Interview with Catamenia (Riku and Ari)

Infernal Masquerade: Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. Let’s get started:

“Cavalcade” marks the band 9th full-length release. Did you ever expect that Catamenia would release as many albums, toured all over the place, and still be playing after all these years?

Ari: It is quite something that we are still going strong after all these years. Especially these days the music business is so hectic and there are shitloads of bands coming every day that there’s simply no space for so many good bands from the early years anymore. But, it’s the nature of the business and it orders the direction of the development. The most stupid thing are these Idols and other reality ‘Wanna be a star or a band?’ bullshit programs. Those are sad paradigm for how big companies can sell anything with enough money and force-feeding the people. So, we can truly be happy with our situation that we are still here. But everything what we do is based on hard work and being straight to ourselves. There is no short-cut to long time success.

Riku: Also, we have made this silent agreement that when we’re not feeling the joy or we do not enjoy playing anymore, we’ll put everything aside and start to do something else, everyone on their own or together with some other band or other things concerning music business – studio, label, etc. We’re not forcing us into anything because that would be so stupid! At the moment it seems that we’ll be continueing on this path of ours for along time because the atmosphere in the band is awesome and everyone’s so happy about everything including the musical direction and the spirit in the band – maybe as long as we already have so maybe another decade and a half will be in the future of Catamenia, who knows, heheh.

I.M: Can you tell us more about the concept and ideas behind “Cavalcade”?.

Ari: Yes. First of all, on our album the meaning of ‘Cavalcade’ gets totally different meaning than its origin. We scrutinize mankind history from aspect of the dominated and the devastated cultures and people. It’s so easy to write these ‘Hail and kill, here comes my dragon with dark forces to slay you all, AAOOWW!’ lyrics. Ok, where’s my helmet and magic poison that I can enter into the battle? No, we wanted to challenge ourselves and focused this time much harder and sensitive stuff by digging deeper into agony and melancholy of the victims. Also we question all those big achievements of history. For example these ‘brave and glorious’ crusaders. History is written with propaganda and actual lies by rulers own historians, so we know whose side they are taking. We make people think what was the price of those feats. The oldest cultures wiped away, treasures stolen and people slay all in the name of Christianity. Also we present in lyrics this blade of conscience tearing rulers heart while conqueror arrives in it’s cavalcade. This album is filled with crushing melancholy and hard issues in more mature form and shape than ever. Big piece to chew, but the meaning is that listener is carried through many and strong emotions during album.

Riku: The whole picture of the album opens a bit by bit to the listener with every spin, so you have to spin the cd more than once to get the point of it. You can find more layers from the melodies and fresh, new meanings for its lyrics all the time. This is one of the beautiness of the album. So, take a good time with yourself and the album and its context and have an open-mind for to find a different point of views in it.

I.M: The band originally started playing Melodic Black Metal, and has transformed into a very unique sounding mixture of Power/Heavy Metal with Black Metal influences. Why did you guys decided to go this way? How have your fans reacted to this change?

Ari: In one point we realized that almost everything has been tried and done with our former style. That lead to musically apathetic condition and we felt that we’ll start to go around in an endless circle and repeat ourselves over and over again. Riku even had a deep and serious thought of quitting everything after release of ‘VIII-The Time Unchained’.

Riku: Yeah, I truly had these bad moments back then because I felt that there’s no flame of passion in the band anymore and there’s no way in hell that I would continue this band with anyone else, but with these guys. So, I gave it another push and composed the first new song, ‘Blood Trails’, for this new album. Myself I was already so damn thrilled about the song and the new musical direction which by the way has always been a natural step, not a forced one. Anyways, I was so damn excited and anxious to hear what the guys have to say about the song cos I was truly so thrilled about it and sent them the song by email. The response from them was freaking awesome and it seemed they couldn’t keep their pants on! Then I knew that we have found the right way and the direction and the lost flame of passion came back into our souls and into our music. Everything just clicked on their places again!

Ari: There is so much more balls and power in our music now. Most of our fans took this change of musical direction really well and like it more than old style. They were almost waiting some changes to happen too. Of course there are these individual trvv-black-churchburners who whine about this change on some forums behind their avatars and nicks. Is it that they feel their own ‘property’ and ‘secret’ is now more open for everyone? There’s shitloads of new fans around our music now and that might be too much for hardcore underground graveyard black-metal kid.

Riku: Yeah, who really knows, but 99 out of 100 has taken this change truly well and open-minded and the feedback has been damn awesome! I think we have made a right choice with this although the change has been totally a natural step for our music and evolution for the band - as said there before.

