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Mortuary Drape (Ita)
Pagan Rites (Swe)
MORTUARY DRAPE (Ita) download HERE
Questions Tommi Hakonen / answered by Wildness Perversion
IS THE "SECRET SUDARIA" ALBUM RE- RELEASED WITH THE TWO BONUS TRACKS AND WHAT IS THE ITALIAN LABEL THAT HANDLES THIS RELEASE? AND WHAT ABOUT THE REPRINT OF THE OLD ALBUMS... HOW DO THEY DIFFER FROM THE ORIGINAL ALBUMS, REMIXED PERHAPS?
-Our actual label is White and Black. We have decided to re-record the whole catalogue with two bonus aggressive tracks in pure MORTUARY DRAPE style. Doing all this has been very important for the band because in this actual line-up, play two member founders - Wildness Perversion (since '986!) as lead vocal and Without Name, lead bass. Beside a new drummer, Will Revelated, and Demon Shadow as lead guitar.
YOU ARE ONE OF THE BANDS THAT HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE PREVIOUS LABELS, AND AGAIN ONE OF THE LABELS INVOLVED IS THE GREEK UNISOUND... SO, HOW HAS PANOS CHEATED YOU AND WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS HE CAUSED YOU, AND IN WHAT WAY YOU HAD TO COMPROMISE YOUR OWN IMAGE AND REPUTATION?
-Panos hasn't respected the contract, distribution, the cover image of our old album and other things. But this attitude to be a little clear, is a sickness a lot of boss of the (shit) labels have. So that we have to go to fuck him and his poor label. Obviously we had informed our lawyers for the damage he caused to the Drape's image.
YOU WERE ONE OF HIS FIRST SIGNINGS, SO I THINK YOU DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO AVOID HIS LIES, BUT WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE BANDS WHICH'RE SIGNING UNISOUND AFTER ALL THE THINGS THAT IS TOLD ABOUT HIM... SHOULD THE BANDS BLAME THEMSELVES NOW, BECAUSE THEY ALL SHOULD KNOW THE TRUTH BEFOREHAND?
-We search to keep in alarm all the bands that could keep a relation with this pseudo label, through an information we own with interviews, fucking list of the back cover album etc. I hope they think what they could meet!
WHAT ABOUT SHIVADARSHANA THEN, WAS THE MISSING OF LYRICS IN THE "MOURN PATH" MCD THEIR ONLY MISTAKE... I GUESS NOT, SO TELL ME!?
-Shivadarshana has been only a problem along the course of the MORTUARY DRAPE career. Life has done also by mistake and problems, and MORTUARY DRAPE have had also great and serious problems, having proved bitter experiences! But we go toward keeping high our heads!!!
YOU WERE PRAISING THE ATTITUDE OF OPYROS BUT I THINK THERE HAD BEEN SEVERAL DELAYS AND PROBLEMS ALSO WITH HIM... ARE YOU STILL SATISFIED WITH HIS WORK?
-It has been another little problem of the course of time.
I HAVEN'T HEARD YOUR DEMOS, BUT I THINK YOU HAVE RELEASED THOSE SONGS ON YOUR ALBUMS, AM I RIGHT? ARE THERE ANY OLD MORTUARY DRAPE SONGS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN RELEASED IN ANYWHERE?
-Some songs has never been realized, except on our old demos. The most of the old material, as you knew, has been realized on our previous albums, giving the last cut in all this old chapter on the "Secret Sudaria". All that which has never been realized on a album, must rest!!
COULD YOU EXPLAIN ME THE ESSENCE OF THE SONG "MOTHER"... I MEAN, IT WAS THE FIRST SONG I EVER HEARD FROM YOU AND IT CAPTURED ME RIGHT AWAY SO IS IT A PRAISE TO MOTHER NATURE OR SOMETHING ELSE, EXPLAIN PLEASE!?
-"Mother" is an appropriate song for the great dream of the death. It has been created out of time as you'd pass across the seasons and time. The sense of this song is a sort of meditation where the listener scan in sequency in his mind, all the images of the seasons, as if he had in sight of the eternal MOTHER.
