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BATTLELORE
- Storytellers of Metal
By Adrian 'The Energizer' Bromley
I
must have spent hundreds, nay thousands, of hours playing Dungeons
& Dragons growing up in Mexico City from 1980 to 1990 with all
of my American friends. We spent long weekends camped out in my
bedroom, with my twin brother Winston as the Dungeon Master, as
half a dozen of my friends and I rolled dice, consumed Coke and
potato chips, and scribbled down notes and facts as the campaign
went along.
Now
my interest in the world I left behind more than 12 years ago has
returned, as Battlelore's latest (and their Napalm Records debut)
...Where the Shadows Lie blares from my speakers; a whirlwind realm
of knights, dragons, and flasks of ale. I'm as excited as a 10th
level thief stumbling upon a red dragon's treasure chest.
"Almost
all of our members are huge Role Playing Game [RPG] fans,"
begins guitarist Jyri Vahvanen when asked if he had ever rolled
the 20-sided dice.
"Unfortunately
I haven't played D&D. I have played Middle-Earth, Rolemaster,
Cyberpunk 2020, Vampire and RuneQuest. I have also played a lot
of live action RPGs. Usually I'm a GameMaster, but my favourite
characters are Thief and Healer."
For
those of you who have heard Battlelore's debut offering, you will
know that it doesn't come across as cheesy or stupid. These musicians
take their music and appearance very seriously. Lots of people make
reference to the gear the band wears. How important are these getups
and how does it affect the musical experience?
Answers
Vahvanen, "Our outfits and image are very important to us.
If you say that you play Fantasy Metal, then you have to show it
to the people. If your songs are about elves and goblins and fantasy
worlds, it's much easier to reach that atmosphere if you have the
right image. When we use these costumes on stage and we have axes,
swords and torches in our live show, the mood is much more 'medieval'
and closer to fantasy than if we wear Iron Maiden T-shirts and blue
jeans, if you know what I mean. I think that the visual live-show
is much nicer to watch than five guys on stage standing there and
playing their instruments."
The
road to the debut was not an easy one. Like many indie bands of
the past, Battlelore struggled to get an audience and hone their
skills and imagery. Prior to their debut, the band released two
well-received demos: Warrior's Tale (1999) and Dark Fantasy (2000).
Then they signed to Napalm Records and produced their official debut.
"I believe that we were ready for the full-length 'cause every
band needs to get their debut album out of their system. It is a
big learning experience for sure," says the guitarist about
the recording process. "It was a lot of fun working on the
record. Producer Miitri Aaltonen did a great job working with us
and brought a lot of great ideas to our songs. The worst part [of
making the album] was the scheduling and limited time. We planned
to be six weeks in the studio but it ended up being eight weeks.
We had to rush a few things and that wasn't good for the end result,
but we now know how to do some things better and faster next time."
Battlelore
are a band that brings in a lot of sounds and styles into the music.
Does Vahvanen and the rest of Battlelore think that this makes it
more difficult for fans to grasp what the band is doing, or do they
think it entices music fans to give the band a more concentrated
listen?
"My
opinion is that fans have found something new from our music. There
are two kinds of people that I've met. One half of the people I've
met like our music very much, while the other half has no idea what
we are doing. They don't get it. I believe that we are a band for
the fans, not for the critics or reviewers. They [critics] haven't
realized that the album is one full package, even if there's many
different styles in it. That is just the way we create our music."
He
adds, "It's easy to say that we don't have any straight lines
in our songs, but that's how we create an album and that's what
Battlelore is about: many different styles and elements coming together
in one CD. Maybe when our second or third album comes out, they'll
manage to understand our albums a bit more. I think there are enough
bands that follow this tight and straight line in their music, so
those 'rules' are not for us."
In
closing I ask the guitarist where he thinks Battlelore fits into
today's music scene.
"I
think that there's not enough bands like us. There are too many
groups out there who are excellent musicians, but I'd also like
to see a good live show with a personal touch too. For example Rammstein
has a spectacular live show. Have you seen them? Of course they
have lots of money for it, but it's not very difficult to add some
gear and action to your live show. That's why I like to watch a
good black metal gig 'cause usually there's fire breathing, blood
and stuff like that so you don't get bored. I'm not sure where we
fit into the music scene. I believe that that's our fans' job to
decide where we fit in. Some people say that we play gothic metal,
while others say we play black metal. I'll let them do their own
categorizing with us. I just know that we play metal."
BATTLELORE
Jyri Vahvanen, Guitar
Miika Kokkola, Bass
Henri Vahvanen, Drums
Tommi Havo, Raging vocals, Guitar
Patrik Mennander, Clean male vocals
Maria, Synthesizer
Kaisa Jouhki, Female vocals
Guest musicians:
Jyrki Myllärinen, Classical guitar
Miitri Aaltonen, Background vocals, Percussion
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