of Enslaved, nevertheless our attempt never was to copy anyone. Similarities just appeared. I don’t even think that these new Black or Viking Metal bands would be of much influence when considering the actual music-writing process of Moonsorrow, but then again, I don’t know which bands could be. We write music whenever we feel like it, and it can be as well after listening to 70’s prog as after Black Metal, or even after hours of silence. If we however talk of inspirations in general, three bands that certainly have had the biggest effect on what we do are Bathory, Enslaved and Emperor.
How much are history & legends important for Moonsorrow? In which ways those subjects influence your music and in which ways your music should influence the listeners?
[Ville] History and legends are interesting, and I cannot deny their influence on Moonsorrow’s music and lyrics. There are other subjects dear to us as well, but I seriously don’t think that we will ever do a Moonsorrow-release without drawing from history or legends, so I would say that they are more or less important to us. Our music should influence the listeners in the way that they can feel the presence of the glorious past times, or if they’re out of imagination they should at least hear good music. We’re not here to give any lectures about how to think, so I wouldn’t like to see our music inspire an extremist ”pagan” movement or anything like that.
”Taistelu Pohjolasta” is surely one of the nicest tracks taken from your last demo, split in 3 parts. The English traduction of the title is ”The Battle For Pohjola”; seen that I am not so much into the ancient Finnish history and mytology, I would want to know something more about ”Pohjola”, word used also by many other bands in their releases, coming from Finland...
[Ville] Pohjola is simply the old Finnish word for ”North”, an area that usually counts Finland, Sweden and Norway. It’s a strong concept, often referring to the pagan lands of the area, and thus ”the battle for Pohjola” refers to the battle between pagans and christians for the rule of North. As Sweden and Norway, however, were suppressed under christian control before Finland, one can also interpret the text as the Finnish heathens’ fight against the Swedish and Norwegian christians.
Moonsorrow is exclusively formed by Henri and Ville; have you ever though to insert other musicians in the band?
[Ville] Since spring ’99 the entity of Moonsorrow has consisted of three invididuals, a hellish beater called Baron Tarwonen being the newest member. Everything works really well with this expanded line-up, so we at least have no intentions on firing this man hehe. We feel that Moonsorrow is complete at this stage, so to preserve the functioning structure, new members shall be introduced only as session members in live occassions.
What do you think about the other bands under Meat Hook Recs.? What do you think for example about Thornfrost, Kharadrai or Gorewinter (author of a majestic demo-cd entitled ”Buried By Night”)?
[Ville] As I am the one who mostly runs this ”label”, I naturally like all bands on it - more or less (”less” referring to our very first releases). Talking about the best metal bands we have/had, they are Unhola and Gorewinter, and the worthy ambiental acts contain Kharadrai, Mikhail Atom and Lunar Womb (not forgetting its side project called Solar Tomb). Unhola is now signed to Plasmatica Records, Mikhail Atom does his own thing, and I also heard that Kharadrai got signed to a real label. About Thornfrost, I’m not too sure whether it works anymore, but I used to play in it. It would be nice to do something under that monicker again some day, though.
Have you had any interesting proposals by some labels? On what format (cd, 7”, lp, ...) should we expect the next Moonsorrow’s release?
[Ville] Thanks to the sligthly reckless promotion for ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi”, we actually got several offers from foreign labels. The proposals were all interesting, but only the one offered by Swedish Plasmatica Records was worth considering and so we signed it. The next Moonsorrow release will thus be on CD/LP format, and actually it is recently recorded. It carries the name ”Suden Uni” (a wolf’s dream), and it will hopefully be released in spring 2000.
Surely all the musicians of the today’s Black Metal / Pagan Metal world-wide scene are seen by the mass like fanatics which spread their obsessive creeds through music, making only propaganda (religious, mythological, political...) and bad ”noises”. Do you see yourself as an obsessed man which try to escape its creed thanks to Black Metal? If you couldn’t play music, for one or other reasons, should you express your inner beliefs in any other forms of art? Which?
[Ville] Perhaps I have a slight obsession for my political and religious views, including that ”pagans vs. christians” thing, but it’s not on a level of activism, meaning that I just sing about it (and make noise about it at pubs sometimes...). As I said earlier, I am not trying to make any propaganda; my target is more like to make people think for themselves. If I couldn’t play music, I wouldn’t ”express” myself by trying to play it nevertheless as too many incompetent fellows do already. I would then only continue with our precious Meathooked ’zine, which is more of a forum for different views than any music. If I lost my ability to compose text, to play any instrument or even to make evil voices from my throat, I think I wouldn’t do anything to ”express” myself and my views then, as there is nothing worse than bad art.
How is today to live in Finland? What kind of relationships do you have with the other mew infesting Helsinki?
[Ville] Living in Finland is actually pretty nice, or at least nicer than I could think of living almost anywhere else. We have a proper social funding system (which unfortunately means high taxes, but you can’t win everything, can you?), a suitable number of people around, good beer etc. In general, the climate on the coast where I live is not the best around, as a half of every summer is cool and a half of every winter is warm, and everything between them is simply wet, but at least we do not have any major natural catastrophes. All in all, I like to live here even if it wouldn’t be too perfect. These shores are my home after all. What comes to my relations to other people here, they are somewhat limited as most Finnish people are very introvert and it’s hard to get any contact to them. An exception is when they’re drunk (which Finnish people often are), when everyone is either very talkative and ”social” or very angry and violent, and then it’s impossible to avoid contact with these people. However, I have my circle of friends and they’re mostly whom I deal with.
What Henri and Ville usually do in their private life (jobs, etc.) waiting for their corporal death?
