Root of All Evil radio show Finntroll/Moonsorrow Interview

Root of All Evil radio show,
KFAI Twin Cities/Minneapolis, Minnesota
April 18, 2010

Transcription by Megz


Interviewer - SwordLord (promoter for the Minnesota show)

Interviewees - Routa, Vreth, Ville Sorvali

SwordLord: (to show host, Tim) Dude thank you so much for this amazing opportunity. For those of you who missed the Finnish Metal Tour 2010 tonight at Station 4, I'm sorry to inform you, that you may have missed one of the coolest shows I will ever produce for the rest of my life.

Host: Oh yeah, it was good stuff going on there tonight - it was nice!

SwordLord: After a thunderous opening by Rochester's own, Minos, we had Swallow the Sun and we had Moonsorrow and then to top it all off we had 90 minutes of the Finnish trolls, we had Finntroll. And speaking of which we have some of these very good gentlemen in the studio with us tonight. They've volunteered to take off some of their drinking time to come and talk to all of us, although they did not come to the studio unarmed. I think that there is probably more alcohol per capita in here tonight than at any other time in Root of All Evil history. So without further ado, why don't you gentlemen introduce yourselves to our listening audience.

Routa: Hey this is Routa from Finntroll, with the... iced tea, kinda... based stuff. (laughter)

Vreth: Yes and here we have Vreth, the singer of Finntroll.

Ville: And I'm Ville, from Moonsorrow, and...I haven't drank anything today. (all laugh)

Routa: You have a radio voice, by the way.

Ville: Yeeeesssss, I have a raaaaaadio voice. (more laughter)

SwordLord: Well gentlemen, number one, thank you very much for coming down. We play you a lot on this show, we admire you very much and the show was absolutely amazing. First of all, how is the US tour going for you guys? Turnouts good? Response good?

Routa : Oh yeah, yeah...turnouts has been pretty good, so far. Somewhere not so good, somewhere better, but...

Host: What did you think about tonight?

Routa: Tonight was fucking excellent.

Vreth: I love the audience tonight.

Host: Yeah...yeah everybody was there.

Vreth: Yep!

SwordLord: It was a great turnout!

Vreth: In the beginning of the tour there was not that much people. But at some point the rumor spread about a good show and a good tour....

Routa: At least after the Canadian shows it has been really good. (Vreth agreeing)

Ville: When did we not have that many people?

Vreth: The first two shows were quite...quite silent.

Ville: Right.

SwordLord: What...uh...how did this all come together? I mean...Finntroll's come through a bunch of times, but this was really unique to have a tour that was comprised of entirely Finnish...uh...Finnish bands. Is that something that your agency put together? Or is that something that you all sort of orchestrated and brought to the agent?

Routa: Actually it started with the thing, we were at our booking agent office and we had this huge list of bands that....you know, like...as possible support for us. And we were listening to them like *no* *no* *no* *no, fuck that* *no* *fuck that* *no* *no* and then the booking agent was like, well who do you like? *Well Moonsorrow would be nice, for example* cause you know, we are good friends with them and all of the band likes their music. And then like, at first it was supposed to be Insomnium on this tour, but that didn't happen, so we were like....um....and then our booking agent came up with this idea of the Finnish Metal Tour, and blahblahblah...and Swallow the Sun....of course!

SwordLord: I think it was a great package, I really did. And the funny thing is that Moonsorrow actually has been to Minnesota twice before on Heathen Crusade, and so we've actually seen you more than I think the rest of the country has, when Heathen Crusade was back in business.

Ville: Yeah, that's definitely true.

SwordLord: You actually gave a little shout out to that tonight on stage - you mentioned that.

Ville: Yeah, of course. Like, we started, like, invading North America from here, so it's special place.

SwordLord: Well we're very very happy to be that place!

Ville: And I have absolutely no idea how it happened in the first place, anyway.

SwordLord: Yeah, I guess that would be a question to ask the Heathen Crusade folks. But that's actually how I got turned on to you guys, was seeing you at Heathen Crusade, and started the madness from there. But, surely, on a tour like this you gotta have a story or two for us. Give us a good story from the tour.

Routa: Mattias you go first.

Vreth: nononono. (laughter) Well I don't really have any stories from this tour, except that...ohhhh....the amount of alcohol.

(all laugh)

Ville: Ok, I can get over with it as the first person, so you can invent your own stories...(all laughing)... because I actually did fell from a tree. (more laughing)

Vreth: Yeah, that's true, by the way.

Ville: We were in Worcester Massachusetts, and I had this idea after taking a few shots in the bar, that since I'm drunk like a monkey I should also act like a monkey and I try to climb a tree, and I failed.

(laughter)

Routa: And we actually tried to get to a hospital after that, but we were in Canada and it really didn't work out.

Vreth: He got a really nice concussion over there.

Ville: Yeah it lasted for two days.

Vreth: Yep. He fell like 12 feet and hit the back of his head.

SwordLord: What? Well I mean.... 12 feet... if you were up 12 feet I wouldn't call that a fail. Maybe a partial fail. At least you get an A for effort if you get up 12 feet...that's pretty good.

Vreth: We actually had some local fans to get him up in the tree.

Ville: Yeah they helped me, I couldn't reach the branch so I asked a local guy to please help me with this.

SwordLord: What about either of you two - anything you're gonna share or are you gonna make me tell the story from two years ago?

Routa: I would really love to tell the story about Berlin but I can't.

Vreth: nononono

Routa: That's out of the limits.

SwordLord: Well I've just gotta tell, from two years ago, when you guys played the Triple Rock, and you were with Warbringer. I just remember that you had gotten off the bus, Mathias, and you were just...you were looking miserable, you were really in a lot of pain.

Vreth: Yeah, I know...

SwordLord: So I went up to the tour manager and I said *is he ok, is there anything I can do for him?* And he says, the tour manager says to me *well, we were stranded in Wisconsin, the bus had broken down, and he....he ate a hot dog from the gas station grill.* And I said *oh you never do that* and he was like *well yeah, he knows that now.*

Routa: That hot dog was similar, if anyone watches Seinfeld series, where they've got the fucking movie theater and there's this one fucking hot dog over there - it was the same and he ordered that one. (Vreth laughing) *Can I have that one?*

Vreth: Yeah, that was horrible, because...you know, we had been stranded in middle of nowhere for 7 hours, nothing to eat on the bus, no. We had half an hour drive and we got the trailer fixed. For some reason I decided I wanted something warm and nice, and ...um... you know in Finland you can actually eat from the gas stations, you can eat those.

Routa: Yeah, yeah....most of the time it's pretty mellow stuff over there.

Vreth: I was puking for three days. I tell you.

Routa: Yeah but, I mean come on, didn't you watch what you fucking order?

Vreth: Yeah it was kinda green, yeah.

Routa: *Kind of*

(laughter)

SwordLord: Why don't we take a little break, and...what have you got on deck for us, Tim?

Host: Coming up next, I got *Kivenkantaja* from Moonsorrow (mispronounces title)

Ville: Kivenkantaja.

Vreth: That's a good song.

Host: Yes, I picked it myself. (laughter)

SwordLord: Play away sir.

Host: Here on the Root of All Evil.

*plays Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja*

Host: Moonsorrow right here on the Root of All Evil show. KFAI Minneapolis....We've got the SwordLord down, he's got members of Moonsorrow and Finntroll down here taking a visit after their excellent show at Station 4 tonight. What's going on, man?

SwordLord: Oh man, now I just wanna see the show again after I hear that. Amazing stuff. I want to tackle a tough issue on the air, and just see how much trouble I can get into with everybody I know. Basically I don't think it's any secret to anybody who reads your lyrics that you are definitely of a different religious viewpoint than America, even though we're considered a quote/unquote *Christian nation*. And especially, the first thing that pops into my mind, is the Finntroll...is my personal favorite song Rivfader that deals with the Finnish troll that will liberate from Christianity. And even though I don't have a particular Moonsorrow song that's coming to mind, I'm sure you do. So I guess, briefly, why don't you talk about what the religious ideology of your bands are, and what it is like to tour in a nation that is predominately of a different viewpoint.

(throats clearing)

Ville: I cannot say that there would be a definite ideology behind the whole band.... When I am speaking of these tough issues, I can only speak on my behalf, anyway...but...I myself I am a pagan, I oppose Christianity, all the organized religions.... I like to have...uh.... a stronger respect for nature, for example, than these modern people have. I respect old traditions better than the modern....whatever. And....yeah...I get lost in it. I think I got lost in my cup, actually.

SwordLord: I think that covered the ground pretty well.

Routa: Yeah, but I mean....That's basically what...ok, of course I cannot talk everybody on the tour, on their behalf. But that's more or less...how Ville put it.... Organized religions are....not that well taken...with our point of view.

Vreth: You hear all these stories that we are against Christianity, but it's not only that. We are against Christianity because that's the thing you get in Finland, for example...the only religion that they actually try to....really force onto us, so of course we attack Christianity.

Ville: Yes, and by the way, you have a very loud voice. Because you are like, further from the mic than me and Routa, and you can still hear it on the same level.

(all laugh)

Vreth: That's true.

SwordLord: Have you.... If you had to name one song from your band that sort of encompassed your...your ideology, the perfect song, that speaks for you and the band, which would it be?

(silence)

Ville: That's tough question, like seriously. I could pick like, the song from our demo that's also remade on the new EP - Taistelu Pohjolasta, The Battle for North - which is like...very straightforward opposing Christianity, it kinda speaks for the whole band, but it's also a bit too aggressive for...for today, for us, because it's like...it was written over 10 years ago.

Routa: Beause you guys are getting mellooooow.

Ville: Yeah, we are getting mellow, we are getting old. We just like....you get older, you start thinking more of things and like...considering a wider perspective. So we are not that straightforward anymore. But it kinda speaks for the whole band anyway. Band was built on anti-Christianity. We are not black metal, but we are anti-Christian, anyway.

