Interview conducted by Doc' - December 2007

Can you make a little presentation of Heorot (history, country, music etc.) ?

Heorot is a Finnish folk metal band with six members. The band was founded in 2002 by Teemu ”Modsognir” Ollikainen and Mikko Nokelainen. Between years 2002 – 2005 the members of the band were changing a lot. I was asked to join the band in 2004 and next year we made our first demo, Yö Jahti. In 2006 was time to make our second demo, Auringonkehrä. During and after making Auringonkehrä our band members has stayed quite the same. Our debut album Ragnarök includes songs from our demos and two new songs. This is because we got a releasing offer quite sudden and because of that we didn´t have enough time to make all new songs. The thing that we are coming from Finland, gives influences mainly to lyrics part. The sun doesn´t shine so often in our lyrics and neither in Finland. Our country has four different kinds of seasons, and that inspires much. I could say our music is a combination of rage and mood music.

The musical atmosphere of Ragnarök is quite original because it’s a mix of different instruments… Flutes are very important in our music. Could we say that Heorot’s music depends on the originality of the flutes ?

Originally we took tin whistles and flutes to our music because I happened to own those ones. Personally I think those aren´t the most necessary thing in Heorot´s songs but they are great addition among electric instruments. Using whistles and flutes makes you feel very traditional and I´m fascinated of combining them with other instruments. Whistles and flutes are appearing in our music in the future too and they´ll be used in live shows also if only I practice to play those drunk.

How works the process writing in Heorot ? Tipi plays different instruments (guitars, keyboards, flutes…) and he sings. Is it the only songwriter of Heorot ?

The whole band is taking part of song writing. The song Mustat Linnut in album Ragnarök is made by our bass player Kimi and Yö Jahti was Teemu´s song. I have done the rest of the songs with a help of the whole band. Mainly I and Kimi are doing the composing. Both of us makes own songs and then we make demo versions of them. The thing in album Ragnarök recordings that I played guitars, synths, whistles and sang was because of lack of time and that all the players weren´t around that time.

Tipi what are your musical influences ?

Influences? There´s lots of them. I live for good music no matter which genre it represents. Influences come from everything you see and hear. As a matter of fact I personally listen quite little folk metal. Lately I´ve been listening to Danzig and Demented Are Go. From foreign artists one of my influences is Jethro Tull, a fucking awesome band. This band was originally the reason why I bought a flute. Music´s visual parts influences me also, I always try to see the songs.

Tipi you produced Ragnarök, have you got an experience in prodution in the past ? Because it sounds great !

Thanks. I haven´t earlier produced anything. Though I had a vision what this mess was supposed to become. During recordings I added quite much things to songs and atmospheres of some songs were changing but to better way I think. Now I have the experience 

Heorot music is influenced by traditionnal finnish songs or not at all ?

Actually Finnish music has influenced to Ragnarök very little. There´s some things that certainly comes from Finnish folk music. All the Nordic countries has some sort of same kind of traditional music and I think the way to make this kind of music is always going to be heard some where in that area.

What are the thematics of your lyrics ?

Teemu wrote all the lyrics of Ragnarök´s songs except two. The themes are rolling around vikings and a little bit of trolls too. Scandinavian mythology can also be founded in Heorot´s songs. One of the big themes of the album is a coming of the oppressor to the Nordic countries, meaning Christianity with that. Our songs include fighting, beer drinking and proving a giant to be born etc. It seems that I´m going to do next album´s lyrics so let´s see which kind of they are going to be.

Can we do a musical comparison between Finntroll and Heorot in both musical style ?

Yes we can, there might be some similarities in music. But they have their troll/humppa thing and they are doing it great. We are doing something else then.

The fact to sing in your own langage is a difficulty for your international success ?

I´m thinking that I´m doing music mainly for myself, that´s why Finnish was a easy choice as a Heorot´s language. I have no idea if it affects to our success abroad. One of the reasons we sing in Finnish is that our language sounds so brutal. And in my own language I can use metaphors easier that cannot be translated sensibly. English, as a language, sounds too soft somehow and I´m not so good in speaking it  Perkele!

A last word for Radio Metal ?

Get our album, drink beer and keep your axes sharp!

Official Heorot Website : www.heorotband.com