[Ville] At the moment I’m serving my civil (non-military) service at a local high school doing all kinds of things you can imagine happening in a school building. I am fully served in July 2000, after which I’m attending the university to study mathematical sciences with a propable intention of becoming a teacher. Most of my free time I spend with music in a way or another, listening to good albums and demos, (besides playing the bass) playing the drums in May Withers (dismal rock) + in several projects, writing things to Meathooked ’zine and partly running Meat Hook Productions. Besides these activities, I just hang around with my fiancée and friends and occassionally drink a beer or two. Not much more happening in my life, I suppose, but I do not look forward to my death; it comes whenever it chooses to. For what I know, Henri is educating himself to be a professional musician. He plays in several good bands, of which Finntroll (troll metal) and Luokkasota (instrumental prog) must be mentioned, and drinks a lot more beer than most people could. Also Baron plays in many bands, including Gorewinter (battleblack metal), Circus Of Flesh (attitude wrenching) and Kuha (weird progpop). He is the only one of us who has an honourable job, ehh, though I never remember what he was doing.
Moonsorrow has the fame of ”Viking Black M.” band and all the warning followers of Nordic BM acts have supposed that your tracks are based on mythology and history. ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi” however doesn’t encloses the lyrics, so we don’t know what are the contents of your tracks. Can you share with us about the lyrical subjects?
[Ville] Our lyrics deal with various topics from a heathen point of view. The lyrics Henri wrote for ”Metsä” were strictly about northern mythology, but since then I went to a bit more abstract direction with my lyrics. I already explained a part of ”Taistelu Pohjolasta” in question 4 and I won’t go deeper in detail on that one, but perhaps the rest of the lyrics on ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi” deserve some dissection. ”Vihreällä Valtaistuimella” is all about nature, our mother and creator, ”Talvi” tells a legend of eternal winter (weather report) and ”Luopion Veri” is a gory telling about how the Finnish heathen folk eventually crush the betrayers who came from the west and forced everyone their faith. ”Kuun Suru” is just an effective title for the last piece, it is a strong name under which one cannot write lyrics. The new lyrics which appear on our debut album several times involve the fight of heathens and christians, just as many verses on ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi”, but the scale within that subject is wide enough, so the lyrics are not too similar with each other. The other themes I handle on the album could be for instance nature, home, death and those sorts of subjects. Naturally I hope that my lyrics will be interpreted in many personal ways, as poetry as they are, so I absolutely am not trying to explain their meaning.
In the past, to be a ”Black M.” band meaned to be ”satanists” or occultists. Today instead many BM acts are going to sing about legends, folklore, poetry, pornography, political (see to all the neo-nazi bands, for example...), etc.. How do you see this way of performing Black Metal?
[Ville] To me, being a Black Metal band still and forever means to be satanists, as simple as that. Black Metal is satanic music exclusively, and thus, I have awaited to say this until this question, Moonsorrow is not a Black Metal band. I don’t see anything wrong in bands singing about the themes you mentioned (except the neo-nazist subjects which are total idiocy), as long as they can proudly disconnect them from the label of ”Black Metal”. If a band states to play Black Metal but only sing about vikings, there is a major contradiction. Who are the ”satanic vikings” anyway?
If you could kill someone, in what way would you commit the homicide? What are your points of view about the violence between the humans and what do you think about the words ”peace & love” or ”make love, not wars”, etc.?
[Ville] The hypothesis should not be ”if I could kill someone”, for I know that I can kill a person. I just hope that I never confront the situation where it’s necessary to kill for protection of someone, including myself, because I am not willing to go to jail for someone’s worthless life. But actually I think that you meant it ”...without getting caught”, or am I wrong? As the only scenario in which I could think of killing is a severe defense situation, I would go for the fastest and the most effective way. Nothing too violent, just a releasing death. Speaking of violence, I think it is a false way of using power. I use violence only when there’s no other option, i.e. in such a situation where someone in need of protection, including myself, is attacked, meaning that I wouldn’t use violence at all if other people weren’t. I despise violent actions very much and I wouldn’t like to display such myself ever, but unfortunately there are situations in which I’m forced to. ”Peace & love” is much better than ”war & hate”, or what do you think?
I know that some Scandinavian countries (Denmark for sure) in some periods of the year they remember the old viking-hystory, making travels and using old uses and customs, eating and drinking old foods and drinks, dancing and singing old music, etc.. Has also Finland some of these tradictions? What do you think about this way of remembering the ancient glorious times?
[Ville] I think there’s nothing concrete going on on that field in Finland. Of course we have our folk music festivals and a seemingly annual ”medieval carneval”, but nothing that could be compared to what you described happening in Denmark. It seems that Finnish people aren’t used to glorificating their past, which is a shame. All kinds of such events would be a very nice way to escape reality if they were made to look as authentic as possible.
Well, winter is going to end and soon the hot and lighted rays will blind our eyes... How has been the last winter in Helsinki? Do you feel yourself influenced by these natural climatic changes?
[Ville] The last winter in Helsinki has been a joke for most of the time, for the snow has melted quite a few times due to the temperature rising way over 0°C and sometimes it has even rained water! At current, looking outside it seems pretty alright with a few degrees of frost, but who knows when it’s going to change again. I await for the summer already. I don’t know if I’m influenced by any climatic changes, perhaps just pissed off because of the unstability of the coast weather.
What are the future plans of Moonsorrow?
[Ville] While waiting our debut CD to be released, we just hope to keep in touch with some cool metal people and to play as many gigs as possible. After the release, we haven’t planned anything, and why should we? The future will bring what it wishes to.
It’s the end... last words from a bleeding apostate...
[Ville] The bleeding apostate doesn’t say a word for he’s the one we killed, but I would like to use this space for thanking you very much for this intelligent and personal interview! You have done a great job with these questions, and I just hope my devotion will reach your expectations. And to all readers who consider to contact us, do not hesitate but do it! Keep the pagan flame lit! Hail!!!
World War 3 / February 2000
Link
Answered by Ville Sorvali and Marko Tarvonen
Write me a short background of the band for a start.
