1. Noituma was born in 2014, why did you decide to create the band? And what does the name Noituma refer to?
The band was started from my and Onni's desire to create this type of music. We shared common interests in folkmetal and pagan blackmetal. The name Noituma is a finnish word for cursing, or to cast a spell or a curse on someone.
2. Three years after the creation of the band comes the edition of your first album “Ruoto”, an album that generally received a good reception from the press and the public, an album that already showed the characteristic sound of the band where folk metal merges with pagan black metal, how has the composition and recording process of this first album been? And why did it take you about three years to get it ready?
The usual process of merging into a full band. Finding the right players and chemistries. Then creating material which we all agreed on. Ruoto-album was recorded by Tuomas Palosaari, a guy whom i've had the pleasure to work with in other projects. Album was mixed and mastered by Samuli Mäkelä. Also connected to our group's previous musical projects.
3. And now almost three years later comes the edition of your new album "Tervahauta", how has the sound changed with your previous album? How has the recording composition process of this new album been? Is it very difficult to balance in your sound the folk parts, the blackest parts and the different layers of voices?
Compared to Ruoto, Tervahauta is less folky but a bit more complex on many levels. I'd say it's more or less conclusion of founding our own way of creating atmospheres.
4. The Noituma formation is made up of six musicians, a formation that has recently incorporated Antti Karvonen on guitar and Krista on viola. Is it difficult to agree with so many recording and contributing ideas? What do you think Antti Karvonen has contributed? and Krista to the sound of "Tervahauta"?
First of all, We changed viola to violin. Krista plays violin and is very eager to correct everyone (in the face, with a chair) that talks about viola.
Timo had made some arrangements to few of the songs and where he left, Krista continued and composed her mind and soul into the violin's dirges (Also a small flute part). Since Antti arrived, a lot of technical elements have started taking place changing the sound and different style of ideas. Petri and Antti have both very different styles but they complete each other perfectly. Where Petri likes haunting blackmetal-riffs, Antti fills in with melodies and deathmetal-vibes.
5. Going back a bit about Krista, the presence in “Tervahauta” of the viola seems fundamental to me since it is perfectly integrated and adds a plus to the final sound of the album. How does Krista's incorporation take place? Has it previously been related to extreme metal?
It became clear to us from the very early stages that we wanted the strings to make a unique Noituma-sound. A lot of bands use synth. We had a chance to use instruments that are played since the dark ages. Ofcourse there's nothing new here and everything's made hundreds of times but the point is to make a combination of sounds that appeal to our own taste. Krista is mostly classicly trained and didn't have much experience in the field of metal, but she enjoys playing all kinds of music.
6. The sound that Noituma has achieved in this “Tervahauta” is incredible because it manages to melt styles such as folk and pagan black in an almost perfect way, but in such a way that even sounding melodic, it does not lose an iota of aggressiveness and violence, saving distances. and styles if it seems to me a proposal similar to that of Moonsorrow, how would you describe the sound of “Tervahauta”? What bands are a reference for you? And can we talk about your own style since you have a very recognizable sound?
Moonsorrow has indeed been a great influence on us in the company of Bathory and Falkenbach. For me the sound of tervahauta is musically bringing life to stories, giving them background and atmosphere what you can almost touch and sink into their abyss.
7. The balance and musicality of this “Tervahauta” is beyond doubt but there is one aspect that is no less important that's the vocal section, a section that is perfectly adapted to the slower and more aggressive sections, always maintaining a tone that supports the final aggressiveness section of the album, this section, the vocal, is the responsibility of Vesa Tuomi, how is the way to approach the recording of all this vocal section?
I mix screaming, growling, low spoken word etc. whatever suits the mood of the song. Petri does the high clear singing and Antti doubles some of my growls. For all the vocals (except Petri's parts) i've done the composition in a way that I enjoy myself.
8. Your texts revolve around Scandinavian mythology and paganism, why do you choose these themes to write? Is there a relationship between the theme of the songs? Why did you decide to use Finnish in your lyrics?
