Hanna Tsepesh: Terve (Hello in finnish) Roope and Marko, how are you two? Kiitoksia oikein paljon (thank you very much in finnish), for accepting this interview! Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL SORTOKAUSI! The band started in 2005,right? tell us a little bit about the band history and a little introduction about you two and the other guys as well.
Marko: Terve! I´m fine thanks. I´m the singer and I do the lyrics also. Yes in 2005 we started, but we had couple line-up changes when we get started so me and Roope are the original members in the band. We have done three demo/promo/ep cd´s and newest one is called “Varjovesi”.
Roope: Terve! I´m fine too thanks! I play guitar and rest members in the band are Sauli/guitar, Valtteri/Bass and Janne/Drums.
Hanna Tsepesh: First of all i am very surprised with all the musics since the “Vapaat Kahleet” Demo and with this first Ep “Varjovesi”, i have to say that all the band have a lot of talent and i'm sure that you will be a big band in the future! With this First EP, you show us very mature songs, hard working and i can’t wait to listen more about SORTOKAUSI band with future works! Tell me what the band wanted to accomplish with this first EP?
Roope: Thank´s! We just allways want to do cd that we can be really proud! Because this band is for fun and hobby to us so the main thing is that we really like and enjoy what we are doing! With this new “Varjovesi” -cd we had try to promote it many of people in myspace and everywhere, because it´s allways interesting hear what people think about the music!
Hanna Tsepesh: All the musics have a lot of power, your work are getting better and better! I like the riffs a lot and also the voice! But, you have also a song called “Kaiku” is only instrumental, very different from the other songs because is a calm music! Why that choice?
Roope: (Hehe) Our other guitarist Sauli made it. His really talented player and he can play much challenging song´s too! But “Kaiku” is like bonus track in “Varjovesi” -cd. Before we record it we thought that we could use it as intro in the gig´s, but for this far we haven´t yet!
Hanna Tsepesh: Yeah he is very talented, my congratulations for Sauli! What are the inspirations to create the lyrics for SORTOKAUSI?
Marko: I just argue everything what happens in the world, but I don´t have so much inspirations. It´s for me like same question if you asked the guitarist how does he make all the riff´s? Really hard to explain!
Hanna Tsepesh: Ok, now one little curiosity: what is the meaning of SORTOKAUSI and Varjovesi?
Roope: In english Sortokausi means: “Period of oppression” but I think that you could translate it other way too. When we started the band and thought about the name, Sortokausi did sound more familiar name with the finnish metal band´s. Varjovesi means “Shadow of water”. It´s like a metafora and it´s aline to all the lyrics.
Hanna Tsepesh: Marko, when did you start singing?Any vocalistic in special inspired you to start?
Marko: I started when we started this band. I think It´s Tom Araya! I appreciate him a lot!
Hanna Tsepesh: And you Roope, when did you start to play guitar? Any guitarrist inspired you to start?
Roope: I started to play guitar about four years ago. Before I bought my first guitar my guitar teacher told me that you should try to play guitar because I listen lot of music. So I bought it and had played allmost everyday! (Hehe)
Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands?
Marko: Cannibal corpse, Carcass, Nile, All shall perish and Aborted.
Roope: Diablo, Nicole, In flames, Heaven shall burn, August burns red.
Hanna Tsepesh: Great bands! You guys are from Turku (Finland), do you have any support in there? It is difficult for a Metal band to have places to play? I ask that because you are from one country that have lots of Metal bands and maybe it is difficult right?
Roope: Our biggest support has definitely been our friends! Allu, Axu, Miikka, Toni, Tomi you´ve been awesome! And every band who has been in same gig with us has allways give good support especially Obedient chaos! In Turku we actually got quite many place´s to play, so that haven´t been problem, but place´s where can come under 18 year´s old here isn´t! That´s little shame because someone´s had said that they would wanna see us but never couldn´t because they haven´t been enough old.
Hanna Tsepesh: That's very cool from your friends that support you guys, a big hails for them! That is very sad about the age, at my country (Portugal) we don’t have that problem… so come and play here (ahaha)! So, if you can chose one music style that you like the most, what will be your answer and why?
Marko: Death metal, because you can defuse every your aggression when you listen it and of course most of band´s I listen is from the genre.
Roope: Melodic death metal, because I it´s really wide genre. It can be really brutal but also melodic too and it´s really original too! In Flames is good example! And of course same as Marko too most band´s I listen is from the genre.
Hanna Tsepesh: Do you guys have any message to say to all portuguese metal fans about your work and also your fans from other parts of the world?
Roope: Thanks for listening our music and if you haven´t hear it go check out our Myspace. We also update there our news, pics, gigs, and everything!
Marko: Of course go listen to our song´s and say hi on myspace!
Hanna Tsepesh: Do you guys have future concerts for now? If yes, can you tell us some dates/places?
Roope: There´s one gig coming on november 14th in TVO with Kameleontti, Potra and Scream for change! Tickets are 4 e! That gig will be blast!
Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks so much for your answers! THE GATES OF METAL wish you all the best luck with your future concerts and lots of success with “Verjovesi” EP! Hope to see the band very soon in Portugal…
Marko: Thank you very much The Gates Of Metal! And thanks for the support! Moi!
Roope: Thanks for everything! All the best for you! Playing in Portugal would be like dream came true!
Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks a lot for your nice words! Moi!
By: Hanna Tsepesh
For further informations go to:
http://www.myspace.com/sortokausi