[Ville] Moonsorrow was formed in 1995 by me and Henri. In 1996 we recorded our first demo, which however was never released due to various reasons, and in 1997 the second one, ”Metsä”, which is considered to be our debut. During the whole 1998 we worked with our latest demo, ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi”, which was published in 1999, and it gained us a record deal with Swedish Plasmatica Records. At the moment (February 2000) we are in the studio recording our debut full-length ”Suden Uni” with our newest member, a killer drummer called Baron Tarwonen.
Do you think it pays off for MOONSORROW that you and Henri are brothers?
[Ville] Actually we’re cousins, but you’re not the first one to mistake us to be brothers. (Yes, we are brothers in METAL!) Perhaps our kinship has had a positive effect on Moonsorrow, who knows, but then again, our unity is as good with Baron Tarwonen who is not related to us. As long as Moonsorrow keeps rocking, these things don’t matter.
Why MOONSORROW?
[Baron] Why World War 3? I think Moonsorrow is a great name for a band, as simple as that.
After all, while your lyrics are written in Finnish, why an English name?
[Ville] By the time our name was chosen, our lyrics were written in English (by Henri). When Henri wanted me to start writing lyrics for ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi” and further on, I decided to use Finnish becase I thought it would serve our purposes better. Changing the band’s name because of that didn’t cross our minds.
What do your lyrics deal with and what does inspire you in writing them?
[Ville] Our lyrics deal with various topics from a ”heathen” point of view. The earlier lyrics Henri wrote were mostly about northern mythology, but I have chosen to vary the subjects of my lyrics a bit more. About a half of the stuff I have written has in a way or another involved the fight of heathens and christians, but the scale within that subject has been wide enough this far, containing not only historical tellings but also dreams and abstract events, dressed in different forms of expression. The rest of the lyrics are about nature, home, death and those sorts of subjects, yet I naturally hope that they will be interpreted in many personal ways, as poetry as they are. Anything can inspire me to write a lyric, but I guess that inspiration usually strikes me when I’m least expecting it, like suddenly in the middle of pondering something totally unrelated to lyric-writing.
Which concept in Black metal from goth/vampirism, satanism, paganism, nazism fits you the best? What’s your opinion on the other ones?
[Baron] For sure it’s paganism that fits us from those alternatives above. About others, I don’t have a clue about what it is with goth/vamp-stuff in general. Satanism is not my way of life but as a heathen I sure have pagan attitude against christianity. Nazism to me is full of shit!
[Ville] To be exact, none of goth/vampirism, paganism or nazism belongs to Black Metal. Only satanic music can be Black Metal, and as we’re not satanists, we’re not Black Metal at all. Apart from the style of music we perform, however, goth/vampirism is silly and nazism is idiotic, so paganism indeed is the only reasonable concept for us. And that is what Moonsorrow is mostly about.
Do you think these concepts can differentiate into BM parties or movements? Can we refer to any movement when speaking of Black Metal anyway? What does BM mean to you?
[Ville] Those concepts have already distincted themselves from each other (although some bands attempt to combine paganism with nazism, satanism with nazism, or even paganism with satanism!), but as I said, only satanism has to do with actual Black Metal. We’re not interested in any movements or parties connected with Black Metal as we don’t even play it. All of us certainly listen to some Black Metal, but that has nothing strict to do with our ideologies.
[Baron] For me Black Metal is just aggressive music.
”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi” demo made me think of you as of ENSLAVED / LIMBONIC ART fanatics. What are your favourite bands?
[Ville] Aye, the demo surely has its references to Enslaved and Limbonic Art, but the attempt never was to copy anyone. I like these bands for their earlier production, but I also listen to shitloads of other - and different - music. Everything good from psychedelic rock to grindcore, so to say. Your last mistake could be to ask for my favourite bands, but I think I’ll settle with a few random examples only: Merciless, Darkthrone, In The Woods..., Bathory, Slayer and System Of A Down for metal and Nordman, Hedningarna, King Crimson, When, Sting and Anton Dvorak for the other genres.
[Baron] At the moment I listen to many types of music from 70’s prog (King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant) to 80’s heavy (Iron Maiden, Kiss, Manowar, Metallica) and of course some of today’s DM/BM (Entombed, Morbid Angel, Darkthrone, Beherit). These for to mention some.
Running MEATHOOK label and distribution service must keep you updated on the UNDERGROUND worl-wide, so naturally I ask you what’s going on in the Scene?
[Ville] Pretty much is going on in the scene, yet I am aware of only a fraction of it all. There are good bands born eventually, but the massive amount of crap the scene produces doesn’t quite raise my interest of keeping myself updated on all events. I love the underground, but I would like to find more worthy merchandise for Meat Hook Productions for a little less attempt as I can’t put all my time into it.
What do you know about Romanian Black Metal Scene?
[Ville] Hardly anything. Besides Negura Bunget I can’t remember hearing any metal at all from your country. I have heard that there are some individuals forming the local scene, but I haven’t got the chance to get acquainted with it.
What about Finland? Are there hordes to continue the work of BEHERIT likes?
[Baron] Ah the good ol’ Beherit. I don’t know if there are such bands like them left in the scene but Barathrum is quite close to it. Also my other band Gorewinter is highly inspired by Beherit! But we’re not so ”good” yet!
Lately the most famous bands coming out from your country are THY SERPENT and CHILDREN OF BODOM. What’s your personal opinion on these two bands and how are they treated locally?
[Ville] At least they are not the best bands from Finland, Children Of Bodom being even repulsive to me. It has nothing to do with their success, but I prefer to listen to more ”underground” stuff what comes to Finland, such as ...and Oceans of Thyrane for example. There simply are many better bands in Finland than these two you mentioned. I think that both Children Of Bodom and Thy Serpent are treated pretty well locally as they do have a certain market value, and it seems that even a part of the underground looks up to them.
[Baron] Children Of Bodom is big here, that’s for sure. I think they do their job very well what comes to what they want to do. Also they have a couple of good songs. I don’t know them personally, so I wouldn’t comment anything on that.
