Interviews

Wintersun Interview - Jukka Koskinen and Teemu Mantysaari

Click here to view the Gallery »

Let us go back to 2004, shall we?  2004 was the year I was slowly breaking out of my black metal elitist phase.  It was a time when I compared every song and album I heard to Burzum.  Black metal was really my thing back then. I was loving Varg’s raspy screeches, getting arm goosebumps from Dimmu Borgir’s melodies, and finding new ways to insult black metal’s failures, as genre elitists tend to do.

With so many different styles of metal getting released at that time, I began to break out of my black metal cocoon.  My ears were opening to the many different new albums from new artists out there and the new tunes from my old favorites.  Machine Head came back into my life with Through the Ashes of Empires, Lamb of God’s Ashes of the Wake blew me away, and 3 Inches of Blood turned me into a deadly sinner with Advance and Vanquish. But, there was one record in particular in 2004 that sucked me in completely and kept me hanging onto my black metal roots while the others were pulling me away.  That album was Wintersun.

If you call yourself a fan of black metal and haven’t heard Wintersun’s first self titled release, you are a bad person and should be ashamed of yourself.  Go buy it, listen to it, then return to this article.  I am not kidding.  This album is legendary.  It had become so much of a legend that over time fans believed a sophomore release would never come to be.  That it would stand alone in time as a single, epic surge.  Years would pass and we would hear of recording setbacks, followed by quiet, some stirring, and a few more setbacks. But then the fall of 2012 rolled around, and with it Wintersun’s long awaited second album, Time.

At first I was mesmerized by the fantastic classical compositions. Then the guitars blew me away.  Then whoa!  Vocals were on point!  Screams and clear vocals galore!  I was truly impressed.  I said to myself that they sure went into a different direction with this one and could tell that Jari had really improved as a musician and composer.  I spent the next few days listening to Time on repeat preparing to see them live.
 

I was curious what my friends thought about this album and was a bit disappointed to find that some people were giving it mixed reviews.  The word on the street was that it was just too different from their first album.  I could see where these opinions were coming from. There was all this build up amongst fans for a Wintersun Part II and the different sound of Time was a shocker.  But, music changes over time and true musicians break out of the monotony of releasing the same album over and over.  This album shows growth, passion, and most importantly….power.  Jari’s vision has sung true to my ears and I cannot wait to hear the follow up scheduled for 2013.

I was honored to be at Wintersun’s sold out performance at the Bottom Lounge here in Chicago.  Their set consisted of the entire new album and a few tracks from their first.  It was phenomenal!  After the show, I caught up with Jukka Koskinen and Teemu Mantysaari to talk about the new release. 

Doc:  What was the main reason of the splitting of Time into two albums?

Jukka:  Basically the idea came first from our record label.  We thought about it for a while and decided on it.  I think its a great idea to split what would be a 90 minute album into two parts…to give more attention to each of the songs.  Also, from a touring view, we can tour now and play the entire first album, then on our next tour we can play the second.

Doc: Smart business move too.  Keeps you touring.  Even though you know that you will still sell out every show you play here in the US haha!

Jukka:  Yea we cant wait to play both albums simultaneously for the fans.

Teemu:  Yes, but when Time II comes out we are going to concentrate on playing that one in its entirety as we are doing right now with Time I.

Doc:  On the internet I’ve seen both positive and negative reviews for Time.  Do you think the internet’s existence has given a positive, or negative effect on your band?  What would you say to those people who do not like that you changed your sound?

Teemu:  It hasn’t given us any negative effect at all.  We try not to value any negative comments towards us.  Jari has a very clear vision about the music he makes.  He makes the music for himself and doesn’t care what other people think.

Jukka:  There are as many opinions as there are people.  Unfortunately, more people like to voice negative opinions than positive.

Teemu:  We like that we evolve, we don’t want to do the same thing over and over again.  But we still keep that Wintersun sound.

Jukka:  We do something unique, something timeless.  Wintersun will continue to develop.  I know a lot of bands whose albums sound the same again and again, and that’s their thing.  People are devoted to their styles, whatever it is.  We, on the other hand, welcome and embrace change.

