This is an old interview with Riku, I post it so you can read some of his thoughts last year, days before the album is out and if we get a new interview we can compair them ;)
Cheers and enjoy
.Lets start with a question, which answer everybody wants to know: Why the new album has no keyboards?
Riku: Well, we just decided to make our latest album without keyboards with two reasons – we didn’t find a suitable keyboardist in the band (read crazy and drunk enough, heheh) and secondly we wanted to have a little bit more aggressive sound on that album. Also I wrote the new songs without thinking of any keyboards and they sounded good so with a mutual agreement in the band we decided not to use anys anymore. And we’ll stick with that decision in the future as well.
.Is the music of Catamenia still Black Metal?
Riku: We have always said that everyone can say their own opinion how do they describe our music. We’ve always hated the ‘too-detailed-categorizing’ thing in general though we know it’s important for new listeners and for someone in general. We would describe our music as Melodic Nordic Metal. Of course you can hear some black metal elements in our music, but not anymore in our lyrics. Lyrics are more mental and philosophical nowadays.
.In your opinion what are the strong and the weak points in "VIII - The Time Unchained"?
Riku: The strong point is the songs in general. From the start we all loved them and we were so anxious to get into the studio. The weak point is in our opinion the production – but that depends only on a bad equipment at the studio where we recorded the whole things because the studio we wanted to go first was not finished yet from the reconstruction. We only mixed it there, but there were some problems when transferring the data from the other studio’s hard disk and we lost some data. Because of the lack of time, we did not have the time to record the missing part or to seek the missing data – mainly supporting guitars and doubling guitars.
.You have a new line-up again. Are you satisfied with your new members?
Riku: We are absolutely 110 percent happy with the new line-up. It feels like that Catamenia would have reborn again. I feel like the same when I formed the band and made the first couple of records. I am thrilled cos this line-up holds together in every situation and works like a well-oiled machine.
.Do you like playing outside Finland? You have played in Bulgaria twice. What are the differences between Bulgarian and Scandinavian fans?
Riku: We love to play outside Finland. Our main crowds are centered in Europewide among Russia and U.S. Example playing in Bulgaria, the both times, it’s been so damn awesome! The fans are crazy there in the good meaning of the word, heh. You’re so liveful and you have always fun! We have met so many Bulgarian fans and they all have been so kind, but still having this flame kicking inside! Hopefully we’ll play again there in Bulgaria soon cos we already miss you guys and playing there.
.How importans are the lyrics for the band?
Riku: They are quite a big part of our music cos they bring the songs alive and make them to have a ‘soul’. When there are lyrics that includes just words taken from the dictionary and has no meaning what-so-ever, the song loses it meaning.
.What kind of feeling does the music of Catamenia express?
Riku: That’s the opinion which has to be asked from the fans and listeners of our music. We just make music we want and express the music what’s close in our hearts. Of course we want our listeners to get a good feeling when listening to our music, but if someone likes our music, then it has created a good feeling to the listener. If someone hates our music, then it creates hate for them.
.The cover artwork of "VIII - The Time Unchained" is a little different from the other albums. Could you explain what the hidden idea is?
Riku: There is no hidden idea. It was kind of a decision to make it different cos the whole album is totally different from the others. We saw this tribal wolf which also reminds us of the Finnish lion crest, we wanted to have that on the cover as simply as possible. Then we gave the idea to Anthony Clarkson and he made couple of scheds and that’s it - the cover was ready!
.What thing change your mind about the evil corpse paint in the past and can we expect to see it someday again?
Riku: No, you will never see corpsepaints on our faces ever again except on those old pics and videos. We just thought after changing a bit of our music that it’s not our thing anymore. We were just not comfortable to wear them anymore cos our music did not represent that ideology anymore. And I think we were too old to look like pandas!
.What are your musical influences?
Riku: My musical influences. How would I say this without sounding a total brick, heheh. I have so many musical influences, from classical to extreme metal. I just try to get ideas and influences from the songs I like and I do not care from what genre it is. I hear a song from radio and I like the song or a part of it, I have absolutely no problem to say I like it, regardless from what genre it is. I think it’s kind of a narrow-minded to stick with only one genre cos that may make the music boring. I am not saying that it is, but there’s a big chance and danger in it when you do not consider other genres as a source of a possible influence! I just try to keep my mind open for all music!
