Hi! What inspired the themes of human folly, violence, war, and lust in your latest album, Sanansaattaja, and how do they connect with your personal experiences?
Human violence is a never ending source of inspiration. War is an extreme epitome of hate and violence and it never ceases to amaze how much you see it around the world. Fortunately, we have no personal experiences of war, but I think everyone has some kind of experience of aggression, lust or violence.
Can you share the story behind ‘7.62’ and its connection to the broader themes of the album?
7,62 is an official caliber of Finnish army rifle. We have mandatory military service here in Finland and all of us are very familiar with it. So the song is kind of an ode to the rifle, but written like how it will be used in a battle. The song fits our theme in two ways. You kill with it and you use it in battle.
Explain the symbolism behind the album artwork featuring ammo, and how does it relate to your lyrics and the album’s atmosphere?
There is not much symbolism in the artwork. We got a bucket full of shells and took a picture of it. Turned the colors red and we thought it looked pretty fucking cool. Of course the ammo fits perfectly in the war theme and the red is the color of blood.
How did the collaborative process with friends impact the sound of Sanansaattaja, and what advantages and challenges did the DIY approach bring?
We had quite established sound to begin with and there were no massive impact. We live so far apart, that recording together in the same place at the same time would not been possible. So when everyone recorded their own parts at their own time, we got things done easily. Mixing it all together was and always will be a bit challenge, but we learned a lot during the process. Next time it will be easier.
How does historical context, particularly the Finnish Winter War, influence your songwriting, and what specific aspects resonate with you?
Winter War is a huge influence on our songs. Our grandfathers have fought in it and we have all seen the marks and scars in them. There is so many battles, where those men stand against the overwhelming enemy and survived. It is very inspiring to learn about those battles and read how our grandfathers defied hunger, cold weather, fear and pain. We have so much respect for those men and women.
How do you pay homage to your influences in Death Metal while striving to create a PANSSARITUHO sound?
We try to sound as authentic as possible. All of the legendary death metal bands sound like a real live band. The best death metal is not overproduced and that’s the best homage to our heroes.
How do you balance artistic expression with ensuring your intense lyrical messages are effectively conveyed to your listeners?
Keeping it raw but staying far away from politics and other movements. We have to believe that there is still death metal fans who understand the connection with the harsh lyrics and raw music.
Can you shed light on your songwriting process, from the initial concept to a fully realized track?
Extermus usually makes the skeleton of the song. Then we make guitar tracks to play with drums and bass. So now Invicto and Macellarius can arrange their own parts to the song. This way the songs slowly get to the final shape. Finnish is a bit challenging language to arrange lyrics, but they sound very aggressive when you got it right.
How do you perceive your place within the Finnish metal scene, and how has your local context influenced your music and artistic vision?
I think we are a bit different kind of band. We play thrashy death metal with Finnish vocals. The majority of bands that use Finnish in their vocals, play more black metal style of music. There is not too many raw death metal bands in this town we are all from, so maybe it has been the reason for us to start making this kind of music.
How does Finnish culture and history shape your identity as a band, and do specific cultural elements find their way into your music or performances?
This is too difficult to answer. Our band might appear very Finnish to some and at the same time feel very normal death metal band to us. Our live shows are all about the music and we are not on the stage to give a stand-up show. Maybe that’s kind of Finnish mentality.
What are your aspirations for PANSSARITUHO, whether in terms of musical evolution, touring, or reaching a wider audience?
Our goal is to make new songs, get a few gigs or maybe get to a small festival and get as many people as possible to listen to our album. There is always a will to make better songs, better albums, better shows and meet more death metal fans.
What new directions or experiments are you eager to explore in your future musical endeavors? Thank you for your time!
Nothing too radical! Maybe more speed, heavier riffs here and there and a duet with Corpsegrinder! HAH! Thank you for this interview. It was tough but fun.
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