Q&A: Apocalyptica

Friday, 02 July 2010 12:31

Apocalyptica first conquered Metallica covers with trembling strings and unorthodox melodies. This time around, the Finnish symphonic metal band overcomes any restraints with a genuine passion for music.

By Nicole La Hoz

These Finns are well-equipped: three trained cellists and a rampant drummer. Since experimenting with Metallica songs at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland, Apocalyptica has graduated from classically transforming metal hits to constantly reinventing its own genre. Their latest album, 7th Symphony, out August 24, is a wide compilation of the band’s talents. The chilling strings make it light on the ears, but the band also rips through its cellos and battering drums. Some songs, like first single “End of Me,” feature it all (along with vocals by Bush’s Gavin Rossdale). The video premieres today (June 2).

Cellist Perttu Kivilaakso was able to talk with us about his American experience and how classically trained musicians create metal tracks while keeping an open mind.

So, how excited are you guys for the video premiere?

We are really, really excited. It’s great to work with a wonderful artist like Gavin. He’s a really cool singer, good looking guy [and] extremely nice person. “End of Me” was obvious as a single for us because it’s most close to stuff we’ve recorded earlier with the previous album. The first impression for the audience would be not too surprising, but there’s still a twist. It has something cool—something scary—in the sound.

Yeah, I listened to some of the album, and it still sounds like Apocalyptica, but it’s pretty catchy. Where did this album’s inspiration come from?

Doing tracks that bring the elements further. It probably sounds more brutal than ever in contrast to that. The classical moments should be so classical that you can’t even say it has anything to do with popular music. It’s all of those things. We concentrate in creating strange sounds, having weird effects and everything else. You hear cello that has been played with all of these things, like screaming, vomiting and farting.

Talking about classical music, some of my friends are big fans and most want to know how you guys went from being classically trained to basically dominating every song possible?

I think the classical background gives us a lot of benefit in this because we have that world so strongly inside us, but of course, we’ve had to study and create a complete new way of playing cello and it’s one of the most pleasant things to do—always creating something that you cannot hear or study anywhere. It’s really a challenge and a cool thing.

What do you guys try to improve on with every album?

We try to overdo the limits that we have been with on the previous one. We wanted to make this kind of approach with the music this time. The album sounds angrier than [previous] years, but it doesn’t mean we’re angrier persons at the moment. It’s just shouting with a full rage and laughing at the same time, feelings that comes from my mind, and that’s how we recorded. It was a really, insanely good mood.

I read how you guys wanted to work on listeners not thinking, “This is good, but where are the lyrics?” So how do you come up with the music? The instrumentals?

I actually have always thought that instrumentals have the most amount of words because if you tell a story with lyrics, it excludes everything else out. Everybody basically creates their own way of having the feeling of what the music tells them and different pictures.

And how is touring going for you guys?

This year we haven’t played so much, but we already have been in the states for a couple festivals and to shoot a couple more videos. And then there will be a bigger U.S. tour in August/September after the [album] release. It’s always so nice to go on tour with a new album. That’s the biggest and most exciting challenge: to bring new material, new songs and see that reaction.

What’s touring in the U.S. like? You don’t see too many symphonic bands around.

It’s really fun and many people in the U.S. probably haven’t ever heard of our country. It’s cool to see that we’re so far away from each other, but sharing the same enthusiasm for rock music. Music is a common language. It doesn’t matter where people come from, what’s their color, what language they speak.

What do you guys typically do before or after shows?

Before, we drink a lot of energy drinks and, afterward, eat pizza. There aren’t any strange rituals, except concentration. I like to have freedom before the gigs to kind of make myself go into the mood of performance. It doesn’t need any other rituals. Normally on tours, we have quite a hectic schedule—might be some radio show or interviews and all these things. It’s not too much waiting.

What’s been your favorite song to cover so far?

My ultimate is “Angel of Death” of Slayer on the compilation CD. Slayer has been one of my absolute favorite bands since a kid and “Angel of Death” is surely one of the most legendary songs of theirs. It has been extremely difficult to play on the cello. “Inquisition Symphony” has always been close to my heart. It always brings you to a different dimension, different world.

The band has accomplished so much already. What’s something that you all still want to do?

I’m always thinking the biggest challenge—the most ultimate goal—I’d like to think is to still keep this going on for years, and years and tens of years. The challenge in this group is to maintain the relationship and friendship of members and to have the enthusiasm to write music.

Well that’s about it. Is there anything else you want to add or anything I should’ve asked?

I can’t say enough of the U.S. I was so surprised when we came for the first time to the states five to six years ago. We didn’t know how the reaction would be. When you see it—wow! It’s such a strong mood in the audience. That’s  just humbling—the fact that we have the possibility to play that stuff to the audience. There is no words to describe that.