OK. That would be all. Are there any plans for the future you would like to share or anything you must add? Thanx for the interview!
[Ville] While awaiting our debut CD to be released, we just hope to keep in touch with some cool metal people and to play as many gigs as possible. Something I must add is a big thank you for this interview and a wish of good luck with your ’zine! Although your questions might have deserved longer answers, I think nothing important was excluded. When all is said, stay metal my friend!
Answered by Ville Sorvali and Marko Tarvonen
Write me a short background of the band for a start.
[Ville] Moonsorrow was formed in 1995 by me and Henri. In 1996 we recorded our first demo, which however was never released due to various reasons, and in 1997 the second one, ”Metsä”, which is considered to be our debut. During the whole 1998 we worked with our latest demo, ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi”, which was published in 1999, and it gained us a record deal with Swedish Plasmatica Records. At the moment (February 2000) we are in the studio recording our debut full-length ”Suden Uni” with our newest member, a killer drummer called Baron Tarwonen.
Do you think it pays off for MOONSORROW that you and Henri are brothers?
[Ville] Actually we’re cousins, but you’re not the first one to mistake us to be brothers. (Yes, we are brothers in METAL!) Perhaps our kinship has had a positive effect on Moonsorrow, who knows, but then again, our unity is as good with Baron Tarwonen who is not related to us. As long as Moonsorrow keeps rocking, these things don’t matter.
Why MOONSORROW?
[Baron] Why World War 3? I think Moonsorrow is a great name for a band, as simple as that.
After all, while your lyrics are written in Finnish, why an English name?
[Ville] By the time our name was chosen, our lyrics were written in English (by Henri). When Henri wanted me to start writing lyrics for ”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi” and further on, I decided to use Finnish becase I thought it would serve our purposes better. Changing the band’s name because of that didn’t cross our minds.
What do your lyrics deal with and what does inspire you in writing them?
[Ville] Our lyrics deal with various topics from a ”heathen” point of view. The earlier lyrics Henri wrote were mostly about northern mythology, but I have chosen to vary the subjects of my lyrics a bit more. About a half of the stuff I have written has in a way or another involved the fight of heathens and christians, but the scale within that subject has been wide enough this far, containing not only historical tellings but also dreams and abstract events, dressed in different forms of expression. The rest of the lyrics are about nature, home, death and those sorts of subjects, yet I naturally hope that they will be interpreted in many personal ways, as poetry as they are. Anything can inspire me to write a lyric, but I guess that inspiration usually strikes me when I’m least expecting it, like suddenly in the middle of pondering something totally unrelated to lyric-writing.
Which concept in Black metal from goth/vampirism, satanism, paganism, nazism fits you the best? What’s your opinion on the other ones?
[Baron] For sure it’s paganism that fits us from those alternatives above. About others, I don’t have a clue about what it is with goth/vamp-stuff in general. Satanism is not my way of life but as a heathen I sure have pagan attitude against christianity. Nazism to me is full of shit!
[Ville] To be exact, none of goth/vampirism, paganism or nazism belongs to Black Metal. Only satanic music can be Black Metal, and as we’re not satanists, we’re not Black Metal at all. Apart from the style of music we perform, however, goth/vampirism is silly and nazism is idiotic, so paganism indeed is the only reasonable concept for us. And that is what Moonsorrow is mostly about.
Do you think these concepts can differentiate into BM parties or movements? Can we refer to any movement when speaking of Black Metal anyway? What does BM mean to you?
[Ville] Those concepts have already distincted themselves from each other (although some bands attempt to combine paganism with nazism, satanism with nazism, or even paganism with satanism!), but as I said, only satanism has to do with actual Black Metal. We’re not interested in any movements or parties connected with Black Metal as we don’t even play it. All of us certainly listen to some Black Metal, but that has nothing strict to do with our ideologies.
[Baron] For me Black Metal is just aggressive music.
”Tämä Ikuinen Talvi” demo made me think of you as of ENSLAVED / LIMBONIC ART fanatics. What are your favourite bands?
[Ville] Aye, the demo surely has its references to Enslaved and Limbonic Art, but the attempt never was to copy anyone. I like these bands for their earlier production, but I also listen to shitloads of other - and different - music. Everything good from psychedelic rock to grindcore, so to say. Your last mistake could be to ask for my favourite bands, but I think I’ll settle with a few random examples only: Merciless, Darkthrone, In The Woods..., Bathory, Slayer and System Of A Down for metal and Nordman, Hedningarna, King Crimson, When, Sting and Anton Dvorak for the other genres.
[Baron] At the moment I listen to many types of music from 70’s prog (King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant) to 80’s heavy (Iron Maiden, Kiss, Manowar, Metallica) and of course some of today’s DM/BM (Entombed, Morbid Angel, Darkthrone, Beherit). These for to mention some.
Running MEATHOOK label and distribution service must keep you updated on the UNDERGROUND worl-wide, so naturally I ask you what’s going on in the Scene?
[Ville] Pretty much is going on in the scene, yet I am aware of only a fraction of it all. There are good bands born eventually, but the massive amount of crap the scene produces doesn’t quite raise my interest of keeping myself updated on all events. I love the underground, but I would like to find more worthy merchandise for Meat Hook Productions for a little less attempt as I can’t put all my time into it.
What do you know about Romanian Black Metal Scene?
[Ville] Hardly anything. Besides Negura Bunget I can’t remember hearing any metal at all from your country. I have heard that there are some individuals forming the local scene, but I haven’t got the chance to get acquainted with it.
What about Finland? Are there hordes to continue the work of BEHERIT likes?
[Baron] Ah the good ol’ Beherit. I don’t know if there are such bands like them left in the scene but Barathrum is quite close to it. Also my other band Gorewinter is highly inspired by Beherit! But we’re not so ”good” yet!
Lately the most famous bands coming out from your country are THY SERPENT and CHILDREN OF BODOM. What’s your personal opinion on these two bands and how are they treated locally?
