Good afternoon, thank you very much for answering these questions, how is everything going in Helsinki?
Helsinki is an icy mess right now. The winter has been very snowy so we luckily had a proper winter, which is not always the case this south and close to the sea, but the last weeks have been constant waves between melting and freezing, so it’s like an ice-skating ring all over the city haha! Fortunately I haven’t broke any bones yet.
1. Involved in other bands such as Hooded Menace or Ride for Revenge, when did you decide to launch Hail Conjurer? Why did you choose this name and what does it refer to? What importance does Hail Conjurer have for you compared to the rest? What bands are you part of?
Being the most personal of all my bands, Hail Conjurer has become my main channel of creation and self-exploration. The name Hail Conjurer dates to 2013 when I joined Ride For Revenge. I took the name in the process of getting into RFR and it came to represent my perspective in black metal in general. So, when I started making solo black metal recordings early 2017, it felt natural to use the same name.
Other bands I’m part of are Devil’s Gateway (death/crust/doom), Regere Sinister (black metal), Pussies (raw and filthy rock), Toinen kivikausi (hardcore punk), Hollow Woods (melodic black metal), Absava (experimental black noise)
2. Despite being active since 2017, you are already on your eighth album with a lot of splits, Eps and demos in between, is it easy for you to compose and record music for Hail Conjurer? How has the composition process been? and recording this new album? What brands of instruments have you used in the process?
I have only very little interest in the brands of instruments or the technical details in general, and I don’t even recall what I’ve used. I usually use whatever I get on my hands and explore it. The only constant equipment I’ve used are my old Squier stratocaster guitar and 65W Yamaha guitar combo. I got them both when I was 11 years old and have been using them on several recordings, Yamaha also on bass.
I don’t know if it’s any easier for me to compose music for Hail Conjurer than for the other bands, but as I’m not bound to any other people’s schedules nor have to communicate my ideas to anyone else, I’m free to concentrate on getting stuff done whenever I want. The process is usually very short and burst-like. I have not chosen to release often, but I don’t see the point of holding myself off doing that either. It is likely that the flow will slow down at some point anyway. And if it doesn’t, my death will stop it eventually after all.
3. It seems that with each new release he takes his sound to new frontiers, maintaining that essence of melodic black, with some atmospheric and doom elements; However, for this new “Satanic Phenomenology” he has explored even more extreme terrain, with excessive rawness at times, a very dense sound and an atmosphere that immerses us in a ritualistic and occult atmosphere. How have you approached the sound of this new work? What bands and sounds have been an influence for you and what sensations did you want to convey to the listener?
I don’t know if I can namedrop any bands as references, but the main idea in the production of Satanic Phenomenology was to reach for the rawness that would support the pretty tightly-structured and riff-based song writing of the black metal songs, in contrast to the more dynamic and experimental instrumentals. Like I told you, I’m no expert in technical knowledge, so my approach is more like trying out different things and navigating in the light of the vision and guidance of my ears.
4. The texts of the album revolve around Satanism, there are many parts that focus only on the instrumental section, however the voices play a fundamental role thanks to the focus given to them, especially if we talk about occultism and ritualism. Could you delve a little deeper into the lyrical content of the album and what inspired you to write the lyrics?
Well, the texts aren’t that much about satanism per se, but rather about satanic perspective and dwelling in the demonic reality. Lyric-wise this album is an exception in Hail Conjurer discography, as this is the first album to actually have fully written lyrics. Previously at least part of the lyrics were created in the heat of the moment and I never printed the full lyrics on the album sleeves before this one.
But the songs without the lyrics are as important to the thematics of the album: Satan in Essence and Manifestation. The manifold of manifestations of Satan is represented in the tradition metal song context with the lyrics, but the essential side, which escapes the narrow boundaries of language, is dealt in the more abstract way in the instrumentals.
5. You have been in charge of the mixing and recording of the album yourself, there are aspects in the sound of the album that have a very personal approach, especially everything related to the environmental section of the album that can sound almost experimental, focused on everything to achieve a dense and ritualistic sound, was this approach to the final sound of the album something that you could only achieve yourself by taking care of the recording side? Did you ever consider working with someone outside of Hail Conjurer?
So far working solely by myself (excluding the mastering and some visual artwork) has been the most natural way to get things done as I’ve wanted, but it’s not impossible that I’d explore the possibilities of working with some other sound engineer at one point. But the production will always be 100% by me in Hail Conjurer. The collaboration records (with Metsäkirkko and Absolute Key) are an exception to this rule, and they have been a good way to find out the shared territories with the other people, whose artistic visions overlap mine on some level.
6. The drawing that illustrates the cover is most disturbing. At what point did you decide to work with Hell Kettunen? What does it represent and how does it relate to the content of the album?
Hell Kettunen is responsible for many Hail Conjurer illustrations and when I saw the piece she was working with, I realized it would fit perfectly to the album. I do not want to explain it to death, but one can find some references to the lyrical content.
7. For the edition of the album you have counted on Bestial Burst as on previous occasions, although the cassette edition will be made by Tour de Garde. At what point did the link with Bestial Burst arise to work with them? What was the process of being able to release Tour de Garde on cassette? Is a vinyl edition of the new album planned?
I’ve been working with Bestial Burst from the day one. As I told you, I was Hail Conjurer already before the band with the same name existed, and as BeBu is ran by Harald Mentor, the mastermind behind Ride For Revenge, he was one of the first persons to hear the first Hail Conjurer demo. He wanted to release it, and all the Hail Conjurer releases (excluding some splits) have been released on Bestial Burst ever since.
Tour de Garde already released one Hail Conjurer album (Sinister) on tape before, so when Satanic Phenomenology was finished, I thought they might be into releasing this one as well, so I introduced the idea to them.
The vinyl version is in plans and will be announced eventually, but I can’t tell any details or schedule at the moment.
8. Unlike other bands and projects, you have not given up presenting your music live. What musicians accompany you when you perform a concert? Is there a possibility that you will eventually incorporate full-time members into Hail Conjurer? With whom? Would you like to go on a little mini-tour?
I’ve already done a mini-tour (the latest was in November 2023, when I toured the UK with Absolute Key for three gigs). And like with the collaborational records, I’ve done collaboration gigs too, but as Hail Conjurer the solo performance has been representing the idea of it being solely my own vision and continues to do so in the future. So like it or not, you will still see me onstage just by myself!
9. How were your beginnings in music: first concerts you attended, first albums you bought? What happened in your life that pushed you to want to be a musician?
Well, I’m still not sure if I am an actual musician, as I’m not qualified in any sense as a musician. But I’ve worked with art and expression and creation of art as far as I can remember, and music has always been my artform no. 1. I think finding the music of The Doors at the age of 12 was some kind of turning point for me, as they made me appreciate the album format and the crossover between the different art forms.
10. What album represents for you the essence of black metal? What latest albums have you bought?
The latest album I bought isn’t any sort of metal. I just received Sorrow’s “Under the Yew Possessed” the day you sent these questions. I’ve been listening to a lot of Rose McDowall’s music lately, and finding this album had been reissued on CD was a pleasant surprise!
If I had to choose one record to represents the essence of black metal for me, it would be Beherit’s “Drawing Down the Moon”. No explanations needed.
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