Interview with legendary death metal band from Finland - NECROPSY.
Answered Janne and Tero, thank you!
Translated Petra, thank you!
Questions prepared Jakub Asphyx.
Recenze/review - NECROPSY - Exitus (2020):
https://deadly-storm.blogspot.com/2020/02/recenzereview-necropsy-exitus-2020.html
Ave NECROPSY! Hi Janne, greetings to Finland. This morning on the way to work, I put your new EP “Exitus” to my headphones and suddenly I felt like I was wandering somewhere in the north in the woods. I think you made that album really good. I still love to return to it. And it's also true that power of that album will excel most in the dark, in the winter. How did it actually originate? And what do the fans say about the new songs?
-Janne: Tervehdys Jakub! Well, I’m very glad and honoured you like the album. It was very clear to all of us when we started to write the tracks that they should sound dark and gloomy. Also we wanted to do things simple. Nothing unnecessary and we noticed in the course of the process that the songs worked better when we played them with slower tempo. Response has been mainly good though people have been amazed at the new doomier style.
The EP “Exitus” is just over 22 minutes long. There are 4 songs on it and, to tell the truth, I like "206 Motives" the most. It is the longest on the record and always engulfs me completely. It is mysterious, cold and dark. Will you tell us what is a message of that song? When and how have you got the motive? I can't get the song out of my head! :)).
-Janne: To be honest, first riff came to my mind just after I went to bed and I was listened to Obituary earlier that day and then on next rehearsals we started to compose and write more riffs.
-Tero: I have this certain method when I’m starting to write the lyrics. I put on my headphones and take a comfortable position. Then I close my eyes and listen the song several times. I try to kind of visualize the story inside of music. What could happen in different parts. As though watching a ” mental movie clips”. Somehow the atmosphere of the song led to idea that there are 206 bones approximately in human and someone desires to remove them all for a reason or another and that’s how it started to evolve..
22 minutes of dark death metal is not enough. Why didn't you record a full-length album? Is “Exitus” just a tasting and a promise for the future? I think we – fans - would deserve the follower album of the excellent “Buried in the Woods” album from 2015!
-Janne: We just wanted something out fast because it had been so long since the last release. First we were supposed to release only two songs but we had four songs ready, so we recorded them all. We had some personal problems and disagreements inside the band. Those reasons also affected on delayed releasing. Hannu left the band etc. We had pretty shitty situation back then. Luckily Hannu is back now. Yes, fans certainly deserve full length album and I’m sure we will make at least one album still.
Personally, I was so impressed with the motif on the "Exitus" cover that I had to order a T-shirt from you. It has a figure, a ghost, maybe an irradiated individual. It has such a special atmosphere, it affects me. Who is the author of the cover and how did you choose the theme? Do you really care about graphics? I have always liked this a lot, as a fan I have always got a product that is even visually appealing.
-Janne: Our drummers wifelet Tiina Vaahtera has done all the covers for us. We just gave her the name “Exitus” and a description of what we want to say. Of course we put focus on cover art a lot and this time it went pretty much like before. Tiina sent sketch for us. We checked it and gave feedback and so on. I haven’t asked where she got the inspiration for the picture. We are really satisfied with the result.
Speaking of the graphics. I think you have one of the best metal logos. It is clearly legible, sharp, everyone notices it immediately. Do you have it from the beginning? I know that it is already on the 1990 “Curse” demo, but I have no idea if even on the first “Mental Disturbance” (1989)? After your return, the logo only got red? I understand it well? And who is the author of the logo?
-Janne: Thanx man! If I remember right I draw it in ‘89 or ‘90. It was different back then. It was more trashy. I changed it simple and more Death Metal. Haha! We use mainly two colors. White and red. Sometimes black.
Taking this overall, you're definitely not a band that suffers from overproduction. On the contrary, it seems to me that you have just few albums for the duration of your existence. I know, recording just to get something out is not very good, but after all, since you started in 1987, you have released only two long-length albums. And from 2011 only demos, split and EP. Why? Wasn't there time, money, taste?
-Janne: We had a deal with dutch label (Cyber Music) in 1994 and also songs ready for the full length. Also we had the moneys for the studio and even covers ready but then happened what happened. We decided to take a break with the band. Actually it was my decision. I was so bored and fucked up of the current situation. Line-up changes and too much problems with new members. Afterwards I must say that I regret a bit of that decision. Things could have gone differently. it has affected a lot to this day that we didn’t make that recording. Anyway that is past. After 2011 we have released two full-length, two mcd:s and one compilation. It isn’t much and I think it is the lack of time. It is also money thing.