SwordLord: Sure. And the Finnish trolls?

Vreth: I would actually like to name one song of one of my other bands, on this - *You Will Not Lie To Me Christ* it's called - this thing with the lies and everything. That probably sums it all up.

Routa: I mean....with Finntroll it also started as like, anti-Christian thing, kinda... In a way. But it has moved in a ways that....like, you know....like...not just anti-Christian, but just you know, use your own brain basically thing. Like, what you feel good, is gonna be good with you....but not just like....fall into the lies of everyday life....

SwordLord: Sure.

Ville: I would also like to stress on this subject, that it's not only opposing religion, but I think the main idea behind both bands is also opposing modern society.

Routa: Yeah. Exactly.

Ville: All the consuming and everything. That takes away meaning from people's lives.

Routa: The basic concept is just - use your own fucking brain.

Vreth/Ville: Yeah.

Routa: *Darn* brain! (all laughing)

SwordLord: I was sitting right here and he said plucking....

Ville: Yeah, use your own plucking brain.

(laughter)

SwordLord: One thing that has always stood out to me, not only for Finntroll but also Moonsorrow, is the fact that you have not...you've always recorded in your native language and have not translated to English, whereas many of your counterparts - Sonata Arctica for example and whatnot, have. (Routa - they suck) Is there a particular reason for that, or do you just prefer to record in your native language and stay true to your roots - what's the reason behind that?

Ville: Yeah it's like...it is a strong part of the concept behind the band. We did our first demo in English anyway, but we changed to Finnish because we felt it fit the concept much better. It's part of the band. We are Finnish anyway, we are talking of subjects that are more or less Finnish, we are playing music that sounds Finnish, and English is not even spoken in our home country. So....I don't know, why should we do it.

SwordLord: And yet you speak it very well. (laughing) No, and that wasn't a jab, I mean that as a compliment. It's always amazing....What do you call a person who can speak three languages - trilingual, a person that can speak two languages - bilingual, a person that can only speak one language - American.

Ville: Yeah but, you should hear when I'm really drunk, because then I can speak like 17 languages.

(laughter)

SwordLord: Have any of you discovered any opposition on any of your US tours because of your content - your lyrical content.

Ville: Yes we have.

SwordLord: Really?

Ville: Not beause of the lyrical content, but on the last American tour we decided to make it like, just to test the ground a bit, we made one t-shirt design that had a viking ship coming to the shore of New York with the Statue of Liberty on fire with a Finnish flag planted at the place of the torch. We got some opposition because of that.

Host: Yeah, I can imagine.

SwordLord: I would give you 100 dollars for one of those shirts right now.

Ville: We don't have any because they sold out!

(laughter)

Vreth: I actually really appreciate... yes - there's something I really respect in this...

Ville: Yeah, it's....we never, like...we never thought we would be insulting the Americans or whatnot. We just wanted to make...like... a good fancy picture like, we're invading America with our own Finnish stuff. And somehow, we probably got crossed the border a bit, some Americans got pissed off.

SwordLord: What about the Finnish trolls?

Routa: No actually, we have to say that....there has been none.

Vreth: No, no problems with us. We haven't really done anything.

Routa: All of our graphics is anyway more or less like, shamanistic in a way. Samuli's.... uh, the other guitar.... SKRYMER's ...weird things of art....thing is so.... yeah, I'm going with my hands all over the studio...

(laughter)

Vreth: This is not the best time of the day to do an interview anymore. Because....as...uh... You may not...may not see... but there has been consumed a considerable amount of vodka during this interview.... actually, we are running out..

Ville: Yeah, we had one liter of this.... iced tea and now it's like....empty....which is kinda sad.

Routa: There is not gonna be any more plucking words...

Ville: I have to mention, on that last subject, actually. The misconceptions we've had.... many times during our career.... people are for some reason mistaking us for Nazis. We get these people, like last year in Kentucky there was this one well-trimmed white guy without a shirt, and he had like, a swastika tattooed on him and on his belly it said *weiss macht*, which is like *white power*. He came to us like *yeah, my brothers*....and all that kinda bullshit... I want to say to all those people we are not your brothers. Go *beep* yourselves.

Routa: Same thing with Finntroll, actually. Definitely... We have had those kind of things in the past as well, and whatever...

Vreth: Yup....and when you go to a show and they're gonna show....the sign of old Germany...you know...

Ville: The logo of Germany...

Routa: The *German logo* - it's a bad joke actually, it's kinda like a joke between the bands. Nobody will get that anyway... sorry...

Ville: Yeah we make those jokes...whatever...but it's like... I don't know why these people chose us. In the first place... Because we are like...we are national romantic, if you get the term right. And if you get the term wrong, then you can really easily see us as Nazis, which is nothing we have to do anything with.

Routa: Yeah but....we are not like we hate anybody over there...

Ville: Yeah we don't hate anyone... or everyone equally.

(laughter)

Routa: That's a better way to put it, yeah, definitely.

SwordLord: Well, guys, I want to just thank you for taking time out of your schedules to come down and talk to all of us, and talk to the Minnesota metal radio audience, it was a real, real honour and pleasure to have you here.

Routa: Oh, thank you so much.

SwordLord: Good luck on the tour, I hope it continues to go well for you. I guess in closing, the one thing that I really want to say is, I know - I haven't been in this business for very long, but I've been in it long enough - I know the American market is a tough nut to crack. I know you play to tiny little venues and not nearly as many people as you do overseas, but don't give up on us. We need this type of music. We love having you here and believe me - when you come we will be there to support you, and we can't wait until you come back again. Truly.

Vreth: That's really nice to hear, thank you very much. (thanks from the others too)

Host: I appreciate you coming down, and bringing your presence down here - it's very special to this radio show. And I'm gonna ask you a favour on top of that. I want to get a radio ID from all of you live right now, since we've got recording...so just say your name, the band you're in and *you're listening to the Root of All Evil show*. Anybody can start.

Vreth: What are we listening to?

Host: The Root of All Evil. (everybody practices saying *the root of all evil*)

Routa: Who's first?

Host: Anybody.

Vreth: He is first!

Routa: Hey this is Routa from Finntroll and you're listening to the Root of all Eviiiillllllah!

Vreth: Hello! This is Vrrrreth from Finntroll and the Root of All..... Evil rocks....

(laughter)

Host: Yes, and finally...

Ville: Yes...hello. This is Ville, from Moonsorrow. You're listening to Root of All Evil, the greatest metal show in Minnesota.

Host: Right on, man.

Routa? (not sure): You suck...

(all laughing)

Host: It was great having you guys down. We're gonna play some Finntroll, we've got Demonicon coming up next. Thank you SwordLord for showing up.

SwordLord: Thank you!

Host: We'll see you next week. You guys have a safe trip.

Vreth? (not sure): Will do...will do...

Host: And a good tour. Root of All Evil on KFAI...

*plays Blodmarsch, Solsagan, and I Trädens Sång*

Finntroll - Thanks, Mom!

Published in Rock Hard, April 2010
Author: Ronny Bittner
Translated by Megz, published on the Finntroll forum

PART 1:


With Nifelvind FINNTROLL succeeded a little stroke of genius: first, their fan base should not be alienated due to a lack of typical FINNTROLL-deployed elements, and other metal fans without blinders will also find pleasure in the journey through countless musical genres. We met singer Vreth and guitarist Skrymer in Dortmund Century Media Office.

Some musicians dread promo tours. Not so FINNTROLL singer Vreth and guitarist Skrymer: The men are happy that they loll in mid-January in the offices of their record company in Dortmund giving interviews. "At home I would be waiting around doing just about anything-except the tour preparations. They only start in a few weeks because our other guitarist Routa spends his honeymoon in Thailand just now," Skrymer tells us in a low voice after the lunch break of half scorned Pasta.

With "Nifelvind" You have made a big step forward. To what extent do you feel as part of the Pagan scene?

Sk: We have never felt a part of this scene. To be honest, we avoid being labeled as part of that scene.
Vr: This is true for all the genres in which people want to pigeonhole us. If you get stuck there once, you must keep to certain conventions, and we do not want that. When you play in a pure folk metal band, you can not publish an album like "Nifelvind". The stylistic diversity is not accepted.

On the other hand you are playing on tours such as the Paganfest and present your shows in typical Pagan clothing.

Vr: Certainly there's similarities with the scene.
Sk: But we haven't copied anyone in selecting our outfits. When we started twelve years ago, there were not many bands who dressed like that.

What would you say about your last album "Ur Jordens Djup" in retrospect? Unlike "Nifelvind" it is a very hard, dark and one-dimensional album.

Sk: The disc was musically more back to our roots. Part of this style is also heard on the new record. Total "Nifelvind" combines elements of all previous FINNTROLL albums. So it's like the first real-FINNTROLL album (laughs).

Vreth, for you it is the second album with FINNTROLL. Do you feel fully accepted by the fans and the band?
Vr: Yes, that was the case from day one. We had some communication problems, and it was a new and unfamiliar role for me, but that subsided quickly. With the fans there was no problems. Only when I was announced as a singer, some skeptical comments found on the Internet: "That is the new singer?"
Sk: "He's not even fat!" But it was not according to this criterion that we were looking for a singer.

It's always hard to tell one's parents that you want to make your livelihood with a metal band - especially when it is dealing with such a chaotic bunch of drinkers as FINNTROLL, right?
Sk: My parents have always given me free rein and I never want to squeeze in something. Perhaps this is part of the Finnish mentality.
Vr: I grew up in a musical family. My father played in the seventies and eighties in a band called Sound, which was quite well known in Finland. He knows what it's like to be constantly on tour.
Sk: Trollhorn's father was one of the most legendary jazz drummers in Finland. My father is a photographer and cameraman and has a fairly liberal mindset. My mother wanted to visit one of our gigs, I said to her: "Will you really want to see your son dead drunk on stage?" My mother became especially delighted after the gig. She said: "You have sounded almost like a real band!" Thanks, Mom!
Your keyboard player Trollhorn is the musical mastermind of FINNTROLL, but he is not touring with you. Do you feel like puppets without a master on tour sometimes?

