1. Hi Tomi. To begin with, I want to say thanks that, even after the failed attempt on interview 2 years ago, we can try it again. So how it is going with your projects? Are there any recent news, or albums waiting for release?

Everything is going fine at the moment, as you know I’ve just returned from Azaghal and Wyrd gigs in Czech and Germany and they went very well, I think. Also, the 3rd Svartkraft album “III – Lord of Vermin” has just been released by Perish in Light, I urge everyone to check it out. Besides that, I’ve recently signed a licensing deal with an American label to re-issue all Wyrd albums in North America, where they haven’t really been available before.

2. The recent album “Kammen” continued in same manner as “The Ghost album” with addition of some aspects from earlier albums. With all these aspects the final outcome sounds more complex. Could you foreshadow in which direction you are aiming with the new music?

The composing and recording process of “Kammen” was very long, I started working at the album under Omvina, then I split ways with the label and continued working on the album with Avantgarde Music, so the album is actually recorded and composed in 2 different parts, the earlier session was more in the vein of “The Ghost Album”, while the newest songs on the album are more influenced by old Wyrd stuff… Anyway, the next album (titled “Death of the Sun”) will be something rather different altogether, of course there are still some familiar elements from the earlier Wyrd albums, but it will be very different in many ways.

3. I think that “Kammen” was accepted quite warmly although people were denouncing it in comparison to “Heathen”, “Huldrafolk”. How do you see those reactions? Reactions from friends, people around you, independent listeners, reviewers…

Well, I’ve already done “Heathen” and “Huldrafolk”, and I am still pretty satisfied with those albums, so I see no reason to record the same album twice, the albums are still there for those to listen who don’t care about the new stuff, if you know what I mean? “Kammen” has received pretty varied response, some people have loved it, others have hated it, heh.

4. For the upcoming records you have recruited some additional members. Are they going to participate in other activities, then just recording? Are they going to have their part in composing etc? Are you opened towards their ideas?

Yeah, the live line-up of Wyrd consists of: Me – Guitars, vocals. JLNokturnal – Lead guitars (although he plays drums on the albums), Chernobog (from Azaghal, Kingdom of Agony) – Drums, Niflungr (from Azaghal, Kingdom of Agony) – Bass and Wircki (from Hin Onde and Vultyr) – Synths. Atleast Wircki will also participate on the next album in studio and has composed some songs for it too.


5. There is one 2008 song on your myspace, where do you plan to release it? Is it from the upcoming album? Are you going to publish more teasers? And when could be the new album out?

It’s an demo version of a new song that will most likely end up on the new album, but the version in myspace is just recorded on my home computer so the album version will sound of course much better. Yeah, I’ll continue publishing more demo / new stuff and some random covers in the future too on myspace. I have no idea when the next album will be out, it’s composed but we haven’t started recording it yet and at the moment Wyrd is unsigned, so I’ll have to find a new label first too.

6. Talking about the new album, it would be appropriate to discuss it´s conception also. Is the return to the roots possible? Or you want to push Wyrd towards new territories?

No, it will not be a return to the roots, it will be something different. Lyrically it continues in the more personal way of the last 2 albums.

7. I remember that I once relaxed whole weekend with my girlfriend in cabin while listening to “Heathen” all the time. It´s a powerful album for sure. Have you thought about the continuation of this album in similar mood?

You (and everyone else) missing the old sound of Wyrd should check out Rutonkantaja, which is my latest project, it continues the sound and style of “Heathen” and “Huldrafolk”: http://www.myspace.com/rutonkantaja1155

I have thought about continuing the story on “Heathen” and perhaps doing a second chapter to it, but it is still just an idea.

8. Let´s try to examine your discography. We have already lightly discussed about “Heathen”, let´s talk about “Huldrafolk” now. Why the most of the songs you have played live comes from this album? Do you find it more accessible, more suitable for live presentation? Well, in overall it´s one of the peoples most favourite album from Wyrd.

Yeah, well it seems to be the favorite of a lot of people, so that’s why we chose to play a lot of songs from it live, also it has the fastest Wyrd songs and I think they work better live.

9. Year after you have started to release a consecution of two “Vargtimmen” albums. Could you say more about their conceptual story, your affinity to them and why they have been released as a follow-ups?

They are dealing with the same topics but from two different views, part 1 was perhaps the coldest Wyrd album ever and part 2 was like it’s mirror image in many ways I think.

10. “Rota” brought quite unusual mix of melancholy and typical Wyrd feeling. At least that´s how I see it. I could easily imagine this album as a instrumental piece. What do you personally think about “Rota”?

“Rota” is perhaps my own favorite in the Wyrd discography, although the sound and mixing could be a lot better. There is an completely instrumental version of “Rota” floating around in the internet too, so you should look that up if you haven’t heard it.

11. Year after you came with “The ghost album”, where you significantly stiffened up, changed the vocal a little bit, and shortened the length of the songs. In summary you gave Wyrd a whole new face. And logical question is: What made such penetrative changes possible?

I just thought it was time to try something different, I was very satisfied with Huldrafolk and Rota and I thought they represented the sound and style I was going after nearly perfectly. Also, JLNokturnal joined the band at this point and although he didn’t compose anything for the album it also changed the sound a bit. I think they are still a lot of the elements especially from “Rota” present on this album (the melodies etc.), but the sound and production is much better on “The Ghost Album” and that also makes it sound rather different to the earlier albums.


12. We have already talked about “Kammen” and upcoming album, so a question comes into my mind: Is the Wyrd you main project? You take part in composing of lot of music and you are nowhere standing aside. Nevertheless, man always has it´s priorities. Are the Azaghal and Wyrd your priorities?

Wyrd and Azaghal are my main bands, the others are more or less just projects which I work on when I get some idea or come up with some material that doesn’t fit into Wyrd or Azaghal.

But that doesn’t mean that the side projects wouldn’t be important for me too, everything I do I put my concentration and energy to it 100%, but there are no schedules or anything with the other projects, I just work on them when I feel like it. I think it also helps the main bands a lot to work on something different every once in a while, I get new ideas and energy from the side projects to my main bands too.

13. In the end I would like to ask you about live performance. In Brno you have played live for the first time, what kind of feeling you have brought with you? For me, it was a cultural experience for sure, but it´s pity that it ended soon. Nonetheless, do you plan to continue with live playing?

Yeah, we’ll continue playing live. Just last week Wyrd headlined the Rock the Night 6 festival in Osnabruck, Germany and it was a pretty good gig and festival I think. I think that live situations show a different side of Wyrd, because (dare I say?) we are on the stage to have fun mostly, which of course if forbidden in black metal but whatever heh. So as long as we have fun and the audience has fun, it’s a good Wyrd gig I think.

14. Thank you for the interview Tomi and we are looking forward to the new album. We also feel honored, that you choosed Czech republic as a country of your first concert performance. May you prosper!

Thank you, it was great to be in Czech and Brno was a very nice city. Hopefully we are able to return there for more gigs in the future!