If you’re local to Chicago, IL make sure to tune in to the Doc Metal radio show every Saturday starting February 2nd from 7 to 9PM on WARG 88.9FM on the southwest side of Chicago and suburbs.  You can also listen online by searching WARG Your Radio Alternative on http://www.tunein.com and http://www.warg889.net!

• Tagged:
• wintersun 

J.D. Cronise - The Sword Interview

You know, The Sword and I go way back.  I remember being a really big fan of the Guitar Hero franchise back in the day when I managed a video game store.  My store held tournaments for the game and I quickly became a fan not only for the competition, but for the absolutely amazing choices Harmonix Studios made on which songs to include.  When I first heard “Freya”, by The Sword, I became instantly addicted and went out to purchase their first album, Age of Winters, without hesitation.  This magical, round disc became my best friend at the first note of “Celestial Crown”, the first track on the album.  Age of Winters pierced my chest like a viking spear, leading to a non-stop listening rotation. 

The Sword quickly became one of my close friends and I’s circle of favorite bands. Hell, even my hipster ex-girlfriend loves them.  No matter where these guys play, every time The Sword comes to Chicago my crew and I are there.  These guys are one of the few acts that sound EXACTLY like the quality on their discs live. They never disappoint.  Here is a perfect example how much I love these guys.

Friend:  Hey, you wanna get Metallica tickets for the Allstate Arena?
Doc Metal:  Not really, their ticket prices make me saint angry.  How much are they anyway?
Friend:  Eighty dollars plus ticket charges.
Doc Metal: No thank you, and kill yourself for even asking me.
Friend:  The Sword is opening.
Doc Metal:  Take my money.

I even spent $35 bucks for a tour shirt that night.

I was recently honored with being able to review The Sword’s newest release Apocryphon as well as interview the band’s frontman, J.D. Cronise at their sold out show in Chicago at the Double Door.  First thing’s first, yes I am a complete fanboy, but I am seriously trying to write this without bias.

If you know nothing of The Sword….think of Black Sabbath’s Master of Reality album with a touch of Slayer.  Add in some Lovecraftian lyrics, some viking imagery, and top it off with haunting vocals and you have a taste of just what they even BEGIN to sound like.  Apocryphon lays down 15 BRUTAL tracks that get better and better when listened to as a whole.  The first 10 tracks are original, followed by 4 live tracks and a cover of ZZ Top’s “Cheap Sunglasses.”  I cannot even begin to describe this album’s epicness and purity.  I promise you….listening to this album will make you a better person.  Doc Metal shall rate this album a perfect 10 out of 10.  Hands down. 

Album after album from Age of Winters, to Gods of the Earth, to Warp Riders, to Apocryphon, is true gold.  A band that I know I can trust to release GREAT music, a band that will rock my socks and sandals live, a band whose merchandise I will proudly wear,  ladies and gentlemen, this is THE F^%&ING SWORD!

Doc:  Tell me a little bit about Apocryphon.  What were some of your influences for this album and more importantly, your lyrical influences for the title track?

JD:  Well the influences for this record were the living that went on between now and our last record, Warp Riders.  The title track’s influence was from a book by Philip K. Dick called Valis.  Go ahead and check it out.

Doc:  I was curious about why you chose the live tracks that you did for the album?  Age of Winters and Gods of the Earth did not have any live tracks, and Warp Riders had live versions of tracks, but they were tracks that were on Warp Riders.  What made you choose to put tracks like “Chronomancer” and “Barael’s Blade” on this record?

JD:  Well, [smiles] because in this day and age, various outlets and retailers demand that you release your special version of your record with bonus tracks.  Personally, I think it is kind of bullshit because we do not write extra songs.  We do not have songs that get thrown away usually.  We kind of had to look and see what we had and luckily found some decent live tracks.  I don’t think people needed to have extra live tracks to buy the record. I think its just a stupid marketing ploy that is just a symptom of the current state of the music business.  It is annoying to me. I don’t like stuff like that.  Not that I don’t want people to listen and enjoy those tracks, but there is no specific reason we picked those tracks other than we had to.