[Ville] At least they are not the best bands from Finland, Children Of Bodom being even repulsive to me. It has nothing to do with their success, but I prefer to listen to more ”underground” stuff what comes to Finland, such as ...and Oceans of Thyrane for example. There simply are many better bands in Finland than these two you mentioned. I think that both Children Of Bodom and Thy Serpent are treated pretty well locally as they do have a certain market value, and it seems that even a part of the underground looks up to them.
[Baron] Children Of Bodom is big here, that’s for sure. I think they do their job very well what comes to what they want to do. Also they have a couple of good songs. I don’t know them personally, so I wouldn’t comment anything on that.
OK. That would be all. Are there any plans for the future you would like to share or anything you must add? Thanx for the interview!
[Ville] While awaiting our debut CD to be released, we just hope to keep in touch with some cool metal people and to play as many gigs as possible. Something I must add is a big thank you for this interview and a wish of good luck with your ’zine! Although your questions might have deserved longer answers, I think nothing important was excluded. When all is said, stay metal my friend!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Oz magazine / November 1999
Link
This interview is published in Spanish, here displayed is the English version as which it was conducted.
When was Moonsorrow born?
[Ville] Moonsorrow was formed in late 1995 by me and Henri, at the same time when we had numerous other projects as well. Unlike those projects, Moonsorrow however is still alive - as a serious band.
Name of the members of the band and instrument that play each one
[Ville] I, Ville Seponpoika Sorvali, do the vocals and play the bass, while my cousin, Henri Urponpoika Sorvali, handles the guitars and keyboards. In 1999 we also got a real drummer, namely Baron Tarwonen (from Gorewinter).
Under what influences was created Moonsorrow (musical and theme influences)
[Ville] The actual reason for why we formed Moonsorrow was the need to express the heathenish corners of our minds musically. We were listening to loads of different music back then and anything of it could've affected Moonsorrow, but perhaps Enslaved was the greatest influence.
What is the main philosophy of the band?
[Ville] To me, Moonsorrow represents heathenish values, such as sincerity and utter respect for nature. It reminds us of the Finland (and why not the whole world) before the Christian invasion and, for our part, keeps the myths and traditions alive. Above all, however, I see Moonsorrow supporting individual thinking and thus it is not here to convert anyone.
How many songs do the band has, title of them and a small explain of them please ex: (title of the song) this song was made thinking of...etc. or this song was made because of....etc.
[Ville] I think you'd want me to settle with presenting those songs that we've released, and of those I can of course only speak on my behalf. As I didn't have much to do with our "official" debut "Metsä", I'll give you a lecture of my work on our latest demo "Tämä Ikuinen Talvi". (Henri speaks about "Metsä" after this, so hear him. And I'm sorry to say, but our upcoming debut album, "Suden Uni", will be kept as a secret as long as it is actually recorded.)
1. "Taistelu Pohjolasta" (The Battle For Pohjola) - To start with, this song undoubtably has the best lyrics I've ever written. Basically they were created in just minutes, when I was like struck by lightning with an inspiration from a theme that has generally been pissing me off very much: the crusaders. The telling itself can be interpretated in different ways, and that I leave up to the listeners. Musically speaking, I only made two riffs for this song or something like that, frankly I can't even remember which those riffs are... so I can't tell much about my musical inspirations for this one, obviously the intention was to create hateful northern-sounding metal and that's all for me.
2. "Vihreällä Valtaistuimella" (On The Green Throne) - Numerous times I've been inspired by nature when writing, and of that inspiration I also made the basis of these lyrics. However, I seemed to get totally stuck when trying to complete them. I asked my fiancée for assistance because of her fascinating poems, and I must say it was the right solution. Besides the lyrics, I had made a short integral part of this song, consisting of two of my riffs and one that I borrowed from our friend Kalle. The latter riffs were more like folkish as it was meant to be, and even though the first was more aggressive they fit very well together.
3. "Talvi" (Winter) - Henri had made some weather-report lyrics that he said he wasn't satisfied with, and he asked me to make something exceptionally good out of them. I ended up altering them quite a bit, mostly for the means of making them less corny, and the result was, uh, cold indeed.
4. "Luopion Veri" (Blood Of An Apostate) - This time it was Henri who was inspired by the crusaders. His violent lyrics, however, got my treatment once again, but as the co-operational result was just as we wanted it, no one should complain, eh? For this song I had also made the synth interlude that appears after 3 minutes. In fact it wasn't originally meant for Moonsorrow, but it worked well in this song after all.
5. "Kuun Suru" (The Moon's Sorrow) - One of those melodies that evolved when I was once again on the tip of boredom and playing with my piano. I played it to Henri and he was like "wow" which I thought was kind of unexpected, and he asked if he could arrange it for Moonsorrow. I of course let him do that because there usually is no use for this kind of stuff from me, and the result was something I simply must be satisfied with.
[Henri] I was really into the northern mythology back then, and when I had made the music for the demo, the lyrics just came along, so to say. Ville says they're crap anyway. Well, I've never been a killer lyricist... The music was pretty Enslaved-ish, being partly fast as hell and partly melodic and atmospheric, but let me say a few words of each song...
1. "Jo Pimeys Saa" - Basically, this was just a short introduction song I actually made long ago before we decided to do the demo tape, and as we were in lack of some kind of an intro, we decided to use it. So, nothing special here. Disappointed? Anyway, then we added some battle samples and - voila! - there it was. However, the ones with the most accurate ears may recognize from where the samples are taken...
2. "Fimbulvetr Frost" - This song tells a tale of the Fimbulvinter - a deadly winter in the nordic mythology, which lasts three times more than a regular one and is supposed to come just before Ragnarök - the twilight of the gods. The lyrics tell a story of a disciple of Odin, who survives this great snowy tide.
