Your style is a bit more thrashy and a bit more technical than in
your last two records, at least it sounds like that for me, but what do
you think? From "Rivendell"´s sound some people have been complained,
did it anyway turn out to be the way you wanted it? (Well, I personally
like the raw sound in that album!) How Morningstar has developed from your
demo days in your opinion?
Maybe it´s a bit more "Thrashy" than for example "Heretic Metal",
but we have always had those thrash influences, like it is also with speed
metal influences. Brand new songs (made after "HELL" recording sessions)
are partly more technical than any of the older songs. Majesty we have
had always and will always have. I like that a fucking lot. "Rivendell"
was a way too good album, that it could be understood in 90´s. It
has everything what it takes, it crushes heads. It has harsh sound, I at
least searched for that kind of thing. We have processed quite a lots of
as composers, though back then (1989 - 90) I made same kind of songs
already. Somewhere in 91-93 in many songs there were some 80´s death
metal influences. Black metal influences (like Destruction, Bathory, C.
Frost) we have had through our career... though they are slowly reducing.
"Makeups" were symbolic paintings, not corpse paint, we have not had them
in newer sessions.
Wizard - Morningstar - Barathrum... These three bands at least always
remember to mention each other in interviews... And have done some gigs
together too, is it somekind of co-operation with you? An unholy conspiracy,
perhaps? And by the way what do you think of the finnish scene? Bands,
like: Impaled Nazarene, Thy Serpent, Beherit, Unholy, Sentenced etc. ?
We come along well together, we like the music of each other. We are
going to play together in future too, Hail Janne & Teemu! Impaled Nazarene:
Hasn´t really impressed me since the early days, Bulldozer styled
noise I listen to some times. Thy Serpent is not exactly in my taste, Sami
is great guy anyway. Beherit: Old material is fucking great, new is shit.
Unholy: Majastetic, sometimes ok. Shit vocals. Sentenced: I have not been
following, MTV / Jyrki metal, hah! Does not impress me.
Mornigstar seems to have something like "true metal" image, which
has been more or less disappeared somewhere, due to all attitude metal
gays and all the avant-garde stuff etc...
True metal forever... I´m out of control with rock´n roll!
Attitude metal is shit. Best avant-garde influenced metal is Celtic Frost´s
"Into The Pandemonium"
And about your side-project, Minotauri? The style on the new reh.
demo is something like early 80´ heavy metal... I haven´t
heard any older songs, but I did read somewhere that it´s some doom
metal kind of thing... well?
It has always been Heavy / Doom metal, from Heavy side a touch of NWOBHM
style. The most new songs are pretty Doom. I listen to these genres the
most (Sarcofagus, Saint Vitus, Manilla Road, Macabre (U.S.A doom from 80´s),
Demon, Angelwitch etc...) Ask for rehearsla tapes from Minotauri.
And your another project, Perkele? What kind of stuff your newer
material is? Has it reached the goth etc. audience well and what have metal
fans liked from it?
Perkele is laid on the ice. I´m alone again. I can´t tell
from the future yet. I don´t know from the forthcoming material...
Gothic Folk? Who knows... I like from all the releases, they have spirit
in them, I can´t say from success, the record label doesn´t
tell. "Pohjola" demo sold pretty well, maybe it will be released in CD-format
sometime... (I think it´s one of the best demos what any finnish
band has ever done! -ed.) We do have metal fans too of course.
What´s the gig situation with your band now? You planned to
do some gigs outside Finland too, have those plans progressed in anyway?
Which one you are more, a studio or a live band? So, you did play in Joensuu
with Horna and others...?
It´s great to play live, we are a live band. In studio we are
pissed off. There has been no tours, because the record label is what it
is. In our gigs we have usually pretty good feeling, we just don´t
stand there with shit in our pants. We haven´t played with Horna
yet. The Metal gig situation of Finland is shit. (Yes, but it seems
it goes for better direction all the time! -ed.) Jyrki bands are playing
everywhere, we play where we can. (Jyrki is one of the worst programs
ever showed it´s ugly face on TV, I agree, but if a band visits
there, does it mean that they are shit? Of course it is so in some situations,
but... -ed.)
You are also the editor of Spellbook ´zine, so would you tell
something about that?
Spellbook continues from where the Sweden´s Warhammer left :
only good music, real Metal. Free demos / records are not reviewed if they
are not good. I write from already forgotten and pretty unknown bands who
never have reached the attention they deserve. Bands like: Brocas Helm,
Manilla Road, Lucifer´s Friend, Savage Grace, Power´s Court,
Cirith Ungol etc. Do not tell anything for many, even though they belong
to the best of the world. #3 out soon, #1 and #2 sold out.
Morningstar has some pagan connections in it´s lyrics etc.,
so is that thing important part in Morningstar and what´s your relationship
with paganism?
"Pagan" -traditions are interesting. The topic does interest me. MORNINGSTAR
- fans are ancient warriors, who defend their own identity against
evil world and conquerors (everyone knows what religion it is...)
What do you think from this 80´s boom that has appeared? Bewitched,
Aura Noir, Nifelheim, Gehennah, Infernö...
This 80´s boom is worrying. All those bands you mentioned are
crappy Venom / Sodom copies, no one did hear nothing from those until a
year ago or so. To real metal you need more originality. It doesn´t
matter if a band is a year or 20 years old, if it´s good then it
is. So it depends mostly from your taste.
Originality isn´t so common thing nowadays... though sometimes
it feels that everything is already done, or what do you think? On the
other hand there are bands that try to sound original by any price... Bands
with 80´s kind of sound get very easily a fame of copy band, have
you been accused form this?
I would hope for more originality, look at the mirror. Some bands mix
all kinds of shit together in order to sound original, the result is horrible
mishmash. To please everyone is to fornicate. We haven´t been really
accused from that topic, because we have been around already for a while.
We just drown to the mass, because people don´t bother to listen
to us...
And now could you introduce the current line-up of Morningstar?
Same line-up from ´94 January: Pasi - drums, Mikko - bass and
me: guitar and vocals. We are all different persons, we meet at the rehearsals
only. For Morningstar it is very difficult to find a suitable member, but
the situation is same with others, I think. Fortunately the situation is
good.
Does Morningstar reflect your personality in anyway? If so, how?
Yes, read our lyrics.
Why in the hell most of finnish black/pagan/forest/viking/satan/hell
metal bands are not influenced by the fact that we are finnish? Image,
lyrics and so on... The influences come usually from Norway and viking
mythology... Of course there is Amorphis, who take their lyrics from Kalevala,
´cause they can´t / don´t bother to write their own...
Great!
Many think that our traditions are so "soft" compared to our neighbors.
We did make it too... the finnish people did kick Norway´s Pyhä
Olavi ass... We had great spells. Our traditions are it´s own, a
mix of west and east.
What have you been listening to recently? If you´r house would
be in flames and you would have change to save 3 records, what records
would you chose?
All bands that I have mentioned in this interview. I have so much of
good records that I would burn with them...
What is the meaning of Morningstar´s existence?
Keep the Metal flame as pure as steel...
What do you think from all kinds of non - metal instruments used
in metal?
It´s quite Ok, especially ancient instruments. We use synth sometimes
to gain some "extra color".
And then you can say whatever you want...
Thanks, Markus. You can get the promo with blank tape + postage, Heretic
Metal 80 mk. Ask for other releases.