I.M: Out of all the hundreds of bands in Finland, why do you think that you guys have been able to standout? What are the elements that you wanted to introduce in your music since the beginning in order to be unique?

Riku: I do not know, but when I started to play guitar and especially started to compose my own riffs and songs, I have always had this own style to make and compose them. I never did an actual choice what kind of music I should start to compose and how, what way. The songs have always just came into my mind somewhere there deep inside me and I just converted these thoughts into melodies and songs with my guitar.

Ari: There’s always been a unique sound and shape in music of Catamenia since Riku formed the band years ago and it still flows naturally without any forcing or pushing. I do not know is it this Northern dimension, something we drink beside beer or what it is that makes it happen, but it is something that separates us from the masses. Like this time, we have totally changed our style and people find it very unique, but still with a traditional Catamenia sound in it. We have always done what we want!

I.M: What happened to ‘traditional’ wolf on the cover of the album? Since you have used them in every release the band has released.

Ari: While these big changes took place we wanted to let the wolf enjoy it’s well-earned retirement, heheh. The wolf was our trademark for a long time and it was also a very unique thing back in the days we started. But now there is about nine other bands using wolf as their ‘trademark’. Instead of being stubborn and to keep and fight for it, we simply decided to leave it out and focus into the music itself. We’ll let those nine other bands argue about the privilege to use wolves. Maybe there will be something new and unique to present as our new trademark someday, but we won’t take any pressure with that. But the idea of bringing something new as trademark for Catamenia is very tempting.

Riku: We have to remember always that wolf has been a really important piece of our history and past and no one can not take away that fact. Now it was just a good time to renew our ‘image’ with our change of musical direction, and as Ari said already, there are way too many bands using wolf as their image nowadays. Have a good retirement party, Wolfie, heheh!

I.M: What can we expect in the future for Catamenia? Another ‘change’ in musical style? More albums on the same vein of the band’s current sound?

Ari: Now we are in very good situation, because we can freely move into any direction on this musical playground without any pressure. Our current sound is pretty much THE sound, but like always before there has been some new spices in our music and that’ll happen also in the albums to be released as well. What those specific spices will be, no one knows, but maybe Riku. Now we’ll focus on promoting the new album, on touring and think the next album later on. But like I said, the whole playground is now open and when Riku starts to compose the new songs for the next album, it will be really fun to explore, yet interesting to follow the development again.

Riku: Yeah, I will clear my mind now for a while and start to compose some new songs later on. Although I have to admit that there’s already one song basically ready and composed, waiting to get its final touch, heheh, but I will not reveal nothing more about it than it follows pretty much this musical path where we’re walking on now. Also the possible cover songs for the next album have been already possibly chosen, but they may change during the time when we’ll enter the studio next time.

I.M: Besides the few shows scheduled in May, do you guys have any other touring planned to support “Cavalcade”? Maybe some shows in the USA?

Riku: There are a couple of tours planned to take place this year in Europe, Russia and Australia. Also some promising negotiations are going on for a tour in U.S. so if there are promoters and managers who can help us in this, please do feel free to contact us, that we can finally make it happen and come to play in the States. All the help is very welcome and needed! Fingers crossed that everything finally goes as planned and no problems at all will occur or come up on our way this time! To come to play there would be one of the dreams come true for us!

Ari: There were some plans to come there couple of years ago, but they were cancelled because on circumstances or reasons that we could not do anything about. So, we’re really looking forward to come to play there finally because what we have heard, the crowd and the atmosphere there are awesome! Also it seems we’ve got so many fans out there as well, so it’s the least we could do for our fans to come there to play and show our appreciation, heheh.

I.M: If you guys had unlimited budget for a live performance, what would you guys use for stage preparations?

Riku: I would definitely want a rolling, thundering and flaming drum cage for our drummer Mikko, heheh. Just joking people … just joking, heheh!

Ari: It won’t need any wonder gizmos and other shit to create a great show. Maybe some pyrotechnics, but this band has always been able to do an entertaining and a blasting show only with pure dynamic energy and tough attitude on stage. Of course we won’t disagree and deny if someday someone offers us some nice props and effects to make it little bit more snazzy, heh.

I.M: Anything else you want to add for your fans and our readers?

Ari: If you haven’t checked out our new album ‘Cavalcade’ yet, you can fix that huge mistake now and order it from www.catamenia.net/shops! Kippis PERKELE!

Riku: The ones who are unfamiliar with our music or does not know our band, please feel free to check out our new songs on our myspace player @ www.myspace.com/catameniaband. Cheers!

I.M: Thanks for the interview and good luck promoting the new album.

Ari & Riku: Thank you really much! It’s been all our pleasure!