3. "Hvergelmir" - This one was inspired by the old myths and it's kind of a short lecture into the northern mythology. And even if the music is - ehh - kinda "traditional" I still find it to be very interesting indeed.
4. "Elivagar (Pakanavedet)" - "The stormy waves", the eleven rivers which flow from Nifelheim are what this song is all about.
What is the most important country or place Moonsorrow thinks that is the most important in Europe and America or Latin america to be known?
[Ville] In terms of metal music, the most important place to know nowadays is Eastern Europe. You wouldn't believe how much good music they produce there! Perhaps it has something to do with that they haven't got so much money that they could afford to release crap (like e.g. the Finnish are able to). On cultural grounds then, I think it's important to get acquainted with all areas with a remarkable pagan past. In Europe such are, besides Finland of course, Scandinavia, the Baltic, Russia and other Slavonic countries, Britannia, the German sphere of influence, Romania, Greece, and almost every other place, as Europe bears many strong traditions. Coming to America, there are the Indian lands: the whole United States (...shivers...) and parts of Canada that were inhabited by the North American Indians, Alaska, Greenland and other parts of Canada with inuits, the moist areas of South America that carried the Amazonian Indians, and as the most notable the Maya and Aztec realms of Central America and the Andean land of the Incas.
If you had got any chance to listen to a mexican metal band, what is the name of the band or what is your opinion about the metal that Mexico is exporting?
[Ville] To tell the truth, I've come across only a handful of Mexican metal combos: Shub-Niggurath, Cenotaph, Extincion Cerebral and perhaps some others I can't remember at the moment, or some that I just don't know to hail from Mexico. I must also confess that I'm not a big fan of any of these bands, but that doesn't exclude the option that there could be good Mexican metal I just haven't heard yet or still about to be made. A good band can be born just about anywhere.
Name 5 bands that you think that are leading the metal scene in Europe.
[Ville] It is easy to name any five bands that constantly stay in the spotlight and whose actions thus affect the direction of the "scene". These kind of "leaders" could for example be Cradle Of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Moonspell, Children Of Bodom and In Flames. It is useless to deny these acts' influence on the current market, as unfair as it would seem. However, these bands don't have too much respect amongst serious metal musicians, who perhaps would rather like me to make a list of those bands who have had a huge influence on the current state of metal music and imagery - without thinking of their sales figures. From my point of view, the absolute top 5 would then consist of Iron Maiden, Venom, Celtic Frost, Bathory and Mayhem. Or if talking about bands that are still alive and well, I would, besides Iron Maiden and Mayhem, name Darkthrone, Emperor and Satyricon.
What are the things that you most like or dislike in the metal scene nowadays? and what Moonsorrow is offering?
[Ville] At least there are a thousand things I dislike in the current metal scene, if nothing else. As if anyone liking metal couldn't cope without a band, the result is that there are too many shitty bands being formed every day. Even more irritating is that too many of these shitty bands somehow manage to get record deals and thus getting a wide distribution for their excrement. This has been caused by a thing that itself is a negative aspect within the metal scene as well: the growing number of record labels. As if anyone liking metal but unable to play even the shittiest forest metal couldn't cope without a record label. If we however cut the lamenting on this injustice, as it is rather banal nowadays, the bad blood flowing around is a thing to complain about at least. I don't see Moonsorrow being a part of this miscreation, as we are a band that has deserved its record deal - even though I say it myself. Also we have not created any negative tension between ourselves and other bands, at least not on purpose. But that you wouldn't get me wrong, I don't hate the scene. I like to communicate with nice metalheads around the globe and trade or buy music that is worth it, and that is what makes my scene. I don't care about the rest as it isn't my business.
What do you think about the cult bands?
[Ville] Usually "cult bands" obtain their statuses with rather outmusical achievements, which means that they don't have to be anything musically speaking. A shocking image or just an action of some of the band members can buy a band a cult status. You can think of any cult band and you would always notice that their reputation isn't all about music, if you get my point. This is also the reason for why I don't like these so-called cult bands in general. To name a few remarkable exceptions, however, I would say Bathory, Mayhem, Darkthrone and Emperor. I like their music and frankly I don't give a fuck whether they are "cult" or not.
Do you have any plans to record a CD? and if it is , when and with what company?
[Ville] My favourite question, ha ha! As we partly expected, some people got interested in "Tämä Ikuinen Talvi", finally resulting to a record deal with Plasmatica Records from Sweden. We are going to record our debut album in February 2000 in Tico-Tico Studios, and it will propably be out somewhere in spring. I wouldn't like to say this myself, but expect a killer release...
Who do you think is a remarkable metal producer nowadays?
[Ville] Luckily there are many of them, one being the producer of our album, Ahti Kortelainen. I also like very much the work of Peter Tägtren, Fredrik Nordström, Tomas Skogsberg and Dan Swanö for instance, and of course there are shitloads of really admirable producers in USA too.
What is the market that Moonsorrow is interested to be important in? ( other than Europe)
[Ville] It would of course be cool to be important on any market, but perhaps South America would be the nicest. I have heard that there are many devoted metalheads, and it would be nice to see whether they would appreciate our music.
What do you think about metal bands (like Nightwish) bringing sampled keyboards to their shows, and the use of keyboards in metal bands?
[Ville] Umm... we're on the same train. However, the use of keyboards is everyone's own business. In some cases keyboards support the music, in some cases they ruin it. I really like bands like Bal-Sagoth who overuse synths if they do it well, but somehow I would still like to see more bands who could create their atmospheres without keyboards and still sound great, such as Dissection or Solstice. Whether the keyboards are sampled is usually not a choice, because hiring an orchestra is very expensive. It would of course sound a lot better, but if you have a good synth it's enough.
What do you think that is the most important thing for a metal band to keep doing and what thing is the less important?
[Ville] Undoubtably the most important for every metal band is to keep playing the music they like. It is also very important to rehearse and record a few demos before signing for a full-length. The least important thing is of course emphasizing of the image, because if you're sincere with your image you don't have to concentrate on it too much - and it still keeps looking good.
