18/08/2013 DEMILICH INTERVIEW

Talk about Demilich is talk about Death Metal history. Maybe you can think that this is another interview with one of this band become fashionable in the lastest days,  but no. We have been following this band since their first demo, even when none give a shit for this geniuses. Now this is a cult band sure, but we knew that this would happen in the past. This band has create a sound and a style, and now is the reference for many new bands. Antii answer our questions about the past, present and future of the band... 

Well Antii, before all I wanted to thanx you your time for answer this interview and welcome to the pages of Tales From The Grave.

Cheers, mate.

One of the things that more surprise me of Demilich is that being a band that only live a bit more of 5 years, have had all this impact on the world Death Metal scene. What do you think is this?

There are also other examples of bands that have only made one record which is still remembered. Quality over quantity, you know. Still, I feel a bit pissed off for not making the next, better album, in 1993-95. Might have been pure shit, though.

Anyway, the reason must be that we did something that hasn't been done again, and we managed to do it well enough.

We could say that Demilich are the creators of the real Finnish Death Metal?

No, not even close. We were the creators of Finnish Fairly Slow Technical Death Metal. The other bands like Abhorrence (and then Amorphis), Xysma, Sentenced, Demigod etc. were the ones that started FDM back then. And even they had their influencing bands, which I decided to ignore here.

What memories have you when you begin in 1990? What had you in your minds for create this kind of Death Metal in that moment that still Thrash Metal  are the king of Metal style? Do you think that this sound could be born in other country different to Finland?

I wanted to make something similar to Bolt Thrower and likes. Then again, I had loved stuff like Pestilence, so my copycat band kind of failed to produce what I wanted to. It's good, though, we already have Bolt Thrower and they have done it better than I would have.

I wanted it to be extreme, so even though I liked Thrash, I didn't want to play it.

I think Finland had, and somewhere still has, its own style and sound. It must be due to lots of things, but our nature (both outside and inside) must have affected a lot of it.

In a bit more of two years you release four demos that forge the sound of the band and expand the pandemia called Demilich, were those year very productives in musical way? Did you have to make many rehearsals for compose all this tracks?

I composed everything at home, went to the rehearsal place, and told others what to do. They added something or nothing, depending on the person and song. For example, I told Mikko what kind of drums I wanted, and he came up with something I never could have come up with.

Naturally it took a while, but we practiced pretty much back then and were focused on what we did.

Your first demo was “The Four Instructive Tales... Of Decomposition”, what was the answer when you begin to move this tape? I suppose that all wasn’t good reviews, and you got bad reviews by some medias that still didn’t know a style like Demilich made.

I have a feeling most of the response was negative. It might be what I bitterly and falsely remember, though, as I was very bad with critique. I still am not the best one to handle it, especially if it lacks the point. Anyway, the tape trading community seemed to like it, and especially the next tape raised more interest. Then again, we were never that much loved, especially not in Finland, and that lead to me losing the interest, amongst a dozen other things in the music and the scene.

And in 1993 comes Nespithe, did you take so many time in compose this master piece?

We recorded and mixed the album in five days, each of which took 8-12 hours. Nowadays people seem to be able to put the drums together in that time only.

You recorded this album with Tuomo Valtonen in six days, could you tell us a little how was the recording process? Some anecdote?

Five full days, actually. The first and the last ones were very short.

Anyway, we put the stuff together as quickly as possible, and just started recording. While the other guys did their parts, the others were just hanging around the old shipyard where the studio was. We slept at Tuomo's place, and went to local bars, sometimes to get almost beaten up. You know, a metal-head in 1992 was a red flag to some people.

It was lots of fun, but also lots of work in a short time.

I have tried to search info about Tuomo Valtonen enginer in internet, but has been impossible, was the first time that you worked with him? He had worked with others extreme metal bands before Demilich?

I think we were the first really extreme one. Tuomo had done Finnish punk and hardcore, and some weird shit, which attracted me to try his studio. Also, my friends recommended him. I have never understood the “bad production” thing people say about Nespithe. It may be quiet, but it has dynamics and a weird sound overall. I hate the current way of making everything sound loud and soulless. You have the volume knob for making things sound loud.

The album was released by the first time by Necropolis Rec. and three years later was re released by Repulse Rec. with the “The Four Instructive Tales... Of Decomposition” demo as a bonus. Did you like the work that Repulse Rec. and Dave Rotten made with you? In this time was a rumor that said that Repulse Rec. re release “Nespithe” without your consent, what happened?

I gave the permission to Dave to release the album, and I think he paid everything he had promised to Necropolis. So, I have no bad feelings towards him. Then again, I've learned not to have bad things towards anyone back then anymore. After all, the album was spread well enough, and we're now enjoying this position. Whatever it is.