Sk: No, because there would not be FINNTROLL if we were not all there. Trollhorn produces a demo of the album, which corresponds to his vision, but what we will have on the finished album is realized by all the members. If we had to enact strictly only his stuff, I would be bothered. But we all feel that they are our songs. Trollhorn is just the idea-maker.
Vr: Trollhorn said in the studio last production, it would not sound like FINNTROLL if he was recording the songs alone. Skrymer provides the pieces with a personal touch already just with his guitar playing.

For some international fans, it may be difficult to understand the contents of your Swedish lyrics. Have you ever thought to sometime provide a song with English text?

Vr: We have discussed this, but that does not benefit us all in question.
Sk: Why should we sing the Finnish folklore and Finnish myths in English? That makes no sense at all to me. Of course there's people in our business environment, advising us to sing in English, so that more people understand us. But if you ever have a problem with the language, then you will probably have still more problems with our music.
Vr: If you really want to know what we sing, you can go into the net. A week after the release of our albums, Finnish or Swedish fans have the texts already in translated form up on the Internet.

PART 2:

Vreth and Skrymer and the songs of "Nifelvind"

Blodmarsch (Intro)

Vr: The intro is consistent with its light circus and a Voodoo-Vibe on the album.

Solsagan

Vr: We have chosen Solsagan as a video single because the song contains all the elements of the album.
Sk: Solsagan has black and death metal riffs and eerie and orchestral moments. We found it funny to start the entire album with blast beats. This is not necessarily expected.

Den Frusna Munnen

Vr: The eighties pop song.
Sk: Thanks to Peter Gabriel!
Vr: This is still a Danny Elfman--influence.
Sk: It sounds like Danny Elfman would produce Dismember. This song is TrollHorn was not sure if he has not exaggerated. But that's what I believe in this band.

Ett Norrskendåd

Vr: I think this is the first song we wrote for Nifelvind. Ett Norrskensdåd includes both Swedish folk elements and oriental influences. Therefore, we have had a friend from Iran take over the percussion. The violin is played, by the way, by Olli Vänskä of Turisas.

I Trädens Sång

Sk: The song is musically "back to the roots".
Vr: Yes, the track would have fit well on Midnattens Widunder.

Tiden utan Tid

Vr: Perhaps the most epic song of the album - and I may not actually want the term "epic". A very atmospheric track that breaks out of the usual structures.

Galgasång

Vr: The Country Song. This song would have fit well on our acoustic album Visor om Slutet. We wanted in the middle of the album to have a song that turns a gear down. For me it was a challenge to work only with clean vocals.
Sk: It is also the first song of ours that works without keyboards. On it only acoustic guitars can be heard.
Mot Skuggornas Värld

Vr: That's Tundra Vision. A real Bodybuilder-track (laughs).
Sk: A rock song with Industrial-Vibe.

Under Bergets Rot

Vr: A punk version of FINNTROLL with rockabilly twist. The main theme is from our other guitarist, Routa.
Sk: I always had the wish that Rob Zombie sometime produced a video for us. This song would be perfectly suitable for that.
Vr: The song was damn hard to mix, simply because there's a lot going on.

Fornfamnad

Vr: Perhaps the most experimental song on the album. Also in this one, Routa had his fingers in the game. My vocals are very varied.
Sk: The track had a lot of guitar tracks. When someone at one point had the mix of guitars turned down a bit, and we thought: leave it so, it is perfect!

Dråp

Vr: A Swedish death metal song with FINNTROLL impact. One of our longest pieces and a perfect end of the album.

FINNTROLL - Die Shakiras des Black Metal

Author: Rainer Janaschke, from March 20th 2007
Original link: http://www.musikansich.de/artikel.php?ID=426, Music an sich


Am 30. März veröffentlichen die schwedisch singenden finnischen Trolle von Finntroll ihr neues Album Up Jordens Djup. Welches mich persönlich sehr positiv überrascht hat, und bei mir immer noch in der heimischen Stereoanlage seine Runden dreht.
Das Angebot ein Interview mit Finntroll durchzuführen, habe ich daher gerne angenommen.
Am Telefon hatte ich den sympathischen Schlagzeuger Samu (alias B.Dominator), der gerne Auskunft gab.

MAS:
Hallo Samu, wie geht es Dir?

Samu:
Danke der Nachfrage, mir geht es gut, aber ich bin ziemlich müde!

MAS:
Von wo rufst Du an?

Samu:
Ich rufe aus Vantaa an. Das liegt in der Nähe von Helsinki

MAS:
Zuerst einmal Glückwünsche für euer neues Album, ein wirklich starkes Stück Musik. Für mich war es der erste Kontakt mit Finntroll, und wir dürften auch noch ein paar mehr Leser haben die euch nicht kennen, wie würdest Du eure Band beschreiben?

Samu:
Gute Frage, nun ich denke wir sind die verkrüppelte finnische Monster, die Shakiras des Black Metal. Ich denke das beschreibt uns ganz gut!

MAS:
Ich war sehr von eurer Musik überrascht. Ich konnte mir vorher nicht wirklich vorstellen wie die Kombination aus Black Metal und traditioneller finnischer Humppa Musik klingt und einer gehörigen Portion Fröhlichkeit, die man von einer Black Metal Band nicht unbedingt erwartet. Wie würdest Du eure Musik kategorisieren?

Samu:
Unsere Musik setzt sich hauptsächlich aus Black Metal, finnischer Folkmusik, also Humppa im speziellen, mit ein paar karibischen Einflüssen im dunklen Soundgewand zusammen.
Wir sind sozusagen der Long Island Ice Tea des Black Metals.
Und wie du schon sagst, haben wir auch ein bisschen Fröhlichkeit in unsere Musik gepackt, auch im Black Metal muss man nicht immer alles Todernst nehmen. Ich hoffe, dass man heraushört das wir das was wir machen auch lieben.
Manche Leute mögen was wir machen, und manche nicht!

MAS:
Ich bin kein Experte in skandinavischen Sprachen, aber ich denke eure Texte sind in schwedisch geschrieben und auch der Albumtitel „Up Jordens Djup“ ist schwedisch!
Ich hoffe das habe ich jetzt richtig ausgesprochen!
Warum singt Ihr in schwedisch?

Samu:
Unser ursprünglicher Sänger war halb Schwede, halb Finne. Hier in Finnland wird schwedisch auch in der Schule gelehrt, so daß hier fast jeder schwedisch spricht. Und außerdem ist schwedisch die trolligere Sprache als finnisch, zusätzlich hört sich diese Sprache auch noch besser an.
Wir dachten schon mal darüber nach dies zu ändern und in finnisch zu singen, aber warum sollten wir das ändern, wenn es bisher gut funktioniert hat!
Für jemanden der nicht schwedisch spricht, hast Du den Titel sehr gut ausgesprochen!

MAS:
Wovon handeln eure Lieder?

Samu:
Unsere Texte handeln von Trollen, alten Geschichte. Es ist unsere eigene Fantasy Welt mit Trollkönigen, Menschenjagd und über das Verzehren seltsamer Pilze. Jedes Album setzt diese Geschichten weiter fort.

MAS:
Ihr habt ja schon einige Wechsel im Line Up der Band gehabt. Wie schwierig war es die Band am Leben zu erhalten, insbesondere als eines euer Gitarrist Somnium gestorben ist?

Samu:
Oh, das war sehr schwer!
Wir standen kurz vor der Auflösung, und das zwei bis dreimal, aber wir dachten es wäre in seinem Sinne gewesen wenn wir weitermachen.
Und mit dem neuen Line Up können wir glaube ich alle schlechten Dinge die in der Vergangenheit passiert sind, wirklich hinter uns lassen!
Wir sind zurück aus unseren Höhlen, und es macht wieder wahnsinnig Spaß.

MAS:
Mit Vreth habt Ihr einen neue Sänger in der Band, wie habt Ihr ihn gefunden?

Samu:
Vreth ist ein guter Freund unseres ersten Sängers, und der hat ihn uns empfohlen. Er passt wunderbar zu uns, er kann auf schwedisch singen. Ich hoffe das wir und unsere Fans noch lange Freude an ihm haben werden.

MAS:
Eure Tournee ist grade angekündigt worden. Spielt Ihr diesmal auch in Orten, wo Ihr vorher noch nicht aufgetreten seit?

Samu:
In Europa waren wir schon 2 oder 3 mal Unterwegs. Diesmal sind wir zum erstenmal Headliner auf einer US Tournee, inklusive ein paar Dates in Kanada.
Auf Japan bin ich ebenfalls sehr gespannt, ich denke die Japaner werden etwas anders auf uns reagieren als die Fans denen wir bisher getroffen haben.

MAS:
Gestern habe ich das „Trollhammaren“ Video gesehen. Werdet Ihr zu eurem aktuellem Album wieder ein Video produzieren?

Samu:
Ja, wir werden dieses Wochenende ein neues Video aufnehmen. Zu welchem Song wissen wir allerdings noch nicht.
Das Video soll allerdings etwas hochwertiger werden als das „Trollhammar“ Video, das war mehr ein Fundreh. Ich denke in circa einem Monat wird das Video dann zu sehen sein.

MAS:
Auf eurem Album „Up Jordens Djup“ habe ich am Ende einen Hidden Track entdeckt! Hat es etwas besonderes auf sich mit diesem Song?

Samu:
Hey Mann, Du bist der erste der das Entdeckt hat, oder zumindest der Erste der mich darauf anspricht. Ich glaube die meisten Leute haben gar keine Lust mehr sich die Alben komplett anzuhören.
Der Track sollte eigentlich ein kompletter Song werden, aber am Ende hatten wir keine Zeit mehr im Studio und dieses Ding haben wir dann im angetrunkenen Zustand aufgenommen und einfach mit auf das Album gepackt!

