Hail, how are things going with Burialmound?
A.Sääksniemi: I guess all is going really fine right now. We are not having any major difficulties or such, and our first album is in coming. So, after all everything seems to be settled and organised for the near future.

You were formerly known under the name Utgard and you did two black metal demos that were quite different from Burialmound's Black/Death metal. What made you change your style?
A.Sääksniemi: That have been a common question. Yes, in fact we our style differ a lot from what we’ve been in before. This melodic Black metal thing that we were doing back in 1997 just lost it’s feeling and I simply came up with a few different sounding songs, and the other guys liked them a lot. So, it was just something natural from us - finding the real style that we’ve been searching during these years. Now, it feels nothing but great when it’s easy to compose new tracks, and get the whole souls into the music.

Are you satisfied with the current style of the band or do you think your music will develop even further in the future?
A.Sääksniemi: Yes, we’re satisfied to this style. We’re not intend to change it to any specific direction or such. Natural development is still that will always be, and I’m not denying that we won’t have any kind of development, but I think we won’t have any of “big leap” with Burialmound, because we’re always doing aggressive metal music with this band. Also we won’t just create “difficult” sounding songs, because of that difficulty. You know, most of the bands are just brassing with their playing skills and forgetting how to play good music and create good songs. Music that comes naturally is really easy to be noticed, and it’s usually leads to quality. I think that people have found from us - naturality and honesty.

It's almost a year now since I got your "Horror" 7"EP and it took a while before I started seeing it in distros. Has it sold well so far, do you get a lot of feedback on it?
A.Sääksniemi: The most common thing we it haven’t been in any distros is that we haven’t been promoting our band at all(label had done it, and I think mostly in Sweden). If band plays good music and the people like it, even big promotion won’t be needed. I mean that because the pressing of that ep was limited as it was, it’s fact that just handful will get it in their hands. And usually when the promotion is coming only from fans mouths, the right people that appreciate this music and really wants this ep will get it to their bloody hands. Obviously still we have nothing against bigger promotion, but this time we felt it wasn’t needed just because of this little pressing and having some more underground spirit on that ep. Nobody seems to have respect that spirit anymore. It’s still lives in the more poor countries and it’s the only way how people get familiar with metal music.

Speaking of horror, do you watch a lot of movies/read books on this subject? What are your favourites?
A.Sääksniemi: Yes, I’ll watch horror movies a lot. Zombie related movies are the best ones from horror genre, and the other more “insane” stuff is great too. I would recommend to everyone likes of: Return of the living dead(all), Evil dead(all), Nekromantik 1&2, Lucio Fulci’s films and David Argento’s stuff too. Man, there’s so fucking many great horror movies around, but I’ll still stay out of these new shit films that are riding with their predecessors. Damn, my time is very limited now for watching at any movies, but it sure is a great entertaining pleasure.

Will there be more vinyl releases from you in the future? Will your albums be out on vinyl too?
A.Sääksniemi: Definitely yes! Vinyl fits better into metal and rock music because of it’s more distorted sound. As these styles are common with their rawness and intensity it’s bloody sure that this “black disc” will not be dead for a long time! And our album will come also as vinyl somewhere in the near future. So you all vinyl freaks, get it!

So far the 7" remains as the only release from Burialmound, but you have already gotten a deal and the debut album should be out early next year. Are you satisfied with the deal you got? What can we expect from the album?
A.Sääksniemi: The deal seems ok. And the label Sound riot and the guys behind it are totally dedicated to their bands and it’s not hard to see that they love their work straight from their hearts. I’m sure that we made a right decision by choosing them. About the album; we tried to make a hell of a good concept out of it. There’s many songs that links to each other merely with their lyrics, but also in couple of songs there are some musical remainders too. So, it’s easy to jump in to our world and try to catch the feelings that surround it. Though our song structures would at first listen sound a little complicated, but certain things are never meant to be revealed at the same time.

Your music is pure metal, no techo or other crap mix. Are you "metal-only" or do you listen to other styles of music as well?
A.Sääksniemi: Well, I’m not a “metal only” person for what I listen to, but metal music itself always looses it’s effectiveness when it’s messed with all the other styles that doesn’t sound metal at all. I’ve never heard brutal metal stuff within these symphonic shit bands! I listen to all kinds of music styles(Metal, Jazz, Proge, Rock, Pop, etc. etc.) and I have learned to find out the bands that are honest with their music and they doesn’t care about what others say about them. They are just playing for their own will and for the crowd that enjoy them.

