A duet of tragedy

Among The Mortals are an open minded death metal duo from frosty Finland currently gearing up for their debut album after more than a decade spent in obscure isolation. Talking about his band, their music, and the mysteries of the sauna bath, here's multi-instrumentalist T. Luosujärvi at your service.

AM: The band is called Among The Mortals. Judging by your modest discography so far, how come it has taken so long for an album to come out?

T. Luosujärvi: Believe it or not, we've been working on the current material as fast as possible ever since we got back together in 2005. The upcoming album was actually first recorded in 2006, so yeah, it's taken ages already. We've had all kinds of problems with it during these years - for example having to re-record everything afterwards because of failing equipment - but right now things are looking pretty good, fingers crossed! On a more general note, the fact is that both of us have a lot of things going on in our lives besides Among The Mortals. We realized very early on that the band has to take the back seat sometimes, so to speak. As much as we'd like to speed things up, it's not always possible.

AM: Oh yes, your debut album. How much work is left undone on your debut opus? Which studio are you guys recording in?

T.L.: The recordings were (eventually) completed long ago and at the moment some tracks have been mixed to an extent. There's not much work left, but still more than we'd like there to be, obviously. Everything was recorded at V.'s (Hanhisuanto - drums, bass, keyboards) home studio, which gave us a chance to do things without a strict schedule - seemed like a good idea at the time, hahaha! Seriously though, that was and is the only way for us to do this and has turned out to be a wise decision even with all the delays. V. is also mixing the album himself for practical reasons, but once he's done with that, we'll let a professional handle mastering. It's getting there, slowly but surely...

AM: Are the songs on the record all fresh, so to speak, or will you draw from your previous releases?

T.L.: They were fresh when we started, hahaha! In other words, none of the debut demo's tracks will appear on the album. As for 'oiad', that's a different story. Putting the EP out at all was something we only came up with when it became clear that the album would take longer than expected to be finished - and even the EP was then delayed, I can't even remember why exactly. 'oiad' is basically a preview of the upcoming album, all three tracks will be included on it.

AM: Any tentative release date?

T.L.: No, sorry. We've learned by now that it's not a good idea to promise anything when you don't know if you can keep the promise or not. Let's just say that the album will be out when it's finished. However, there are some interesting news on future releases: our old demo 'A Duet of Tragedy' is going to be re-released through Skeleton Plague Records later this year on pro cassette. That one should be out by late summer according to preliminary plans, so stay tuned for details!

AM: Based on the few samples I've listened to, you guys incorporate influences such as jazz (if I'm not mistaken) into your repertoire. Have you always had a single unique vision for Among The Mortals since the band's inception?

T.L.: Jazz, huh? Well, if that's what you hear, I'm not about to argue. Seems to me like a lot of people see our music as something "difficult" - I've heard the word progressive more than once, and you're not the first person to mention jazz. And there's nothing wrong with that, I always take it as a complement. It's just that in my opinion, our material is relatively straightforward and simple. What can I say. Anyway, there has never been an exact vision as to what AtM should sound like, and that's the beauty of it. I've written pretty much all our music since the debut demo (before you say anything, that means a lot more than just one album's worth) and the best thing about this band is that there really are no boundaries. As long as it's metal - or at least works in an otherwise "metal" context - it's good to go. I listen to a lot of different styles of music and wouldn't know what to do if I had to knowingly write music within a specific genre, for example. The music you hear is what comes naturally to me.

AM: The last time the two of you were in the studio was for that 2009 EP - an internet only release. And before that was a demo in 1997. Wow, talk of productivity. Do you consider yourselves at least competent producers? Meaning, having been a musician for years now, are you comfortable in a studio environment?

T.L.: Productivity in itself has nothing to do with it. We've always had a lot of material at hand just waiting to be used, and had we focused on releasing new material ten years ago, our discography would look a lot different. But like I said earlier, there are other things that take up much of our time and it has always been that way. As for being comfortable in a studio, well, both of us play in other bands as well and have plenty of experience with recording. That is definitely not an issue. Although I do understand why a question like that would seem perfectly valid.

