Interview with Ville Oravala, the guitar player of the Finnish metal band, Asa Noir.
Hi Ville, how have you been?
Hi Carla.I’ve been busy writing new music and getting myself fatter. Summer is gone so I need something to keep me warm. Otherwise I’ve had very pleasant family life and studied chemistry. Time has ran really fast, but that’s just how you know you’re getting older every year.
When Asa Noir was born?
I started to jam with Ilkka in 2004 so that’s where all started. We did few demos under different name and it was totally different sounding music. It was somewhere between 2010-2011 when we did meet Henri and that was the point when A-N did born as a full-scale band and we found our sound. We all had interest for norse mythology and there’s lots to write about if you go deep enough. E.A. Poe and H.P Lovecraft has influenced a lot also. We like stories, what can I say.
Last year you have released the debut album ”Fall Of the Idols” via WormHoleDeath records. Tell me about it.
We wanted write more unique way than usual. Stories and texts have really huge part of the album. To me personally lyrics are as important as music. Too many bands have good songs but there’s no real message or good stories behind music. Like a cheeseburger which you eat and forget next day. Same with movies. During these few years we all have seen nice graphics but the script is just waste of time. Our stories are full of sophisticated adult content, biology lessons, fictive stories and mythology. Like if Ron Jeremy would make a movie of Edgar Allan Poe investigating Valkyries. And there’s also that issue that we really don’t care the same kind perspective to our lyrical themes as most “heathen” metal bands do. This is something that some people doesn’t understand. With “Reforming Heathen Origins” – EP, we sounded a bit more modern with all those really down-tuned guitars and even as we got really good feedback we wanted to get different sound. More progressive, raw sounding and old school.
Did you receive good reviews about the album?
Yes, lots of them. But to be honest, opinions have been split half with our earlier fans. You don’t hear much overly down-tuned guitars as we used to have and overall tone is more organic. It’s fine and we really wanted to be honest to ourselves and not to make same sounding album as everybody else does. We didn’t use much triggered drum sounds this time either. We used Shure sm57 mics with snare, toms and cymbals to get nice attack and sparkle itself.
What are the band’s influences?
Well, too much different music to count, but it can be anything from books to anything else. We all have so big scale of different music genres we listen so can’t really say. For me maybe Johnny Cash, Bathory, Taake and Slayer are the artist which have played mostly in my players for years. From newer music, I’ve really liked Ghost even as they’re gone really soft from their first album but so am I.
Are you going to release new materials soon?
At the moment we have no plans to release new material or do any tours with Asa-Noir. Time will let us see but right now we all have different bands and intresses to focus. We’ll keep promoting our album but the giant is now sleeping for a moment. I’m focusing now to Laborgeist which is more guitar based and different stylesis. Henri plays in Dirge Eternal and Recover. Ilkka has been really busy with his aggrotech project Sado Mode. These guys also has their hands involved with Laborgeist and also our ex-guitarist Juha Kortemaa. EP will be out at some point and other news regarding LG. Toni and Kalle are focusing for their studies. Kalle has also own project growing up as I understood. Possible next album might be totally different music. Maybe even jazz or swing influenced, can’t say much at this point.
Who mainly writes the music and what are the lyrical themes?
Mainly music comes from me and lyrics from Ilkka & Henri. Together as a band we get that final touch. A-N wouldn’t sound as it is if one would be missing.
Are there any shows confirmed for this year?
No. Can’t really say when we are going to be active again for live-playing. Might take year or more. I’m slightly got my stomach full of gigs and it doesn’t satisfy me so much anymore. I more likely stay home with my wife and step-daughter than use my time for staying nights away for playing shows. They need me more and are my top priority.
Do you have a message for the Asa Noir fans?
Buy the album. You can order it from many places for digital time people check out iTunes.
Kippis Ville and thank you for your time!
Kiitos – thank you!
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