Interviews

Hei ja tervetuloa Finnish Metal.netiin. Mitä kuuluu?

Jussi: Hei vain kaikille ja kiitos hyvää!

Could you shortly describe Agonizer to our readers?

Jussi: We're playing some kind of melodic metal with the Finnish attitude.

Since you're still a demo band – very unfortunately in my eyes (!) – you can't make a living from your music, so what are your occupations?

Jussi: Few guys are unemployed at this moment, and the rest is studying.

You have played in Wacken and took part in the Metal Battle this year. Has this been your first gig outside Finland?

Jussi: Yes first, hopefully not the last.

How does it feel to play on such a real big event?

Jussi: Well, it of course feels really great!

Did you prefer playing on this big festival to performing in small clubs?

Pasi: There's no favourite over the other. Usually the big festival gigs have large stages so it's better that way. But that's the only difference for me. Sometimes the small clubs are far better than the festivals.

Which band would you like to go on tour with?

Atte: Stratovarius or Masterplan.

Pasi: This is never going to happen because of our music is so different from theirs but I would like to go on tour with Audioslave.

What was the best moment for you on stage?

Pasi: Actually I have no best moment that I could remember. Every time the feel from the crowd watching is good and the best thing for me is the feeling after the gig when I'm tired but happy just like after having sex.

Atte: My first Agonizer gig in Nivala was quite an exciting experience. And gig in Helsinki at Tavastia was amazing dreams come true -experience too

Besides the FME (Finnish Metal Expo) and the Wacken gig what have you been working on in 2005? Can we expect the Agonizer debut album for 2006?

Pasi: Lots of gigs and some new songs. To the second question: hopefully.

Jussi: We have already made all songs to Agonizer's debut album. The big question is: who will release it?

Are / Will you work(ing) with Anssi Kippo again like on the “World of Fools” EP, then?

Pasi: If it's possible. I don't like big changes personally and even though I don't agree everything with Anssi, I do like him and the way that our coop has been in the past.

Jussi: I really like the way how Anssi does his work. He is kind of a perfectionist, but I believe that he also listens what the band wants. I hope that we're some day working together again.

Past negotiations with record companies didn't succeed. Do you think there will be a deal in sight soon or let's say near future?

Jussi: Maybe that “near future” is the better line.

As a band, how difficult is it to make it without a record label?

Jussi: Well, for example recording always needs lots of money. We have got some money from gigs and the rest we have paid by bank loan. And every kind of promotion has to be done by ourselves. It also needs lots of patience.

Would you say that 2005 has been a successful year for Agonizer then?

Jussi: Yes, I would say something like that. We got many big gigs and lots of new fans. Hopefully next year is even better! Last week (16.12.'05) the gig in Lapinlahti was amazing! It was really great ending to the gig year 2005.

What are your favourite songs at current (could be an own song or from another band)?

Pasi: From our songs, “Black sun” and “Everyone of us”. Killswitch Engage/World ablaze I like very much.

Atte: From Agonizer songs: “Prisoner” and “Black sun” at this moment...

Jussi: I like the song called “Prophecy”. It has kind of a different sound that we´ve been used to hear in Agonizer's songs.

Could you tell us something about your working strategy when preparing new material. What comes first? Lyrics or melodies?

Jussi: Usually the melodies. Someone has some kind of an idea and we´ll work with it together when it gets its final shape.

Let's get a bit deeper into the lyrics. Pasi, how do you work on them? Just sit down because you need to write a new one or going more like collecting the ideas you suddenly have in mind and putting them on paper immediately?

Pasi: I usually just see or hear something that begins to stir in my head. (For example something in the news) Then after for a while Jasso or Jonez comes to me with a new song and if that thing that I've been thinking fits to the general feeling that I get from the song I put the thing in there. Other times the lyrics just come from my own feelings or something like that.

Can we have some band member opinions on the lyrics? Which one do you like the most and why?

Atte: I really like the idea of the lyrics in World of fools. Also the lyrics in “Cain the slayer” kicks my ass. They are some way so dark, cruel and full of some kind of pressing feeling.

Pasi: Definitely “Birth / the end”. It's probably the one that has the best lyrics ever. Other ones would be “God speaks” and now “Black sun”. Although “Black sun” came straight from the feeling that I happened to have at that moment and it wasn't good. Now every time I here the song I want to kill myself.

I've read that you often write about things that piss you off. The song “Just a child” is so intensely that some might have the idea that there is a personal background. Apart from the fact that child molestation is one of the worst subjects of human being of course, no doubt about that! What was your motivation to broach the issue of abuse?

Pasi: The very fact is that it's the worst subject. When I wrote the lyrics there wasn't so much talking going on about that issue. I guess I wanted to scream to the people: What the hell are you crying your life about!? Look how much worse someone can end up, stop whining and start helping!!!

You write very contemplative lyrics anyway, I think. It looks like you are thinking deeply about the world. Do you believe that you can stand life at all when you don't close your eyes from time to time and don't think about what is going wrong in this world?

Pasi: No it's not like that at all. For me it used to be very hard to even live to the evening. At the present however I have found some things that make my life very easy to live actually. I don't have to think about the world and how bad it's going. There are fortunately some very, very good things in world and life in general. To my opinion it's just that people doesn't think about the things that are really wrong and this is my way to wake them up and perhaps someone will do something that makes things better.

Thank you for the interview. Please feel free to state something here to our readers…

Jussi: Thanks to you also! Come all to watch our show some day!