AM: Is there ever going to be an expansion of the lineup?

T.L.: Never say never, but I can't see it happening, at least not in the near future. After we started the band we spent more than four years trying to get a full line-up together and eventually were so frustrated that we put Among The Mortals on indefinite hold in 2002. So I guess you could say our experiences on expanding the line-up are not exactly encouraging.

AM: Let's delve into your past a bit. There are just two of you in the band. What was your biggest motivation to start Among The Mortals back in 1997?

T.L.: We were already good friends back then with had similar tastes in music, and the idea of forming a band came about simply because we both had some songs done and wanted to do something with them. For my part, I was also fed up with being involved in projects that never went past the stage of "let's get together sometime" - I wanted to actually get something done. This is also one reason why Among The Mortals was started as a two-man band. When we realized that we can handle all necessary instruments by the two of us, we didn't even think of recruiting anyone before getting a demo out. The idea was to get things started as fast as possible.

AM: Going even farther back, at what point in your life did you decide to learn an instrument and play music?

T.L.: Hahaha! That one's easy. I was six years old, in kindergarten, and one of my friends brought over a W.A.S.P. tape for "toy day." Imagine a bunch of six-year-olds headbanging and yelling "I wanna be somebody" (or something close to it...) at the top of their lungs for half a day! I never looked back - although I had to wait almost two years before my parents finally got me a guitar.

AM: Was there ever a point where Among The Mortals played live?

T.L.: There was, yes. During the long years after the demo, we managed to have a stable enough line-up on two different occasions. Two local band contests. I honestly wouldn't want to remember those, hahahaha! We were completely clueless and played like one-armed monkeys. I really hope no one else remembers us from those days.

AM: Are you surprised at how much the Finnish scene has changed since the band formed? Does observing the progress of some bands make you feel left out?

T.L.: The scene has definitely changed a lot since then, but I'm not sure if the change has been for the better generally speaking. I have a feeling there are a lot more "business-oriented" people even in the field of extreme metal these days, it sometimes makes me feel a bit uneasy. On the other hand, bands have a much larger potential audience now, because metal here in Finland and elsewhere is even more popular and acceptable than back when we started. Obviously, seeing all this does at times make us think about what could have happened, but it's really not a good idea to delve into it too much. We have good things happening for the band now, and need to focus on them. I for one am really happy to see some of the local bands from the late nineties having "made it," their success doesn't take anything away from us.

AM: When neither of you are getting along, what keeps a girly fight from breaking out? Who hugs whom?

T.L.: Actually, I think we've never had a serious dispute concerning Among The Mortals, and as long as we don't talk about politics, we barely ever argue at all. Working in this project is basically time off for both of us - we work together for fun and to relax, so getting along isn't really an issue. I don't think either of us take the band seriously enough to get all worked up over anything (sounds a bit weird, I know, but I don't have better words for this). What also helps is that nowadays our roles in the band are very clear; we both have our areas of responsibility, so to speak. It's not two egos clashing, it's two people cooperating. Of course both of us have our share of bad days for outside reasons, but we don't flame at each other because of it.

AM: Do the two of you meet often for practice and bonding? Whenever you lay eyes on V. Hanhisuanto, do you feel a surge of joy? I'm not implying you're gay. I just want to know the kind of bond that keeps Among The Mortals functioning.

T.L.: It's not like we're at the rehearsal room every day of the week. We're not involved with each other anywhere near as much or as often as one might think, but that's not really a bad thing - not for the band, anyway. It helps keep things fresh for both of us, and working on the project is something I think we both look forward to all the time. On a more personal level, we've known each other since seventh grade (which here in Finland means the age of 13) and V is my best and oldest friend - that should sum things up pretty well.

AM: In case a musician is reading this interview, please talk about your gear. How much hardware do you keep stashed in your hut, er, house?

