• Translation
by:
Sugas
Banger
•
Questions
by: Cezar Augusto
•
Replies
by:
Juha
Raivio
Swallow
The Sun
|
|
| |
| |
|
TGZ:
Greetings, Swallow the Sun. I would like
to begin asking the reason why of such an
interesting name.
|
Juha Raivio: The name Swallow the sun
comes from our wintertime. When this dark,
long and cold winter comes here it really
feels like something would swallow our sun
because we dont see it in ages then, just
gloomy dark here.
|
TGZ:
Was the line-up gathered naturaly or did you
have difficulties to find the right members
to fit the genre? |
Juha Raivio: It took couple
of years to get these people to the band.
We were just a project band for first 3 years
anyway so there was no hurry to search for
the right people. Me and our drummer started
to look for the right people to join the band
and we found our bass player, synth player
and vocalist from the balck metal band called
Funeris Nocturnum. The other guitarist in
this band is our old friend so we asked him
because he was available at the time.
|
TGZ:
Did the members play in other bands already?
Which ones and what genres of band? |
Juha Raivio: Well, as I said half of
the band is from Funeris Nocturnum and me
and our drummer were playing in the metal/stoner
band called Plutonium Orange, non of those
bands are active anymore.
|
TGZ:
Why is that took you 3 years to record
the first demo "Out of This Gloomy Light"?
|
Juha Raivio: This was just a project
for me to get those songs out of me that didn’t
fit the style of Plutonium Orange. So there
was no hurry to get right people for the project
and do the demo because Plutonium Orange took
so much time. So there was no hurry with Swallow
the Sun.
|
TGZ:
I know that this demo granted you the deal
with Firebox Records. It also included the
first full-lenght, correct? Comment what you
think of the works with this record company.
|
Juha Raivio: Firebox Records is awesome
label, they really take care of us, so I cant
be more happy how they have worked with us.
They take good care of promotion and are always
open for the new things so we are relly happy
that we made contract with them for the two
albums.
|
TGZ:
The Morning Never Came" resulted
in high scored reviews in the specialized
media. Were you already expecting such welcoming
or were you surprised to see so much praising?
|
Juha Raivio: I am really surprised how
big this whole thing has grown after the first
demo.
" Morning never came" was so huge
succes and seems that people like the second
album as much.
I really didn’t expert anything when
the first album came out, we knew that we
made really good album, but because this is
underground music we didn’t expect it
to have this much press and praise.
|
TGZ:
How was the deal to release the album in USA
through Century Media/Olympic Records? Which
aspects were satisfatory?
|
Juha Raivio: Well, Firebox records has
of course made that deal with Olympic, so
I cant say much about it, but everything has
work out really good with Olympic Recordings.
Century Media will release “Ghosts Of
Loss” in U.S and and Canada next year
so it will have even bigger distribution.
|
TGZ:
"Ghosts of Loss", the second
album, was released by Firebox Records in
2005. Could you tell us about its title and
awesome artwork? |
Juha Raivio: In the cover there
is this beautiful women who is drowning her
self to the river, haunted down by her ghosts
of loss.
We all have those ghosts in our mind because
we all have loose people we love and the sorrow
comes back almost like ghosts to haunt us
time to time.
|
TGZ:
You play with a "feeling" that
intoxicates the fans of doom metal. Where
did you seek the deepest inspiration for the
composing of the songs?
|
Juha Raivio: I find lots of inspiration
from our beautiful and cold nature. It’s
a cliche to say that our winter effects our
music but it’s true. There is also lots
of bands that I have had inspiration like
Rush and Iron Maiden. Only thing that matters
in composing the songs is to be true to your
self and then everything will work out naturally.
|
TGZ:
Have you kept track of the promotion? How
is it being received?
|
Juha Raivio: We have lots of e-mails
around the planet all the time beacuse people
have read from us and buy the album, so I
think that promotion has been good for us.
|
TGZ:
The title "Ghosts of Loss"
made me curious to know if you beleive in
ghosts, spirits, beings that dwell in other
possible dimensions...
|
Juha Raivio: Well the title is just a
metaphor for the sorrow, so no real ghosts
here. I don’t know why I like to write
about ghosts and horror stories but it seem
to be natural for me and for the sound of
the band.
|
TGZ:
Which were the main concerts performed
by you till now? |
Juha Raivio: We played in Tuska festival
last year wich is the biggest metal festival
in Finland, and that was the best gig we have
played so far. We have also palyed many other
big festivals like Provinssirock where was
acts like David Bowie and Him performing too.
|
TGZ:
What do you know of the Brazilian Metal
scene? |
Juha Raivio: Not much but I know of course
Sepultura and Soulfly, great bands, and Sepultura
was a big influence for me when I was a kid.
I should check out more Brazilian bands, I
bet there are lots of great bands around.
|
TGZ:
We have great metal names in different
genres in the Finn Metal scene. What do you
think of it. Name favorites if you can...
|
Juha Raivio: Well, I love HIM and I like
new Nightwish too to name couple. Maybe Children
Of Bodom and Sentenced are known in Brazil
too.
|
TGZ:
Ok! Now expose which feeling the doom
metal represents in your souls.
|
Juha Raivio: I love the gloominess and
the sorrow that can be heard in many great
doom-metal songs. Bands like My dying Bride,
Candlemass and Solitude Aeturnus are the ones
that can make your heart bleed with a single
note the play.
|
TGZ:
Thanks so much, Swallow the Sun. You
have Thundergod Zine's admiration and we are
honored with the oportunity. Leave your final
considerations...
|
Juha Raivio: Thank you so much. I
hope we could come to play in Brazil one day,
seems that people there has great passion for
the music as we do also, hails to BRAZIL Metalheads!!! |
Juha
Raivio /Guitars/Swallow the Sun
|
| |
| |
