INTERVIEW: Markus Vanhala & Jukka Pelkonen – Omnium Gatherum

Alongside their Swedish neighbours across the Gulf of Bothnia, Finland is one of the world’s biggest exporters in melodic death metal. Hailing from Karhula on Finland’s south coast, OMNIUM GATHERUM have been one of Finnish melodic death metal’s front-runners for over 20 years. Just two years after the release of their critically acclaimed seventh album, Grey Heavens, the sextet are back with the fantastic The Burning Cold. We caught up with lead guitarist and creative driving force Markus Vanhala and long-serving vocalist Jukka Pelkonen to discuss the new record, touring plans and the Finnish metal scene as a whole!

Hey Markus, hey Jukka, thanks for taking the time to chat today. With The Burning Cold due to drop next week, how are things in the OMNIUM GATHERUM camp at the moment?

Markus: It’s all good, a lot of promo duties and rehearsing going on and overall a really eagerly waiting atmosphere. The Burning Cold touring cycle will start at the end of this week from the great Summer Breeze Festival from Germany!

It’s still relatively early days yet, but reviews are starting to come in for The Burning Cold – how has the critical response been so far, and the response from fans for the singles released so far?

Markus: Pretty damn good, I’ve only seen few reviews so far and the rates have been top rates – perfect! Also both the released videos have got really enthusiastic response. Gods Go First showed more a bit new shades for OMNIUM GATHERUM‘s output, and then on the another hand, second video Refining Fire was the most OMNIUM GATHERUM, old-schoolest sounding song from the whole album. The whole album is pretty diverse, even though these first songs are pretty bashing in-your-face fast stuff. There’s definitely some calmer and more beautiful moments on the album too for sure!

Over 20 years into OMNIUM GATHERUM’s existence, the band has developed its own style and sound, while still bringing new elements into play – what new influences inspired you in the creation process for The Burning Cold?

Jukka: The material we have made over the years does differ, yes, but still they are all OMNIUM GATHERUM songs from the heart. We have also played these songs so many times during the years they are so familiar to us it doesn’t almost feel like songs from different eras. Still there is sometimes a feeling of vast variety if we reminisce with the older material. They are from another era and from a different mind set so they are really different than the songs we make today. Of course the influences for the new material are all around. One can not be really specific about these kind of things. That would be untrue because no one can really say where the influences and the inspiration comes from. The love for this art is one big thing that really touches all of us.

Markus: This time it was all about the almighty song itself, I just wrote honestly what I felt and didn’t care at all any outside ”pressures” or opinions (except my band-mates of course). This is a really melodic era for the band, but made with aggression involved. It was all about breeding some traditional OMNIUM GATHERUM stuff with a new shades and spices, as always. This time I think there’s more catchy compact songs on the album, as also we concentrated a lot for ”instrumentation”, means there’s a good dose of guitar solos and drum mastery for music nerds of course. But all in the name and will of the songs itself, nothing over-played. Which is sometimes a problem for some ”instrument-heroes”.

Markus, does your work with INSOMNIUM influence your song-writing with OMNIUM GATHERUM at all, and vice-versa?

Markus: Music and life is always a learning and growing process so everything you do, or have done, influences your next doings. This time, I would think the previous INSOMNIUM album, the epic 40-minute Winter’s Gate summer hit song, influenced me to stay away from long epic songs. So this album is four-five minute catchy songs and no long fillers [laughs].

Conceptually, The Burning Cold focuses on human emotion and human tragedy. How did you explore these topics within the lyrics, and what research was involved?

Jukka: Yes these are basically the main concepts. The album does reach out to other subjects too but does so in a way that links the ideas through these concepts. The emotional condition is a fascinating subject because it holds so much importance in everyone’s life. It has the deep questions of our kind of existence. The themes contain both positive and negative emotional turbulences which colour the whole of existence here on this planet. From love to ignorance from hate to joy and to hope’s high mountains to the deepest valleys of existential strangeness. These are the stories that depict the whole of humanity, the whole of the circle. It is wondrous how we have the power to beat the weirdest of odds and how “fate” and “coincidence” seem to be so similar in nature. This emotional condition creates both the fortunes and tragedies of being and we demonstrate the possibility of change in every given situation. “You are given more than one chance and a thousand opportunities, with the mercy of death following every step” (quote from The Fearless Entity, one of the songs from The Burning Cold). I am trying to say we have the intention and we have existence. That is all that is. I was not looking for any answers with these themes. Rather I was admiring the whole of existence in all its glory. When we realise to stop looking and waiting this mystery of life will glow in a new shine. The research is ever evolving process when one deals with topics like these. It is, at the same time, wondrous and arduous. Sometimes it happens that one does not need to “research” anything rather the ideas flow in and one refines them thereon.

Perhaps a bit early to be thinking about new material, but what other concepts do you want to explore with your lyrics on future OMNIUM GATHERUM records?

Jukka: This is really hard to say because the music and the lyrics work hand in hand. I have a lot of material that is already written but I like to wait for the new riffs and demos of the new songs because it always gives me this enthusiastic feel and an inspiration to make new topics and themes and then start to meld them, blend them together with the older stuff, if it suits the purpose. It is an ongoing mission for me to write about the things I wonder about whether or not it gets published in a form or another, ever. This is a lifeline for me personally to get this thoughts on paper. I think it is a similar thing when composing new music. You have the past, the riffs from earlier times etc. and you have the new spawning melodies and such. They together make the “soup” from which one summons the new ideas the new “roads” for the new upcoming material.

