CATAMENIA

for Painkiller Mag #8
July 2003

Interview with Riku 'K-oz' Hopeakoski - lead guitar

by  Yang Yu

all pics are linked from www.catamenia.net
by any problems refer to webmaster

 

What is that fascinating about female menstruation that you use this as your band name? The evil blood of mother nature influenced by the moon? :) Is that a Finnish word?

- Nonono...this has been only a coincidence. It was early of Catamenia, when our singer invented the name for us. We thought that it is really good. After debut album, one of our fans notified us that it means women`s menstruation. But we decided to go on with same name, cause it sounds good.  But it is only a coinceidence that it means something. For us the name has no meaning, only a good sounding name...

You had two demos out each in 95 and 96? In your bio is just the 95 one mentioned (the one you got a deal with Massacre Rec. immediately with), is the 96 one an unofficial? Are these early songs ever republished on CDs?

- Both of the demos are so called officials. Demo we made `95 has no name, and `96 demo is called “Winds”. Both of the demos will be released on our website at somepoint. So everyone who is interested can download them for free there...I think in few months demos are on our site www.catamenia.net .

I’ve heard you began with some kind of  “Punk Death” before you changed into melodic black metal, is that right? Where there any special events or experiences that led you into the realm of black metal?

- Yes, you are absolutely right. It was early of Catamenia, when Mika and I were seeking players to our band. We just played, and after few months our music got more and more Black. It was kind of a period that we wanted to know, what kind of music we want to play. That we knew that sure it will be Metal. But Black Metal was the thing for us. And now we have developed kind of a “trademark” for us. With that I mean we have certain sound on Catamenia. You can recognize Catamenia sound when you here it.

“First we are in the `Halls of Frozen North` searching for the answers and meanings, we made out of the halls and saw the beauty of the `Morning Crimson`, on the crimson we saw the prophecy, `Eternal Winter`s Prophecy` and the prophecy said the ending of the world where the strong ones will only survive...`Eskhata`!” These were your Words. How would you like to continue to “Chaos Born”?

- “ChaosBorn” is whole different story. It is a concept also, but it is like “independent” concept. As you can realize, it tells about chaos in different views. There are songs which tells the chaos as we see it in daily life. Also you can find chaos in form of famous story, The Fallen Angel, Astaroth...on those songs we concentrate how chaos was a big part in this Fall and Rise. Next album will handle events after chaos...and after chaos almost every time, the ruler is Thyranny. So...everyone can make conclusion on that.

That is an interesting guideline through your opus, does that also reflect the content of each album’s lyrics?

- Yes...every album concentrate on the concept of our albums. On every album there are certain themes for lyrics. As you can see on previous question...

‘Only the strong will survive’ is a law of nature. But it would be a huge mistake to think that the weak ones don’t have the equal rights to survive, especially when it comes to human society. What do you think?

- Yes...law of the nature...and isn`t human society part of evolution?! Yes...you are right, everyone has an equal right to live and survive, but the nature does not watch who it takes. So by this we did not mean that weaks lifes should taken by force...nonono! It is only the fact that we are a part of law of the nature...and the “rules” concerns also us. Of course we are on the top of the food chain...and worse enemy for human is human itself...

Are there still wild living wolves in Finnland? You have used so many of them in your covers and pics, is the wolf some kind of your mascot?

- Yes...here are wolves living wild, at near the border of Finland and Russia. It is only sad that the amount of wolves has dropped really much past few decades. And we could say that wolf is kind of “mascot” for us. It was during the debut album when we were thinking with our promoter, who was then Alex Krull of Atrocity, what should be Catamenia`s thing beside the music, that listeners and fans can recognize us from other bands. And we thought that this wolf theme is good. But we did not realize that it would still be part of Catamenia so present. But I think it is only good, cause it is Catamenia`s thing...

About the image thing, what is your opinion about corpse paintings? Some of you have paintings on the face, but some not. So at least that is not some kind of a uniform for you …

- Corpse paints are part of Catamenia when we play live. When we are starting to put paints on, we know that soon we will be on stage and ready play some music for the crowd. And with paints on it makes us really more comfortable on stage...I do not know but it brings the feeling to it, cause we have played almost every time in Catamenia`s history with paints on. So I would say that on stage it is kind of a uniform. Few times we have played without paints, and I can say that there were really not the same feeling among us. Of course the gig went fine, but the feeling was just missing...

Over all the years since the debut your style hasn’t changed much, we can expect melodious aggression combined with hyper speed attack any time. Your surly found your own special sound, some times don’t you feel the urge to try out something totally different?