What bands could you say have influenced you most, what are your all-time favourites?
A.Sääksniemi: Man, you’re hitting hard now. There are so many good bands in the world that I can’t give you a few specific bands only. It’s so damn hard to say that where does this all inspiration comes from. I must admit that of course some influences must come from some metal bands, but still I don’t have any bands in my mind when I’m f. ex. writing a song to us. We haven’t nearly ever played other bands songs, and when I play guitar by myself, I’ll just play what’s on my mind. So, it’s hard to say any the most influential bands to us out there. Ok, here are some of my favourites: Morbid angel, Nick Cave, Anathema, W.A.S.P., Tom Waits, Tiamat, Pink Floyd, Ministry, Mayhem, Autopsy, Fields of the Nephilim and many, many more.

You seem to have made a few gigs already. What has it been like, do you enjoy performing live?
A.Sääksniemi: Actually we haven’t been playing live that much. The problem was that we haven’t a live bassist before, so it was quite obvious to remain as “studio band”. Last gig was in Ragnarock II metal fest in Turku, Finland and it went quite fine, though sounds sucked really bad. We’ll probably start playing live more after the release of that debut cd.

Any bands you would especially like to see live or even play with?
A.Sääksniemi: That must be DarkThrone or Turbonegro. What band should we play with? I think that Judas Priest should be warming up the crowd before we hit the stars.

What do you think of the current Finnish metal scene? Are there any bands here you look up to or that you would like to point out?
A.Sääksniemi: I haven’t heard any single good band from Finland in many years. So, I must say that current Finnish scene is quite bad with uttermost unoriginal bands… They’re just faceless - always few years late from Swedish and Norwegian ones. And the bigger bands are just doing this fucking hit music and trying to please everyone with their ultra honey stuff. When you listen one time of these records, you’re full of stupid joyful melodies that you won’t get rid of - it’s the same as in some euro techno bands, that just make melodies which everyone remember after first listen and are easy to hang with. Therefore I had lost interest to even check any new bands anymore. I guess it’s better to please myself with these old records. There’s sure enough of them.

Speaking of Finland, have you all already done your military service or did someone choose civil service? Any reasons for the decision?
A.Sääksniemi: I’m doing civil service right now. Reason was simple why I chose it; I get hell of a more time rehearsing with our band, because I’m in my home town and just going into some normal work. Actually I’m working in library, which is a really great place to be in. The other reason is just as simple as the first; I’m not kind of person that likes to be “one with the mass”. I’m a individualist(or whatever), and I just get mad being in this kind of slaveries. It’s same as in religious matters - fucking life prisons!

You have a very satanic image like most black metal bands. Is the message in your music very important to you or is the music still the main thing?
A.Sääksniemi: Yes, the message is also somehow very important. It links the music and lyrics, and all that surrounds the band. It’s the whole essence behind the closed doors, the reign of our souls. Still, we’re not having straight satanic message or preaching in our attitude, but we’re dealing it as a subject and it’s have been the part of this whole thing from the start, and we’re not gonna leave it behind. As I have stated before: “we’re above all slaveries and are not dealing just with a single subject”.

Where do you get the inspiration for your lyrics?
A.Sääksniemi: I’m not responsible from them, so it’s pretty hard to say exactly the right answer. Anyway, I think that the process is pretty much the same as for I doing and arranging the musical material. As he(T.Sääksniemi) is my brother, we share some same thoughts and sometimes are living in the same level. So, it’s very easy to combine the right lyrics to the right song, I think. I’ll get the greatest part of the inspiration from my life, and all the things surrounding it. I’m sure he does that way too mostly.

Your opinions on the undrground scene today, is it in your opinion worse than ever like I so often hear people say, has it changed a lot since you started with Utgard?
A.Sääksniemi: That’s hard to say, because I haven’t been so busy in underground lately. Here in Finland it seems to be dying, as there are these new ways of promotion and communication; like this internet and mp3’s. I think the nostalgy has gone from it and nobody doesn’t respect it anymore(at least here in Finland). For my sake it’s impossible to arrange enough time to be active in it, because of the band and work. Has the UG changed? Yes, It was really different when we started - there wasn’t so many brutal bands around, and only a handful of fans. But maybe it was better then, when it was far from media. Still as I said, I give all the respect to it, and we’ll always will feed true underground fans with some vinyl releases etc., because it’s still breathing and living in other lands.

Is Burialmound your only band or are there other bands you play in too?
A.Sääksniemi: Yes, this is my only band, and I’m not having any projects on my mind right now. It’s not what seems to be important at the moment.

Anything you would like to add?
A.Sääksniemi: Actually nothing particular - I think I ended up answering long slogans this time. Ok, I recommend you all to check out our previous ep “horror”, if you want something brutal stuff. Also the forthcoming album should be entertaining experience. Deny the god!

For more info on Burialmound check out their Homepage
Record label: Sound Riot

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