.What is your opinion about the underground extreme metal scene today?
Riku: It depends on the country, but I think the underground of extreme metal is again quite alive, well and kicking in Finland after few bad years cos everyone was only concentrating on making albums which will hit the crowd. Every country needs these undergrounds movements in music cos once in a while there comes a band with new ideas and new concept behind. So I am glad the underground is alive again.
.What about some big European tour with some big names? Is that possible?
Riku: We just had a quite a big tour in Europe with Finntroll, Primordial, Eluveitie, Equilibrium and Månegarm. Had a blast time with them all and after the tour we made a really good friends with Finntroll, so hopefully we’ll make some more gigs with them again.
.Are you religious? What is bigger - Satanism or Atheism?
Riku: No, we are not religious and we let someone else to analyze these things. This issue is not our cup of tea, heh. Everyone is entitled to believe in what they want. We believe in ourselves!
.Have you kept in touch with what's going on in the metal scene?
Riku: Sure, once in a while we want to know what is going on in the metal scene and nowadays it’s easier cos we have made so many friends in the other bands, magazines and radios. So it’s kind of a natural thing to ask what’s going on with the others when you see them.
.And some stupid question ;) - When you were writing a new songs, where the inspiration comes from?
Riku: The inspirations just come into me from different things and issues. Usually from my own life and experviences. If I have a bad moment while I am writing, usually the song is written quite fast – like in a day. But when I’m feeling happy, I want to focus on the song more cos then I am enjoying the composing more. Not saying that I hate it when I’m feeling down, but then you just want to make the song and start to drink or something, heheh. It’s just a mental game and that’s something the human mind cannot struggle with or prevent.
.What do you whink about writing a lyrics or composing music in the woods? Is the spirit of Black Metal totally dead?
Riku: Again I am quite wrong person to answer that cos I do not consider myself as a black metallist. But of course the people who has that ideology, they have all the right to go to compose and write lyrics wherever they want. If someone laughs at that, they just make themselves look stupid. Example writing lyrics whenever you need to write or have the inspiration, then go ahead – regardless if someone thinks that’s lame. Myself I get a lot of inspirations while I am walking home thru woods or have a some kind of an issue going on in my life.
.Recommend us some good bands from Finland?
Riku: Oooh, there are so many good bands here so it would be so long list to write them all, but let’s just say couple of not-so-known bands like Kätyri, Wrathage, Mors Subita, Decrowned, ZeroCrowd and many more. You can find quite a lot of them from our friends on our MySpace site.
.How you feel when you read some bad reviews for your albums?
Riku: Of course it feels bad for starters cos you have given so much into it in studio and in composing phase. It’s like someone would come into your office and said that you’re really a bad worker and you should do these things in different way. Though in this work we have the power to make all the things how we want and see them. But then again it goes away quite fast cos you really cannot please everyone.
.What is your best selling release? It it's not a secret?
Riku: Actually I do not recall that for 100 percent sure, but if I recall right our best selling item has been either Morning Crimson, ChaosBorn or Winternight Tragedies. But the new album has already sold quite damn good so I think that will reach the same quite soon.
.Do you have any other jobs outside the band?
Riku: In short, some of us are working and some of us are studying.
.What do you want to achieve with this album?
Riku: New listeners worldwide and happy fans. Of course we want to open more doors for us to make more gigs and all.
.Can we expect something new soon - a DVD maybe?
Riku: Our next step is to go to record our next album sometime around next Fall – maybe around mid-August. It depends how do we get the studio time scheduled cos the studio is quite booked at the moment. But in anyways we’ll record a new album next and before the end of the year, that’s for sure. More surprises are planned for our tenth (10th) release sometime around 2010-2011 so please be prepared for that!
.Wish something to DEVILRY magazine and to your fans.
Riku: You all have a blast summer there and hope to see you soon again there in Bulgaria. Do not forget to drink beer once in a while, that’s a doctor’s order (read Catamenia’s). Cheers, beers and rock on!
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