Doc:  I really do appreciate those recordings, they sound phenomenal.

JD:  The cover song, however, is one we really wanted to get out there though.  We really like that.

Doc: I was just about to ask you about that.  Are we going to hear some other covers in the future?

JD: Oh we plan on doing more covers most definitely.

Doc:  Any specific track from the new album you just love to play live? 

JD:  I’d say it would have to be “The Hidden Masters”.

Doc:  How are the hot sauce sales coming?  (The Sword has their own hot sauce business….check it out at http://www.swordofdoom.com)

JD:  We have some on the tour, but it mostly sells by the guy who makes it.  His shop is called Tears of Joy back in Austin.  He sells it in his store. 

Doc:  Let’s say someone is so inspired by your style of music that they went out and purchased a guitar with the intent of playing like you do.  What tips would you give them to achieve your sound and become a better musician?

JD:  Ha! I’d give them tips to become a better musician, but I wouldn’t tell them how to achieve “my sound.”  I’d say develop your own sound.  I think that whole kind of line of musical equipment marketing…..signature series things, get this pedal to get this tone, and stuff like that….to me it is just marketing.  Those musicians that created those tones most likely did not use that stuff they’re trying to sell you to get the tones you are trying to get in the first place.  Just find what you like and what works for you and just play with it until it sounds like what you want it to sound like.  As far as playing guitar, if you want to play songs, play simple songs until you’re good at it.  Whatever you are interested in, whatever you think is your strong suit…stick with that.  Don’t force yourself into doing things you don’t want to do.  If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.  Trial and error.

Doc:  Are you good at Guitar Hero? 

JD: Not especially.  I’m as good as anyone else could be with the practice.  It’s more of a video game skill as opposed to a musical skill.  Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise, haha!

Doc:  Is there any chance you guys can play “Lament of the Auroch” tonight?  It’s the only track of yours that I haven’t seen live that I would really love to experience.

JD:  Yeah we play that track from time to time.

And guess what? The Sword played that song that fine night.  Doc Metal, signing out.

Pick up The Sword’s latest album, Apocryphon on Amazon and iTunes, you will not be disappointed. 

If you’re local to Chicago, IL make sure to tune in to the Doc Metal radio show the 1st Saturday of every month from 6 to 9PM on WARG 88.9FM on the southwest side of Chicago and suburbs.  You can also listen online on http://www.tunein.com and http://www.warg889.net!

• Tagged:
• the sword Metallica 

Beverly McClellan Interview - The Voice Season 1 Final Four - On Tour with Steve Vai

Musicpix recently gave a call to the lovely and soulful Beverly McClellan.  Beverly was in the final 4 of the first season of NBC’s hit television show, The Voice, and has a new album out titled Fear Nothing. Beverly gave us the pleasure to chat with her about The Voice, her influences, and life on the road with guitar legend Steve Vai.

Musicpix: You’ve played a variety of venues in your career from big to small, how difficult was it to adjust to the national stage of The Voice?

Beverly:  Oh boy, that was just a… man there’s no words that could explain that one. I just concentrated on the people that were in the room at the Warner Brother’s lot, which is where we shot the show. Just the live aspect of it there and I really tried not to think about the cameras. But, you know, I just believe in what I do. I just went out and had fun and hoped everyone just enjoyed it.

Musicpix: A lot of artists believe in arts for art sake and are very non-competitive people. What’s your take on artists competing with one another in front of judges?

Beverly: Well I’ve gotta say, those tears for Frenchie Davis were real.  That was my friend and that was very hard. That’s one thing I did not like about the show, but it was obvious that some of us would dwindle and I, myself, was on that slab as well.

Musicpix:  You have an incredible voice and style.  Reading your bio I notice Etta James and Melissa Etheridge as influences.  They happen to be two of my favorite artists as well. Etta James Rocks the House, I believe, is the greatest live record ever made.

Beverly:  There’s nothing Etta can do that’s bad!  That’s the whole reason why I ever wanted to sing in the first place.

Musicpix: In your music I hear some Melissa Etheridge’s instrumental guitar aspects and a little of Etta’s voice. What parts of their music made you a fan and want to show their influence? 