IT'S ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE HOW LITTLE YOUR MUSIC HAS CHANGED DURING THE YEARS, AND IT'S ONLY A GOOD THING BECAUSE SO MANY BANDS CHANGE THEIR STYLE OVERNIGHT. IS THIS THE ONLY WAY TO GO FOR YOU OR DO YOU THINK YOUR MUSIC WILL CHANGE IN THE FUTURE TO ANY DIRECTION?
-A band like MORTUARY DRAPE, as you say, always has played what liked to play since '986 g.y. It means to play with honesty and inner strength, and this attitude has been basically, leading the band to create an own style – THE MORTUARY DRAPE STYLE!!! However, what we are doing and playing, maybe the most difficult thing to keep toward and explain: To play between some thousands bands, keeping the own original style, to be a band between one thousand bands that have the same cliche the same way to play. We want that fans and listeners can know the style of M.DRAPE between one thousands of bands. This belongs to the MORTUARY DRAPE project since '986 g.y. I think this happened.
DO YOU HAVE ANY MUSICAL PARAGONS, AT LEAST YOU DON'T SOUND LIKE ANYONE ELSE BEFORE YOUR TIME... SO HOW IS THAT SOUND AND STYLE CREATED?
-As I have said upon, MORTUARY DRAPE always has played with spontanely, clear intentions and original attitude > make-up and face painting, for example, entering in a personal spiritual quest; today this attitude of face painting is a false attitude because it has become a mass phenomenon as when people speak all of the same manner with the same common cliche. Where's the individual searching, the original thinking, the free mind?
YOUR LYRICS ARE FULL OF DEATHLY IMAGES, CONJURATIONS, ETC. AND THE WHOLE IMAGE OF THE BAND IS BUILT UPON THESE THEMES... HOW DID YOU END UP IN USING THESE THEMES?
-Our music describe extreme themes. I do not care to play music which describe simple opinion. With our music we search the connection between (for example) a necessary event and the vibration (in appropriate vibration) can be able to pervade this event. If we are able to create a sequency of images relative to this event in the mind of the listeners, we can say that this song is near at its archetypical vibration. From this point of view, for MORTUARY DRAPE, the music is also a quest.
WHAT ABOUT BONES AND SKULLS THAT ARE FEATURED IN YOUR PHOTOS AND COVERS... HAVE YOU HAD A CONTACT WITH THE LATE KAMPUCHEAN DICTATOR POL POT, I THINK HE COULD HAVE PROVIDED YOU SOME BONES AND SKULLS FROM HIS OWN PRIVATE COLLECTION?
-Now the Pol Pot's skull lie in his private collection!
I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO FOLLOW EACH CHANGE IN YOUR LINE-UP, BUT IT WAS A TIME WHEN YOU WERE ALONE IN THE BAND, WHAT HAS CAUSED THESE LINE-UP PROBLEMS AND WHAT IS THE SITUATION AT THE MOMENT?
-There've been too many problems in the line-up since the beginning, but the Drape's has always proceed toward his way!! Obviously the only sure event is our desire for exchange, but I'm very satisfied of this line-up because beside Wildness Perversion, there is another founder member; Without Name as bassist. For the rest there is a new drummer, Will Revelated, and Demon Shadow as lead guitar. All these guys are truly good musicians.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE FORMER MEMBERS ARE DOING THESE DAYS, AND DO YOU STILL HAVE CONTACTS WITH ANY OF THEM?
-With the other founder members, we meet sometimes. Everyone of us lead an own personal life, because we live in different cities.
YOU HAVE STATED HATE AND DEATH TO NAZI-SATANISM, WHY? WHAT IS WRONG WITH NAZI-SATANISM, EXPLAIN YOUR OPINION?!
-I've read the "Mein Kampf" of Hitler or the "Progam Propaganda" of Goebbels. I accept some parts of nazi-mysticism (Thule, geopolitic etc.) comes from the indi-mysticism, but what I don't accept are the group of stupids, 'cause I believe in the individualism.
DO YOU FEEL SOME COUNTRY/SCENE HAS GOT TOO MUCH FAME WITHOUT DESERVING IT DURING THE YEARS, I MEAN... CERTAIN COUNTRIES HAVE AT LEAST SUFFERED FROM THE DISREGARD OF PEOPLE SO IS IT ALSO ON THE CONTRARY?
