1.Hailz Timi... could you please introduce your band to our readers?
- Heorot is a Finnish metal band which combines Scandinavian mythology and troll themes in their songs. You can also hear folk influences in the music. In this first album Ragnarök there`s been used lots of tin whistles. Nowadays the band has six members: Tipi-Vocals, guitars and whistles, Kimi-Bass, Mikko-Drums, Karri-Guitars, Krago-Synths and A.P.-Guitars. Three guitars was good choice because now band sounds like thunder.
2.What's happened with with the band's founder (and how he passed away)?
- The founder of the band Teemu "Modsognir" Ollikainen passed away in 5th of January 2006. It was a big lost to the band.
3.Why you choose the name "HEOROT"? Has this name some special meaning?
- The name of the band has been changed many times. Name Heorot was Teemu`s choice. Heorot is a great mead hall which you can find in story Beowulf. Our song called Pyhä simasali "Holy mead hall" tells about it. The name is good because our training place is a one hell of a mead hall.
4.In my opinion "Ragnarok" is an masterpiece of the "so- called" "Folk- Viking" genre. My personal favorite tracks are "Ristirekti", "Piha Simasali"and "Yo jahti". Have you some favorite track?
- It`s hard to say. All those songs are great in their own way. If I have to choose one I think that is Ragnarök. The song includes lots of energy, its easy to play and song truly sounds like Ragnarök. That`s my opinion.
5.Can you tell me something about the cover art of "Ragnarok"?
- Cover art is made by our friend Sami Vitikainen. He has done our earlier cover arts also. Sami draw those covers based to my ideas and he did it well. You could say that Sami is our own cover artist. Pictures are our view of the Ragnarök. Two creatures in the cover shows both sides of the Ragnarök
6.How this record took place? And how has the option of the studio and the producer?
- We had made two demos and we had had good feedback of them. Thats why we got few inquiries from publishers about making a full album. We had enough songs ready and so we took the chance. In the middle of the recordings the publisher changed and so we started co-operation with Stygian crypt productions. We recordd the album in our own studio called Auringon hauta. I recorded this album with my friend Ode from the band Cold Meat Society. He is such a wizard in recordings and we were lucky to get Tonmi Lillman (Ajattara, Kylähullut, Vanguard) to finish the album.
7.Are you satisfied with the work done by your label? Why you choose the Russian label?
- The co-operation with Stygian crypt has worked like we expected. It is great to work with the man who knows what he is doing. He has organized distributors to the album and is dealing a marketing to abroad. Why we chose Russian label? We were recommended to Stygian by the guy who was supposed to be publish our album originally so you could say that the label chose us.
8.Are you mainly in the Nordic mythology or generally interested in mythological themes?
- It is mainly Nordic mythology what we are interested in. You can find
incredible stories from there and we want to keep them alive. Old
Scandinavian culture is the reason why Heorot exists. It hasn`t been
difficult to draw the lines to the themes because we are from
9.What is the main difference between band's two previous demos and the album "Ragnarok"?
- Everything in this album has been done better. There is big difference between demos and full-length. Demos are just demos and sounds were worst than full-length which had professional people in making process. This is just my opinion, i`ve heard that some listeners think that demo Yö jahti sounds like the "true" Heorot. During recording album Ragnarök we played better and drinked more.
10.
- I see big difference between pagan and antichristian ideologies because they deal with totally different religions. We are focusing in this pagan thing because it is a big part of Nordic culture history from the time before christians. Musically BM and pagan bands have some same details.
11.How do you compose your songs? And who is the band's main lyrics writer and music composer?
- I have done the most of the composing but Kimi and Krago have also done melodies. I have done demo versions of my songs which I have played to others. We do songs by jamming also. Teemu has done almost all lyrics to the album Ragnarök but nowadays I do the lyrics.
12.What band is, to you, the most influential band ever? Which band was the first band that made you interested in Folk- metal?
- There is so many. Of the foreign bands I could mention is Jethro Tull. Personally I dont listen folk metal so much but I think that the first band that I got interested in was Falkenbach.
13.What about your future plans (as Heorot)? What can we expect in near future from you?
- I hope that there will be lots of gigs in
14.Thanx for your time and interview... these last lines are yours...
- Thank you! Go and get new album Ragnarök, drink more and keep your axes high! Hakkaa päälle pohjanpoika!! Tipi/Heorot
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