Beverly: One thing I would say is that they can bring it raw. They don’t need all the background. You can sit right down with a piano and Etta James, or a piano and Melissa Etheridge, or the same thing with Dolly Parton.  She (Dolly Parton) was the very first person I used to watch on Porter Wagoner show and I’d be like, I’m not going anywhere until she comes on and sings.  I’d be sitting there fighting my mom to put my dress on to go to church and be like no, I gotta see her sing.

Whatever it is that’s in an artist, if they’re bringing it from their heart, it absolutely shows.  So, it doesn’t matter the genre.  As far as me picking Etta, it’s because I just relate so much to the blues aspect of it, so much soul in that.

Musicpix:  How do you go about preparing yourself night after night to bring it from the heart?

Beverly: I really don’t know. I just go out there. The thing is you gotta know yourself before you deliver yourself. So, the one thing I concentrate most on is just knowing me and doing me.  That’s one thing that Christina Aguilera said, “Keep going and keep doing you because, Beverly, no one can do you like you.”  Even if you do have the sauces of other people in your voice, and things that people hear out of you, it’s still all of those things packed into you.

Musicpix:  You had a band early on you started called DJ’s Daughter. What made you decide to go it alone instead of going as a group?

Beverly:  Like I said before, I like the aspect of it being raw.  You can see the mistakes and the humbleness.  If an artist can sit down and just bring it with his or her instrument, be it their voice and accompanied by piano, or guitar, or whatever it is they play… you can add everything you want to around that, but the bottom line is that it’s more tender raw. Melissa definitely shows that. She goes it alone on tour all the time and it’s just incredible.

Musicpix:  After numerous independent releases what, if anything, in the music business was and is different then expected as you climb up the food chain, so to speak?

Beverly:  My first new album (after The Voice), here I am playing with Etta James Band and Keb’ Mo’. There’s a huge difference between NBC and what Beverly was doing before. Huge.

Musicpix:  As you grow as an artist and have bigger name collaborators, do you get to learn much about the business and ways of becoming yourself and a better artist from those around you? 

Beverly:  I’ve learned more from BB King and Steve Vai then anybody.

Musicpix:  What types of things have you learned?

Beverly:  We’ll if I died tomorrow I’ve seen the blues done the right way, and this is a man that just turned 87 (BB King). I wanna be that, you know what I mean? He’s kind, there for every last fan that comes to see him, and smiling to the very end. That’s what life has provided for him and hopefully for me too.  Nightly I watch the people have their minds blown and he’s just the most humble person you ever want to know.

Musicpix:  Your currently touring with Steve Vai who’s an amazing live performer visually and musically.  How have you been received by his audience?

Beverly: That is a wonderful question. When I walked off stage last night, it was standing ovation. I tell them, I know you came to see a guitar show, and your gonna get one hell of one, but for right now we’re gonna sing some blues.  Everybody just claps and we start singing. I had the whole room singing by the time we’re done.

Musicpix:  On tour a lot of opening artists and main acts stay separate and some spend a lot of time together. How is it on this tour?

Beverly:  This is a big family right here, a definite, big family. I couldn’t have prayed for a better group to be on the road with.  Every last single one, including the crew.  Steve was the relationship I formed first, but all the people around him are just golden. I feel really blessed in that aspect, this being actually my real first tour.

Musipix:  So how did you come about the relationship and collaboration with Steve Vai?

Beverly:  I met him at Saban Theater in LA when I was opening for Grammy Week. It was hosted by Sharon Osbourne, Bret Michaels, and people like Mavis Staples, Trombone Shorty, A Fine Frenzy, and a really wide spectrum of musicians were there.  Steve happened to have been there, saw me perform, and came up afterwards.  He put his arm through the people and I was like, “Wait a minute, Steve Vai?!” He was like, “You know who I am?” I’m like, “Yeah! You kidding me? Yeah of course I do!”  After that we just got to talking and he said you should sing this song “John the Revelator” on my album.  I was like let me take a listen to it I’d be honored.  It was a Blind Willie Johnson song.  I already had a Blind Willie Johnson song on my album, “Nobody’s Fault But Mine”, so it was like “Really? Yes of course I’ll do this!” Turned it into fire that’s what we did.