-If we would have to be appreciated by the masses, we hadn't played black metal, but music for the masses!! (like the title track of a DEPECHE MODE album) Some countries have got a musical tradition very different by others, therefore for some bands who play an extreme genre of rock, results more to be appreciate. In a country like Italy all this is very difficult: major labels don't know even the phenomenons of the alternative kinds of music like black metal! I think that for the latin countries is not a problem of disregard but of ignorance, so that what rest, is to deserve the estimate of the fans sparsely all over the world.
I KNOW YOU HAVE HAD CONTACTS WITH SOME FINNISH PEOPLE AND BANDS, AND I REMEMBER THAT ARI HONKONEN/MORNINGSTAR WAS TRYING TO ARRANGE A GIG, AND THERE WERE SOME PLANS TO HAVE YOU, COUNTESS, BARATHRUM AND MORNINGSTAR PLAYING ON THAT GIG IN ДДNEKOSKI ON MAY THE 6TH 1995...DO YOU REMEMBER THIS PLAN AND WHY DID IT NEVER COME TRUE? COULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO PLAY HERE IN FINLAND SOME DAY...?
-For now we're working for the new album so that we'll be planning a project for a European tour, maybe a date in Finland. I hope, obviously. I remember a great time for the live gig with COUNTESS. Hail to them!
IT'S SAID THAT MORTUARY DRAPE IS NOT ONLY A GREAT LISTENING EXPERIENCE BUT ALSO GREAT VISUAL EXPERIENCE DUE TO USE OF CANDLES, SKULLS, COFFIN LIDS, ETC., DO YOU STILL USE THEM ON STAGE AND HAVE YOU HAD ANY PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THEM, HAVE AUTHORITIES TRIED TO STOP YOUR GIGS DUE TO USE OF SUCH EQUIPMENT?
-We've had very many problems for those since the beginning. Symbolism, objects and fumigation are always present on the stage, but some "things" are moderate. Here in Italy moral majority and authority are truly fanatic, even beside there's a mass hypnosis for the 2000's jubileum... It's very dangerous... A risk to lock in jail!! But all this stimulate us to go toward with our heads high, going to fuck church, priest, pope, believers, jubileum and all the other shit!! Keep high the black flame!!
YOU USED TO BE A DRUMMER/VOCALIST BUT AS FAR AS I KNOW YOU ARE LEFT DRUMMING FOR OTHER GUY, AND HANDLE THE SINGING DUTIES. HOW MUCH DOES THAT AFFECT YOUR GIG PERFORMANCE?
-With a singer as a front man, the MORTUARY DRAPE live performance, results more nimble. The lead vocal role, has entrusted to the experience of Wildness Perversion (founder member with Without Name, now bass and backing vocal). As you can see, a half line-up has formed by founder members with a great experience. Beside hese guys, appear a new drummer and a new guitarist with good technical abilities. I'm very gratified of this line-up.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS ABOUT GIGS FOR THE 1999 OR EVEN LATER, ANY TOURS COMING?
-As I've said before, we're planning for the future, later in the first half of 2 thousand year, a European tour for support and to promote the new album, forecast autumn '999 g.y. Circumstances permitting!
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE DARK WORKS MADE BY 2 NOTES AND/OR FULL OF KEYBOARDS? CAN YOU NAME ANY BANDS WHICH ARE RUINING THE IMAGE OF BLACK METAL THESE DAYS?
-I think that nowadays some bands of black metal went at any cost to amuse. As I have already said upon, this is a forced attitude. Beside some labels have scented this manner to publish (hype us), to impose oneself, so that has happened to some bands that are conformed to the sullen publicity stunt! This has been the case of DIMMU BORGIR and the last CRADLE OF FILTH, without to count the thousands cloned bands!!!
YOU HAVE A FAN CLUB CALLED "NECROMANCER UNION", WHAT ELSE PEOPLE GET THAN T-SHIRT, TWO STICKERS, TWO PHOTOS AND MEMBERSHIP CARD BY PAYING $28? AND HOW MANY MEMBERS YOU HAVE?
-Our fan club is like that and planned, now to keep high the status of the cult band, supporting the underground movement. MORTUARY DRAPE support the underground scene forever!
WHAT'S THE LATEST MERCHANDISE, AFTER THE "SECRET SUDARIA" ALBUM? ANY NEW STUFF COMING SOON?