MAS:
Die letzten Worte in diesem Interview gehören Dir!

Samu:
Ich hoffe das eure Leser eurem Magazin treu bleiben und das sie das neue Finntroll Album mögen.

MAS:
Danke für das Interview!

Interview with Wilska from Finntroll

Author: Unknown, May 2005
From Spirit of Metal Webzine
Original link

De passage à Belfort, non loin de chez moi, je profite de cette occasion pour rencontrer Tapio Wilska, le chanteur du groupe pour une petite interview très agréable...

Alors, comment se passe la tournée jusqu’à maintenant ?

Oh, comme toujours très épuisant, je crois que c’est notre 21ième date, mais nous avons de la chance, nous avons une très bonne équipe et je n’ai à me plaindre de rien… de nombreux concerts ont affiché complets, et nous sommes donc très contents !
Et puis nous faisons cela un peu plus facilement que lors des tours précédents, nous sommes pour une fois un peu moins détruits.

Donc pour parler un peu de votre dernier album : sais-tu à quel point il a mieux marché que le précédent ?

C’est définitivement notre album qui s’est le mieux vendu. Je ne connais pas exactement les chiffres, mais je sais juste qu’il s’est autant vendu en un mois que le précédent en 3 ans. Bref, il a été très bien reçu et n’ai pas à ma plaindre !

Quelle est la signification de Nattfodd ?

Nightward…

Nattfodd sonne moins joyeux et plus agressif que les précédents, était-ce quelque chose d’intentionnel ?

Oui, une fois de plus avec cet album, nous voulions brasser tout le spectre musical de Finntroll et il est venu naturellement des chansons plus agressives. Nous avions déjà parlé de nous orienter vers quelque chose de plus violent, mais cela est venu naturellement et de façon très facile au cours du processus d’écriture de l’album.

Et alors justement, comment se passe le processus d’écriture de l’album ?

Généralement, c’est notre gars du synthétiseur qui écrit les titres, mais nous n’avons jamais été le genre de groupe à tout composer ensemble en salle de répète. Nous avons chacun notre propre home-studio et chacun écrit des démos de titres avant de les apporter au groupe. Et après cela chacun fait juste une petite suggestion ou un petit arrangement et puis je rajoute les parties chantées. Généralement à ce stade, le titre fonctionne déjà bien et nous répétons alors ensemble le titre jusqu’à ce qu’il tourne parfaitement.

Et quand aux paroles, de quoi parlent-elles ?

C’est le premier album pour lequel j’ai écris les paroles. Et tu peux les prendre à plusieurs niveaux car la plupart sont métaphoriques. Il y a beaucoup d’éléments sortis de mythologies et de contes anciens avec le troll qui a toujours été dans Finntroll, mais comme je le disais, la plupart sont métaphoriques de ce que nous nous plaignons : je dirais principalement cette façon de vivre moderne et aussi cette façon de penser. Cette attitude totalement égocentrique et uniquement axée sur le profit que je déteste personnellement. Si je disais que nous sommes contre le christianisme et les religions, ce serait un peu cliché, mais disons que nous sommes anti-dogmatique et pour le fait de penser par soi-même.

De qui est venue l’idée de réaliser ce vidéo-clip Trollhammaren ?

Cela faisait longtemps que nous voulions réaliser une vidéo pour un des nos albums. Nous avons eu de longues discussions pour savoir laquelle des chansons allait être prise pour cette vidéo et nous sommes finalement tombés d’accord sur Trollhammaren, chanson à laquelle je tenais beaucoup, car je pense qu’il s’agit là du titre le plus représentatif de Finntroll.
Et puis pour finir, je dirais que tourner ce titre fut vraiment très amusant !

Et est-ce que ce titre a été diffusé sur des chaînes en dehors de Finlande ?

Oui, je crois que certaines chaînes allemandes ont diffusé le titre ainsi qu’en Amérique et au Canada et je crois au Japon. Mais je crois qu’un des trucs les plus fous de ma vie est que Trollhammaren a été numéro 1 des charts sur une chaîne commune aux pays nordiques et cela pendant 8 semaines envoyant chier Britnay Spears… enfin non, pas Britney Spears car ce n’était que pour des artistes nordiques, mais tu vois ce que je veux dire…

Vous avez déjà mentionné la venue prochaine d’un dvd…

Oui, nous y pensons et allons voir ça avec notre label. Mais il sortira sûrement après notre prochain album, car nous attendons d’avoir assez de matériel pour le réaliser et faire quelque chose de conséquent, pas juste un stupide concert et quelques ajouts de backstage…Nous voulons vraiment que les fans aient quelque chose pour leur argent… donc après le prochain album peut-être.

Donc tu en parles déjà… un nouvel album prochainement ?

Oui, nous entrons en studio en automne et l’album sortira sûrement en février-mars de l’an prochain.

Et comment sonnera-t-il ?

Aucune idée en ce moment… Pour l’instant, nous sommes juste en train de définir le concept de l’album. Je pense que tout cela dépendra de l’état d’esprit dans lequel nous serons quand nous entrerons en studio. Mais à ce stade, je sais que nous allons explorer de nouveaux territoires … avec des nouvelles rythmiques ethniques…

Es tu jusqu’alors totalement satisfait du support de Spinefarm et Century Media ?

Oui tout a fait. Nous avons vraiment un très bon contact avec Spinefarm et nous vivons à 200 mètres l’un de l’autre… et Spinefarm a toujours été à 200% derrière nous…

Est-ce que tu écoutes d’autres groupes finlandais et de la musique folklorique finlandaise ?

Oui bien sûr. Je suis un grand fan de musique traditionnelle issue de Finlande, Suède ou de Norvège. Et puis sinon il y a beaucoup d’excellents groupes de metal venus de ces pays, par exemple Amoral qui tourne avec nous, qui est un excellent groupe de death technique et que je suis très content d’avoir avec nous ! Et puis, il y a énormément de « demo band » qui arrivent, alors gardez les yeux ouverts car ces gars-là promettent !

Justement pour ces petits groupes, penses-tu qu’il soit difficile d’être comparés sans cesse à Stratovarius, Nightwish ou Children of Bodom ?

Oui, bien sûr... Ces groupes sont grands et quand tu débutes de nos jours, tu te retrouves inévitablement comparés en fonction de ton style à un de ces groupes. Mais pour moi, faire de la musique a toujours été créer mon propre style, notre propre son… Et évidemment, de telles choses ne sont pas évidentes pour des musiciens débutants, mais si tu es sérieux et que ta passion est sincère, il n’y a pas de raisons pour que tu n’y arrives pas…

Comment décrirais tu ta musique ?

Euh… Finntroll… (rires). Non, plus sérieusement, j’essaye de ne pas tomber dans le piège d’essayer de mettre à tout prix un nom sur une musique. Tu peux dire que nous faisons une sorte de folk metal ou quoique ce soit d’autre, mais je pense que nous avons notre propre son metal avec énormément de choses dedans.

Et penses-tu que Finntroll a créé un nouveau style de metal ?

Je pense qu’il serait un peu pompeux de déclarer cela, mais je pense que nous avons réussi à sonner comme nous le voulions…

Et à part cela, quels sont les groupes que tu apprécies ?

J’écoute vraiment de tout. Sur cette tournée j’écoute beaucoup de Pink Floyd, car quand tu joues des concerts tous les soirs, tout devient un peu saturé niveau metal et tu as besoin d’écouter autre chose… Mais sinon à la maison, j’écoute pas mal de metal…

Et as-tu d’autres projets ?

Oui, pour l’instant je suis resté très concentré sur Finntroll, mais bientôt nous allons enregistrer un nouvel album avec mon autre groupe : Sethian. Cela fait quelque temps que j’ai commencé à travailler sur de nouveaux matériaux, principalement parce que cela m’amuse de faire quelque chose de totalement différent. Ce sera quelque chose de très lent, très doom… mais sans aucune partie orchestrale.

Et pour revenir un peu à la tournée, et plus précisement au concert de ce soir… comment le sens-tu ?

Pour l’instant, toutes les dates que nous avons faites en France ont été géniales ! Le public français est toujours très énergique. Hier, nous avons joué à la Ferrière, au Mats Café et ce fut assez marrant car cela a énormément ressemblé à un vieux punk-show dans une salle toute petite et sur une scène minuscule, mais avec une ambiance énorme ! Et j’espère que ce soir ce sera tout aussi bien !

Alors pour finir, quel est l’esprit du metal pour toi ?

Indépendance, penser par soi-même, être fier de ce que tu es… Je pense que le metal a des fois tendance à devenir un peu grand public, mais l’esprit du metal, lui, a toujours été underground.

D-Drive с Антоном DragonT Павленко - Finntroll Interview Translation

Translation by Lotta, originally posted on the Finntroll forum.

