Author: Sandi Sadar Šoba
Location: Cvetličarna VPK, Ljubljana
Interview date: November 20, 2010
Amorphis – formlessness, an elusive, slippery musical idea, or just a name that has consistently delivered a rock-solid sound for two decades, along with ever more polished and progressive metal, and a glimpse into Finnish tradition and an interpretation of the Finnish epic Kalevala? That constant birth of something new and fresh, that gaze back to the days when brave men and heroes walked the earth, when the foundations of a culture were being forged and ever deeper roots were growing back into the native soil of the cold land of a thousand lakes, might be the perfect starting point. It’s for the uninitiated listener or reader who hasn’t yet managed to pour their melodies into their soul, and who has somehow managed to miss and ignore, for a full twenty years, a name without which the Scandinavian scene wouldn’t be what it is. It’s a way in, a place to start digging into the world of Amorphis. This time the elder statesmen and masters of soft sounds and hard melodies came to Slovenia together with their stoner kin Ghost Brigade and the Jerusalem nonconformists Orphaned Land, and before the show we lured the old and new axis of the current lineup in front of the mic – founding member and keeper of the old ways, guitarist Esa Holopainen, and the long-haired, braid-adorned, charismatic singer Tomi Joutsen, who has been the indispensable center of stage attention for the last five years. The hidden dressing rooms in the bowels of Ljubljana’s Cvetličarna were full of anticipation and of the big spectacle Amorphis planned to offer Slovenian fans, and in the warm shelter backstage the last preparations were underway before the pedantic, polished-to-perfection conquest of the stage and the listeners’ hearts. Despite the packed schedule, there was just enough time for one more media chat and for lifting the veil on a few mysteries.
This is your second visit to Slovenia, since you already passed your baptism of fire in front of a Slovenian crowd some time ago, at Mostovna on the border between Slovenia and Italy. So let’s first go back in time to that first contact with the local audience. What are your memories of that gig?
Ese Holopainen: Honestly, we remember very little of that show in Slovenia, since a whole sea of time has passed since then – I think it was around 2000. But I do remember the crowd reception was incredible. We’ve got quite a few fans here too, and that’s amazing. Tonight will be even better, and what we’re really looking forward to is the fact that we finally got confirmation for this year’s Metalcamp.
It was just our wishful thinking for a long time that we’d see you take over the Metal Camp stage sooner. But let’s get down to the roots and to the more elusive stuff, which is anything but empirically verifiable fact. How do you conceive of yourselves as a band, as Amorphis, as musicians? What’s the idea that runs through it all? Are you art, a musical doctrine you’ve followed since day one, or something else entirely?
Ese: What can we say to that? (laughs) We’re definitely a band that isn’t subordinate or sympathetic to any political viewpoint. Lyrically, we’ve always followed the rich heritage of stories and tales from our Finnish folklore. It’s about old myths, and you could sum up our content as Kalevala. As for the music, we’re inspired by a thousand sounds and many musical influences. We’re not handing our audience some special hidden message. All that matters is that you enjoy the show and the music.
Twenty years on the scene, making music, and the evolution from melodic death metal to a softer, more progressive sound, earlier spiced with folk, has left a big mark on Amorphis. How do you look at this path of development, blossoming and evolution?
Ese: In two decades there have been quite a few musical turns and changes, but on the last three records (Eclipse, Silent Waters and Skyforger – translator’s note) the line of sound and content has been pretty constant. Before that there were quite a few lineup changes, and then came a time when we became a pretty solid and, above all, stable unit. Until then, every change left a trace, a different interpretation of both the sound and of what Amorphis are, or were. Of course, another strong factor was that we always strove to try something new and untried. It’s about a challenge and testing our limits. And of course the constant you can witness on the last couple of records is only a temporary state, but still – now, after Tomi’s arrival (current singer Tomi Joutsen – translator’s note), we finally sound like a synthesis of everything we were, are and will be.
Speaking of which, Tomi, your arrival was key to the band’s new look and new sound. The day you stepped in front of the crowd and became the recognizable face of the band behind the mic. What’s the mix of thoughts and feelings now that you’re part of this lineup, creating Amorphis music, and after five years and three records fitting the Amorphis concept perfectly? Without you, plenty of people would struggle to imagine Amorphis today …
Tomi Joutsen: The road so far has been really interesting and exceptional. In these five or six years since I joined, it’s become very clear to me that my dreams came true. I always wanted to be a death metal vocalist, and Amorphis were, at least in that earliest extreme period, a really important building block of my identity. When we first went into the studio in 2005, I had a real burning desire to weave a bit more growling into the clean singing and bring back some of the old glory. Everyone backed me in those efforts, and the result is that we’re all in the band happy with what we hear.