-We've done a new t-shirt, it introduces the graphic, lay-out and visual speeches of the new album in perfect line with the MORTUARY DRAPE style and the occult tradition.
YOU ARE GOING TO RELEASE NEW STUFF IN 1999... AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT YOU TOLD ME IN YOUR LETTER LAST TIME, ANYTHING MORE PRECISE? "SECRET SUDARIA" WAS RECORDED ALREADY IN 1996, SO HOW MANY NEW SONGS YOU HAVE COMPOSED AFTER THAT RECORDING SESSION?
-We've decided to re-record the previous albums with this new line-up for the agreement we've with White and Black label. A new graphic, new booklets and an appropriate care for these basic albums. Two new songs appear as "bonus tracks" on "Secret Sudaria" to do the listening a verve to the fans with this new line-up... always in perfect MORTUARY DRAPE style!!
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY COPIES YOUR ALBUMS HAVE SOLD SO FAR...THEY AREN'T BEST SELLERS, BUT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT A FEW HUNDREDS OR A FEW THOUSANDS COPIES ...CAN YOU TELL?
-It's not right what you say, because "Secret Sudaria" have sold about ten thousand copies, and the actual reprint has already receiving a good response. Moreover we've always received good reviews and what's more important, very much compliments from the fans who write us from every part of the planet!!!
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE BESIDES MORTUARY DRAPE...WIFE AND KID(S) PERHAPS?
-We live in different town with the respectives families. Sometime out of the music, we meet us to go about to fun and pleasure.
DOES THE END OF THE MILLENNIUM INFLUENCE YOU IN ANY WAY?
-From my point of view this is not the end of a millennium, but a stupid convention stipulated by the men and by the Nicea's Council in the 4th century. The actual calendar (the Gregonian calendar) is the only calendar which sign the two thousand years! For the Hebrew calendar, we are in the year 5759, therefore the two thousand will be the 5760!!! Without it count the calendars of the Tribals and minor religions present in the world. I prefer it measure the time with the Lunasian and astronomical movements like happened in the past with the great and banished ancient religion. For obvious reasons also I speak of '999 or 2000, but what's important need to be aware that 2000 year is only an illusion!
THANKS FOR THIS INTERVIEW! I'M VERY GLAD TO FEATURE YOU IN MY 'ZINE, BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN ONE OF MY TOP FAVOURITES SINCE I HEARD YOU FOR THE FIRST TIME SOME 7 YEARS AGO! THANKS A LOT AND TAKE CARE!
-Keep heads high with the black flame in our hands, to shine the path leading us toward the advent of the GREAT EVENT!!
Thanks to you mate!!!
PAGAN RITES (Swe) download HERE
Questions Tommi Hakonen / answered by Tomas Karlsson
FINALLY, AFTER SEVERAL "ATTEMPTS", I'M FEATURING TOMAS KARLSSON'S INTERVIEW IN MY 'ZINE, I HAVE RECEIVED ONLY NINE LETTERS FROM YOU SINCE THE FIRST ONE IN AUTUMN 1993... ARE YOU JUST TOO BUSY FOR MORE FREQUENT CORRESPONDING? AND WHY DO YOU STILL MAINTAIN OUR CONTACT, EVEN IF YOU DON'T REPLY AS OFTEN AS I'D WANT TO, BE HONEST!?
-Well, coz you never get reply as often as I want to is for sure the reason for my days, or years using drugs. In that mood there was only spiritual pipedreams. There was no time for me to write anyone, so it's nothing personal to just you. Nowadays I hope to change my life, without that speedemon.
BECAUSE I'M GOING TO CONCENTRATE ON PAGAN RITES IN THIS INTERVIEW, I THINK IT'S BETTER TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT TRISTITIA IN THE BEGINNING. SO... SIMPLY; WHAT HAPPENED TO TRISTITIA? IS IT TOTALLY BURIED, ON YOUR BEHALF, AT LEAST?
-Galvez, the guitar player is a jerk, a big one. His failure to be a "rock star" suxx, it's even without posing effects. TRISTITIA is buried & gone, even his Christianic hidden message.