Moonsorrow, had any real meaning for you (the name) or is just something that means what it means?
[Ville] I'm not sure where the name Moonsorrow came to our minds or which one of us invented it. Anyway, the name itself doesn't mean much on a concrete level, but both "moon" and "sorrow" have strong meanings as themselves. Everyone can interpret the combination of these in one's own way. To me, there's a hundred meanings to it as well as there is none, as it is a symbolic name. One concept that this symbol can be attached to is the dear Finnish melancholy.
This interview is published in Spanish, here displayed is the English version as which it was conducted.
When was Moonsorrow born?
[Ville] Moonsorrow was formed in late 1995 by me and Henri, at the same time when we had numerous other projects as well. Unlike those projects, Moonsorrow however is still alive - as a serious band.
Name of the members of the band and instrument that play each one
[Ville] I, Ville Seponpoika Sorvali, do the vocals and play the bass, while my cousin, Henri Urponpoika Sorvali, handles the guitars and keyboards. In 1999 we also got a real drummer, namely Baron Tarwonen (from Gorewinter).
Under what influences was created Moonsorrow (musical and theme influences)
[Ville] The actual reason for why we formed Moonsorrow was the need to express the heathenish corners of our minds musically. We were listening to loads of different music back then and anything of it could've affected Moonsorrow, but perhaps Enslaved was the greatest influence.
What is the main philosophy of the band?
[Ville] To me, Moonsorrow represents heathenish values, such as sincerity and utter respect for nature. It reminds us of the Finland (and why not the whole world) before the Christian invasion and, for our part, keeps the myths and traditions alive. Above all, however, I see Moonsorrow supporting individual thinking and thus it is not here to convert anyone.
How many songs do the band has, title of them and a small explain of them please ex: (title of the song) this song was made thinking of...etc. or this song was made because of....etc.
[Ville] I think you'd want me to settle with presenting those songs that we've released, and of those I can of course only speak on my behalf. As I didn't have much to do with our "official" debut "Metsä", I'll give you a lecture of my work on our latest demo "Tämä Ikuinen Talvi". (Henri speaks about "Metsä" after this, so hear him. And I'm sorry to say, but our upcoming debut album, "Suden Uni", will be kept as a secret as long as it is actually recorded.)
1. "Taistelu Pohjolasta" (The Battle For Pohjola) - To start with, this song undoubtably has the best lyrics I've ever written. Basically they were created in just minutes, when I was like struck by lightning with an inspiration from a theme that has generally been pissing me off very much: the crusaders. The telling itself can be interpretated in different ways, and that I leave up to the listeners. Musically speaking, I only made two riffs for this song or something like that, frankly I can't even remember which those riffs are... so I can't tell much about my musical inspirations for this one, obviously the intention was to create hateful northern-sounding metal and that's all for me.
2. "Vihreällä Valtaistuimella" (On The Green Throne) - Numerous times I've been inspired by nature when writing, and of that inspiration I also made the basis of these lyrics. However, I seemed to get totally stuck when trying to complete them. I asked my fiancée for assistance because of her fascinating poems, and I must say it was the right solution. Besides the lyrics, I had made a short integral part of this song, consisting of two of my riffs and one that I borrowed from our friend Kalle. The latter riffs were more like folkish as it was meant to be, and even though the first was more aggressive they fit very well together.
3. "Talvi" (Winter) - Henri had made some weather-report lyrics that he said he wasn't satisfied with, and he asked me to make something exceptionally good out of them. I ended up altering them quite a bit, mostly for the means of making them less corny, and the result was, uh, cold indeed.
4. "Luopion Veri" (Blood Of An Apostate) - This time it was Henri who was inspired by the crusaders. His violent lyrics, however, got my treatment once again, but as the co-operational result was just as we wanted it, no one should complain, eh? For this song I had also made the synth interlude that appears after 3 minutes. In fact it wasn't originally meant for Moonsorrow, but it worked well in this song after all.
5. "Kuun Suru" (The Moon's Sorrow) - One of those melodies that evolved when I was once again on the tip of boredom and playing with my piano. I played it to Henri and he was like "wow" which I thought was kind of unexpected, and he asked if he could arrange it for Moonsorrow. I of course let him do that because there usually is no use for this kind of stuff from me, and the result was something I simply must be satisfied with.
[Henri] I was really into the northern mythology back then, and when I had made the music for the demo, the lyrics just came along, so to say. Ville says they're crap anyway. Well, I've never been a killer lyricist... The music was pretty Enslaved-ish, being partly fast as hell and partly melodic and atmospheric, but let me say a few words of each song...
1. "Jo Pimeys Saa" - Basically, this was just a short introduction song I actually made long ago before we decided to do the demo tape, and as we were in lack of some kind of an intro, we decided to use it. So, nothing special here. Disappointed? Anyway, then we added some battle samples and - voila! - there it was. However, the ones with the most accurate ears may recognize from where the samples are taken...
2. "Fimbulvetr Frost" - This song tells a tale of the Fimbulvinter - a deadly winter in the nordic mythology, which lasts three times more than a regular one and is supposed to come just before Ragnarök - the twilight of the gods. The lyrics tell a story of a disciple of Odin, who survives this great snowy tide.
3. "Hvergelmir" - This one was inspired by the old myths and it's kind of a short lecture into the northern mythology. And even if the music is - ehh - kinda "traditional" I still find it to be very interesting indeed.
4. "Elivagar (Pakanavedet)" - "The stormy waves", the eleven rivers which flow from Nifelheim are what this song is all about.
What is the most important country or place Moonsorrow thinks that is the most important in Europe and America or Latin america to be known?