2.51 Finntroll's main characteristic is synthesis of incompatible things like conceptual black metal and plain humor of humppa
2.58 hello, we are very happy to see you in Ukraine. tell us please about your impressions of our country
3.05 Mathias did not have time to acquainted (i think it's totally wrong word here, but i can't find better one XD) Ukraine today, but he saw much in his last visit at this summer
3.17 he was impressed by ukrainian public, they're very energetic
3.39: can you tell what was happened in that day this summer, when you were must to play on pro-rock festival?
3.46: Mathias doesn't actually knows which reason was of concert cancellation, but it seems financial reason
3.53: but decided find the way to go out from this situation and to play somehow, if they come in Ukraine. it's sad, but not everybody could go in then
4.09 and it was very interesting to play with Rotting Christ
4.34: Mathias, tell us please about unusual combination: you've played with Rotting Christ on one stage. which more bands (which playing another music compare to Finntroll) you've played with on one stage?
4.48:in Mexico for example with Celtic Frost
4.52: in 2008 on fest with Belphegor
5.00 (can't understand what they saying.. probably about the year - 2007, not 2008)
5.26 in press many finnish bands say that it's cool to tour and spend the time with Finntroll. and who for you are most comfortable to tour with?
5.42 last time was very interesting to tour with Eluveitie. Last summer european tour was good and mostly all was good with Eluveitie. And likely next summer tour will be with them too. Especially Finntroll's and Eluveitie's new albums will be released simultaneously
6.21 in which country public reaction was closest personally to you?
6.25 in Mathias' opinion is Holland, Belgium. Especially memorable gigs in east europe, because there public just 'tear the roof'
6.41 tell us please about your creativity before Finntroll?
6.45 before Finntroll Mathias doesn't work in big bands, but basically he was interested in metal music and enjoyed little vocal black death bands which was created by himself since he was 6 years old
7.20 do you have any work besides music, and if yes what is it? do you have another profession, another occupation?
7.26 he's occupation is a sound engeneer, and he works on one studio in west Finland. when work in Finntroll needs not so much time, he can move to east Finland and work as sound engeneer there
7.47 do you have any hobbies besides music?
7.50 making music needs much time. sometimes trying to go to the swimming pool
8.05 tell us please which music do you listen right now? maybe there is some last album, which surprised you, you've listened to it and said "wow!"?
8.13 last time he opened for himself one british progressive band named Frost
8.20 i wish you good luck on the concert, i think it will be great!

Interview with Vreth from Finntroll France

Author: Josué, November 9th 2008
From Finntroll France
Original link

Voici une interview, faite rapidement à cause des problèmes avec la Loco, par Josh et Lord USA de Vreth lors du Heidenfest à Paris le 9 Novembre 2008.

Finntroll France : Salut Vreth, nous sommes content de revoir Finntroll faire un concert à Paris pour le Heidenfest Tour. Quelle est ta réaction à chaud après ce concert et sur le Heidenfest depuis le début de la tournée ?

Vreth : C'est toujours un plaisir de jouer en France, car nous aimons beaucoup le public français qui est très chaleureux et très présent lors de nos concerts, ce qui a encore été le cas ce soir. Concernant le Heidenfest, je suis un peu déçu de l'organisation mais également de la salle de concert qui ont du mal à gérer quelques situations, comme tu as pu le voir avant notre show, quand nous avons discuté, j'étais un peu stressé à cause de tout ça. Mais ça ne nous a pas empêchés de prendre plaisir à jouer devant ce très bon public.

Finntroll France : Le 20 septembre 2008, Finntroll a filmé son premier live, comment s'est passée cette expérience et pour quand est prévue la sortie du DVD ?

Vreth : Cette expérience est très enrichissante et nous sommes contents que tout se soit bien passé aussi bien pour nous que pour l'équipe technique ainsi que le public qui était particulièrement énorme pour cette occasion. J'ai hâte de voir le résultat du DVD et l'accueil de nos fans ensuite. Concernant le montage et la sortie du DVD, je n'ai pas plus de renseignement pour le moment car nous sommes très pris par la tournée du Heidenfest, mais je t'informerai par mail quand j'aurai plus d'informations.

Finntroll France : Est-ce qu'un nouvel album est prévu pour 2009 ? Et quelle en sera l'inspiration ?

Vreth : Pour le moment, je n'ai pas d'informations, vu que c'est Katla qui écrit les textes, mais je pense que c'est envisageable oui.

Finntroll France : Un nouveau show en France est-il prévu pour l'année prochaine ?

Vreth : Pour le moment les tournées et festivals ne sont pas en encore prévus pour 2009 avec notre tourneur, mais il y aura des shows je pense.

Finntroll France : Finntroll France fête sa première année d'existence. Quel est ton ressenti par rapport aux soutiens des fans français avec la création de ce site ?

Vreth : Un an, c'est super ça, félicitations les gars j'en suis ravi (en nous serrant la main avec un grand sourire). C'est un énorme plaisir de vous avoir avec nous et de nous promouvoir en France, et je vous en remercie beaucoup, tout le groupe pense de même d'ailleurs. Je suis moi même passé sur le site, c'est très bien fait mais malheureusement je ne comprends pas le français, ça serait cool d'en faire une version anglaise comme ça je pourrais venir regarder tout ce que vous faites pour nous et lire les commentaires de nos fans français.

Finntroll France : Merci beaucoup Vreth, pour cette interview et tes encouragement pour Finntroll.fr.

Vreth : Merci à vous, et on se recontacte très vite par mail pour la prochaine interview et que je te donnes quelques news concernant le DVD.

Interview with Skrymer and Vreth

Author: Simon, May 2nd 2007
From BurnYourEyes Webzine
Original link

Nach einem langem, schönen und anstrengendem Tag hüpften Gitarrist Samuli "Skrymer" Ponsimaa (S), Vokalist Mathias "Vreth" Lillmåns (V) und ich durch das Treppenhaus der Markthalle und machten uns auf den Weg zu einem der drei geräumigen Tourbusse. Offensichtlich erfreut über etwas Abwechslung und bester Dinge - wenn auch etwas ermattet - rauchten die beiden Finnen ein paar Mentholzigaretten oder tranken Weißbier, während sie mir Auskunft gaben und sich die Sonne langsam hinter den Horizont Hamburgs schob.

Vielen Dank, dass ihr euch die Zeit für das Interview genommen habt. Wie geht es euch?

S: Gut, ein wenig müde, aber das ist normal auf Tour.
V: Gut.

Wie ist das Touren? Mit dir, Mathias, habt ihr ja auch einen neuen Sänger. Ist das Touren entspannter oder noch aufregender?

V: Ich denke, die Frage sollte er dann wohl beantworten. Hehe.
S: Ja, es ist auf jeden Fall entspannter. Wir sind eher wieder bei diesem Band-Geist. Wir kommen alle super gut aus. Es gibt da keine Probleme.

Nun zu den wirklichen Fragen: Welche Themen beeinflussten euch beim Schreiben von "Ur Jordens Djup". Natur, Kunst, Politik…?

S: Musik oder Text?

Beides.

S: Natur ist wohl das zentrale Thema. Welche Inspiration noch, hm? Uns langweilten einfach die alten Stücke.
V: Ja. (lachen)
V: Das ist nicht einfach zu beantworten.
S: Es gibt hier und da Einflüsse, aber die lassen sich nur schwer aufzählen.

Von aktueller Politik oder Ähnlichem lasst ihr euch nicht beeinflussen?

V: Nein, wir halten uns von der Politik fern.

Die nächste Frage hat entfernt mit Politik zu tun. Denn besonders in Deutschland gibt es viele rechte Strömungen und rassistischen Dreck, der mit der Szene in Verbindung gebracht wird. Sorgt ihr euch da nicht, dass Rassisten auf euren Konzerten herumspazieren? Denn immerhin habt ihr ja "You Suffer" von NAPALM DEATH einst gecovert und viel politisch korrekter geht es ja nun kaum. Dennoch gibt es viele Rechte und Rassisten, die FINNTROLL mögen.

S: Das ist seltsam, denn es hat ja nun nichts mit Rassismus oder Rechtsextremismus zu tun. Der Punkt ist, dass irgendjemand irgendwann diese fabelhafte Idee hatte, dass Wikinger und Nordmänner irgendetwas mit dem rechten politischem Flügel zu tun hätten.
V: Aber wenn die zu den Konzerten kommen, ist mir das egal. Ich meine, wenn die wegen der Musik kommen…
S: Wenn sie nur wegen der Musik kommen, ist das okay.
V: Aber wenn sie versuchen, irgendwelche Scheiß-Botschaften zu verbreiten, wird es zu einem Problem.
S: Aber es passiert leider sehr, sehr häufig, dass die Bands missverstanden werden in letzter Zeit. Ich weiß es auch nicht… (seufzt)
V: (lacht)

Gibt es immer noch Bands, die ihr bewundert und mit denen ihr gerne spielen würdet, bisher aber noch nicht die Gelegenheit dazu hattet?

S: Oh, gute Frage. Ich denke, da hat natürlich jeder so seine eigene Auswahl. Aber ich würde zum Beispiel gerne mit DISMEMBER spielen.
V: Ich würde generell eben gerne mit den Bands spielen, zu denen ich aufgesehen habe, seit man klein war. DISMEMBER sind ein gutes Beispiel, ansonsten…
S: Ältere Bands eben, denn eigentlich habe ich lange kein neues Death Metal-Album mehr gekauft. Die Musik hat da ziemlich an Energie verloren. Aber, na ja, das würde nur ein langes Gezeter darüber werden, was heutzutage falsch läuft in der Musik.

Da liegt der Brückenschlag wieder nahe zu "Enemy Of The Music Business"?

S: Ja, genau! Hm… ansonsten an Bands natürlich noch NAPALM DEATH, IMPALED NAZARENE…
V: Norwegischer Black Metal…
S: Oh ja.

Ihr habt einst gesagt, es sei sehr trollish, Schwedisch für die Texte zu verwenden. Klingt denn Finnisch nicht eher exotisch und seltsam?

V: Nein, denn das Schwedisch klingt eigentlich besser mit der Musik.
S: Viel besser als Finnisch…
V: Das R lässt sich zum Beispiel viel besser rollen, und die Worte lassen sich besser ziehen, wohin gegen Finnisch…
S: Tak! Tak! Tak! (klopft dabei mit einem Feuerzeug auf den Tisch)
V: Zudem denke ich, es gibt so viele Bands aus Finnland, die Finnisch singen, und wenn man Finnisch singt, ist man schnell abgestempelt als finnische Band und außerhalb des Landes haben es damit nur wenige weit gebracht.
S: Natürlich ist das nicht die Hauptsache – es weit zu bringen, aber es passt ja eben auch besser zur Musik.
V: Ja, es passt besser zur Musik, zu der Band, und dafür wäre Finnisch einfach zu akzentuiert.

