A few years back it was already clear to us that Embassy of Silence has the potential for something big. Unfortunately the world didn't suck them in as expected though. Good things come to those who wait they say, and at once, Embassy of Silence are looming large with their freshly baked debut "Euphorialight". In all their modesty and sincerity we reined their current speed to catch up with guitarist Tero Kalliomäki and femme fatale-vocalist Ines Lukkanen.

 

The last time we checked on your doings was one and a half years ago. Since then things have changed quite vastly for EoS. We are approaching the release of your first debut album ”Euphorialight” and the Finnish music magazine Inferno graced you with a cover story. How does it feel to be a signed band now, almost ”from zero to hero”?

Tero: Thanks, I couldn't be much happier at the moment! Getting signed and appearing on the cover didn't really change anything inside the band; it's still making and performing good music that's most important to us. Now it just feels that our work is finally bearing fruit. It's been clear to me from the start that this band is going to become something, as soon as we find the right people to take us forward. We've already found at least two, our manager Matti Remes, and Johnny Hagel at our label, Supernova Records.

Ines: Sort of relieved, although I've always been very zen about our journey towards this point. I have a "fate happens to those who work hard" –kind of attitude with EoS, knowing that once I do my share everything that I know should happen, will happen. And so far it has.

Now that you are holding the copies of your debut in your hands, how satisfied are you in retrospective, any things you would do differently if you could?

Tero: It's hard to say if I'd want to change anything, now that the whole package just feels so goddamn good! Last week we got our own copies of the album, and I nearly spat out my coffee on the brand new CD, because the covers were so awesome. A thanks for them goes to Kalle Pyyhtinen (utudesign.net, Shamrain, Scarlet Youth -az). The only thing I've thought about is that since the record doesn't have any so-called "weak links" we could have cut five minutes from the total length and leave one track for an internet-single release.

Ines: I wouldn't change a thing. Sure, there must've been some doubts and hesitations during the process, but eventually everything has just clicked in place so nicely there's no room for complaints! Getting that debut album in my clutches was magical!

If you compare the writing process and input on “Euphorialight” to former outputs, what has changed?

Tero: The process itself has remained the same; I compose the basics with a guitar, bass and drum machine, and send these demos to Ines so she can make lyrics for them. She makes great melodies, and makes the lyrical arrangements herself. No worn-out melodies, but always something a bit twisted and original, which I like a lot. On this album the finished material ended up on the record almost as it was after brief rehearsing, whereas on the next one we're planning on giving the rest of the band more power to influence everything about the songs. It was really just the tight schedule that we didn't do much work on the songs with the band on "Euphorialight". The material may have more Metal and groove to them than on the demo EPs, although there's still plenty of the atmospheric stuff on the album, such as "The Mercury Lamp" and "Deadline Playtime", which both take influences from Anathema. The album got eight new songs composed solely for it, and the three remaining ones were picked up from the old demos.

It seems that you left your concept image / appearance behind, you come across more mature, balanced, but still mystical – also sound-wise. Would you agree and if so, what caused this change?

Tero: Hmm... I can't concur 100 percent. In our promo shots we did switch from moody settings to more laid-back imagery, but we will continue using different themes that are quite showy - we just don't want to get stuck with one type of pictures, but give the viewers something to mull over. It's good to think of what our "cheerful laughter"-promo shot will make true metalheads think. It's no use expecting more maturity out of us; if you can't handle infantile potty humor, don't bother playing in our band (laughs). The sounds on "Euphorialight" are automatically different than on the demos, because we wanted to make the album sound "bigger" as a whole, and fitted plenty of different moods into it, not concentrating on a few songs at a time, as usual.

Ines: I'm actually more inclined to agree - we have changed our image. Or maybe it's not so much a conscious decision, but evolving to a certain direction. We've had time to think about what we want to communicate to the world in terms of visuality and our music. Letting our sense of humor shine through has been a change to the better, however. Things don't have to be so darn serious all the time.

Your music often has a retro vibe to it, which is definitely not meant in a negative way. One might already say it is “Old School”, reminding of (Gothic) Rock/ Metal played in 2000-something. How modern is EoS?

Tero: Very un-modern, I'd say. At least the music I derive my influences is quite old or at least not very new - I just don't listen to newer music that much. Pink Floyd, The Doors, Tori Amos and old Death Metal classics run in my player most at the moment. And we don't really think about how we might sound like to others, we just do what sounds right to our own ears. Often while composing I do get the moment of "what the fuck, this isn't Metal! But let's ignore that, it sounds great." This happened, for example with ”Baron Samedi”. One doesn't hear a lot of Reggae in Metal music. There's a lot of hammond-stuff from the 70's on the album anyway.

Ines: The definition of Modern versus Old School is a bit fuzzy at best, when it comes to Metal with a progressive touch. I think we might not sound modern, but despite any influences that date back from the golden 70's I'd still say we always sound fresh.

Already the last time we talked about inspiration. On “Euphorialight” you continue your way of presenting many styles with genre untypical lyrics, far from clichés, telling beautiful and mysterious stories that captivate the listener, especially “Baron Samedi”. What inspired you this time while writing “Euphorialight”?