Musicpix:  Fear Nothing is your current release. What can you tell us about that?

Beverly:  “Come to Me” off of that record is a very special song to me. It is a song that I basically wrote for the artists there (The Voice) that I watched come and go. They came to me, I was the oldest on the show. A lot of tears and a lot of moments there so, that song is very special to me. I know people can relate to that for sure.  There are so many journeys on this CD. I had a person say to me, ”Beverly I listened to your entire record and felt so many emotions, but at the end of it I just thought wow, I feel ok.”

Musicpix:  That’s kind of a mantra for life right there isn’t it?

Beverly: Yeah, yeah and it’s all said with a… all saang.  Not a singer, I don’t consider myself a singer.  I’m a saanger! You know? I’m sure Etta got a good chuckle outta that one up in heaven just now. But truly, that’s how I feel about it. So, people like saangers bringing the blues with a little bit of Southerness to it, that’s Beverly.

Musicpix:  So, is this a collection of songs that were from the archives and memory bank, or was it all written recently?

Beverly: It’s half and half.  Half I can’t let go and will never, so they deserve that spot. And then there is the new that describes exactly where I am at now. Half and half, but it’s still a journey of Beverly.

Musicpix:  What types of records do you see yourself making in the future?

Beverly: I hope to put out an assortment of heartfelt music. Just keep it coming.

Beverly McClellan’s latest release Fear Nothing is available on itunes and she is currently on the road opening for Steve Vai.  See tour dates and purchase tickets at http://www.beverlymcclellan.com/touring/.

• Tagged:
• beverly mcclellan the voice 

Katatonia Interview with Anders Nyström and Jonas Renkse - New Album Dead End Kings

Musicpix resident physician on all that is rock, Doc Metal, gave a listen to Katatonia’s latest album Dead End Kings and sat down with the Swedish metal band before their show in Chicago last week at the Bottom Lounge.

Have you ever regretted anything in your life before?  I like to consider myself a positive person and I live by the rule of letting your decisions in life mold you into who you are. There are few things I look back on with regret, but this situation, this dire situation I was in, is one that no matter how much I hate to admit to regretting something… I most absolutely positively regret.

I had never listened to a Katatonia album.

This is where all my fellow metalheads cry out in disdain.  YES, I ADMIT IT!  I don’t know why.  I just never got around to it. Somehow it just slipped past me.  “But one of your favorite bands is Amorphis…..they’re similar.”, I hear ringing in my mind.  Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, I know.  This album review and interview are my penance for overlooking this amazing band. 

I was handed a copy of Katatonia’s latest album, Dead End Kings, to listen to and was hooked from the first minute.  Playing it a few times back to back spawned a 48 hour Katatonia listening spree and about a $200 spending spree on merch.  It has been a while since a band just completely attached itself to me, and I tell you, that was one fantastic 48 hours. 

Dead End Kings  …  Wowewowow.  I can’t say much more.  This album blew me away with it’s opener, “The Parting”, and held my attention til the end of “Dead Letters”.  I am still having a hard time deciding what my favorite track on this disc is.  It’s a toss up between “The Racing Heart” and “Dead Letters.”  Don’t get me wrong, the rest of this album is also prime rib, but these 2 tracks I found to be the most goosebump-raising and even a little tear-inducing.  Listen to the below track and marvel:

I, Doc Metal, shall rate this masterpiece a 9.5 out of 10…..only because I do not believe in a “perfect” album, with the exception of a very few releases near and dear to my heart.

I was lucky enough to snag an interview with Katatonia’s founding members Anders Nyström (guitars) and Jonas Renkse (lead vocals) before their set with Paradise Lost and The Devin Townsend Project at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago.  Here is what they had to say about Dead End Kings, as well as some other questions from myself and my loyal Doc Metal listeners.

Doc:  How did the album title, Dead End Kings, come about?