NOW I QUOTE HOLY RECORDS' INFO-LETTER DEALING WITH "ONE WITH DARKNESS" CD: "AT THAT TIME TOMAS WAS IN A LOCAL BLACK METAL BAND, TIRED OF THE INTEREST BEING MORE IN THE IMAGERY THAN IN THE MUSICAL SIDE, HE JOINED THE BAND (TRISTITIA) WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS." WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THAT NOW, SOME SEVEN YEARS LATER?
-That info-letter was written by that piece of shit, I wasn't so interested in to be in a special musical, I want to do it the primitive way. That info is a big lie just like the bible. TRISTITIA was formed by Sadoharri from the start, Galvez was just a session guitarist on the 1st demo, before he stole it.
IT'S SAID LOUIS GALVEZ WAS THE "LEADER" AS HE CREATED THE MUSIC & LYRICS IN TRISTITIA, DID THAT BOTHER YOU AND WHAT IS LOUIS LIKE AS A PERSON AND MUSICIAN?
-Galvez can be a "leader" but who's following? None. The music he make is quite boring, it didn't bother me at all. I don't lay my energy on such music, I was hard working with SABATAN then. But for now both PAGAN RITES & SABATAN.
ON THE LATEST (LAST?) TRISTITIA ALBUM, "CRUCIDICTION", BASS PLAYER WAS ADRIAN LETELIER, AND AS I LOOK BACK TO THE OLD TIMES OF PAGAN RITES, ADRIAN IS MENTIONED AS A GUITARIST/BASSIST, AND LOUIS PLAYED AT LEAST ON "PAGAN METAL" TOO... SMALL WORLD, ISN'T IT? ANY OTHER BANDS YOU THREE HAVE PLAYED TOGETHER?
-PAGAN RITES died for Galvez' sake, listen to "Pagan Metal", it was no longer PAGAN RITES. But Pagans never die, only rest. The Galvez kickers came back as original except Tyrant from the mighty NIFELHEIM, send from the depth of HELL, without him we're nothing.
LAST THING DEALING WITH THE "CRUCIDICTION" ALBUM, ACTUALLY DEALING WITH ITS BOOKLET... LOUIS LOOKS LIKE GENE SIMMONS IN THE PHOTOS FEATURED IN THE BOOKLET, HAVE YOU NOTICED THIS, AND DO YOU THINK GENE IS/WAS LOUIS' IDOL AND PARAGON? WHAT ABOUT YOU THEN, YOU DON'T, LUCKILY, LOOK LIKE PAUL STANLEY OR ANY OTHER LIVING OR DEAD KISS MEMBER, BUT WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO LOOK LIKE IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE?
-I don't agree. Galvez looks more like an alcoholic indian which has been drinking at least 40 years or so. My choose to look like is simply Dave Lee Roth, but I almost look like him (hehe), maybe also my lovely Onkel's underwear.
LOOKED LIKE PAGAN RITES DIED IN 1994, BUT NOW YOU HAVE THE SECOND COMING, SO WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO START IT ALL OVER AGAIN?
-Well, back in '94 we were just kings, we needed to rest before our success and that we became Godz. Remember we were born Pagans and immortal are the pagans.
WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE CD WARMASTER RECORDS RELEASED IN '96, DO YOU THINK IT IS THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION OF THE FIRST PAGAN RITES ERA AND THEREFORE A MUST FOR THE METALHEADS WHO WANT TO FOLLOW YOU WITH THIS SECOND ATTACK?
-I was satisfied with it, but our 1 st 7"EP is cooler. But I don't like the trax that much, no need to collect it, but for sure no one want to follow, they are hypnotized to join our second attack.
ACCORDING TO THE BOOKLET, FIRST FIVE TRACKS WERE SPECIALLY RECORDED FOR THE WARMASTER CD AND NEVER BEFORE RELEASED ANYWHERE ELSE. THIS ISN'T ENTIRELY TRUE BECAUSE I'VE THE "FROST..." DEMO'93 AND IT CONTAINS "UNHOLY ANCIENT WAR", SONG WHICH IS AMONG THE FIVE "UNRELEASED" TRAX ON THE CD... DID WARMASTER JUST ADD THIS INFORMATION BY ACCIDENT, DO YOU KNOW?
-I don't call that an accident, human lies, I guess they follow Jesus Christ. Another victim contagion by the social cancer.