- Of course there are these urges to try out. But when we have been in rehearsals and tested to those “try-outs”...we were not satisfied. And when we play after example one song from some album, we feel comfortable again. And we have our project bands which are different from others, so...I think we will never try out something strictly different with Catamenia. Of course we are changing things and experimenting new things with Catamenia also, but not so radical...but hey, now I have to knock on wood...cause you never know what happens in future...better say nothing, heh!

Where do you get all the inspirations for your great melody lines? In which kind of circumstances do you feel most comfortable to write songs? Is alcohol a co-songwriter? Haha, you Finnish people use to drink a lot, don’t you?

- Heheh...yes we Finnish people drink a lot. I would say that few beers can relax you a bit...but when composing drunk few songs, you can not remember them anymore in the morning, heheh...no, just kidding...Alcohol is not a co-songwriter, but I can make songs also with beer. And when I make songs, almost every song is composed in the winter. In summer like now...too fucking hot to do anything except drink beer. Inspirations for melody lines...hmmm...I do not have a strict inspiration, only when it`s cold and dark, I make songs...of course I can make in summer also, but the feeling is just not correct.

Finland has a really great metal scene that offers so many cool bands. I’ve heard the biggest metal scene is in Oulu, so tell us more about your home town. How many people are involved into the scene, how many visitors come to your gigs etc.?

- Oulu is town at the west coast of Finland, in north, here live around 120 000 people...in Oulu there are really good scene...well...maybe I could just say that here you can find many bands, and really good ones. We do not use anymore this scene word. We just know the bands, and when we see each others, we just say hello, and maybe drink few beers and talk more. I think the so called old way saying the scene is great. But of course you can use it, I use it, thou it does not mean like it meant in the past. In the live concerts in Oulu, you can find really, really great crowd...they can take the band as their “own”...almost every band which plays in Oulu, said that the crowd and the feeling has been just great. I can say that also, thou I am myself in Oulu.

What do you think about the whole “true”-talk about black metal? Do you think melodic black metal is some kind of pop music for black metal fans?

- I can not really answer that cause I can not know what other people think. Personally, I can imagine that maybe it is too “well-produced” for some TrueBlackMetal fans. But....there are different opinions about it, and if someone thinks that way, it is up to him / her. I have always respected if someone wants to think that way. It is not up to me to judge them. Personally I listen also this “old-school” Black Metal...but I listen more Melodoc Black Metal...also I listen metal in general...

Now the new Album is out now, will you workoholics be going to work on new songs now like usual?

- Heh...yes! I have already started to compose new material for the next album. I think we will go to the studio in next year, but can be possible that we will go to the studio already this year...we just have to wait and see, how the thing are going.

You stayed with Massacre Rec. from the beginning, never considered other labels?

- We considered other labels also, but decided to stay on Massacre cause of the good and long coperation.

You have a side project of your own called UNWRAP, it’s told to be RAMMSTEIN-like, just little more aggressive. (I only listened to the cover song, I like it a lot! Sounds quiet funny.) Do you already have an album out? Tell us more about that. Do CATAMENIA-members have other projects (KALMAH, DAWN OF RELIC…)?

- Indeeed...I have a side project called Unwrap, with Ari (guitarist of Catamenia). Album is done finally, and waits to be released. We have to just find a good label and distribution for it. We have negotiations with few labels already. Album is called “Unwrap the Anger”, and carries 10 songs of aggressive techno-based metal, but with of course Black Metal vocals, and distorted guitars. I think there are no more projects than you said, except our bassist Timo has his third project called Mogulos. It is based on ex-mythos, but the music is really different, progressive metal.

You are musically quiet open minded, you listen to many kind of music, even techno? But your music seems to be very constant. Does your open minded music taste help to find more variability in your song writing creativity?

- Yes you are correct. I think that is one reason...and when I listen to many bands, I can see that Catamenia is still different from others thou we have not changed our music radically within 5 albums. You can find many things on different songs that help you to be more creativity, example you hear one thing which sounds really good...I go straight to my guitar and kind of modify the idea, and see it will that work on Catamenia. Of course I am not talking about any copying, only the using the ideas...

Your last words to all our Chinese readers…

- Just check out our albums, visit our site www.catamenia.net for more info. Of course if you find it hard to find our records in there, you can always go here www.metalmerchant.com ...And...Stay Fucking Dark!

Thanks for the interview, I appreciate you guys for your hard workings!

- Thank You for this interview, Yang...Hailz \m/