Old finnish stories and mythology are very close to my interests so it came naturally to write about them . All my lyrics are in finnish and our only song in english (the Isle of ravens) is written by Onni. Tervahauta is a theme-album and all the lyrics are based on real stories which have happened around the area of Finland's ostrobothnia. "Tervahauta" means tar burning pit and our hometown Kokkola was famous for making and exporting tar.
9. Who was in charge of the design of the cover of your last album and how does it relate to the music it contains?
Both of the albumcovers were commissioned works by the artist Linda Piekäinen. Her themes revolve around finnish nature and "tervahauta"-cover is an old finnish tar burning pit.
10. It is surprising that no record label has released your latest album, being only available in digital format and CD, has there really been no interest to edit the album by any label or is it something, the editing, which you prefer to do?
We are always open to suggestions but terms have to be agreed on with everyone.
11. The band comes from the Finnish town of Kokkola with barely forty-six thousand inhabitants. What is the extreme metal scene like in your town?
For a small town, there is a lot of bands that fit in the scene and there's always some people to watch the shows.
(Almost every finnish town has. That's quite common.)
12. How were your beginnings in music, first albums that you bought, first concerts that you attend? What pushed you to want to be musicians and form a band?
As a kid I was always hanging out in a local band's rehearsalplace. My interests were in a nineties black metal and I tried to find out everything related. -Vesa
First I listened to Backstreet Boys and Hanson but seeing live music video of The Road To Hell from Bruce Dickinson when I was maybe ten years old, I decided to get my first electric guitar. But the first album and sound that really made an impact on my playing and composing music was Stratovarius' Visions - album. Since then my musical taste has gone into heavier, darker and more progressive directions but that album sparked the flame for me. I somewhat knew Noituma's guys before I joined the band since I had been playing with Jonas in different bands before. I also covered one gig with bass for Onni years ago so it was quite natural step to jump into Kristian's boots after he left the band. - Antti
In highschool i mainly listened to Limp Bizkit, Children of Bodom, Iron maiden and Metallica. My biggest drummer to me that time was Jaska Raatikainen from COB who inspired me to work my ass off in summer when i was 14 to buy my first set of drums. For nearly 10 years i played only alone without a band. The first band i joined was Shackles, Antti also played in this band. The first gig i've done was at a full Bar in our home town, we played Sentenced - Cold White Light the whole album. Noituma has given me a lot of gig experience, playing tighter and also given me motivation to develop my self as a drummer and as a bandmate. - Jonas
I started playing violin at the age of 6 and the dream has always been to make music in all of it's forms. I teach violin, flute and viola and work as a freelance musician both playing gigs and doing recordings at different studios. I love cinematic music and metal and especially bands combining these two, such as Nightwish, Within temptation and Epica. But I do listen and play pretty much anything from Irish tradiotional music to classical and from jazz to metal. A common friend recommended me to the Noituma after Timo passed his place as a violist. Pagan metal was a new genre to me but I enjoy playing with the band! - Krista
My first ever band/album was Iron maiden's Fear of the dark, which i found from local supermarket discountsale basket. I didn't know the band earlier and what i found was definitely best thing ever. I wanted to learn to play guitar and form a band someday. Well, I started with acoustic guitar when i was 10 years old and later with electric one. Later on highschool my musictaste changed to bit heavier and heavier from Opeth to Finnish Beherit Blackest riffs. Now days mostly 90% what i listen has some Folk/pagan/black metal elements and 2014 was a big step for me joining on Noituma to play and make music which i like. I have been playing on different projects early and only on one band before Noituma. - Petri
13. I suppose that the emergence of the Covid-19, especially has played a very negative role when it comes to offering concerts, what plans do you have for the immediate future of the band, not only in terms of concerts, but also in terms of to future editions and new songs?
This is the time to create new ideas and find new inspiration.
14. Thank you very much for taking the time to Black Metal Spirit, if you want to add something for the followers of Noituma, this is the place. I hope the questions are to your liking.
Please throw us a message if you want to see us live and drink beer with us. We'll see if we can arrange a gig nearby! You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Also, Tervahauta and Ruoto are now available in all the streaming services. Stay folk, heavy, healthy and remember to wash you hands!
VESA
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Regular edition on black vinyl