You actually spent time in the underground until 1993. If someone is not enthusiast like me, so he didn't know much about your existence. I personally love Finland and your colleagues PURTENANCE. They went through a history similar to yours. Why did you actually hold on? You stayed in the band just two original musicians, who were back on stage accompanied by newcomers. Please tell us a little bit about history of the band.
-Janne: It was actually 1994 when we hid underground. Like I said in before we had huge problems with the members. Too much line-up changes and other members lack of interest in coming to rehearsals. I had grown up and got other interests like drinking and girls. Mostly drinking. Haha! Also a few good recording deals went over. I was tired of pulling a stone sled behind me. For years I had spent all my time on band and I felt it was time to take a break. We still didn’t stopped playing. We had other bands and projects during those underground years though different kind of music.
One day we were jamming at my carage with Tero, Ville and Hannu. We were arranging and playing Misfits covers in jazz style. We asked that day from Ville and Hannu do they want to play in Necropsy if we get Aatu back behind second guitar and they answered in the affirmative. It was impossible to get all the old members back because they had stopped playing entirely.
Personally, I first noticed your existence sometime in 1992, when I got a copied cassette "Never to Be Forgotten". I remember someone on the other side recording me CANDELMASS. You only had two songs back then, if I'm not mistaken. The song “Dark Fantasies” burned into my head. Today it is a rarity and I wonder if it would not be worth publishing your demos on a compilation. Are you thinking about it?
-Janne: Yeah, the demo was purposed on promotion and those two tracks ended on Seraphic Decay records release Never to be forgotten ep. Century Media released all our demos on compilation “Tomb of the Forgotten” in 2013.
People who have experienced the 1990s and the underground today sometimes complain that "it's not what it used to be". How do you perceive the changes in the scene as a musician? I mean now when we have new technologies, labels, concerts, fans. Let me give you an example - recently the German ASSASSIN wrote to me that their video on YouTube was seen by several hundreds of thousands of people, but they get from it only 45 euros. The albums are not so much sold anymore, the fans mainly stream, probably this is not the best time for musicians today, am I right? Or did you get used to and adapt?
-Janne: It isn’t so exciting anymore because you have all the information right front of your eyes right away. Mysticism is gone. Also in 1990’s there wasn’t so many bands as nowadays. It’s more complicated to get your band available to the public which is strange when we started there were only letters, fax and telephone. This music business evolution and new technology has created many good things but I personally think that it sucks because musicians don’t get what belongs to them in terms of money. For me this is a way of life but still if I could earn couple of euros with my music instead of paying all the costs of making records and doing gigs for the people, I would say why the hell not. This is an annoying and difficult matter. I don’t adapt that or want to get used to it.
A few years ago I said I wanted to see some bands live before I retired.) NECROPSY is one of them. But do you mainly play in Finland or am I wrong? What about a European tour, take PURTENANCE with you and let‘s go!
-Janne: This is the thing I spoked. If you want go outside of finland, you have to pay everything by yourself to get gigs. Of course I want to play outside of finland but we are not so famous band. You need money and we don’t have it. But I’m sure we will play some gigs in europe someday before we hit the whistles in the bag. Even if it cost strawberries for us. Haha! Finnish sayings!
Finally, I always ask (and I would be very interested in you) - what does death metal mean to you? How would you define it? I do not mean playing technique now, but rather its philosophy, how do you perceive it and how it influenced your life?
-Janne: It’s my way of life to think things over. It’s always with me. I grew up with that music. I was rather young when I found this music. Even now when I’m a father of two son and because of this covid thing we haven’t rehearse much with Necropsy and the years when there was no activity with the band. It was all the time in my head. The music. The lyrics. Atmosphere. The nearness of death...
Thank you very much for the interview. As a loyal and long-term fan, it means a lot to me. I wish you many good concerts, enthusiastic fans and good luck in your personal lives. I will look forward to more music from NECROPSY!
-Janne: Yeah, thanx a lot of this interview. I appreciate. We have new material under work and we will release next a full length album. Cheers Jakub!
about NECROPSY on DEADLY STORM ZINE / o NECROPSY na DEADLY STORM ZINE:
Recenze/review - NECROPSY - Exitus (2020):
https://deadly-storm.blogspot.com/2020/02/recenzereview-necropsy-exitus-2020.html
https://deadly-storm.blogspot.com/2020/02/recenzereview-necropsy-exitus-2020.html
http://shop.xtreemmusic.com/english.main.index.php
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