Was seht ihr, wenn ihr einen Blick in die Zukunft werft, für euch als Band?

S: Mehr Kick-Ass-Shows.
V: Neue Musik machen…
S: Hoffentlich mehr Fans zu erreichen, für mehr Kick-Ass-Shows. Eben Leute zu erreichen. Es wäre eben ideal wenn, sagen wir, fünf Leute heute im Publikum losziehen, sich die Alben kaufen, weil wir nachher so gut spielen.

Also ist es wichtig, auch weiterhin als Liveband überzeugend zu sein und nicht durch ein Image?

S: Exakt, denn da sieht man die Band ja so, wie sie wirklich ist. Bevor die Leute eben im Geschäft sehen, wie es auszusehen hat, ist es doch besser, sie live zu überzeugen.

Und was wollt ihr noch in bezug auf FINNTROLL loswerden, was muss noch gesagt werden, oder mit welchem Vorurteil wollt ihr abrechnen?

V: Wir werden oft als eine reine Saufband abgestempelt. Nach dem Schema: "Finntroll? – Die singen über Trolle und Bier…".
S: Ja, das ist nervig, denn so ist es nicht. Von diesem Ruf würden wir uns wirklich gerne trennen. Denn es ist mehr dahinter als dieses dämliche Zuprosten und so…
V: Naja, das ja auch irgendwie, aber da ist eben mehr. Natürlich ist da manchmal ein bisschen Saufen im Spiel, aber zu viele Leute sehen das als das zentrale Thema.
S: Als einziges Thema.

Wenn es nicht darum geht, worum dreht es sich denn dann? Geht es darum, Leute zu erreichen, Leute zu verändern, die Welt zu verändern oder eben einfach ein Künstlerdasein zu führen?

S: Viele Aspekte.
V: Ja, viele Aspekte. (lacht) Folklore, Schmanismus…
S: Dann sind da natürlich noch moderne Themen, die Selbstfindung und natürlich Stücke gegen Religionen. Nicht gegen das Christentum, gegen den Islam oder gegen das Judentum im Speziellen - gegen alle. Es geht um Natur-Religionen… wobei wohl eher natürliches… Benehmen und Verhalten.

Wirklich gesprächig waren die zwei Finnen nicht und machten einen ermüdeten und matten Eindruck - auch wenn sie versicherten, vom Touren nicht genug bekommen zu können. Nach dem Interview plauderten wir noch locker zehn Minuten daher, während Samuli "Skrymer" Ponsimaa, der sich auch für die Cover der Bands verantwortlich zeichnet, auf dem Blatt, das ich ihnen zum Gestalten gereicht habe, ein eindrucksvolles Kunstwerk schuf.

Finntroll - "Samu Ruotsalainen"

Author: Smathers, posted on 07.05.2004
From Uranium Music
Original link

Uranium: You recently went on a European tour with Ensiferum. Were you friends with the band, did you know them before you went out on tour?

Samu: Yeah, we've actually toured with them in Finland a few years ago. They're old friends of ours, we have many of the same fans. It was excellent, a lot of partying and drinking.

Uranium: Was this the first full-scale European tour that you've been on?

Samu: Actually yeah, this was the first one that made it. We had to cancel like 5 or 6 before for various reasons. So this was actually the first one that happened, so it was fun.

Uranium: You guys play a lot of European festivals on a regular basis, how does the festival experience compare to touring?

Samu: Touring is obviously a lot more work and a lot harder than festivals because it's so easy to do a single, one-off show. We fly in to play the festival, have a party, and then fly back home. To be stuck in Europe for a whole three weeks and having basically a festival every night is very different. But I like them both. Touring is basically better because you get to see more places and play to more people, like playing in front of 15,000 drunk Germans. (laughs)

Uranium: Do you guys have any tour plans coming up, besides festivals?

Samu: We'll be doing another European tour in December for two and a half weeks. I'm not sure if it will be with other bands, we are still negotiating, but our agents have been talking to Obituary about it, which would be great. It should be fun.

Uranium: People here in the U.S. have known about you for a while and I'm sure there are a lot of fans here that would love to see you come over... any plans for a U.S. tour anytime?

Samu: Yeah, hopefully. (laughs) We're still waiting. It's just way too expensive to fly us in for a one-off from Finland, because there's like seven of us with the sound guys. But hopefully, one day we'll come across the Atlantic and play, hopefully.

Uranium: Yeah, I hope so man, you guys would be a big hit here. So, I've never actually seen a Finntroll show before, I'm dying to. What's a typical show like? Do people mosh, do they polka dance, or what do they do?

Samu: There are of course the classic rock fans just standing in the back, drinking and watching, then there is the mosh pit, and then pretty much the rest of the people are just dancing. But it's always a wild party. We actually prefer to play later, the later the better, because more people are drunk then, and they get more into it. (laughs) People usually go wild, it's just a big party, and I like it that way.

Uranium: Have you every played any shows or festivals where people just didn't know what was going on and didn't know how to react to your music? Or do people always get into it?

Samu: If we're playing some kind of weird festival that we shouldn't have played, like when we played at the Sweden Rock festival, where there were mostly 80's heavy metal bands like Whitesnake and Twisted Sister. It took two or three songs for people to figure it out and get into it, but once again it was just a big party. It was kind of odd, watching these old heavy metal guys with huge moustaches and Whitesnake shirts rocking out with us.

Uranium: That's awesome! For your live show, do you have any stage props or decorations or is it usually just the band playing?

Samu: It is the band playing, and we have our usual weird leather, fur, troll costumes you can see in the promo pics. But, nothing like fireworks or shit, just the band playing as many songs as possible. There are no breaks, no talking, just music; it is usually just a full hour of Finntroll music.

Uranium: Congratulations on "Nattfödd", it is an amazing album. I've been listening to you guys since I first heard "Jaktens Tid", but I think you guys outdid yourselves with this one. It's quite a different album than "Visor Om Slutet", which was a lot more folk-ish and epic. What prompted the return to the faster, heavier, more "metal" approach?

Samu: Actually, the "Visor Om Slutet" thing was not supposed to be an album at all. It was supposed to be a b-side release of music we had made that could never make it onto a metal album. It was never going to be a new direction of music; it was something we always wanted to do so we did it, but our main focus has always been to perform metal albums so for that matter, "Nattfödd" is more of a continuation of "Jaktens Tid". So basically, there are 3 Finntroll albums, and one weird thing. (laughs) That's pretty much it.

Uranium: How does the song writing process work for you guys? Do you usually start with a keyboard melody of guitar riff?

Samu: It depends on who's writing, because nowadays it's our bass player and keyboard player who mainly write the songs. Sometimes our guitar player will bring in a new, cool guitar riff, but usually it's a keyboard riff or melody and all that other stuff is tacked onto that. There are a few occaisions where the guitar is the main part of the song, like the first song on the "Jaktens Tid" album was written totally on the guitar. On the new album, it was mostly the keyboard.

Uranium: How big is humpaa in Finland? Is it one of the main types of folk music over there, are there many festivals and that kind of thing?

Samu: Actually there are some humpaa bands that go around and tour 365 days a year in Finland, playing at dance halls and so forth. There's actually only one folk festival here in Finland, they don't have Humpaa there but they have other types of folk. But yeah, it's very popular I think, nobody buys a humpaa album but many people go to the shows to dance and so forth. It's very traditional.

Uranium: Has Finntroll attracted any fans of humpaa that would otherwise never listen to metal?

Samu: I don't know, never met one! Hopefully, yeah, I don't know for sure. (laughs) For some reason a lot of punk rockers like Finntroll a lot; I don't know what it is. I guess there's some punk rock in Finntroll. Definitely a lot of different kinds of Finntroll fans around, though we've definitely pissed off a lot of "true" Norwegian black metal guys, who only listen to bands like Darkthrone and shit, they don't like us. (laughs) They're too "true" to listen to Finntroll.

Uranium: Over the past few years Finland's metal scene has really started to get big, Children Of Bodom are getting big oversees and you have bands like Kalmah and Omnium Gatherum that are starting to put out some really impressive releases. Can you tell that the scene is getting bigger over there, are there more fans coming out for shows and so forth?

Samu: More bands, definitely. More fans, I don't know. The fanbase in Finland is basically the same, but there are definitely more recording bands, which is a good thing. As long as they're original, though, because in the past few years every new Finnish band coming out is either a copy of Stratovarious or Children Of Bodom or whatever. But then there are good, original bands like Omnium Gatherum, so that's good. So yeah, some good, but most of them bad, that's what I think.

Uranium: So how about nu-metal, shit like Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park? Is that big over in Finland?

Samu: I guess they're on the charts and all, but no, it's not that big. I don't know if there are any Finnish nu-metal bands, actually...

Uranium: Well, that's a good thing, those bands tend to spoil a lot of things for the metal scene.

Samu: (laughs) Yeah, I hate nu-metal. I actually bought a Korn album 5-6 years ago, and that's it for my nu-metal. And especially a big fuck-off to bands like Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park, ugh, bullshit. Burn them, kill them.

Uranium: Alright man, that's actually all the questions I had for you, thanks a lot for your time!

Samu: Good talking to you man, thanks a lot for the support. Hopefully we'll see you one day in the states.

Interview with Trollhorn

September 2002
From Rabenkind's Finntroll Fanpage
Original Link

Rabenkind (RK) : What are your (current) favorite albums ??

Trollhorn (TH) : The albums I have been listening most recently and enjoyed them very much in numerous ways are Marduk´s “Dark Endless”,Thyrfing´s “Vansinnesvisor”,Dargaard´s “In Nomine Aeternitatis” and The Nightmare Before Christmas-soundtrack by Danny Elfman. Also some Ultima Thule.