The cover artworks of both are different, why you decided change it for the Repulse Rec. release? Do you like more the second?

I decided nothing, I wasn't interested in even asking. They released it the way they had done, and I am and was okay with that. Then again, I like the original more. Nostalgia, I guess.

In 2004 was released again by Necropolis Rec. and I think that this rerelease wasn’t very good, because you had many problem with this label, clear up a little to the people who don’t know the history what happened.

I don't even know how many releases there have been, and I have never seen that version. I met Century Media's A&R this March, and he apologized for us not getting any money from their release (2006 or so). I told him not to worry, as they only licensed the album, and they had no obligation to pay us directly. Anyway, Necropolis didn't really handle things well, but at least we got the album out. There weren't many labels interested in putting it out back then.

Always in all releases you put your famous message “Absolutely no effects were used on the vocals in any way”, listening your monstrous voice, you were afraid that people could say that your voice was effects?

I was just pissed off because every place had these “he inhales them” and “that clearly has the Motherfuckingbuzzoctavizer in it” comments. Just a note telling people my version of the truth, which is the real version. Fortunately, nowadays, people mostly know that those are real.

Then again, why did I even care? Bad handling of the criticism, I guess.

I suppose that is a question that millions people asked you, but you decided to split up Demilch with all this success of the band in that moment?

We weren't swimming in success. Not many people were interested, and Finland had the Black Metal boom, with all the kiddies shouting BM bands' names on our gig. It didn't really feel like my thing anymore, and I decided to quit. Naturally, I wouldn't have done it if I knew what I know now, but what can you do. That's history now. Also, I might have made a shitty second album, and nobody would have cared about the first one, either.

I think that in 2005 you tried to reformed the band again, but not went very well, what happened?

We reformed just the way we wanted to, to finish things of with a couple of new recordings (which aren't still out, but will be this year) and with a gig or two. Well, the gig or two went to gig and three + touring in the USA, but that was a nice bonus.

My plan was to end the band then, and I almost made it. The last years “yet another final gig” screwed the plan up a notch.

Even I think that you made a concert in Finland in which you must to recruit to Corpse, that actually is with you in Winterwolf.

Corpse came in in 2005, and continued until the very end with the band. He's still going to be in the continuation band of Demilich (under a different moniker, as I've said), and I'm glad about it.

Have you received many offers for play again together or make new album?

Lots of people have tried to get us play gigs around, and I know many people would like to see us do another album. I just don't want to do it that way. I will get the band together, with a different name and without the burden of history, and we'll record an album with that band. And it will be great, very similar to Demilich, but still its own thing. There are just way too many years between Nespithe and now to just feel honest if going on under Demilich name.

I suppose and knowing that you are very active with your actual band Winterwolf, you are looking like many and many bands with Demilich sound born in Finland and others countries. What you think about this Old School Death Metal “revival”?

Winterwolf's sound comes more from Sweden, but people say we still fail to hide our Finnishness. Anyway, I like the fact that people want to sound like the old times. To me that was (death) metal's best era, and there were these really dark times around 1995-2000 or so. Ok, I don't like the fact that people copy other bands, just like we almost do with Winterwolf, but I've seen most of them don't. There's lots of originality around again. Or then it's due to the huge volume of bands we hear every day. Shit filtering is getting harder day by day.

How do you see the actual Death Metal scene with internet and new technologies? You are a man who has lives in both epochs. What would distinguish from both?

I loved the tape trading times, mostly due to the fact that you really had to be patient and wait for new stuff that blows your mind. Nowadays it's so easy to get everything, get drowned in shit, and not have strength to find out about the good stuff.

On the other hand, I love the fact it's easy to distribute music and knowledge these days.

I think that now you are very concentrate in your actual band Winterwolf, which I have to give you my congratulations for this master piece of the most dark, doomed and real Death Metal called “Cycle of the Werewolf”.

Thanks. It's mostly Corpse's band, but I've done riffs and arrangements there. Anyway, that band is fun to do, and we will concentrate on it even more in the future.

For all the fans of Demilich, in which I am… There are any possibility of listen any time some new Demilich stuff?

We have those songs recorded in 2006, and they will be out this year. One new song and two old, rehearsal only songs. Those who have heard the new song have told it's brilliant, independent of what kind of metal they like. I just have to get them released.

Apart from that, I hope we'll never release anything else, and that the new band with same members will blow your asses away.

Well, that’s all Antii. Hope that at least you like the interview and all the Demilich fans can know a little more about this great band. Last words are yours, all the best Antii.

Thanks a lot, it was a pleasure. Be yourselves wisely, and think.