1. Greets Mikko. In the beginning we see in your future, in the band´s and also label´s future. Which suprises do you prepare?

No surprises are in preparation. Things go on as usual and what happens, happens. There are new songs and new releases when time is right. Currently label doesn't have much of long term goals beyond releasing all Diaboli albums on vinyl. I have managed to go through times of abundance of releases and hope to keep pace slower in future.

2. How long does it last you to create idea, album´s concept and music for it? Do you always aim to appear from any compact view or you compose music like "crocks of glass to mosaic"? How did run this process by "Church of Atrocity"?

Concept of album was decided little after previous album, but it took nearly 3 years to actually finish it. Whole process was nearly opposite of how albums was made in past. In past, usually I worked with lyrics at first. And then composed music rather quickly to suit purpose of lyrics. Often 2 of the songs of each album is basically composed while recording the actual album. Now all songs were recorded several times, "rehearsal" versions with trying different tempos, drumming styles and riff combinations to find ideal form. When whole album was recorded, lyrics were written during one day. There existed only small amount of reference texts written during the years, but almost everything was discarded and lyrical content of the album was simply result of listening music and letting lyrics come out spontaneously. Therefore you can also see that album has slightly changed style in lyrics in some of the songs - even in the topics they deal with. I tend to record everything on 1st take or at least 2nd take, but mixing process took time more than ever due some technical difficulties with malfunctioning gear.

3. What time did you start to think about it, that you could realize some project Clandestine Blaze? When you now look back, do you think, that your primary visions were different than is reality now?

1997. There exists recordings prior the 1998 demo, and those were the early forms of CB, but at that time sounding different. As soon as I got to do it properly, vision is basically same then as it was now. Only focus on some matters have changed, but overall it is the same.

4. "Church of Atrocity" decorates relatively "controversial"and bassicaly unmeaning (each of us could imagine more things under it) cover. I belive, that it goes hand in hand with album´s idea.Also, I think, that my question is clear.

Cover is old painting of angel, and it's turned negative and printed on matte paper to become dull and low contrast grey image, resembling more of a statue. It presents the same idea as all the rest images in the cover, based on the themes of songs such as Church of Atrocity, Frozen Angel, etc. By all means, cover is chosen to be what it is. It's not made easy and simple and dull without purpose. All the trophies / symbols have purpose directly related to the lyrics AND music.

5. In Clandestine Blaze you "rebound" from creation with other musicians. You also can´t complain on, that such and such made this and that music isn´t your reflection. This group is one of the most significant in Finland and I´d say, that dumpy-looking. Could you describe Clandestine Blaze so, that it imagines you alone? To articulate two seeming far line in one?

Clandestine Blaze is myself and I am Clandestine Blaze. All music, lyrics and artwork are there because I believe they should. Every song and lyric can be taken as my actual words what I agree as a private person - or at least agreed in time of writing (can't take full responsibility of comments I may have said even 10 years ago). I have no regrets of any previous work. They have been necessary for my own path, as has been the choice of working without other musicians.


6. Lyrics on the new album also join to other peoples."her dead eyes", "your face".you don´t handle only generally, but you try to "tell stories". Writting is your personal business, do you put in them also other atributes than only hate, contemptousness,.? Do you strive to speak to listeners more closely?

Telling story is not as much of fantasy as manifest in form of example. All these lyrics present situations, values, faith, worship, possession and so on. They are not written in purpose of telling entertaining story (I doubt people even read them that way?) but present real life related situation what defines your stand on certain issues. My lyrics are just fragments of what goes on in my head. I consider them as one of my inputs to get things where I hope them to go.

7. Again about lyrics: you change relatively long articles with short utterances. Also, are there songs, where your want to tell more to listeners, where you deal with deeper problems or you only don´t need to uselessly evolve?

Most of the lyrics don't talk about problems, but about strength, joy and triumph. It might be hard to see for those who consider black metal to be suicidal and negative and cry in their self-pity to injustice of the world. Church of Atrocity is celebration of joy and satisfaction. There is nothing suicidal, self destructive or such things in it. My wish would be to see black metal scene to evolve from it's mindset of glorifying what is "bad" and "wrong" to glorifying what is right and good. Topics of course remain exactly the same, but from self betrayal you move to worship of these things instead of presenting them in sense of horror movie.

8. It´s great to hear, that also in 2007 you hold to sound and heritage of older groups and times. Some people join Clandestine Blaze with Darkthrone, I personally would prop upon Judas Iscariot - mainly about sound. Everybody´s creation is crossed with some influences, which are by you? Inspiration? And to the contrary - do you think, that is Clandestine Blaze inspiration?

Despite sound of CB, bands what I listen the most and like the most don't sound so close to CB. Goatlord, Beherit, Unholy, Bathory, Immolation, Burzum, Ildjarn, Nuclear Death, Blasphemy, Veles, Graveland, Celtic Frost, Hellhammer, and so on... Obviously also many old & new smaller bands as well. Obviously old Darkthrone belongs to the utmost top groups and it's influence can't be denied. Judas Iscariot I also enjoy, but doubt it being major influence on what I do. His early work as a solo project worked much better than with those too talented session drummers. Clandestine Blaze being inspirational to others? Could be. Not in same sense as many of the "classic" bands, but on smaller level possibly.