Anders: Well its two factors, basically.  The first factor is like a word play that we continue to do as a tradition to having these negative and positive words in the same sentence.  The last 4 albums actually, follow this tradition.  The other is the meaning of Dead End Kings which is like a statement of where we are in our career at this time.  It has been 20 years since we have started the band and everywhere you go, people are surprised at that fact.  20 years is a very long time.  Some people might ask,  Are you known world wide?  Are you big?  Are you popular?  Are you successful?  These people may think that we have these big mansions and drive fancy cars and all that kind of stuff, but that is not really the case.  The only thing that has stayed consistent with us is that Jonas and I are still a band after 20 years. We were the 2 guys that formed the band, and we are still here in the band.  That is our take on success.  People are referring to our career a bit like a dead end.  We just turned it around and said we are the kings of the dead end.  The Dead End Kings.  The album title fits to where we are in our career. 

Doc:  This is Katatonia’s first new album since the Norrman brothers departed from the band. Did their absence affect the writing process at all?
(Frederik and Mattias Norrman were the guitarist and bassist, respectively, for the band until December 2009)

Anders:  Not at all actually.  They were not involved in the writing so much, so it did not really affect the process. 

Doc: Your last few albums have involved quite a bit of backing music, keyboards, violins, etc.  How has this changed Katatonia’s live performance over the years?

Anders: Well thanks to technology, we are still able to reproduce it live.  We use backtracks for all that kind of stuff.  I personally would love to have a keyboard player with us on the road because it would be the real deal, but that has not been working out so far.  The backtracks have been working out for us really well.

Doc:  How has it been working with (producer) Frank Default?

Anders:  It has been great.  He has helped us out a lot with the creation of the backtracks we use.  We have been working with him in the studio, but we never took it as far as to take him on the road with us to play it live.  He was a guest at one of our shows that proved that a live keyboard player would work out.  He has really helped us and put a lot of his talent into our band.  We are very grateful to him.

Doc:  Who was your studio engineer for Dead End Kings?  When you first worked with him, was he able to produce the sound you were looking for, or did it take some communication and a few takes on the mix?

Anders:  David Castillo.  He has done the Bloodbath albums before and also worked with Opeth.  He knows the Katatonia sound well, so we pretty much nailed it quick actually.  We are on the same wavelength. 

Doc:  So, you’re really hands on in the mixing/tracking process.  Adding input instead of giving all control to the engineer.

Anders:  Oh we never give all the control to the engineer, we are really hands on.  It’s very important that we have complete control.  It is our vision, and we want to make sure that it is perfect.  We are a great team, David, Jonas, and I are a great trio. 

Doc:  Were there any artists/bands that influenced the new album?

Anders:  It’s kind of hard to pin point specific bands, but we do have our influences from way back and they are still influences for us.  A perfect example of a band that has influenced us is the band we are touring with currently, Paradise Lost.  They were one of our biggest influences.  It is really cool to hear them live every night, it rubs off on you.  I have to say that we are really influenced by ourselves these days.  Our last album was the most influential factor for making the new album. 

Doc: How is it touring with Paradise Lost?

Anders:  It is amazing.  It’s great.  We have toured with them twice before and we were their support.  It’s a quite surreal situation right now that the tables turned like this…Paradise Lost playing before us.  I think its like this only in America.  I think they go by album sales or something to decide who is playing first.  It is a real honor for us to be playing with them.  We are good friends with them regardless who plays first.  We love the band, it’s a legendary band.

Doc: How different is it touring with a group like Devin Townsend Project, as opposed to a group like Opeth?

Anders: Devin Townsend is so much fun.  He is such a talented guy.  I personally love his music.  It adds a needed diversity to the bill.  Shows should not be three bands sounding the same.  I think it is really cool.  Stolen Babies, the 4th band added to the bill, also does not sound anything like us either. 

Doc:  After 9 albums, do you feel that it is harder, or easier to write new albums?

Anders: It gets harder and harder with each album you come out with because you have to raise the bar every time.  You always have to try to make better songs.  It is not hard for us to experiment and to go in different directions and explore new sounds and styles, but to implement that into our style, that is a challenge.  That is also why there is a longer pause in between us releasing albums. 