T.L.: I was afraid you'd ask about that. Seriously, at the moment I don't even own a guitar amp! Most of our recordings have been done on borrowed equipment, all I have is my very modest bass rig and three or four cheap guitars. They really shouldn't be of much interest to anyone - and anyway, all I ever do is just plug in and play on whatever I happen to have, I'm not at all interested in the technical side of things. You should ask V. instead, he's more the engineer type.

AM: What corner of Finland do you call home? What's awesome about the place you live in?

T.L.: The city of Oulu is located just about exactly in the middle of Finland if we're thinking north-to-south, on the shores of the Gulf of Bothnia. It's a small town really, around 130,000 people, but by Finnish standards a large city. I like to live here because the place is big enough so that you don't need to leave town for anything if you don't want to, but also small enough to have that cozy hometown feel to it. Hard to explain. Of course the local metal scene is relatively big too, if I know anything - can't complain!

AM: If I ever visit, which part of town do I go to for getting shitfaced drunk while steaming myself in a sauna?

T.L.: Unfortunately the combination of a bar and a sauna is not too common at all so you'd probably have to settle for V's place, it's great for that! He doesn't actually live in Oulu, but it's not too far away. Half an hour, tops. Just remember not to pass out in the sauna, that could be bad for you.

AM: Speaking of saunas, have you ever been in a situation where you were with another guy in a sauna and for lack of conversation just ended up staring at each other's cocks?

T.L.: Hahaha! Now you're confused! An average Finnish man would never feel the need to do anything because of lack of conversation. More water on the stove and shut up, that's how it works! So no, that's never happened to me. Besides, nudity in a sauna is a very natural thing, believe it or not. I'd imagine most Finnish men who know each other personally have also seen each other's cocks.

AM: What venues are available for metal bands in your neck of the woods? Do you still watch concerts often? Any hilarious experiences you'd like to share? I have a habit of bringing "hardboard" guitars (it's cardboard cutout of an electric guitar) to shows myself.

T.L.: As much as I'd like to have a juicy anecdote to share, the sad fact is that I don't go out much in my free time anymore. I play in two bands that do gigs frequently, so whenever I have a weekend off I'd rather just be at home with my family. There would be a lot of shows to go to though, I'm under the impression that metal bands have it good here in Oulu. If I'm not badly mistaken, there are three or four small clubs plus one or two larger venues that book metal gigs regularly.

AM: Since music isn't paying the bills for either of you, how do you get by and survive?

T.L.: Not too well, hehehehe. Both of us are officially unemployed at the moment, and with families and mortgages to take care of, things can sometimes get uncomfortably tight financially. We've survived so far though. Besides, money isn't everything - speaking for myself, I'm perfectly happy with my life as it is.

AM: How can a foreign, not-Scandinavian dude like me get inside the mind of a Finnish woman? What is the secret to her heart? I hope it isn't a Nightwish album.

T.L.: Don't ask me, I've never been able to figure it out myself - and I'm married! But I don't think a Nightwish album would do it. The girl would just think you fancy their singer and be all confused over your intentions.

AM: Next to the 1939-40 Winter War against the Soviet Union, what is the most glorious moment in Finnish history? If it's a tie between Lordi winning Eurovision and that Finnish Idol contestant who sang Iron Maiden covers, I totally understand.

T.L.: Definitely not Lordi or Ari Koivunen, no. No, no, no. Should I say it again? NO. More seriously, Finnish history isn't actually filled to the brim with glorious moments. I like to think of it more in terms of a continuing tradition than individual events, and from that perspective it is glorious, the same as any other nation's. Although, there is that one legend of a Finnish peasant killing a Christian bishop with an axe sometime in the 12th century...Too bad it didn't actually happen, if respectable historians are anything to go by.

AM: This interview ends now. I would love to hang with you guys someday - if it were possible. Want to leave a kind message for your enemies?

T.L.: Today's enemy is tomorrow's ally. Check us out if you know what's good for you! Thanks to you Miguel for the interview, it's been a pleasure.

Interviewed by Miguel Miranda.

05/23/2010 11:40