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25 Sept 2013

Routa interview from Slaughterama Magazine, Issue 5

Slaughterama Magazine, issue 5
Author: Max Thrasher
Date: March 2005

Throughout the past five years the Finnish Band "Finntroll" have managed to create their own unique style and put their stamp on the world of heavy metal with such groundbreaking releases as “Jaktens Tid” and “Nattfodd”. Here’s our “15 Questions” segment with Mikael “Routa” Karlbom, the guitarist of the band.

1. WHAT IS THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE FINNTROLL CAMP? WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO LATELY?

Basically we've been concentrating on playing gigs. We did this X-mass metal festival tour at the end of last year, which was total fun, even though everybody was sick. And just two weeks back we were playing in Hamburg at Stalker Magazine's birthday parties, which turned out to be a drinking contest with the Anathema guys... Now we are getting ready for our spring tour with Naglfar and Amoral. So lots of gigs and travelling, but anyway, I like it so much that I won't complain.

2. FOR THOSE WHO NEVER HEARD FINNTROLL BEFORE, WHAT IS THE BAND ALL ABOUT?

The Finntroll is a fucking concept. Don't expect anything and expect everything. You can never know what we are up to next. We do music for ourselves and to have fun with. Finntroll mixes up Humppa-style or Polka with kind of black metal. We also use a lot of influences from different folk styles and try to catch the northern spirit into that. We've never taken this whole black metal thing too seriously. It's fucking hilarious how some people complain to us that "you guys are not underground" or "you guys are not true anymore,"
"too many people know your band" and stuff like that. I mean, we have never aimed to be a known band, but when the band has been around for almost ten years, playing gigs and releasing four albums, people are starting to notice it, you know? Bands can't stay underground forever, even if they wanted to. So I give a long middle finger to all those who take music and the whole metal scene too seriously.

3. LOOKING BACK AT LAST YEAR’S ALBUM “NATTFODD” AND THE “TROLLHAMMAREN” EP, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE IN THOSE RECORDS?

As always afterwards, and I can only speak for myself, there's a few things I would change or do differently. First of all, we wanted to publish all the tracks on “Nattfödd,” but the label insisted that we do a single. None of us have ever liked the idea of singles anyway. There's no point in that; it feels like a fucking rip off. But on the other hand I understand the label’s side of it, so there's not much a band can do about it. Anyway, we decided to put more tracks on this "single" and release it as an EP. Second, there are some things in the final
mix I would change; just some levels and stuff like that. But basically we all are quite happy with the outcome anyhow.

4. HOW DID YOU COME TO JOIN FINNTROLL?

As most of the people who have heard about Finntroll know, our friend and bandmate Teemu (Raimoranta, aka Somnium) died about two years ago. Finntroll wanted to honour his memory and continue playing music, so I stepped in. Anyway, I've always been like a seventh member of the band and played few shows with Finntroll when they needed help. So it was logical that the other guys asked me to fill Teemu's place.

5. DID YOU FEEL ANY PRESSURE JOINING FINNTROLL AFTER THE TRAGIC DEATH OF SOMNIUM?

No. I didn't ever think about it. I just wanted to keep his music alive and kicking. And especially after his family wanted me to join Finntroll, there weren’t any questions about it anymore.

6. ARE YOU INVOLVED IN ANY OTHER PROJECTS BESIDES FINNTROLL?

At the moment I try not to get myself involved too much with other projects, as I don't have time for anything. But yeah, we have this "The Mist and the Morning Dew" first full length coming up soon. And a few smaller projects that have been around like zillion years or so.

7. CAN YOU RECALL THE CRAZIEST, MOST FUCKED UP THING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU ON TOUR?

Probably this Kodak-moment that happened on tour with Katatonia. I came upstairs and saw Trollhorn (keyboard player) mooning there with a candle between his butt-cheeks and someone from Katatonia was
lightning it up… It was really weird, especially when I think about the condition I was in myself. But there's
always some fucking crazy thing going on, so it's hard to choose.

8. AND SINCE WE’RE ON IT, WHAT WAS THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE BAND HAS DONE IN YOUR PRESENCE?

Above. And as I said… there's so many of those. We're a bunch of clowns on tour anyway…

9. WHAT IS ONE FINNTROLL SONG THAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO HEAR?

“Svartberg”.

10. WHAT IS THE BEST SETTING TO LISTEN TO A FINNTROLL ALBUM IN? (EG, A PARTY, A FOREST, ETC.)

Maybe a mild drunken state of mind. Otherwise it doesn't matter where the hell you are… heh.

11. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WENT INTO THE WOODS AND ACTED LIKE A TROLL?

Oh, come on Max… Hehehe.

12. WHAT IS ONE DRINK THAT NO MEMBER OF FINNTROLL WILL EVER REFUSE?

Anything alcohol related. And this is getting really girly, but when you're on tour and getting sick and tired with beer and vodka, then the White Russian has been a real success… heh.

13. WHAT’S THE FIRST THING THAT COMES INTO YOUR HEAD WHEN YOU HEAR ABOUT NEW ZEALAND? EVER WANTED TO VISIT?

Ka ma te koe i te kai hikareti. I’d fucking love to visit someday; marvellous country! So make sure we have gig there someday, ok?

14. OKAY. SO WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? WHEN CAN WE EXPECT THE NEXT ALBUM?

Gigs, studio, release the new material. There is no dates set and this is really not any official information, but somewhere around first quarter of the next year maybe.

15. YOUR LAST SECOND MESSAGE TO THE NEW ZEALAND FANS OF FINNTROLL?

Rot 'n' Troll, dudes and dudettes. Hopefully we'll see you guys someday down there!