Interview with Neptune (guitar)
Interview conducted by Paul O'Ceannig
Date online: April 28, 2001
My favorite black metal band,...and Oceans recently signed a record deal with metal giants, Century Media. Recently the band released their 4th CD, "Allotropic/Metamorphic Genesis of Dimorphism", or AMGOD for short. I went down to the only record shop in my city, that actually sells real metal, and to my surprise the new ...and Oceans CD was there 5 days before its release date...
Having Neptune on my ICQ list, it made getting this little interview pretty easy...
The new CD is amazing, definately your best work yet. But let me ask you about the title, "Allotropic/Metamorphis Genesis of Dimorphism". You guys always have unique song titles (I wish I was pregnant/Intelligence is sexy) and album names (The symmetry of I the circle of O), who makes up all these names, is it Killstar (formerly k-2t4-s) who makes these up? What's his motivation to write fucked up shit like this?
Thanks for the compliment! We are very pleased with it too! Yes, our singer does all the lyrics and titles. His motivation is simply the fact that he wants to write something different from all typical 'bm' lyrics or whatever. Our lyrics are really thought provoking and they really have to be read several times before you'll get into them if at all. IMO Killstar's lyrics are really good and interesting not just words after words!
The CD was recorded outside of Finland this time, at the Well known Abyss studio in Sweden. The recording was done by Peter Tagtgren's brother Tommy, what was it like working with him?
It was really easy to work with him. He was really professional and knew what to do. We recorded the whole album in very short period of time just because everything went so well between him and us. Before the mixing and a few times during it Peter came and listened the stuff and changed e.g. some levels etc. All in all very good experience!
The old ...and Oceans logo was really original and cool. Why did you change the logo? Also what do you think off all these bands with poser logos, it seems now everyone has inverted crosses/pentagrams in their logos?
I really don't know why we changed the logo. It was again the idea of our singer. Maybe it has something to do in the idea that a new era of ...aO is about to begin with CMR, so why not change pseudonyms and logo etc., haha! Well each and every band can use what they want in their logos, but sure it seems a bit ridiculous when everybody has pentagrams, etc. in their logos. Some bands use them because they really stand before the whole thing others use them because the lack of imagination!
Why the name changes? Whose idea was that?
Haha, again it was the idea of our singer. I'm more concentrated on the musical side of this band, so I 'go with the flow' with this idea without a bigger fight!
What sort of guitar/bass equipment do you dudes use?
Well, I have a B.C. Rich Mocking Bird and Ibanez S-model guitars and I use Marshall Valvestate amp and Marshall Cabin of some sort. Our other guitarist has a Jackson guitar and same kind of amp and cabinet. Bassist has some sort of cheaper B.C. Rich bass, haha.
You speak English really well, what other languages can you speak?
Do I/we? How do you know that? Or do you mean when writing, hehe? Well, almost all of us are quite highly educated, maybe that's the reason. Some of us speak Swedish (especially our singer who has it as another mother tongue) and some of us can speak a bit German, but that's all.
Any plans for an American/European tour?
American tour has to wait a bit. I don't know when we are able to come there, but hopefully some day soon! We are about to tour Europe for over a month with Marduk, Behemoth etc. starting the 21st of March from Dublin to all over the Europe.
A lot of people compare aO to Dimmu Borgir, I think that is an unfair comparison. I think most Dimmu Borgir stuff is unoriginal and gay, what do you think of Dimmu?
Well, that may has been because of the way to use keyboards on our previous albums and of course we both have been mixing really fast and melodic/slower stuff in our music. I doubt this comparison will happen again after this album because we use synths totally differently that before etc.
A while ago I ordered some ...and Oceans shirts from relapse.com, on the site they said they were X-large, but when I got them, they were size small. What do you think of that?
Maybe they thought that there can't be any adult/mature people who listens to ...aO or something like that, I don't know! If I remember right there were made only in one size of these shirts and they were size XL.
On the last song on AMGOD, which is some crazy rave shit (but cool!), it says featuring Valopinja, who is Valopinja?
It's just a friend of our keyboardist.
What is your real name?
My name is Timo, other guitarist is Teemu, singer is Ken, bassist is Mika, keyboardist is Antti and drummer is Jani.
Why are there so many bands from Finland? Is there something in the water up there?
So many bands? Are there? I think there have always as much bands as today, but maybe they are getting more attention today than before. People are finally noticing the supremacy of the Finnish bands, haha!
All right, it was cool talking to you, good luck with the album and so on, kiitos, nakemiin! mina osaan suomea, haha, ei!
Yes, thanks! Kiitos vaan, hyvinhän sieltä lentää läppää!!
Other information about and Oceans on this site |
Review: A.M.G.O.D. |
Review: Cypher |
Review: The Dynamic Gallery of Thoughts |
Review: Cosmic World Mother |
Review: As in Gardens, So in Tombs |
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