Doc:  Is there any talk of getting a new Bloodbath vocalist since Mikael Akerfeldt decided to leave?  Is Bloodbath on hiatus or are there plans for a new Bloodbath album?
(Jonas is the bass player and Anders it the guitarist for Bloodbath)

Anders: We are planning on doing something, we just do not know when we will be able to do it.  I cannot reveal who the new singer will be just yet, because of contracts and such, but I will promise there will be a new Bloodbath album in 2013. 

Doc:  Is there anything you get from Bloodbath that you don’t get from Katatonia?

Anders:  Of course, Bloodbath is all about old school brutality and aggression and everything you do not get from Katatonia.  By having Bloodbath and Katatonia, I am just a happier person. 

Doc: What is your favorite song to play live? Which one has the best fan reaction?

Anders: Right now my favorite song to play live is probably “Dead Letters” from our new album.  It is the song we pretty much open with.  I think the song is a little adventure put into a mini compact form.  I love to play it live.  The best fan reaction is probably “Lethean.”

Doc:  What music are you currently listening to?

Anders:  Anything and everything, my iPod is exploding with 70s, 80s, 90s, I keep rotating my playlists and am open to pretty much anything.

Doc:  Do you have a top 3 favorite musicians/bands of all time?

Anders:  Sure, actually Whitesnake is one of my favorites growing up from the 80s.  Judas Priest ….and why not, I will say Paradise Lost!

You can pick up Katatonia’s latest album Dead End Kings on itunes and stay up to date with the band at http://katatonia.com/.

Special Thanks to my Doc Metal radio fans Kimberly Morgan, Dean Whitehurst, Brian Hanna, and Michael Stanton for submitting some awesome questions for the band.  Follow me on Facebook where you can submit your own questions for a chance to be included in upcoming interviews.

If you’re local to Chicago, IL make sure to tune in to the Doc Metal radio show the 1st Saturday of every month from 6 to 9PM on WARG 88.9FM on the southwest side of Chicago and suburbs.  You can also listen online on http://www.tunein.com and http://www.warg889.net!

• Tagged:
• katatonia doc metal 

Ensiferum’s Sami Hinkka Interview and Unsung Heroes Album Review

Musicpix guru on all things rockin’ overseas, Doc Metal, checks in with his review of Ensiferum’s upcoming release Unsung Heroes.  Doc Metal also got the chance to give bassist Sami Hinkka a ring and chat it up about the new album, touring in the States, and proper practice attire.

This year has been really exciting with so many fantastic album releases like Mastodon’s The Hunter and Baroness’ Yellow and Green.  Thus far, 2012 most definitely has not disappointed.  My inner Viking raised its drinking horn when I heard Ensiferum’s contribution, Unsung Heroes.  Holy Odin!  This newest addition to the Ensiferum discography is a wonderful accomplishment by the Finnish band. Unsung Heroes takes you on a journey back to the days of old, when men were bearded and solved issues with an axe cleave to the face. 

Unsung Heroes delivers us 10 tracks of amazing musical composition that range from orchestral power, to punching brutal.  I’ve been a fan of Ensiferum for a long time, and am not disappointed in the least with the direction they have taken on this album.  The album flows perfectly from the orchestrated opening track “Symbols”, to the end track, “Passion Proof Power”.  The album takes listeners on a folk roller coaster ride that can only be described as taking a stroll into Mordor….as if that was even possible!
 

Their first video for the album is the song “In My Sword I Trust”, directed by Rafal Szermanowicz. Watch this video and tell me you don’t want to raze a village?!

Unsung Hereos is a 9 out of 10 and a must have for any folk metal fan.  Be prepared that the sound is different than their other albums, but it’s a sound of growth… a quality that many bands lack these days.  Kudos to you, Ensiferum!

I was lucky enough to catch up with the bassist for Ensiferum, Sami Hinkka, to talk about Unsung Heroes as well asking him some questions from my Doc Metal radio show listeners.

Doc Metal:  Sami, Unsung Heroes.  Fantastic album.  What can you tell me about it?