RK : What have been your "first steps" in music ?? Your first band ??

TH : My first steps in music were taken I the day I was born,as my dad was a professional musician and from the day one I had passionate interest on music. However,my parents also noticed that and so just before I had my 4th birthday they put me into classical piano lessons.My first band was formed in the mid/late 80´s with my dad and a couple of his friends and played jazz. My first real metalband was formed in 1991 with my schoolmates. It was called Battery and we played Thrash,heh.

RK : What has been the first album you ever bought ??

TH : Wow…this is a bad one! I think it was an Elvis-tape when I was something like 8 years old. For some reason I used to like Elvis then. :)

RK : What has been your first concert (as a visitor) ??

TH : The same question was asked from me a couple of days ago and I had to confess then that I have no single clue.I think it was some of my dad´s gigs somewhere in Finland when I was a baby.

RK: What do you think about the German metal-scene?? Do you know any bands from Germany??

TH : You have couple of very good bands like Falkenbach (well is it even German? I think so.), Dew-Scented,Morgoth (well,not the newer stuff…),Sodom,Kreator,Viu Drach and a couple of others. I really don´t keep my attention on the German scene as nowadays most of the “blacker” bands have very precisely ruined the reputation of your entire scene in my mouth. Bands like Mystic Circle or Nargaroth should really consider of changing their little hobbies for photographing or something in my opinion. If you don´t agree, just prove me wrong!

RK : You are using quite many "folkish" elements in your music?? Are you listening to that kind of music, too ?? Any favorite bands from that genre (folk / folk-rock)??

TH : YES WE DO!!! My faves are Garmarna,Nordman,Gjallarhorn,Annbjörg Lien, Battlefield Band, Wimme,Hedningarna,Mari Boine,JPP,Pekka Pohjola (not so traditional stuff) and many others.

RK : Are there any great "Folk-Festivals" in Finland / Scandinavia ??

TH : Actually I haven´t got a single clue about any other festivals in Scandinavia,but at least in Finland we have “Kaustisen Kansanmusiikkijuhlat” in every summer. I have never visited there as I am not into festivals in general so much,but I can warmly recommend it to everyone who likes folkmusic and it´s different forms!

RK : Some of your songs and lyrics seem to be inspired by all those ancient tales about trolls and things like that ... do you believe in the existence of such creatures ??

TH : I really don´t know….sometimes I tend to think there are some creatures of the old tales existing,lurking in the remaining big forests and mountains….but as I haven´t ever seen one how the fuck am I supposed to know any-thing? :) Maybe the industrializing forced them to flee so we haven´t seen them for a couple ofgenerations? In Finland we have very long traditions about those creatures and as our people is still very superstitious (and some kind of “still-Heathen”) I think I have to say “yes” as my final answer.

RK : On your last album with Finntroll you also recorded one traditional folk-song ("Vargtimmen") in a very cool (Black)Metal-version ... could you imagine to use some more traditional songs for your upcoming releases ?? Maybe even record a whole album with traditional folk-songs ??

TH : Actually I don´t think Finntroll is going to do more cover-songs,but there has been certain talk of an acoustic mini cd….we´ll see.

RK : Even though you're using quite many elements from that genre with Finntroll, it seemes that you don't take the whole "evil BlackMetal-thing" too serious ... how important is the image of a band in your opinion ??

TH :It depends. We are not a Black Metal-band in the “traditional” sense of a word,so naturally we don´t take it seriously,but I understand what you mean by the question. We have always had this tongue-in-cheek type of thing with Finntroll,and the music is also done in the same way. (well,of course I don´t say we´re just just farting around in the rehearsals, but we include a bit more “daring” and “out-of-place” things in our music than a normal BM-band,heheh…) The image is very important to my but it strongly depends on the artist.

Like,you really wouldn´t want to see Mayhem playing with chickens or drunken skinheads dancing polka on stage but in Finntroll it would most likely be just funny and entertaining. Like they say in television,Image is nothing - thirst is everything. (well…how the Hel had this to do anything with the question…? :)

RK :Beside your work with Finntroll, you also have your own project ("Moonsorrow") ... where would you see the similarities and differences between both bands ??

TH : We both use eg.eletric guitars,which make us sound similar to each other. Also we have drums. Well,I guess you got my point,heh. Seriously,we use folk elements (including certain instruments) with both bands but basically,this is where the similarities end. You will never find a single polka-part from Moonsorrow,no Swedish language,no cheesy Power Metal parts :) or Joik…While Finntroll is fast,Moonsorrow plays mid-tempo.While Finntroll is brutally “joyous”,Moonsorrow is melancholic. And while Finntroll has Trollhorn, Moonsorrow has Henri Urponpoika Sorvali. And because of that,people find odd parallels between these two bands. Maybe we should hear the editor´s opinion on this matter…?

RK : What are your thoughts about religion, christianity and paganism ??

TH :I really could write a book concerning this topic,but as there is only a limited space here I try to shorten things. So,here we go.I think every religion is ok as long as they don´t oppress people to act unnaturally. Which is something eg. Pestianity and Islam do. All that women-stomping bullshit and denying of people´s natural urges,be it sexual or anything else is complete waste of time. Period. For me,the Semitic God (Jahve,Allah,whatever you want to call him) reminds of a certain Austrian/German fellow who used to be pretty popular during the 1930s and early 40s. Later he ended up himself and a couple of other guys in the process,if you know of whom I am talking about ;) I oppose fascism and thus I oppose also the Semitic God and all its likes. Besides, the moral of the abovementioned is nothing I would ever even consider to adopt. Anyway,I think that Gods are supposed to be like us-they all have their good and bad sides. This is something Christianity and other monotheistic religions can never understand. We are not some inferior creatures who have to worship their master in fear,but “friends” of the Gods and Mother Nature. Mutual respect between the race of Gods and the race of men,harmony and balance are the keywords if you ask me. Slave-morality is definitely not something I am used to.Christianity has bloody roots in Scandinavian history,which is very sad and totally unacceptable,and I will never turn to an imported Jewish fascist if I need spiritual guidance. Hell Tor! Hell Oden! Hell Freija!

RK : What are the three most important things in your life ??

TH : My beloved ones,music and my health.

RK : Describe yourself in five (or less) words.

TH :Ambitious,unyielding and short-tempered,I guess.

RK : Who has been the "hero" of your childhood ??

TH : I remember thinking that Paul Stanley must be the toughest guy in the universe,heh. My school books were always full of KISS logos and pictures. Also McGyver was really cool. Yes,and He-Man. (Here we are….it seems that basically my childhood idols have more or less been fictional.I guess that tells a lot of me :)

RK : Your favorite book ??

TH : I don´t know…maybe some David Eddings (yes,I read fantasy every now and then… *blushes*) or Dean R. Koontz. Mostly history and music- related stuff.

RK : If you would get the chance to live your whole life a second time -- are there any "wrong decisions" or "bad mistakes" which you wouldn't do again ??

TH : I think I wouldn´t take so much shit from different persons.You know,in school etc. (yes,I was the “picked” guy for years) Nowadays I have the self-esteem I didn´t have when I was younger and if I could go back in time and give it to “earlier” me,I would most likely to do it. But then again…everything that has happed during my 23 years of living in this planet affects me in one way or another. So,as I am quite comfortable right now,I think I wouldn´t change anything after all.

RK : Name a person (living or dead) which you would like to meet.

TH : My father,absolutely! He died whan I was 10 years old and there is so much I wish I could have learnt from him,both as father and musician. Also Quorthon would be nice to meet…. ;)

RK : Name a musician (living or dead) with whom you would like to play in a band / project.

TH: Well,I suppose it would be fun to thrash some good old stuff with Chris Barnes or Nicke Andersson but as they are both so wasted or just completely into different musicstyles I think it would never happen even if I had the opportunity to do it someday. It would also cool to do something together with Jens Johansson,Johnny Maudling or let´s say……..Nordman,for fuck´s sake!

RK : Do you have any piece of jewellery which has some kind of "special meaning" to you ??

TH : Soon will be one more,as we are right now looking for engagement-rings with my girlfriend.
I also carry Mjöllnir as a sign of my personal faith and heritage.

RK : What is (in your opinion) the "best song" you have ever written ??

TH: Hopefully I haven´t done that one yet! But the musical achievements I consider to be the best I´ve made (until this day) have nothing to do with metal at the end. My deepest ambitions lay in classical music although metal is something I´m known of…..now. The future may change some things.

FINNTROLL - TOUGH, WITTY AND THIRSTY

Published in Rock Hard Slovenia, August 2009
Author: U. Majdič


Translation by M

Finntroll are those immortals who live in a stinky cave where they dry the legs of goats, sheep and catholic priests. They come out when they run out of beer, which they drink instead of water, and in return they give mortals a great metal party where they grab two young virgins to scratch their hairy backs with rakes after the show.

Maybe, in spite of the general opinion of Americans, this isn't quite correct. Nevertheless Finntroll have made a breakthrough in its own genre - extreme and folk metal – in the world outside of its native cocoon. Before the show they drink some wine and beer, Skrymer paints everyone with »corpsepaint« and they set loose some primordial energy.

Existing since 1997, after several shocks and line-up changes, Finntroll defies it all with its persistence and creativity. After five studio albums and one EP they are soon going to release the first record after two years. Since they always know how to surprise us, we can only wait and see what comes from their cave this time ... Until then we can have a chat with guitarist Routa, known to the human world by the name of Mikael Karlbom, who hasn't shown the slightest clue of barbaric behavior during the interview ...

Hello, Routa ... How's life in Helsinki?

R: Heya. Everything is fine here, thank you. It's becoming hellishly hot, but ... I guess we can enjoy the sun for these few months.

Hellishly hot there in the north and here we've had weeks of rain ... But if we stick with the hot part ... Finntroll hit the jackpot with its music and appearance. You've travelled all around the world; your music is selling well. The crowd sings with you even if it has no idea what you're talking about! But you've had a long period without gigs or recordings. Is there any special reason for that or just vacation?

