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The following interview is done with Demonos...



Well, since the last interview we did with you you've released 'Legions of Perkele,' in our opinnion, your greatest work yet. Tell us in your own words about this release and what went into its preparation?
Well I have worked for BARATHRUM's stuff since 1990 yabb and I am still releasing the songs from the beginning era too. LOP is some sort of mixture of our previous work plus newer ideas with a lot better sound since we changed our label from NEP (GER) to SPINEFARM RECORDS (FIN). I am extremely satisfied with the results of LOP and I think that our next album SAATANA will be even better.. It will be released trough SPINEFARM in June 1999 yabb. It will be quite a lot in the vein of LOP... There's also some new ides on that album, which you will most probably hear for yourselves. I think that SAATANA is still the same guaranteed BARATHRUM music like eveything before. It was recorded in the same studio that was used for LOP too...

There are certain bands in the scene, few and far between as they are, that stand out with their utter uniqueness. Barathrum is surely one of them. It would not be an easy task to compare your music with another band. I'm interested to know what inspires you musically?
Everything that surrounds me. I don't take my inspirations from other bands. I take them from my own life. I have to tell you that personally I extremely hate plagiarists. I respect the bands that have created their own music. Usually I try to create a certain atmosphere to the room where I write my music by incense, seals, tools and symbols... then I just start jamming with my bass or guitar. I just channel the happenings that I have lived through and I just transform those feelings to actual riffs... and all the time I record those results... Afterwards I listen to those recordings and I take the riffs that are suitable together and I join them to complete tunes. Sometimes only one riff can be the base of the whole song... I work in other ways too... like listening to my mind and suddenly I hear a melody or something which I am really possessed by. Afterwards I play and record it with bass or guitar... This can happen anywhere.. Like when I am on the highway riding with my bike or car...

Also, what bands were inspirational to you before the forming of Barathrum? What bands do you listen to now?
As I told you above I try to keep the inspirations from other bands away... That's the best way to create the original tunes... But what bands do I listen to... well.. The list is long, but to mention a few of them.. BATHORY, VENOM, BLACK SABBATH, BEHERIT, AC/DC, COUNTESS, MORNINGSTAR, IMPALED NAZARENE, SADISTIK EXEKUTION, VON, AMON GOETH, DROWNED, RAINBOW, WITCHERY, UNHOLY, SACRED CRUCIFIX, SARCOFAGO, MORTUARY DRAPE, DEATH SS, DEVIL DOLL, CANDLEMASS, DIAMANDA GALAS, RITUAL CARNAGE, SAMAEL, ALASTIS, ANCIENT RITES, SOLITUDE AETURNUS, MONSTER MAGNET, MOTÖRHEAD, BULLDO0ZER, TANK, ANGELWITCH, SABBAT, WIZZARD, WIZARD, MANOWAR, BLASPHEMY, LUST, WROK, etc..etc..

Legions of Perkele retains all of the eerie, dark sounds as before. But in many ways surpasses your previous releases. You must be most satisfied with this release.
Yes, I am. But I think that when I have completed SAATANA it will be even better.


How has touring been? Are there plans in the near future for another tour? What can one expect from seeing Barathrum live? Do you use any props/etc in your stage shows?
We played a tour in Finland called EASTER DISASTER 1999 yabb with THY SERPENT (FIN) at Easter time. This seems to have become a tradition for BARATHRUM to play a tour at Easter time... For the sake of the NailDay... Now we are planning to play a couple of gigs at festivals here in Finland and after that... I don't know... hopefully a European tour. Of course it would be great to play in America and Asia too, but let's see what happens... hopefully that will be possible some time... Our live shows are still the same; complete murder and intense mayhem... With REAL blood and action... Sometimes fire, but nowadays it has turned to be quite difficult to have major fire on the stage since the concert-organizers have become more careful... Mainly because of the audience... You know there's always lots of Real Maniacs in the audience when BARATHRUM is on the stage...

You've changed labels since your last release, from Nazgul's Eyrie to Spinefarm. How did this go about and what motivated the change?
Our 3rd album INFERNAL was delayed for a year and I wasn't too satisfied with that label in general. I don't know the number of the sales etc... so I think that I've been ripped off... badly... Co-operation with Spinefarm is brilliant. Of course one thing is that it's located in Finland... I can visit their office as often as want to, because I live in Hellsinki too...

Out of curiosity, the song, SaLuBeLe, from Legions... what does this mean?
You will regret your question... I mean it is so obvious... Saatana, Lucifer, Belial, Leviathan... But... I forgive you...

You have new band members this release. Are they permanent or session musicians? What happened to Sulphur and Pimea?
LOP line-up was as permanent as it could have been, with:

Me: b,v
G'thaur: b
Nattasett: d
Anathemalignent: guitars...

Anathemalignant was away from the band for some time but he is back now... SAATANA's recording line-up was:
Me: Basses (distorted ones), vocals & effects
G'taur: Bass
Beast: drums
Somnium: guitar
Warlord: guitar
Warlord left the band because he is so busy with his Metal Bar Valhalla that he runs in Kuopio with his business partner. Our current Live-line-up is:

Demonos: Vocals
G'thaur: Bass
Nuklear Tormentörrr: Bass
Anathemalignant: Guitar
Somnium: Guitar

Sulphur and Pimeä continued their old band URN with Infernus.

Last time we spoke, you mentioned a video that you were working on. What became of this?
It was never finished... We didn't have enough money for that... There have been some talk about doing a video for Spinefarm but nothing sure yet...

How is your project, 'Demonos,' doing? Are you still working on it or...? Could you tell us about it, if its still around?
I am still working on it, but I don't have too much spare time because I am so fucking busy with BARATHRUM, drinking and being lazy.

What are your plans for the future?
To spread my word around the world... And to live my code to it's final... AlphaO2VcA...

What sort of things have you been occupying your spare time with? Interests outside of music?
Tattoos, Drugs, Drinks, Cars, Bikes, Fornication, Weapons, and of course cigarettes and coffee... And all of them separated AND TOGETHER!

Do you think life has an ultimate purpose?
Yeah, Death.

In our last interview we did, you expressed that you felt the world was nearing its end. What changes have you seen in the world since we last spoke? Do you see things growing even worse in this world?
I remember my last interview with you and I have to tell you that it is going even more insane now. Is it 1999..? It makes me grimly grinning..

At last, your final comments and words of wisdom to our readers?
Live By Your Nature. 8-1-9-12 19-1-20-1-14.....
Notice our new address:

SPINEFARM RECORDS/BARATHRUM
P.O.BOX 212
00181 HELSINKI
FINLAND

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