Part of the charm of looking back is also revealed by the collection of old songs on Magic & Mayhem – Tales From The Early Years, where you were cast as the interpreter of material written earlier, from under Pasi’s pen (former singer Pasi Koskinen was a member from 1996 and left the band in 2004 – translator’s note). Was it hard to get into it and build a close personal connection with Pasi’s lyrics?
Tomi: I take it as a huge honor, since I’ve been an Amorphis fan from day one. Still, part of getting used to it was that I’d performed the lion’s share of these songs live a thousand times before, so everything clicked and fell into place some time ago. Coming into the studio and recording was just the icing on the cake, and we were all happy about it. That way we could close one part of the cycle of the past, put our own stamp on it and turn a completely new, fresh page in our history.
Another new milestone is the release of your first official DVD, Forging The Land Of Thousand Lakes, which documents your whole journey so far.
Ese: We’re immensely pleased and happy that we’ve finally put out this long-awaited DVD. The delay until now was in tune with who we are; we didn’t want to rush and release something half-baked at any cost. Now the aesthetic level of the product can satisfy both our expectations and our fans’, and that’s amazing. Before that, we had to sift through a small sea of stuff. We wanted to add lots of material. Enrich it and give it extra value, both as a documentary and in terms of design. I think the DVD Forging The Land Of Thousand Lakes meets all those expectations and nicely rounds off our journey so far, which is still going. (laughs)
Kalevala is something you’ve leaned on so intuitively since day one. The last three albums sort of close one part of the story. But what about the material for the upcoming record in 2011? You’ve already recorded some, and there’s more to come … Can you tell us more about this album, which we won’t get until May next year? And what about the production side? Reveal something about that too, please.
Tomi: Lyrically, the Kalevala story continues and fills in the gaps of the last three records. Kalevala is still a very important factor, and the new record will undoubtedly tell part of it in its own new way.
Ese: It’ll actually sound quite similar to what we’ve done on the last three records. We’ve already recorded most of the instruments. Now only the keyboards and vocals remain. We’re staying loyal to Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki, and Tomi’s vocals will be tracked soon. Patience. Everything comes in its own time, but we’re really, really looking forward to the new record.
Can we get a hint of a working title, or anything more concrete about what to expect? Give us something to daydream about until next May …
Ese: (laughs) All 15 songs we’ve recorded so far are very melodic, and they evoke lots of different emotions and draw on them. I can’t claim we’ve discovered something revolutionary – when you hear the songs, you’ll simply know it’s the Amorphis sound! It’s too early to talk about other details, since a deal with the label binds us to silence until D-day …
Will there be a lot of growls on the record?
Tomi: Honestly – I don’t know yet! When I lock myself in the studio, that real finishing touch will come out, and it may or may not be guttural … (laughs) I already have some basic ideas, but everything is still being made, forged and finished, and when I step up to the studio mic, something totally unexpected could happen. Let’s call it a creative surge of the unknown …
Let’s touch on something a bit less ticklish. There are plenty of bands that connect with you in ideas and content and tie into the body of your work. What’s your take on modern metal, and which names do you follow yourselves?
Ese: There are a ton of bands nowadays, and the situation today is very different from the days of our beginnings. Back then we had demo tapes and a handful of names pushing the boundaries of what people heard. Today you’ve got the internet and you’re only one click away from the next new thing. It’s an inflation of bands and musical experiments, and many a good idea gets lost in a sea of mediocrity, sadly. Rather than following some guidelines and commandments, or what’s going on in the bands you love, you should reach for what inspires you, fills you up and gives you drive, what makes you happy. Copying other bands is … Do I need to finish the sentence? Today it’s hard to find something new that hasn’t been heard yet, and even existing bands are fighting for their slice of the pie, their place in the musical sky and their wellspring of inspiration. It’s hard …
AC/DC already wrote “It’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock’n’roll” …
Ese: That’s right! (laughs)
Tomi: Personally, I think the metal scene is full of interesting and good musical phenomena. Whether it’s death metal, avant-garde or anything else. Take Spiritual Beggars, for example, or anything else that doesn’t exactly fill all the supermarket shelves.
Let’s close the interview with the traditional last message, a punchline for our readers, the summa summarum of this interview.
Ese: We’re very happy to be here, and we’re looking forward to this gig and our summer return to Metal Camp. We’ll try to live up to your trust and the time you’ll give us.
Tomi: I’m just happy I get to be part of this whole story and that I’ll get to see Metal Camp, since I’ve heard so many lovely, wonderful stories about this amazing place. Lots of pretty girls and music … At the same time, we promise you something totally new and hard-hitting. Amorphis will try not to disappoint you and to win you over to our side with music!
interview conducted by: Sandi Sadar Šoba
text translated and edited by: Sandi Sadar Šoba
This interview was made in collaboration with RockHard Slovenija and RockLine.
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