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24 Sept 2013

Vreth and Skrymer interview from KomodoRock



Date: November 11th 2007
Author: Dave Gill


Komodo Rock Talks With Finntroll @ Hard Rock Hell



In their native Finland, the band have amassed a huge following with their epic dark metal tales of myth and legend. Their most recent album, 'From The Depths Of the Earth' was released in March this year. Vreth took over on vocals from long term singer Katla in 2006.

Dave - So how did tonight's show go?

Vreth - We had a great time on stage. There was a great response.

D - What was the reaction like to your most recent material? You've shifted your lyrical content in recent times, becoming a lot more serious and exploring more in depth subject matter such as religious and spiritual themes.

V - The new lyrics are a lot more sophisticated.

Skrymer - The new lyrics are more darker. Our new record 'From The Depths Of the Earth' was a concept album. There is a story that runs throughout it. There is a saga that runs throughout it that is more like a soul search. There is a shamanic quality to it. A baptism by fire. It is like it's own mythology. It can act as a metaphor for life.

V - In many ways this tale is beyond mythology.

D - You're from Finland, yet you sing in Swedish, why is that?

S - In Finland you have two official languages, Finnish and Swedish. Swedish suits the music better, more melodic.

V - Finnish is a very hard sounding language. Its good for angry punk lyrics, but if you want to tell stories in your lyrics like us, Swedish flows far better.

D - Teemu 'Somnium' Raimoranta, who was the original creative force behind the band, died a few years back, what sort of effect did this have both on the band personally and the music they created later?

S - How does it affect us? Losing a close friend affects you, it was very hard. But we weren't going to quit, that was not what he would have wanted. We recently started a scholarship fund in his name to assist new musicians in Finland.

V - He is still there in our music as we all shared the same journey.

D - Vreth, you're in an unusual situation as the band's lyrics are still written by the band's original vocalist Katla. Do you have any input into the lyrics you sing?


V - Whilst Katla still writes the lyrics, I still have input, and often change the words, switching them around until they fit the music. Katla would be quite happy for me to write my own lyrics, but he has a good ear for what sounds good and he has crazy ideas. And he wouldn't write anything I wouldn't stand for. Nobody in the band dictates to anyone else, we are like a machine, and we are all cogs in that machine.

S - Nobody in the band steps on anyone else's toes. If there is a gig and someone can't make it, those that can will attend the show.

D - Due to all the bands who've made it big from Finland in the last ten years, I always imagined it to be something of a metal nirvana, so I was a bit surprised when I visited there to find that there was not much in the way of live venues, although a lot of festivals.

S - The venues are there, you just need to know where to look, but they are hidden!

D - You've had a lot of success, even getting very high in the mainstream charts.

V - We have charted higher in Germany, but In Finland we have also made the top forty.

S - There is a lot of competition in the Finnish metal scene. No offence to anyone, but there are a lot of bands from other countries who would be lucky to even get a chance to play in Finland! You really have to be the best of the best to make it there!

V - Everything is about connections, connections, connections!

S - But on top of that you have to be really good.

V - There are lots of good musicians but they lack the idea of creating something new.

D - Anyone else in Finland we should keep our ears open for?

S- It is a wasteland at the moment in terms of new bands in Finland.

V - My problem is that I don't really like Finnish bands.

S - You have very technical bands like Children of Bodom who are very popular, but I can listen to three of their albums and not find anything memorable on them. I like songs. Then there is Flaming Sideburns - they are one band who should be amongst the biggest rock bands in the world.

D - We hear you two performed a rendition of the Lambada in the foyer last night.

S - (laughs) I have no recollection of that! (Laughs more at being shown a photo of said incident with him and Vreth in a compromising position)
We two are very comfortable with our sexuality! (Laughs again).

D - So what next for Finntroll?

All - We are off to see Twisted Sister on the main stage at Hard Rock Hell!

D - As they say in Finland, Oiken Huuva guys! Enjoy!