Jussi Rautio: My sister’s husband lent me his self-made bass and taught some stuff. Then I borrowed an acoustic guitar. The first song I learned to play was “House of The Rising Sun.” My first band was a punk band called Armia Krajova. I also played those days in a band called Sad Man’s Shore. With them I played my first gig at a motor club party.
Tomi Mykkanen: When I was six or so me and my friend used to “play” tennis rackets with Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock and Roll.” I bought my first LP when I was 8 years old and that was Iron Maiden’s The Number of the Beast. I got my first nylon stringed classical guitar when I was about 10 years old. I got my first electric guitar, a Randy Rhoads model Merlin, at age 12. I started instantly making songs. Of course I couldn’t play but I really didn’t care. I joined my first band when I was 15. It was called Mr. Moonstruck and we played cover songs from likes of Dylan, Guns ‘n Roses, Van Halen, Masters of Reality, etc. That lasted for about a year. Then I formed a band that played some psychedelic jam-based blues/rock/heavy music. At some point I was asked to play bass in Mortal God. I soon switched to guitar in that band and we were quite a good band actually. We got some name throughout the metal underground in the early '90s. When Mortal God died me and the vocalist started Evemaster which still exists. I’ve had other bands since then like SoulSet, Shamos, PostMortem, Baroness. Nowadays I’m also playing guitar in Elephant Bell. In 2004 I joined Battlelore. So, I’ve been keeping busy with music throughout my life.
Was there a song or album that inspired you to want to perform music?
Jussi: I believe it was Jimi Hendrix’s Ultimate Experience. It was a two CD collection of Jimi’s best songs. That lit the fire in me to go one day on stage myself.
Tomi: Iron Maiden’s The Number Of The Beast was the first one. That just changed my world. We also did big stadium concerts with fake guitars playing to Scorpions’ World Wide Live.
What are you all time favorite albums?
Jussi: Kyuss - Welcome To Sky Valley, Tool - Aenema, Tuomari Nurmio - Tangomanifesti, J.Karjalainen - Lännen Jukka, Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath, Metallica - Master Of Puppets, Soundtrack To Spleen - Soundtrack To Spleen, Alice In Chains - Dirt, Switchblade Symphony - Serpentine Gallery.
Tomi: Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy, Jimi Hendrix – Axis: Bold As Love, Pink Floyd – Animals, The Tea Party – Transmission, Buddy Guy – Sweet Tea, Alice In Chains – Dirt, Soundgarden – Superunknown, AC/DC – Highway To Hell, Anathema – Alternative 4, Katatonia – Dance of Decembre Souls, Iron Maiden – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. I’m a huge music fan. I listen to music pretty much all the time. And I listen to a wide variety of music from blues to black metal.
Why is the metal scene so strong in Finland right now?
Jussi: It has been building up for many years. There have been some bands that opened doors for this kind of music. About 10 years ago only a few bands were playing metal and they were not very well liked. Then something happened and suddenly you could hear metal played in supermarkets.
Tomi: That’s an interesting question really. The Finnish scene has been very good and lively since the late ‘80s/early ‘90s and it’s kept up to these days. And for example this year seems to be quite good one with lots of new albums; Moonsorrow, Ensiferum, Finntroll, Machine Men, Nightwish, Swallow the Sun, Reverend Bizarre, Amoral, Pain Confessor, Norther, Sear, Omnium Gatherum, etc.
Who do you think are the best Finnish bands ?
Jussi: I have to give hails to bands from my home town Lappeenranta who started this new wave of Finnish thrash metal few years ago. First was Kotiteollisuus who were the first group of heavier music sung in Finnish who sold gold. Then came Mokoma who were kicked out from one major label. They started their own record company and started to play thrash in Finnish and that was what they always wanted to do. They sold platinum and are now one of the best live bands in Finland. Stam1na is the youngest one of these groups who has had success with Finnish sung metal music. By the way Stam1na`s singer directed Battlelore’s first video “Journey To Undying Lands.”
Tomi: I’ve always liked Diablo. The new Moonsorrow is excellent. The new album by Blake is also brilliant. I’m really waiting for upcoming Throes of Dawn album. From the older bands I have to mention Kingston Wall (well, not that old but deceased anyways), Tasavallan Presidentti, Wigwam, Kauko Röyhkä, Tuomari Nurmio, Tarot. But as I said Finnish music scene is very vivid so we have lots of great bands here.
Have you ever been arrested/jailed?
Tomi: I was once taken into custody and interrogated about this one little kiosk break-in. Of course I didn’t have anything to do with it. So my criminal life was cut short there.
What do you hate?
Jussi: Stupid people in movies.
Tomi: I hate stupid people in general. Well, hate is a bit too much. I dislike them. Of course they are not responsible for their stupidity. I hate MTV R&B. That has absolutely nothing to do with rhythm and blues that I know. I hate most of the rap and hip-hop music. Of course there are some people who do it so well that you just have to admire them. I hate people who don’t know when enough is enough and don’t know when to stop. I hate blue cheese and using too much garlic.
What are the best and worst things about being in a band?
Jussi: The best thing are gigs and creating of new music. Worst thing is that all the band activity takes lots of time from other aspects of life but still I think its all worth it.
Tomi: The best things are music, stupid jokes, company, sauna beers, group hugs, feeling after successful gig, feeling during a successful gig, good rehearsals, The worst things are the reality of music business, bad gigs, the time it consumes. But I would rather do this than kick some ball around.