Sami: Well it’s out 5th album, definitely a step ahead from our previous albums. Quite a challenging album for us, to say the least.  It came out recently in Europe, and the North American release date is soon, September 18th, 2012.  So far all the feedback and reviews we have gotten on it have been overwhelmingly positive.  We look forward to starting the European tour and later returning to North America.  We plan to tour on every continent.  We have busy days ahead of us. 

Doc Metal: Can you tell me more about the lyrical content of Unsung Heroes?

Sami:  After recording the album and after reading through the lyrics again, I realized many of the songs talk about “change” in a wide perspective.  Many of the lyrics are inspired by real-life situations, like if something happened to me, or someone close to me.  It’s a fun challenge to find metaphors for these situations and put them into a medieval fantasy setting for lyrics. 

Doc Metal: One of the things I really love about your band is how you cover songs.  My personal favorites are Uriah Heep’s “Lady in Black” and Amorphis’ “Into Hiding.”  Does Ensiferum have any new covers lined up for us?

Sami:  (laughs) Well we recently covered the Gypsy King’s “Bambaleo.”  It’s like if Cannibal Corpse meets the Gypsy Kings.  As for the next cover, we have some wicked ideas.  We want to keep it as a surprise.  I think its fun to surprise the fans.

NOTE:  “Bambaleo” will be a bonus track on the upcoming release of Unsung Heroes.  Listen to it here….

Doc Metal:  Have you ever had any bad experiences with other bands when playing here in the United States?

Sami:  I can honestly say we never have had any bad experiences with any bands.  We have played with a lot of bands such as Amon Amarth, Finntroll, and Moonsorrow, if anything it brought our bands closer together.

Doc Metal:  Any memorable experiences in any specific American tour date?  Like is there any specific city that stands out for you?

Sami:  Not really.  Every show we played in the United States has been memorable.  From packed venues to playing a show in front of 60 people, the fans make it memorable.  It is a great sight to see every member of the audience in a mosh pit.  I really love touring in the United States.

Doc Metal:  Sami, this one is a personal one.  What is your favorite album of all time?  Doesn’t have to be metal.

Sami:  Oh, that’s a difficult question if I only have to name one.  The world is full of great music of all genres.

Doc Metal: Haha, fine, then name 3.

Sami:  If I think about myself and how I got into music, it has to be an album from Iron Maiden.  Seventh Son from a Seventh Son was a really important album to me.  Dark Tranquility’s The Gallery is one album that got me more into extreme metal.  To me, it’s one of the best metal albums ever made.  And then there’s Red Hot Chili Pepper’s Mother’s Milk.  That was also an important album for me growing up.  Flea was one of my childhood idols.

Doc Metal:  Is there any place in the world you haven’t performed in that you would like to?

Sami:  Well we still have not played in South America.  That’s coming up on the next tour.  There have always been scheduling conflicts, and we are looking forward to playing there.  Also, one place that would be cool to play that we have been offered, but might be difficult to include on our tour is Alaska.  We would really like to play there also.

Doc Metal:  I have a couple more lighthearted questions from my Doc Metal listeners Sami.  What is Ensiferum’s favorite fast food choice when on the road in America?

Sami:  Haha, a few years ago we actually tried to get endorsements from Burger King.  You know, just like Manowar are the Kings of Metal. We tried to coin the slogan “THE BURGER KINGS OF METAL.”  That would have been so awesome!  I‘m partial to Burger King, but some of the other members like Taco Bell and others.  We have all overdosed on pizza also.

Doc Metal:  This one is from one of my female listeners.  Do you guys practice and rehearse your shows without shirts?

Sami:  No….Well…Yeah we do.  Haha!

Doc Metal:  Last but not least.  If you were at a masquerade ball, would you prefer to wear a horse mask or an owl mask?

Sami:  (laughs) The owl mask most definitely!

If you’re local to Chicago, IL make sure to tune in to the Doc Metal radio show the 1st Saturday of every month from 6 to 9PM on WARG 88.9FM on the southwest side of Chicago and suburbs.  You can also listen online on http://www.tunein.com and http://www.warg889.net!

• Tagged:
• Ensiferum doc metal