Interview with Sulphur, frontman of the Finnish band Urn
Sulphur, how about the roots of Finnish black metal and how did it start to develop? Was it pioneering by bands, such as Archgoat, Beherit, Impaled Nazarene etc.?
All going well i guess. I actually think there are quite a lot bands been coming through all these years. Basic black metal is quite boring for me and i do not follow that stuff that much. Why to even call it black “metal” when there is metal completely missing and its more likely reminding some folkish or some other weird elements. Oh! Let me correct..we have Sacrilegious Impalement, one the bands who understands that even black metal needs some real metal elements to keep it aggressive. I am very isolated and antisocial at times and especially when doing own music I do not listen nothing else than own riffs. Whenever I need to ”clean my ears” I just listen something old bands as usual. Boring isnt it!? Ha! Well, I just cant go with the flow and I need to find the bands that is real black Metal for me. But like you said in your question, those are THE BANDS here!
During the late ’80s a lot of many death metal bands started popping up as well, such as Abhorrence, Convulse, Demigod, Sentenced, Phlegethon etc., what were your views of it?
Yeah late era of thrash metal started fading away and death metal started being more on the top before second wave of black metal started to hit.I like and still like old death metal bands. Actually speaking more about the past is astonishing how many things turned in to different style in just few years, in todays world it basically can be time in between the albums that band release. Like for us it has been 5 and half years since previous album so we don’t even know what world we live in but for sure when we are around its always a wrong timing. Completely. We have been born under the bad stars or something but you know, in 5 and half years break in between and releasing an album and noticing the whole scene have faded away. In 80’s that was even harder, lets see how it goes todays world!
Do you think, that the single most influential medium on the country’s burgeoning death/black scene was Klaus Flaming’s weekly radioshow Metallilitto (The Metal Union)?
Oh that was pretty awesome radio show. I just checked and he started it in 1990 and kept it up until 2006 and he did over 750 shows. Quite a few so to say. It was also tape trading and writing letters around the world how to get to know bands and get contacts. Good old days. Before metalliliitto in radio was other program but seems like getting old I have completely forgot name of the program. It was my childhood times and always listening to it and put record on whenever they started play something and it was some seconds of listening should I keep the rec on or rewind and wait for the next song to come.
In my opinion Unholy is/was the most unique outfit at this point…
I was very much into their first two albums. But yeah, Finland has some bands that were essential part of the scene and unique world wide.
Was the ingenuity and ambition of the Finnish death metal movement simply an early example of the metal underground’s freewheeling spirit?
We probably have our own kind of anxiety as we have these polar nights, cold winters and real four seasons(knock knock). Also we have quite a huge economical ups and downs. Don’t know have we never been really up but you know, on the edge all the time. All these probably effect creative minds and that can end up in various results and the good thing is its more likely own style in stead of falling to a trap to go with the same flow as swedes did. So all in all..we can be proud.
Do you agree with, that the number of bands playing in black metal in Suomi can be compared to the infinite cosmos and the Finnish black metal is characterized by sharp rock riffs, recognizable melody, cold sound and tragic atmosphere?
No. I do not agree just simply because I am not a fan of Finnish black metal that much so I could agree. I just find too much similarities in every band which makes it more plastic and recycled. Few bands I can easily say and agree are Impaled nazarene,archgoat and beherit. I still listen those bands at times..something that Finland can be proud of. But speaking about more there was cool bands in 90’’s. Some still active some not but I never was a real fan of that stuff..
Urn was formed during the winter of 1993 and it seems the line up consisted of you on vocals, guitars, bass and Mikko „Pimeä” Äimälä on drums, how did you get together? Were you maybe good friends and you shared the same musical taste?
Actually right at the beginning there was two guitarists, vocalist and a drummer. I wanted to make a real band and I was friends with the singer and had a same taste in music especially impaled nazarene and beherit were on a constant repeat. We were just looking for a drummer and you know, metal scene in every town is not that big that there would not be someone who plays drums or at least knows someone who plays drums. So thats how it happened, get to know him through a friend and talked about to do a band.
Is it correct, that the early line ups of Urn consisted mainly of the members of a band called Devil’s Power?
Ah! Many doesn’t know this but you have read some info about my past. Seems like. Devils power was just actually my childhood thing. I wanted to do a band so I figure out the name and made some lyrics, maybe a bit playing a bass but never really got any songs out. I had some friends and we played something very little together but nothing never came out. It was just few rehearsals with no bigger goal. I think the very first vocalist of urn was involved in those rehearsals. So time wasn’t right then I guess, ha! Well, we were really young as well!
The first rehearsal tapes were recorded shortly after the foundation, can you give us any details regarding them?