[Ville] In terms of metal music, the most important place to know nowadays is Eastern Europe. You wouldn't believe how much good music they produce there! Perhaps it has something to do with that they haven't got so much money that they could afford to release crap (like e.g. the Finnish are able to). On cultural grounds then, I think it's important to get acquainted with all areas with a remarkable pagan past. In Europe such are, besides Finland of course, Scandinavia, the Baltic, Russia and other Slavonic countries, Britannia, the German sphere of influence, Romania, Greece, and almost every other place, as Europe bears many strong traditions. Coming to America, there are the Indian lands: the whole United States (...shivers...) and parts of Canada that were inhabited by the North American Indians, Alaska, Greenland and other parts of Canada with inuits, the moist areas of South America that carried the Amazonian Indians, and as the most notable the Maya and Aztec realms of Central America and the Andean land of the Incas.
If you had got any chance to listen to a mexican metal band, what is the name of the band or what is your opinion about the metal that Mexico is exporting?
[Ville] To tell the truth, I've come across only a handful of Mexican metal combos: Shub-Niggurath, Cenotaph, Extincion Cerebral and perhaps some others I can't remember at the moment, or some that I just don't know to hail from Mexico. I must also confess that I'm not a big fan of any of these bands, but that doesn't exclude the option that there could be good Mexican metal I just haven't heard yet or still about to be made. A good band can be born just about anywhere.
Name 5 bands that you think that are leading the metal scene in Europe.
[Ville] It is easy to name any five bands that constantly stay in the spotlight and whose actions thus affect the direction of the "scene". These kind of "leaders" could for example be Cradle Of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Moonspell, Children Of Bodom and In Flames. It is useless to deny these acts' influence on the current market, as unfair as it would seem. However, these bands don't have too much respect amongst serious metal musicians, who perhaps would rather like me to make a list of those bands who have had a huge influence on the current state of metal music and imagery - without thinking of their sales figures. From my point of view, the absolute top 5 would then consist of Iron Maiden, Venom, Celtic Frost, Bathory and Mayhem. Or if talking about bands that are still alive and well, I would, besides Iron Maiden and Mayhem, name Darkthrone, Emperor and Satyricon.
What are the things that you most like or dislike in the metal scene nowadays? and what Moonsorrow is offering?
[Ville] At least there are a thousand things I dislike in the current metal scene, if nothing else. As if anyone liking metal couldn't cope without a band, the result is that there are too many shitty bands being formed every day. Even more irritating is that too many of these shitty bands somehow manage to get record deals and thus getting a wide distribution for their excrement. This has been caused by a thing that itself is a negative aspect within the metal scene as well: the growing number of record labels. As if anyone liking metal but unable to play even the shittiest forest metal couldn't cope without a record label. If we however cut the lamenting on this injustice, as it is rather banal nowadays, the bad blood flowing around is a thing to complain about at least. I don't see Moonsorrow being a part of this miscreation, as we are a band that has deserved its record deal - even though I say it myself. Also we have not created any negative tension between ourselves and other bands, at least not on purpose. But that you wouldn't get me wrong, I don't hate the scene. I like to communicate with nice metalheads around the globe and trade or buy music that is worth it, and that is what makes my scene. I don't care about the rest as it isn't my business.
What do you think about the cult bands?
[Ville] Usually "cult bands" obtain their statuses with rather outmusical achievements, which means that they don't have to be anything musically speaking. A shocking image or just an action of some of the band members can buy a band a cult status. You can think of any cult band and you would always notice that their reputation isn't all about music, if you get my point. This is also the reason for why I don't like these so-called cult bands in general. To name a few remarkable exceptions, however, I would say Bathory, Mayhem, Darkthrone and Emperor. I like their music and frankly I don't give a fuck whether they are "cult" or not.
Do you have any plans to record a CD? and if it is , when and with what company?
[Ville] My favourite question, ha ha! As we partly expected, some people got interested in "Tämä Ikuinen Talvi", finally resulting to a record deal with Plasmatica Records from Sweden. We are going to record our debut album in February 2000 in Tico-Tico Studios, and it will propably be out somewhere in spring. I wouldn't like to say this myself, but expect a killer release...
Who do you think is a remarkable metal producer nowadays?
[Ville] Luckily there are many of them, one being the producer of our album, Ahti Kortelainen. I also like very much the work of Peter Tägtren, Fredrik Nordström, Tomas Skogsberg and Dan Swanö for instance, and of course there are shitloads of really admirable producers in USA too.
What is the market that Moonsorrow is interested to be important in? ( other than Europe)
[Ville] It would of course be cool to be important on any market, but perhaps South America would be the nicest. I have heard that there are many devoted metalheads, and it would be nice to see whether they would appreciate our music.
What do you think about metal bands (like Nightwish) bringing sampled keyboards to their shows, and the use of keyboards in metal bands?
[Ville] Umm... we're on the same train. However, the use of keyboards is everyone's own business. In some cases keyboards support the music, in some cases they ruin it. I really like bands like Bal-Sagoth who overuse synths if they do it well, but somehow I would still like to see more bands who could create their atmospheres without keyboards and still sound great, such as Dissection or Solstice. Whether the keyboards are sampled is usually not a choice, because hiring an orchestra is very expensive. It would of course sound a lot better, but if you have a good synth it's enough.
What do you think that is the most important thing for a metal band to keep doing and what thing is the less important?
[Ville] Undoubtably the most important for every metal band is to keep playing the music they like. It is also very important to rehearse and record a few demos before signing for a full-length. The least important thing is of course emphasizing of the image, because if you're sincere with your image you don't have to concentrate on it too much - and it still keeps looking good.
Moonsorrow, had any real meaning for you (the name) or is just something that means what it means?
[Ville] I'm not sure where the name Moonsorrow came to our minds or which one of us invented it. Anyway, the name itself doesn't mean much on a concrete level, but both "moon" and "sorrow" have strong meanings as themselves. Everyone can interpret the combination of these in one's own way. To me, there's a hundred meanings to it as well as there is none, as it is a symbolic name. One concept that this symbol can be attached to is the dear Finnish melancholy.
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