WHEN I RECEIVED THIS CD FROM YOU, I WAS A BIT DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE I NOTICED THERE WERE ONLY TWO SONGS FROM THE "FROST..." DEMO... WHY WERE "THE DAY WITHOUT REBIRTH" AND "THE SEVENTH SOUL OF HELL" LEFT OUT FROM THE CD... WAS IT YOUR CHOICE?
-Must been Warmaster's. If my choice, there has only been older trax featured.
PAGAN RITES NAME SURELY SOUNDS LIKE A NAME WITH STRONG ANTI-CHRISTIAN TONE, AND I THINK MOST PEOPLE THINK YOU ARE EITHER BLACK OR DARK METAL A'LA 90S, BUT I THINK THE CORRECT DESCRIPTION WOULD BE MORE LIKE PAGAN HEAVY METAL... OR SHOULD IT BE N.W.O.S.H.M., THE SLOGAN YOU USED ON "PAGAN METAL" DEMO COVER? COULD PAGAN RITES BE OR BECOME A PARAGON OF "NEW WAVE OF SWEDISH HEAVY METAL"?
-We are the paragon of the new Swedish metal, once kings now even stronger, we are Godz, so those who walk in our way, hit in their face. Unholy pagan fuck with their bride. You don't need to be a black or dark metal for supporting the war against Christianity. Our forefathers, they weren't bm, they were playing flutes and harps.
YOUR CURRENT LINE-UP IS ALMOST THE ORIGINAL ONE, NOW YOU HAVE NIFELHEIM'S TYRANT ON BASS AND I WONDER, WHO WAS THE ORIGINAL BASS PLAYER AND WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?
-Tyrant was our original bass player since the start, but we didn't know that, until now in 1999. The one who play on our past releases is now punished, was flog in chains and became a slave, and guess where, right, IN HELL!
TOM LEE ROT, DEVIL TOMAS, CZAKYR,... ARE YOU PROBABLY MAKING FUN OF THE STAGE- NAMES AND THE WHOLE 90S "EVIL" METAL MUSIC SCENE, EXPLAIN?
-Tom Lee Rot is for that simple reason I'm married with Dave Lee Roth. But I spell it without the H. Devil Tomas for the sake I am the devil in a human form. Czakyr is my real name (honest). Fun about evil metallers. No, let them do it for themselves coz they can't pronounce their own names.
HARRI JUVONEN ALIAS SADOHARRI OR SADO-ONE HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PAGAN RITES MUSIC AND LYRICS... WHO IS THAT GUY, AND HAS HIS PARENTS ANY FAMILY TIES TO FINLAND?
-Yezz, Sadoharri is from Finland. HE's great, try his booze if you visit Sweden. He do the best music for sure in PAGAN RITES, that dude also formed TRISTITIA.
YOUR NEXT RELEASE WILL BE RELEASED SOON, ANY DETAILS TO TELL? DO YOU PREFER VINYL OR DOES IT MATTER IN WHAT FORMAT YOUR STUFF IS RELEASED AS LONG AS IT'S RELEASED?
-Our 1st release will be a CD "Back from the Dead, Back to the Roots". Also a 7"EP. Both limited edition, I prefer vinyl.
YOU ONCE ASKED ME TO ARRANGE PAGAN RITES GIG(S) HERE IN FINLAND, BUT IT DID NOT BECOME REALITY. ARE YOU READY TO PLAY LIVE NOW, MAYBE EVEN HERE IN FINLAND?
-Of course we are ready & willing for any kind of live shows and of course even in Finland.
I KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH DENIAL OF GOD FOR A LONG TIME, AND I REMEMBER THAT YOU HAVE, AT LEAST ONCE, PLAYED ON THE SAME GIG WITH THEM...IN '92 OR '93, DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOLLECTION ON THAT GIG... ANYTHING AT ALL?
-Nothing from that gig, only in my heart & mind. Azter from D.O.G. is the one who is gonna do the 7"EP release. It's the Sado-One how has the contact.
I HAVE SEEN A VIDEO-FILM WHICH WAS FILMED AT YOUR REHEARSAL ROOM IN '92 OR '93, AND EVEN IF IT ISN'T PRO-QUALITY STUFF (TECHNICALLY), IT STILL KICKS ASS. DOES THAT FILM STAND FOR WHAT PAGAN RITES GIGS SHOULD BE; WILD AUDIENCE, SMALL VENUE, ETC.?