We had a band and rehearsal place and few very first songs to start and we were just composing songs. Me and the other guitarist had some riffs that we just started to compose together at rehearsals. Actually I think the other guitarist had a one riff and I composed a song around that riff and then I did 2 or 3 songs and we just had cassette player, put the rec on and tested how it sounded and made some fixings where to spot the recorder and how to isolate it from a noise that was surrounding the whole room. AS far as I remember we wrapped a mattress around recorder to make sound somehow listenable. It was just a rehearsal but we did few copies and spread it out to friends.
The band was put on-hold for a few years due to yours and Pimeä’s involvement in Barathrum, what were the reasons of it?
Barathrum had already some name in our hometown and it was kind of a cool opportunity for us to play in the band so we were honoured to play in. We rehearsed quite a lot and just somehow we wanted to focus on it and didn’t even talked about doing Urn material.
In 1997 Urn released their very first official promo tape, which was recorded at the infamous Perkele studio in Kuopio, Finland and you were joined by bassist Kaitsu „Infernus” Pekkarnen, how did he get in the picture exactly and how would you describe the stuff?
We all three were playing in barathrum and seems more likely time to move on. We had some issues with the band and we all made a decision to step out. I had already some riffs and brought them to a rehearsals. I think at very first we did again some sort of rehearsal record by using a cassette player.hmm..maybe 4 or 5 songs on it. Then we just wanted to book some studio time to make a very first own release.
Did this material establish Urn’s name in the underground?
By tape trading and posting flyers through letters we started promoting the stuff and of course send it out to some labels as well. All tapes were copied at home. It was quite busy time to sit at home and just record the songs from tape to another tape. Of course sound quality was getting poor and we had to use a new cassette to make a copy again..oh wait.. we did some sort of official print at the very beginning. Lets say 50 or something. Then kept it up till 200 hand numbered copies by recording it to blank cassettes.
After a couple line-up changes, you started performing live gigs as three-piece band which led to a first record deal with Dutch label Damnation Records in 1998, were there perhaps also other label’s interests in the band?
We started as three piece yes and there was no line up changes. I think spreading tapes via letters reached them as well. We got a few replies from other labels too. Some were interested but not swallowing the first bite so to say. Daan wanted to release promo as they way it was so we couldn’t complain. We were happy as young boys can be. Having a band and getting a record deal,ha!
How do you judge your co-operation with them in retrospect?
It was cool. Sending letters, internet started coming up, e mail was a futuristic thing and easy to have a contact. For me it was a bit surprise that were actually gonna quit as a label and the scene already knew it, we aint. It was a record deal, so can complain.
Urn entered the studio to record their very first full-length which was created in only two days and in 2001 666 Megatons saw the light, why did you have so little time? Didn’t the label invest enough money in the recordings?
Budget was exactly what it was. Back in the days we couldn’t afford to book studio time on week days. Weekends were possible to that place as it was more likely city owned place that was used by employers of city. during Monday to Friday. So it was only possible to book for the weekend for a fair price. Basically it was a weekend with no sleep to keep the schedule possible to make everything recorded. Insane way as in these days I could never imagine to do an album in one weekend. But that was the way at that time. Many bands just weren’t made from money but it was cool and something like hmm..lets say..”to record the very moment”
How did Ville „Tuska” Tapio end up becoming the new drummer?
I moved to another town because of studies and the boys had their second band called flame. It was rough to travel 600 kilometers every weekend to visit ex hometown so I told the boys wouldn’t it be easier that we continue in our own ways.
By the way, how did the recording sessions go?
It was quite draining but still being young we managed to make everything. Shitloads of mistakes and stuff to fix but that was the flow. We didn’t care, more likely thought its cool have some mistakes and keep the recording real. First full length is still something that I would like to record again as there is a lot to add and even more that should have fixed but it is what it is. That really was the flow then and nothing can be done anymore.
Do you think, that the songs consist of full-speed blasts of slightly blackened thrash with very simple structures?
Yes. After all these years would be nice to redo all those songs and see how they would be. But on the other hand, has there ever been coming any better by recording and arranging songs again? Better to leave as they are and see personal path as a musician to goo slightly up step by step. As long as you are faithful for the work you do all should be good!
Practically there are no mid-paced or slow sections and the album is very intense, isn’t it?
Probably we are still speaking about the debut full length? Well, its a bit boring album it should need at least some kind of different leads as they all are missing that makes the whole album a bit flat.
In 2004 Urn recorded a split album with Decayed, which was specially recorded with an 8-track, directly followed by Dawn Of The Devastation in 2006 and Soul Destroyers two years later, how do you view these records? Did you start developing compared to the early materials?
Yeah, if you listen they are a bit step forward with the each album, production just sucks but once again, we just went with the flow. Soul destroyers was recorded in a proper studio and probably that was the first record we were satisfied with the sound and how it came out. Of course there is always something to complain about something but lets not chop the dots here. It is quite different world to understand the sound and how everything should be, if the sound engineer have no clue about the band how it should be in the end it can be completely desaster. So its important to use professional studios or the guys who know this world way better than us!
