OMNIUM GATHERUM (Eng.)
– Hi, thanks for your time. What are you currently up to? How is everything doing right now with OMNIUM GATHERUM?
Markus: Everything is really ok in camp OG at the moment, we’re really proud about the new «Beyond» album as it really turned to be everything we were after. Press have been really enthusiastic and interested about it, lots of promotion stuff to do and the first teaser song was taken really well among the fans and it got about 15 000 plays during the first 24 hours, not bad on our scale. We’re starting the touring cycle 1st of February from Japan this time, and it’s the first time we’ll hit the land of the rising sun so needless to say we’re excited about it a big time!
– Next 2013 you will release your new album so, what are your expectations on it?
Markus: I honestly think , like a good promoter should swagger of course, that «Beyond» is our best album to date and it have lots of potential and the stars are on the right places. With the latest release «New World Shadows» we did sort of a breakthru and toured a lot in Europe so the seeds were planted and the groundwork is done good.
– «Beyond» is a concept album so, could you tell us what’s that concept and what did inspire you to create it? Besind having a «story» vibe, lyrics seem to be quite personal and real. Have you been inspired by personal experiences?
Markus: Beyond is about the duality of humans, going beyond it and see the human as a whole. It’s about seeing the world and the whole existence divided in two. It’s about human and the surrounding reality. We the creatures are far away from each other even we’re closely connected, there’s always some emptiness between us. Life is learning and learning thru personal experiences comes some stories.
– Throughout your three previous albums you have been heading to a more melodic approach, in fact I think this new «Beyond» is your most melodic effort so far so, I guess this direction is something you were aiming for since some years ago?
Markus: It’s that clicheed natural progression, I guess we’re coming old and are not so interested about the most extreme and brutal side of music anymore. Instead like to keep it more melodic, emotional, colourful and beautiful and mix it with aggression to get the best of both worlds.
– I could also say «Beyond» is your most dynamic record. Do you think this is something important for the band? As I guess it may also keep things interesting for yourself.
Markus: Influences are coming from large scale so it’s just the sum up of our tastes and personalities and the evolution of OG. Of course it keeps things interesting for ourselves and in music it’s important to be honest to yourself. Then after that every listener should also sense that this comes from the heart and the band is enjoying and not working or posing. Wimps and posers, leave the hall. : )
– This is your record that blends the best melody with the Death Metal’s brutality. Due to this and the aforementioned, could you say «Beyond» is your most complete effort to date?
Markus: On «Beyond» there’s death metal, prog rock, post rock, pop metal, really melodic and athmospheric and also brutal stuff. But i think it’s still a good package and all the elements are on the right places and not a mess at all or maybe it’s a good mess..? I like the weird mixes of really melodic musical parts and really brutal and deep growls, it’s like vocals are an instrument on playing the «deathmetal part» there. I was really working hard with the album wholeness and built the songs to the thought «what kind of stuff is now missing from the album entirety», so i agree it’s our most complete and well-thought album. It’s not just a compilation of OG-songs of this time…
– And aren’t you afraid, toward this increase of melody, maybe there are followers that won’t be interested in the band anymore?
Markus: The good old OG sound is still very much present there so the fans should love it i’m sure. Of course the most die-hard brutal metalheads might not love this but there shoud be also new people who’ll love this… You win some and you lose some, like in life usually.
– These new flavours I have mentioned you have brought to your sound mark a band’s evolution but, is there still room for more evolution or will your music stay like this?
Markus: There’s always magic in the air when starting to compose new stuff, you never know what comes. Sailing in the unknown waters but where you still know you’ll survive. But we love the path we’ve been walking with the past two albums, so I guess the red line of those will be present in the future too. Or who knows..?
– In fact I think the album’s title describes its content and your personality perfectly, as you are always going further, beyond the Melodic Death Metal barriers. Was this what you wanted to depict? What’s the main idea behind this album’s title?
Markus: That’s musical wanderlust, going beyond the genre boundaries searching something new. The title sums also pretty well the lyrical concepts, going beyond the human mind and the duality of humans and the world itself. Beyond the sea there’s always something mystically tempting and better, grass is greener on the other side of the fence etc.
– This has been your first opus with bass player Erkki Silvennoinen and guitar player Joonas Koto. How have they fitted in?
Markus: Really nicely! I’ve been playing with Joonas almost 10-years in our another project band Malpractice, so it was really easy for him to step on board and I really don’t think Joonas as a “new guy” at all. Erkki have also been a friend of us since the early 2000’s when he used to play in Amoral and we did lots of gigs together back in the mighty old school days…
– Once more veteran Dan Swanö has taken mixing and mastering duties so, what makes this team so good for any OMNIUM GATHERUM’s release? What do you like so much about his work on your records?
Markus: Dan is sharing really similar vision of music and have same kind of weird musical tastes – from old school death metal to prog rock and AOR. He is a real
professional to work with and especially really nice guy. We’re also Edge Of Sanity fans since the early days, so in the first place it was REALLY cool to work with the legend himself. And now when the team is working in 10 there’s no point to change it at the moment.
– On the other hand, the beautiful cover artwork was crafted by Olli Lappalainen. Would you mind to tell us how did you work on it and what does it represent?
Markus: Olli have been painting all the OG artworx since the really first demo cassette, so he is the member of the band in artwork side and hopefully will always stay with us. He is awesome! Olli always asks from me some demos of the new stuff and listens the album music at the same time when he paints the covers, so he really illustrates the album music!
– All this about «Beyond» being said; how could you describe it in just 3 words?
Markus: Omnium Gatherum Album or Not A Disappointment! : )
– As 2012 is about to end; could you please tell us what are your 3 favourite albums of the year as well as the least favourite one?
Markus: My over the top favorite of the year is easily said and it’s Anathema: Weather Systems, other three good ones of the ’12 are Rush: Clockwork Angels, Sara: Se Keinuttaa Meitä Ajassa, Van Halen: Different Kind Of Truth.
– And finally; what are your near-future plans?
Markus: Going beyond and rocking and touring in Japan in two weeks, after that conquering Finland again on a extended Finnish tour and after that our first ever headliner European tour and more to follow. We’ll see how far our wings will spread. Far beyond the sun, I suppose!