R: Actually both. After last year all of us in Finntroll have been really exhausted. Not so much because of the touring, but because of the music business in general. We felt that we have to take a short break and consider who to work with in the future. We wanted to ˝clear the table˝ and have a fresh start. We didn't have any gigs planned in the beginning of the year so it was an ideal time for that and also to take a break.

Did it help? Are all six trolls back in shape?

R: It was probably the best decision we've made in a long time! Now we can't wait to be back on the road. We have a lot of new material, the recording is supposed to start in the end of July.

OK, we'll talk about your current activities later. Now back to basics.
In the folklore, trolls are supposed to be hideously ugly and stinky, but none of you can be described as such, even though you try to achieve that on some of the photos. Perhaps you're a specie of troll mutants?

R: I can assure you we smell very badly. While touring at least! And about trollishness: it's all a state of mind!

The Finntroll recipe includes one indispensable ingredient – alcohol! How many bottles of rum and beer do you demand for your backstage?

R: I don't have enough fingers to count that! But these aren't just our needs. We have to be ready if any of our friends show up. Riiight.

Would you accept an offer of a completely paid one month tour if one of the terms of the contract was not to drink any alcohol? Like an alcohol-free tour?

R: Beer doesn't count as alcohol, right? Neither does vodka, right? Of course!

But seriously, you've travelled a lot. Which places were the most remarkable?

R: I think the most interesting places we've been to were those that were not so ordinary. Like Iceland or Russia. And there were some interesting cities in Canada and USA. Oh, and Mexico City was insane ... But the list doesn't end here.

I remember a piece of news that once during your sound check the roof broke off. Your vibes seems to be lethal for buildings. Do you remember anything else like that?

R: Not really. Usually everything works like it should, except of course problems with bad technical equipment on the spot.

What is the greatest myth or the biggest misinterpretation of Finntroll?

R: Probably when people come to us and start asking why don't we wear fur. For some reason some people believe we live in the woods or in caves or something. Oh, and that people think we're nice.

(Laughs)... Well, that's how they imagine folk metal. You draw your influences from Norse mythology, Kalevala, paganism, from Celtic culture. Do you read literature about that or do you create your own mythology?

R: Katla, who writes all the lyrics, indeed reads a lot of literature about ancient myths and history in general, he could explain more. As for the music, you can probably hear all sorts of influences. We're not narrow-minded about our inspiration...

Do Finns share your opinion that Swedish sounds more trollish?

R: It's 50-50. Some say it sounds good, others say they like the music but they can't stand the language. I'd say it's their loss.

When you're not eating priests, do you have your day jobs?

R: Unfortunately, yes ... And it's damn hot in here.

What music do you listen to in your car or on the tour bus?

R: That differs a lot, for me at least. You never know where you might find new ideas.

About originality ... What is your opinion on your imitators? Do you insist on being recognized as the starters of this sound and mix of styles?

R: We're not the ones who could point a finger. We're just making music with our own style and everyone who's interested can probably find out by themselves which was first: the chicken, the egg, or Finntroll.

Who would have thought that Finnish humppa can be so metal! But do you ever get tired of that and want something new?

R: Have you listened to our last album?

Yes, Ur Jordens Djup is indeed different...

R: It contains only one or two parts with humppa, the rest is quite different. We always try to move on with our music and find new directions and ideas. That's why it takes so long for us to make a new album.

Traditional joiking in your music is fantastic. Whose voice is that?

R: We borrowed Mixu from Catamenia on our last tour, while the Jaktens Tid album was made in the spirit of traditional music from Lapland. That voice belongs to Jonne from Korpiklaani.

You joined Finntroll in 2003. Has anything changed in the band since then?

R: I can say the changes have been immense. Today we are more responsible towards what we do.

Your last album, Ur Jordens Djup, was released 2 years ago. What now and when, how much new material have you got ready?

R: Almost all the material for the new record is ready, but I don't know when it's coming out and with which label. I can assure you we'll let you know as soon as we gain that information. We've done two demos for the upcoming album and soon we'll get a new homepage as well. There you'll find video cuts from the sessions and a small preview to what to expect.

You're fully ready for the tour. The closest you'll get to Slovenia is Germany. But we saw you on MetalCamp last year. Do you have any (if any at all) good memories of it?

R: Many! I hope we get to play there again, excellent festival!

I sincerely hope you'll return soon to our country, until then be safe on the road and keep on the great work!

R: Thank you! See you!

Interview with Routa and Tundra

Author unknown, from April 11th 2007.
Source unknown, a video interview in Finnish, transcripted and translated by Zarok.
Published on the old Finntroll Forum.


(Interviewer marked as I, Routa R and Tundra T).

I: Ur Jordens Djup is 34th on the list. How does that sound like?

T: Should I cry again?

R: It’s good that it made it on the list.

I: Yeah, it’s on the list and you can always push forward from that, people are sure to find it there.

I: Our guests today are Tundra and Routa (Interviewer had the guys backwards). This name Ur Jordens Djup sounds really nice, it’s a good Swedish pronounciation drill. Do you have some kinda test on how often can you say the name quickly within the band?

R: Heh, I’ll leave talking Swedish to our singer Vreth.

I: Where does lyrics in Swedish come from for the band anyways? As far as I know you have a singer that debuts on this album and he speaks Swedish, but where did the Swedish lyrics originally come from?

T: It was our first vocalist who started the whole band and wanted to sing in his native language which happened to be Swedish, just because of that.

I: Well, you’ve had some singer changes in the band, so is it hard to find someone who can sing this style of music in Swedish?

R: When Wilska left the band, or our paths went our separate ways so to say, it felt like goddamnit, we’ll never find a singer to replace him.

I: Yeah, so how did the process of finding the singer go? Did you ask friends or did you do some big audition like Nightwish?

T: *chuckles* Yeah we aimed for this Idols-theme with country-wide searches but well, that didn’t exactly pan out in these circles…

I: Put guys who are good looking as hell in a line with the main criteria being how do you look, huh?

T: Exactly!

R: There were a few pretty nice demos sent to Spine, but we never really got around to listening to them there.

I: So , why did you choose Vreth? He’s Swedish-speaking obviously, but what other criterias were there?

R: Sounds good as hell. He came to our practise room after Katla, our first singer said there’s this guy in Uusikaarlepyy ( Katla’s home town if I remember right) , and so we asked him for a practise session and he sounded fucking amazing straight outta the gate so, why waste time on useless shit.

I: So, what kind of band initiation rites were there? I’m sure you pulled some pranks on the new guy, right?

R: Not really pranks, but the first gig was in germany in front of 5000+ people, so he was a bit nervous, heheh.

I: Starting off in the bathroom with a locked door yelling “I’m not coming!”, heh. So, now that Ur Jordens Djup has been released, how deep do you go lyrically? What is the album about?

T: Well, this is this sort of a shamanistic baptism-by-fire, birth story so to say. I’m not gonna go any deeper into this tho, as the lyrics are by our original vocalist Katla and they are pretty hard to figure out, so whip out your Nya Vindar and start translating!

I: Yeah, Swedish teachers should take some of your material for their classes as study material!

T: Now we’ll just wait for the money to roll in!

I: Yeah, that would be nice. Nya Vindar + atleast one song of Finntroll, they already have Hasse och Het Potatis so why not Finntroll, that would be pretty great. But so, you leave for a tour on Friday, it starts in Nottingham, England, then Europe, USA and Japan, all around the world. What do you expect from this tour?

T: Headaches.

R: Headaches and interesting moments, to put it mildly.

I: Allright. So, Ur Jordens Djup is in 34th place which is very nice, and you Tundra made… Sorry, Routa made a video for it, so what is the video about?

R: It’s this kind of a shamanistic birth story like the whole album, the lyrics are pretty much about rebirth and such.

I: National romantic themes it seems, that’s always nice when a girl is dragged through the woods, so here’s the video Nedgång!

*VIDEO*

I: So, that was Finntroll with Nedgång. Where was the video filmed at ?

R: The outdoor images were filmed at Musta vuori (Svartberg, black mountain, heh), which is near Vuosaari, and the rest were filmed in a studio.

I: Yeah, nice looking and a very on-topic video. Now that you’ve made Finntroll music for 10 years and you’ve obviously had a lot of great moments and some set backs too, singer changes and so on, what would you say is Finntroll’s main goal for the upcoming year?

R: That’s a tough one. Surviving and staying sane?

I: Spreading the message of Finntroll around the world?

R: Yeah, something like that.

I: So boys, now you have a national historic crossbow aimed at you and it’s revolver-question time! That means tough questions and answer as quickly and spontaneously as you can.

I: What inspires Finntroll?

T: Cow turds.

R: Madness.

I: What would you rescue from a burning church….err, home?

T: Spoons.

R: The cat.

I: Who would you want to go to the sauna with?

T: Samantha Foxx

I: No explanation needed, huh…

R: Goddamn… That’s a tough one… Shakira.

I: Finntroll gets a new member. What would you call him? You can’t use any of the old names.

T: Ronald Reagan!

R: (couldn’t really hear what he said) Tittelituura (or something like that).

I: Fill in the blank. The most important thing in Viking black metal is….

T: Wolf!

R: And the “tättärätää”

I: What other band would you want to go to the sauna with?

T: What are there… *silence*…

I: Ok, moving on. What is the most memorable place you have performed at?

T: I was going to say Tokyo, but we haven’t been there yet.

R: Almost Tokyo.

T: Moscow.

I: If you were comic book super heroes, who would you be and why?

T: Spider-man, because he can shoot web out of his ass.

R: Fantom, cause he has the coolest wolf.

I: Where is Finntroll in 10 years?

T: Six feet under.

R: Dead and buried.

I: Allright, thank you for coming to the show.