Ines: Oh, flattery will get you anywhere! I'd say that where I've always gotten my inspiration pretty much still applies. It's books, movies, feelings, settings, ideologies, concepts, whatever it is that captivates my imagination. Although maybe ”Euphorialight” has had a theme of human fixations, obsessions and perversions in a veiled manner - after all, it does feature themes such as cannibalism, arson, gambling, hedonism and envy, albeit that they are all a little romanticized to make them less obvious.

What is your personal favorite of the album, which one was the hardest to create and which one presents EoS best?

Tero: My personal favorite varies from week to week, and at the moment I'm infatuated with "Deadline Playtime". I love its extreme moodiness and beautiful atmosphere, catchy chorus and great guitars. The most challenging creation was, without a doubt, ”Baron Samedi”. Its chorus had to be modified several times, as well as having to change its difficult construction, but now that I listen to it, it's definitely one of the most original songs on the album. "Absinthe Eyes, Opium Words" might be the song to reflect EoS' music best, it has acoustic guitars and progressiveness as well as catchiness and direct Metal / Rock attitude, so it sounds like us!

Ines: If Tero's favorites change, I think I'm just undecided, having so many favorites it's impossible to pick just one. Although ”Absinthe Eyes, Opium Words” and ”I Ride Alone” strike a chord with me, in the end it might be ”Euphorialight” that takes the prize - and is the answer to the first two questions. I originally got the demo song almost ten months before we even began recording the album, and I just couldn't get the melodies right for the chorus. I tried several times, until I just decided to let it rest. It paid off; I just had to wait for the right kind of inspiration to do the amazing song some justice. As to which track represents us best, I'm agreeing with Tero. There's a little bit of everything there.

In how far does Ines’ sexy, strong and smart character affect the band and the entire band image?

Tero: Ines is our Peter Steele, rest in peace. She's got an equally big package and is as handsome as Conan the Barbarian. No, wait.. (laughs). Seriously, though Ines' strong, humorous and intelligent character is an asset to the band. She says a lot of what she thinks out loud, or on Facebook, as one should, and some people love her, some hate her. It's a bit awkward at times, when Ines has an answer to nearly everything, and you're just sitting there looking dumb when you don't know the population of Tadzhikistan's capital Dušanbe or something. But it's good to have a walking Wikipedia, "Inespedia", with us on our future tours! And who wouldn't want their frontwoman to be someone as sweet a gal as Ines (laughs).

EoS is a Finnish band. Do you think you also sound Finnish? There are certain stereotypes concerning Finnish music – which ones apply to you as well?

Tero: Hah, I just read a comment on Imperiumi.net, saying that we're as Finnish Metal as Finnish Metal can get! So that would mean that we sound exactly like Mokoma or Kotiteollisuus. I don't know if we sound Finnish or not, at least our vocalist can pronounce English right, so based on that we don't. Out of the bands of our fellow countrymen, we might have the most in common with Kingston Wall (a progressive Rock band-az), I can find clear similarities with my own compositions - especially on the song "Void".

Ines: I wish I knew what those stereotypes were, so I could reflect on them! I suppose a certain amount of melancholy would be something that is also present in our music?

The music business has become tougher and ties shorter. What makes EoS stand out?

Tero: The secret of EoS is our love for making music with variety, and the special chemistry inside our band... fate has been present. Ever since the beginning we've been on the same wave-length with Ines, and the rest of the members have been picked on the basis of other criteria than just musical ones. The newest addition to Embassy of Silence is Jarno from the band Kiana, and I can honestly say I feel this is the right combination of players to last a long time. It's also funny that Jarno heard one of our first demos play on the radio and immediately called me to compliment us... now he's in our band.

In case we are lucky and you have the chance to release further albums in the future – who would be your dream artist(s) to work with?

Tero: Hmm.. Thank you! I could mention three people: Vincent and Danny Cavanagh from Anathema, and ex-Gathering babe Anneke would be great to have on the album as guest artists, or alternatively Ines could appear on an Anathema record. I've simply admired everything the previously mentioned musicians have done since the early 90's, and it'd be great to work with them one way or the other.

Ines: Now that I will never have the chance to sing a duet with Peter Steele, I'd say Mikael Åkerfeldt or Kristoffer Rygg would be on the top of my list to accomplish something magnificent with. I also wouldn't mind sharing the microphone with Marko Saaresto from Poets of the Fall - that man has an amazing voice as well.

How will the next months look like for EoS?

Tero: What's ahead is the album release gigs as well as some other appearances in Finland during the spring / summer. Unfortunately "Euphorialight" will be released too late for any festivals to consider us, but next year we'll be sure to conquer smaller and bigger venues. In the fall we'll be on a couple of week's tour with Finnish Enthrope and Hate Ammo from Sweden, starting out from the Tavastia Club. We're also arranging some performances with The Chant.

Ines: As Tero said, kind of quiet on the surface, but there's a lot bubbling under. Gigs, releases, promotion and the tour won't just happen on their own, so I expect plenty of work ahead.

 

Alexandra Zischow – 13.05.2010

Photos:Jarno Lindén