-Oh no. What a shame. Have you seen our porno movie, so charming, even Hellbutcher and Tyrant was licking butts. Onkel was that charming one, which was eating that brown hot dogs coming from our back. Oh, sorry, you are meaning when we were playing music. Oh, I can't remember that one, sorry. But for sure PAGAN RITES on stage, what else to say?
YOU WROTE ME A LONG LIST OF YOUR FAVOURITE ALBUMS AND DEMOS IN '93, SOME OF THEM WERE CHRISTIAN DEATH; SISTERS OF MERCY; MANOWAR; TWO WITCHES; OZ AND SO ON... AND YOU HAVE TOLD ME THAT YOU ARE NOT THAT MUCH INTO METAL BUT DARK AMBIENT AND FOLKLORE MUSIC, SO THAT LEADS INTO SABATAN AND LUCIFЋRDIABOLUS... WHAT, WHEN AND WHY? AND ARE YOU TOTALLY SERIOUS WITH THESE BANDS?
-I has always been into metal. Metal as it was back in 80s. I'm bored with all those bm bands. Boring as porno films, they must develop itself instead counterfeit each other. And yezz, I'm 100% serious with SABATAN.
I ASKED ABOUT THE SERIOUSNESS BECAUSE YOU HAVE ALSO PLAYED IN AUTOPSY TORMENT, AND I'VE READ A REVIEW OF THE "SPLATTERED" DEMO AND SOMEHOW I HAVE A FEELING THAT THE DEMO WASN'T DONE IN VERY SERIOUS WAY. AUTOPSY TORMENT HAS ALSO RELEASED "7TH SOUL OF HELL" DEMO AND IF THE PAGAN RITES SONG IS THE SAME (AT LEAST THE NAME OF THE SONG IS THE SAME), MAYBE AUTOPSY TORMENT BECAME MORE SERIOUS AFTER THE "INJURY CORPSE"-PERIOD. BUT STILL, WHAT IS THE STORY WITH AUTOPSY TORMENT... AND ARE THERE OTHER BANDS WHICH SHOULD BE MENTIONED ON YOUR CURRICULUM VITAE?
-AUTOPSY TORMENT became serious, but nowadays the "Splattered" sound is, to say, reformed, to be released in near future. No more bands to be mentioned from me, but Harri is also doing industrial music, GENETIC WOUNDS. Worth checking out.
HELLNEST MUSIC INC. IS YOUR OWN LABEL, INTRODUCE IT TO US, PLEASE?
-First release PAGAN RITES CD, then SABATAN full-length, even PAGAN RITES t-shirts, and SABATAN t-shirts to be available and a special fan t-shirt with sexual goat licker, too sexy for my shirt. But more... the future will tell.
WHAT ABOUT YOUR UG-EDITOR-CAREER, ANYTHING ELSE THAN RIPPING FLESH?
-No.
BEFORE I GO, I HAVE TWO MORE QUESTIONS TO ASK. FIRST, HOW'S ALEXANDER DOING, HOW OLD IS HE AND IS HE ALREADY BANGING HIS HEAD WHILE PAGAN RITES ROARS FROM THE LOUDSPEAKERS?
-Age 6 this summer. Of course banging to PAGAN RITES as well as NIFELHEIM, but though that looks dangerous.
FEEL FREE TO ASK ME SOMETHING IF YOU WANT TO!?
-Are you hypnotized yet? Do you want to join our F.C. Retriumph with Satan from Hell? Are you interested in PAGAN RITES nude photos for the low price of US$80?
-(Tommi): Hypnotized? Of course, always. And I'd like to join your F.C., but I hope I don't have to lick your ass more than I've already done, ok. Nude photos for US$80? Is this a spring discount or why such a low price? Well, I'm not interested in them... but maybe you could sell your lovely underpants?
THAT'S IT, I DIDN'T TRY TO ENTER THE MOST INNER FEELINGS OR THE MOST PROFOUND QUESTIONS, I LEAVE THEM FOR THE NEXT TIME... I THANK YOU FOR THIS INTERVIEW, TAKE CARE TOMAS!
-Thanx my pal for the space in your DARK MOON. Don't forget we're interested to play in Finland, so you know what to do. Thanx once again.