The busiest years in the band’s career followed with extensive tours all around the globe, how about those shows?
Well, in the past we played quite much but after release of soul destroyers drummer and guitarist wanted to step away from the band. I had some motivation problems as well, mostly things in personal life led me to put the activities down. But yeah, some nice tours and cool gigs around the Europe. We haven’t played outside of Europe so around the globe is a bit too much said but what the hell we are still alive and new album is about to come out so lets see what happens. Well let me say. Nothing actually happens so I keep on doing the things I do and don’t give any thoughts to play shows.
After years of playing live and several line-up changes, low motivation and lack of interest kicked in and all members of Urn were focusing on several other musical (solo) projects, what were the problems in general?
I dont actually know what was the main reasons for all this. Maybe we were at the point with the band that we should have build things up but instead what happened was guys leaving the band..there was a bit of a feeling that this is going too much and stay in underground would be better.
Would you say, that with Janne „Revenant” Jokinen joining Urn in 2011, the time felt right to start the engines of the band once again?
Janne joined couple of years before we even did any rehearsals, think it was around 2011 when we started to talk about doing Urn. It took several years until first rehearsals. Well, I was busy with family and work so for those reasons things ”expanded” a bit.
First rehearsals were scheduled, and the creation of brand-new music was in full swing, so the brand-new release The Burning was born in 2017 and with it, new motivation and inspiration that made URN stronger than ever before, do you agree with it?
Well, for some years I tried to do something completely different stuff as I am still doing that but it faced lot of problems and I just fed up to fight against the windmills and got back with Urn.
Why was Mika Pusa used only a session guitarist?
Damn. Now we go way back in time that I don’t even remember how did all went. As far as I. Remember he never played any shows with us. Probably we did few rehearsals only. At that time I was working at tattoo shop and he was hanging around there weekly. Somehow from that we started talking with him to play guitar for Urn. Damn, i am getting old, I don’t remember that much about that issue. So i gave you the info as I remember it, rest is buried by time.
Since the releasing of Iron Will of Power you are by Seasons of Mist, but how do you explain, that the previous Urn records were released by different/several labels?
We were signed to Dynamic arts records for soul destroyers, we had a deal for a few albums more but the label quit completely. Its a bit hard to say why different labels, maybe I have just been opening new doors and seeing what is about to come or just burned bridges behind and try to land on somewhere,haha!
It seems, that since 2020 you have a stabile, constant line up…
Never cry a wolf! Well, the line up at the moment are stronger than ever, I hope it lasts but I have no crystal ball to see what is around the corner. We aint immortal so we never know what is going to happen as it seems past ten years the whole world been shaking and by the lack of strong leadership or politics lots of things are just going like a boat in a storm with no proper engine to sail on a safe waters.
This year you released a nice compilation Morbid Death and Birth of Unreleased Nightmares and brand new record Demon Steel will be released, give us please all of the most important informations about them!
Yeah, finally something ”new” also! Super happy with co operation with Osmose Productions so far as all back catalogue re released through them. ”Morbid death” have some nice unreleased studio sessions which was quite nice add overall. Demon steel was recorded over a year ago. We were thinking to use the same studio for the third time(Wing Studios, Stockholm) but some schedules were tight in the band and we couldn’t travel to sweden to record it. I was looking some studios from here with very tight schedule and luckily we found Oxford studios near Turku. Studio was very cool, old and big house in a countryside with nicely builded rooms for editing, recording and so on. Some old school games in the kitchen(pinball). The day when we started recordings outside temperature was -28. Studio guys started to heat the house two days before actual recordings. Electricity been expensive in past years(all over seems like) so the house was mainly warmed by the woods. Takes some time to get decent temperature in the house. Anyways, nice experience, Tomi Uusitupa doing excellent job, having a personal drum technician from the house, janitor warming up the sauna every night for us . (Small separated building at the yard in middle of nowhere, perfect). We used couple of weekends for recording all stuff. So far nothing to complain, curious to hear response when album been out for some time. Buuuut on th eother hand, people aint buying physical copies that much, oh wait! Special greetings to the ones who still buy and keep the scene alive!! Mostly seems like people listen bands from YouTube and songs or even an album lives maybe couple of weeks and thats all.
What are your plans for the near future?
I am recording my solo material at the moment so plan is to put few songs out and trying to get a deal and do an album. Thats the minting at the moment. Two shows booked for this year in Finland for Urn, one show maybe coming up in Sweden. So far that’s the news, boring, right?!
Sulphur, thanks a lot for your answers, what are your closing words for our readers?
Oh. Thanks for the interview! It was a pleasure to chat with you. Go and check the latest Urn album and also watch out my solo material ”Graves” to come. Never stop the madness!!