Similar to how German thrash, Swedish death metal, Tampa death metal etc. all share a distinguishing sound, Finnish melodic death metal often sounds distinctively Finnish – do you think there is something in the Finnish psyche that lends itself to that melodic, melancholic style, or is it as simple as shared musical influences?

Jukka: There can be. I think it is also because of the strong uprising of Finnish metal scene in the past decades. With the success of many Finnish metal bands internationally has pushed the musicians to really strive for their best in creating quality metal in various genres. This is of course a thing that can happen in any country really. Still I think it was one of the big reasons why so many people decided to make metal music and manage to do it also with a style. The distinctiveness that can be found is , at least in my opinion, a global thing. This is so because we draw, each of us, influences from groups that are from all around the world,. Still the “home base” thing is a big subconscious influence.

Markus: There’s definitely too Finnish folklore tales, music and the Finnish mental psyche, and the minor key have always been there. Half of the year being pretty dark and cold here, it speaks to your darker side its own language which can be presented via your music. This is a cliché but somehow true. Being Finnish samba or mariachi band singing about beach and love, or Brazilian cold black metal singing about cold winter and darkness – doesn’t this would sound a bit out of its place?

It would be fair to say OMNIUM GATHERUM are one of the big names in Finnish melodic death metal, alongside INSOMNIUM and WOLFHEART, among others. Are there any up-and-coming, or established but more underground, bands in the Finnish death metal scene you feel deserve a bit more attention?

Jukka: I don´t follow the scene so much but I think the current is not stopping. Like I said in the previous answer it is a thing that feeds itself. We draw the inspiration from each other and from the surroundings we have. We get inspired from each others work. This is how it works. So there is a lot of quality new bands in Finland I´m sure of that. It would be unfair to mention specific few. You guys should go online and check the buffet out.

Markus: [laughs] I would answer for the upcoming bands question INSOMNIUM and WOLFHEART, and say big names to be AMORPHIS and CHILDREN OF BODOM. The Finnish overall metal scene peaked on the last decade a big time in our country, for now it’s been bit more sleeping with any new bands emerging. Waiting for the next wave!

OMNIUM GATHERUM had a two-week run in Europe earlier this year, which was the final tour of the Grey Heavens cycle. Was it a worthy close to that chapter of OMNIUM GATHERUM before touring for The Burning Cold starts?

Jukka: Yes we did. It was a good run to end the cycle for Grey Heavens. We made this tour with SKALMÖLD and STAMINA, which both are good bands and it was great to tour with those guys. It’s been like two years now touring with the previous album. I can say we have been headbanging away around the globe and the fans all over have enjoyed the shows with us. Now it is a perfect time to release this new love child of ours and start another journey towards that place which is the feeling when playing a gig for an excellent bunch of metal heads.

Can we hope to see OMNIUM GATHERUM return for a full UK run in The Burning Cold’s cycle?

Jukka: I really would like to say yes.

Markus But first you British ladies and gentlemen should come to the next London show in November and make it a night to remember for everyone!

You have a fairly intense few months lined up touring to support The Burning Cold, with a lengthy tour in the USA alongside AMORPHIS, DARK TRANQUILITY and MOONSPELL, plus a headlining run in Finland and European tour with WOLFHEART and NOTHGARD. What can fans expect from your live show?

Markus: Something new, something old, something borrowed and something blue! OMNIUM GATHERUM has always been a true live band, so that’s where our magic is, come check it out. That’s what we love, and it’s 200% full metal attack that gets everyone sweaty!

Where is your favourite place to play live? Do you prefer the familiarity of the home-town show or is it somewhere further afield?

Markus: I don’t say I would prefer hometown shows at all, the funny thing is that the hometown show is always the only show in the world that makes me really nervous before the gig. Too close and too many old friends. Anyhow, good or the best show can always happen anywhere without expectations. That makes this thing fun and unpredictable! But of course in some cases you can always count big big bigger cities like Tokyo show, or Montreal show, or London, or Paris etc. to have amazing audiences.

What songs from The Burning Cold are you particularly excited to play live?

Jukka: All of the songs of course. There are personal favourites but the thing with the new album is that no matter which song it is there is the special feeling about it that makes you just thrilled to be playing it for people. If I have to name a few, then Over The Battlefield is one. Driven By Conflict is another. Gods Go First will definitely work well live. All of them!

Markus: This thing varies every day, they’re all our favourite babies. But for now, I’m really waiting to play Gods Go First on stage for the first time!

Aside from your touring plans, what does the rest of 2018 and early 2019 have in store for OMNIUM GATHERUM?

Jukka: That is just it. Touring!

Markus: A new album! It’s called The Burning Cold, check it [laughs]. First we’re gonna spread that message for North America and Europe, after that the rest of the world next year.

Thank you again for taking the time to chat with us, guys. Before you go, do you have any parting messages for our readers?

Markus: See you soon down the never-ending road, and let’s grab beers for metal!

The Burning Cold is set for release on August 31st via Century Media Records.

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