Here is an interview w/ Johannes of Elenium. Formed in 1995 with a demo "This Side of Paradise" released in 1998 & have some mishap with HellaRecords...Now they are working on new materials & continually evolving...Their vision is to create a songs that have the energy of swedish Gothenberg metal and blend it with some atmospheric classical melodies. They have played more than 30 gigs in Finland supporting such bands as Childern of Bodom, Gandalf, Soulgrind & others. Their music are harnessed from loneliness, despair, love, hate, longing, fear, pain & grief, or as they call it the 'dark side of the world & their minds'. Now, read more about them & have a glimpse in the piece of their minds...

Terve Johannes & to all of ELENIUM! How is everybody? Have you have another guitarist already? 

Hello! Everything is fine at camp Ele, if we don’t count that we haven’t trained about a month, because of "still under construction" rehearsal camp, thanks for asking. Yes, we have found a new guitarist, a talented one. He call him self KASPERI HEIKKINEN.

Elenium is Jukka Pelkonen - vocals, Johhanes Salo - keyboards, Tommi Leinonen - guitars, Mikko Niemela - drums & Toumo Raisanen - bass. Is this still the line-up today? What can you say about each others character, either personal & musical? Are you all friends even before the band is formed? 

Yes, it is our line-up + Kasperi, and hopefully will be. I’m very satisfied to it. We get along very well, so big fight’s inner Elenium are very unusual. Everyone knows each of very well. We aren’t clones to others, but I’m too lazy to write about everyone’s every character. One major is that we all have friendly/agreeable personality. Jukka, Tommi and I were friends before Elenium. 

You called Elenium as a 'young promising band', you were formed in 1995 right?, bands formed in '98 & later I would call young. Anyway, how young are the members in terms of real age & age in metal? I mean, like for me I'm 29 years old (but I look like a teener! hehehe) & I've found metal in '86, so that makes me 15 years old in listening to metal. 

You are right. "young promising band" is a bit wrong concept. We should update our promotion letter… Time goes so fast. 

22 year old Tommi is oldest and rest of us are 21. I’m not sure the others, but I begin listen to some metal in year 89 or 90 and finally in year 92. All of us have grown with metal. 

Would you still tell what happened to your fucked-up release "This Side of Paradise" single with Hella Records? What lesson did you learn from that experience & how does that strengthen the band? 

Everything sounded great when we first time met a guy from HellaRecords. He told what connections they have, but when the single "This Side Of Paradise" was released the promoting weren’t what we expected. 500 copies were printed and we still have some of them. You couldn’t find it anywhere. Anyway, it has been many years for that, when we were last connected whit HellaRecords, so we have forgot all shitty things. The entire project was still great experience for us. We learned stuffs from the studio and everywhere. Making our music video from the track "Shades Of Grey" was also very interesting. HellaRecords said, they could produce also our debut album in near future. Well, we had to wait almost 1½ year after we heard that they don’t have possibility to pay all expenses, which comes to album recordings. It was hard time for us. 

Now you are working on new materials for an album. Will the tracks from your promo01 be included you album? Would you please give more info as the style or topics of the album & do you have a target date of release? 

We are working with our new material, but our plan is to record a new demo, not album. Of course our goal is to make an album. We have many songs ready, but without the support of some label, demo suits us better. Last year we financed our album recordings and it was big, big mistake. Anyway, new demo will include three killer songs and we will record it in near future. What comes to the songs on Promo01, we will record them again or not? Time will tell…

How about the promo01, is this still available? How can people get this & how much? How would you differentiate your new materials to this promo01? 

Promo is available at www.mp3.com/elenium. We released it as an unofficial release, so it’s available only in MP3 format. We have send CD’s only to zines, magazines and other media places. Forthcoming demo will have some brighter elements than promo and some killer solos from Kasperi. 

It’s hard to envision the result before the demo is ready. 

You have been tagged as a black metal band but you use your keys in a different way, that is, not only with the classical passages your keys have become aggressive as the general approach of your music. What can you say about people & bands who dislike the use of keys on metal? Since bands actually give themselves sub-genre titles, how would you call your style that you think will perfectly fit you?

There are some metal bands, which music could sound much better without the use of keys, so I understand totally those who hate keyboards. I listen a lot of bands, which don’t use keyboards. What comes to Elenium, we gain influences from many type of music so, It’s really hard to give any sub-genre titles to us. I still rather put us to death than black genre. 

 Finland is a cold country right? I mean with lots of snow? Have you tried running around naked in the snow, or better yet have a nice round of sex with your babe in the soft white snow? 

Finland is really cold country! I hate cold so, I’m too chilly to do those things what you mention. (I hate the cold too, so I like heating it up! Oh yeah..-roy)

Do you believe in heaven & hell, good & evil? How about religion or spiritual belief, do you have any? Do you agree that metal is a spiritual music? 

I believe to good & evil, but I say no to heaven & hell, Although, it would be nice to believe to those places. I don’t have any spiritual beliefs, but some metal could be spiritual. 

How would you describe your country to a guy like me who is at the opposite side of the world which is hot as hell? If I would have a chance to go there what places would you recommend me to go or visit? Finland has an awesome forest & wildlife & I've saw (in TV) there are some huge ant hills & people actually bet on how long they can sit at the top of the ant hill, have you've seen such event? Have you tried sitting on them ant hills? 

Sick! I haven’t tried that and I never will! 

