Some days ago I got this demo from a Finnish band called Karelian Warcry, I was really surprised by the quality of the band. Some kind of great mixture of raw black metal mingled with folk music, this led to some rawer version of Mithotyn. About this and some other things I had this conversation with all members of the band. Nice guys with a healthy view on metal, they seemed quite talkative too, so, I would say the classic words: Enjoy!
Hey guys, what’s up there?
Well, things are looking good for Karelian Warcry right now. We released our first demo a couple months ago and few new songs for the next one are already finished. This time we’ll try to put a little more effort to the sounds and details. We might even record something in a real studio.
First of all, the most lame question ever: for our readers who aren’t familiar with Karelian Warcry, could you introduce the band to them…
We are four guys from a Finnish town called Kouvola, and we play metal mostly with black and folk influences. The music is quite hard to describe because it holds so many different genres in it. As you Felix said in the demo review, our songs differ a lot from each other. Some people like it, others don’t. But we like to think that as a good thing.
Karelian Warcry started as a trio in 2002 when Sami (bass), Urgh (guitars & vocals) and Grontti (drums) founded the band, but soon they noticed that there was a need for a second guitarist. That’s when Jussi Kousa (RM) joined the band. That happened somewhere in summer 2003. About half a year later Sami Ukkonen (bass player) concentrated in his rock band Eyescream and Piispa took over the bass.
In my review I compared you to Mithotyn, do you agree with this?
Piispa: I was a bit surprised of the compare to Mithotyn. It’s been a long time since I listened to Mithotyn, so I really can’t say if that’s true. I think Mithotyn is still more melodic than us.
Grontti: Different people have different views. Some similarities can be found, but I wouldn’t think KW as a Mithotyn clone or as a band that takes too much influences from anyone.
Urgh: Well, I really haven’t heard Mithotyn that much, but of course it’s possible that some songs sound a bit like Mithotyn. Especially more melodic riffs that RM has done may sound more like traditional folk metal. I am more in to old school black metal, still I know that our music is kind of a mixup.
RM: I have heard a one song from Mithotyn. So I can’t really say. Maybe there is some influences, but that’s just a coincidence.
I’ve been pretty positive about this “Demo 2004”, id you got any other reviews or opinions so far?
We have sent the demo to many different web/magazines, but most of the reviews are still unpublished. Still almost everybody who have bought our demo have been satisfied with the songs. Some people are whining about the sound quality, but hey, what can you expect when you record it in sauna!!! In general, sounds have effect on the songs themselves and that’s something you can’t change.
The titles are in Finnish, and as far as I could hear I wasn’t able to understand the lyrics, they’re Finnish I guess. What are they about?
Piispa & Grontti: Yes, the lyrics are really in Finnish, but we’ll let the lyric writers tell more?
Urgh: I have lyrics both in Finnish and English, but they have been so far only in Finnish. My lyrics are mostly about human suffering, willpower and hate. Extreme sides of humanity. I just take some paper, pen and go sit in the toilet and take a crap. Of course the ideas are present all the time in my head, but they only come out with the other shit.
RM: My texts are about war in general and antichristianity. I usually tell somekind of a story in my lyrics or they have a one particular theme.
I saw that your producer does some back vocals on “Ikirouta”, is he in some band or what made you take this decision?
First of all Sami Ukkonen (ex-basist) who did the backing vocals on Ikirouta is not our producer. We wanted Sami to do the backing vocals because he wrote and composed the whole song. The demo was produced only by KW and Piispa was the one who made it possible to do this demo. So it was pretty good thing that Piispa joined the band. He got the things going on. As told before, Sami is nowadays playing bass in rock band called Eyescream.
And, is anyone of you guys into other bands as well? See this is as some free advertisement!
Not really, this is our most serious project at the moment.
I also mentioned in my review that the Finnish scene seem to be expanding again, how is your local scene? Any names worth to be mentioned?
There is loads of shit coming and going in local scene, but there still are few bands worth mentioning, for example bands like “Vitsaus” and “Neutron Hammer”.
What are the future plans for Karelian Warcry?
To get some gigs and make new asskicking songs. We’ll try to make a new recording by the end of this year. Of course we try to benefit from the decreased alcohol taxes here in Finland as much as possible.
Last one, an off-topic question: what CDs/LPs have you been playing the last week?
Urgh: Darkthrone “A Blaze in the Northern Sky”, Khold “Masterpiss of Pain”, Vitsaus “Pappisviha” and so on.
Piispa: Dew Scented “Impact”, Dismember “Where Ironcrosses Grow”, Vader “Litany”
Grontti: Sotajumala “Death Metal Finland”, Loits “Ei Kahetse Midagi”, Vitsaus “Pappisviha”, Dissection “Storm of the Lights Bane”?
RM: Old Man’s Child “Pagan Prosperity”, Trollheim’s Grott “Bloodsoaked And Ill-Fated”, Finntroll “Jaktens Tid”
Alright that were the questions, if you have anything to add, the last words are yours! Cheers!
Also remember to visit our website http://www.karelianwarcry.tk/, which will open soon. You might even find some samples from our demo. Stay heavy and keep drinking beer and pumping iron and fucking those bitches with your baseball bat!