9. I read your perspicuous and long opinion on more and more "popular" theme, which steal in black metal - NSBM. In some countries it goes unheeded, in other there is situation more than stark. But - does it have what to do with black metal? Could you approach your opinion to others?

My view on the matter is on constant change due learning process and natural progression. It is possible that some of the NSBM has very little to do with the "old school" black metal values, but in other hand, there are plenty of NSBM who offer valid and justified content what doesn't conflict with ideals of black metal unless you start to distort their ideas into what YOU think they must represent since you have your own stubborn ideas about "politics". It is so easy to see band with song titles such as "goat sodomizing mary" and think they are oh so satanic and anti-life, and judge bands with real content as "life lovers" or "socialists". I know I've been guilty of this myself, but lessons are learned. Values what bands often present in their work, might not walk 100% hand in hand with manifests of pre-WWII nationalist governments or even the current high profile political organizations. There isn't even widely accepted stable definition for fascism, since unlike communism or such ideologies, it doesn't have steady ideology or political form and it never happened "pure" in form it was planned. It varies greatly depending on country, culture, time, conditions etc. Most often resistance against NSBM is really more about people's political stance against it, instead that it would be too life-loving for them to tolerate. It's much more scene credible to stand against NSBM saying they are life lovers, instead of stating that you actually believe that its bad to have such a totalitarian or racial issues in scene since "all men are equally worthless" or other TRUELY "life loving" nonsense people make up.

10. Do you belong to people, who grow in with age, who extend their horizons and who could change their opinion? Sincerely, I hate dunces, which still urge, years and years, without as a matter of fact they know what they stand on.

If I would have not grown wiser & gathered information to back up (or change) my views and would be 100% stagnated to what I was 10 years ago when starting CB, I would consider it utter failure. Anyone being the same at their 30's as they were in teen years can be considered failure.


11. You, not only as member of Clandestine Blaze (and others), but also as owner of Northern Heritage label, are famous for your relish in really orthodox underground bands like Ildjarn, Baptism, Deathspell Omega, S. Warmaster, Uncreation´s Dawn.You release limited editions of vinyls, CDs and also MCs. Do you think, that true underground in today´s consumer and commercial society still exists? Modern blafl metalists comunicate through e-mails, on forums, they don´t buy originals and of course download MP3s. In Middle Europe man hunts vinyls very hard and MCs maybe nobody listens to. Does word "underground" have yet any foundation in this fucking time?

Underground exists, but it has updated its form to the new era. Things have changed in so many ways, it's hard for many "old school" people to be connected with the new forms of underground. But in many ways underground has also gone MORE underground than before. While many of the classic metal albums were distributed by big shops and labels, for many years there has existed more and more independent black metal culture. No longer you need to advertise in metal magazines or be distributed by some music companies or do releases on big labels. Now so many "fans" have the label and distro, and it's all from black metallers to black metallers, without businessmen in middle taking the cash. New forms of communication has created possibility for even smallest labels to be able to promote their releases without depending on anybody else. I'd say that there are more tapes being released than ever before. But at the same time more of everything. I don't know personally people who download mp3 and don't buy original releases etc. This kind of people is not my concern. It is their loss, not mine.

12. "Evil speech" says, that people, who work in UGBM bands, don´t like other styles. I saw one article, which was oriented against black metal, where man write about controversial manifestation in face of other styles through bands like Vlad Tepes, etc. Your figure isn´t that indicate, you play also in bands of other style (Stabat Mater, Grunt,.). What do you think about various dissensions between backing of this or that style? Shouldn´t metalists stand by their?

What people listen is their business. The old school 100% metal only attitude, or the 2nd wave "black metal only" attitude is fine with me. If someone feels they get everything they need from that, is there reason to look for more? If such people consider themselves superior because they listen 100% metal, I'm merely humoured. There are many genres of music what walk hand in hand with certain sides of black metal in content/aesthetics/lyrics/culture and so on. If their validity is discarded merely because of different sound, what does that tell about the person? I rather experience the subject matter as a wholeness, than just the scratch the surface with particular genre of sound.

13. You hold the view, that female vocals don´t belong into black metal - it legendary proclaimed also Czech Maniac Butcher. Could man also say, that you don´t receive any of that bands?

I don't hold this view (at least anymore, don't remember if I've said so). You can simply listen bands like Tymah (hun), Nuclear Death (usa), Derketa (usa), Demonic Christ (usa), and so on and hear by yourself. Bands like Nuclear Death belong to same category in pioneering brutality as Blasphemy or such. But of course it is true that in general, there is very little use for females within the underground. Many exceptions, still underline the rule.

14. Thanks for interview, which I tactless persecuted you with, I hope, that you like our questions and doors of Czech Republic will be always open for news about band!

Thanks for interview. www.cfprod.com/nh