Because you live in a country, what is warm all the time, you could come here in winter. One chance is that you stay in south Finland (e.g. Helsinki), but I recommend you to go north and a place called Lapland. There aren’t many people living, but you will find a lot’s of beautiful sights and silence. Also, you have to try the combination called "Sauna" + "hole". Sauna is a Finnish word and it means room, which is really, really hot. You have to sit there and then you jump to "hole", which is made to ice-covered lake, of course only in winter. That’s one way to learn how Finnish people spend their spare time. (Here in the Philippines, there's also a 'Sauna' + 'hole', where 'sauna' is a massage parlor & 'hole' is that of the masseuse where you can 'dip' the dick! Almost the same? Not quite, 'coz the 'hole' is hotter than the 'sauna'!!! ha ha ha..-roy)

How about the metal scene there, are there lots of gigs, zines & bands in your area? Would you mention bands that have caught your attention? How varied is the metal style in Finland? Are you infested with the rap-metal disease or you like that style? 

We have very interesting and varied metal scene over here. Not like Sweden, which have those "Gothenburg" sounded bands in every corner. Though it’s not bad thing at all, because my opinion is still that I like more Swedish than Finnish metal scene. Now everyone marked me as a Traitor. 

Back to Finnish scene. You most know our most famous bands, so try Holocaust or Omnium Gatherum. Both bands are unsigned. 

Then this ridiculous rap-metal wave…

I really don’t like it. It’s hard to believe that they have any metal roots. I think they have been only rap-guys. Then some stupid money maker brings the idea to mix heavy guitars to their beat? I don’t know…

Clawfinger was one of the few believable bands in that scene in early 90’.

You were trapped in the wilderness of snow, no food & water. Your companion has already died. Would you eat him to survive? What if he is still half-dead half alive, would you end his life? What if your companion is a gorgeous woman, would you fuck her before you eat her? 

HEH, HEH…well, well…I haven’t experienced that, but my whole body most be so frozen (at least my balls) that I can’t even move, so fucking won’t definitely work and I think my mind thinks only how to survive. That half-dead "beautiful" woman had to look terrible, so I don’t even wanted to. Also that eating thing… It’s hard to Identify to that barbaric destiny. 

Military service is compulsory to some countries. I think Finland is one such country. Do you hate it? What good that is give you as a person? Is it an asset to enhance mans killing capacity that we instinctly have?

Military Service to me was memorable experience. You learn to appreciate little things there and it’s nice to look back that time and laugh. 

It wasn’t the best time of my life when I was in the service, but I can’t say that I hate it. You have to fulfill it anyway. Finland is so little country that there’s no sense to choose hired-army.

What are the things you hate most about human nature? Do you curse or tell 'fuck you' to people who pisses you off? What are the things that makes you angry? How long do you carry your anger to a certain person? Do you think revenge is a best way rather than forgiveness? 

I fucking hate all fucking sycophant people and people which things only them self’s. Sometimes I do tell people what I really think of them, but it’s quite infrequently. I’m not a "long anger" person. It depends, revenge or forgiveness. 

You have written to me "Our goal is make our living by music". I need you to clear that up, do you mean you want to get "huge monetary gratification" from your music like rock stars do? 

No, No…It would be O.K. if I just could make my living without bog-standard 8.00-16.00 work. (Man you are lucky working 8.00-16.00, here I work 8.00-20.00 sometimes 22.00. And I still cant afford a 2nd wife! Ha ha..-Roy)

Are there other things that keep you busy except fucking your girlfriends or wives? Are any members into other bands or side projects or other stuff like zine making or labels? 

I have played keyboards in band called SOULSTREAM about a year. I have also my own projects, which are example classical stuff... Label is one of my future plans. Other members play only in Elenium. 

What is paradise to you? How would you describe you perfect world? Do you think our world could become like your paradise? 

I think, It could be nice to live in future. World is perfect when we have possibility to release our debut album. Heheheh!

I like to put 'From Within Chaos' from your promo01 to my UnderWorld Comp.#4. What can you say about that track to the readers. What is it about? Do you remember the inspirations that led you to create that track? 

From Within Chaos is quite an old song. It has changed a little during the years. I don’t remember much of that when we create it. Song feature riffs/ideas from every member of Elenium. I think it’s quite interesting one. 

Do you want to be immortal? What are your views about death? Do you believe that there will be life after it? Have you experienced a lost of a loved one? What comforting words would you tell to your loved ones if you can talk to them after death? 

Now when you ask about death, I most mention the case Chuck Schuldiner. So cruel destiny… He was one of mine biggest influential person in music. Anyway, I haven’t experienced a lost of a loved one. Theme death aren’t the coolest one so, I haven’t think much of it, but there could be life after death… It could be nice to born again, but I don’t want to be immortal.

This interview has to die now, so what will be your parting words? Don't hesitate to tell anything. Thanks & more power!!!

It was nice to answer to your questions, Roy. Also, I want to thank all readers, Please, visit http://www.mp3.com/elenium  and listen some of our tracks and beware, new demo should be out soon…

I'm having a hard time going to their website, I don't know what the hell is the problem 'coz I can go to other sites, anyway, do try it out. That's http://www.elenium.net or contact Elenium c/o Johannes Salo, Kukinkuja 10 A 21, 01620 Vantaa Finland. E-mail them at elenium_band@hotmail.com or job80@hotmail.com . Thanks Tuomo for sending your stuff! More power to all!!

Support the BANDS! Support UnderWorld & Everything UnderGround Metal!!! Support your local & the global scene!!

< Interview made & answered between month of December 2001 & upload date. Uploaded: Jan.13, 2002 >