Nowen
Nowen is a Death/Thrash Metal band from Lahti, Finland. Mainman and former of band, guitarist/vocalist Mikko Lappalainen answered to my questions.
Arcana Noctis: Was it easy to find members for the band?
Mikko: I don't think it's ever easy find suitable members. Line-up on Nowen has changed quite often. Guys knew how play but attitude really sucks. Now year has passed with this new line-up and it won't change by my action. For once there's attitude guys around, who we get along with very well also on spare time.
Arcana Noctis: How are the Nowen songs made and do all members participate in song making?
Mikko: Nowen songs are born from my guitar, on my place. Then I bring the complete song to rehearsal place, where I start teaching riffs to others. And I tell drum rhythms to the drummer. Of course Ville adds a lot of his own drum stuff. As a Death fan I demand it: there has to be Gene Hoglan stuff! Vehviläinen has horrible technique, so it's also exploited. And now our bassist Jarno has brought some new ideas to our new songs. In practice he shows his riffs to me, I practice the best ones. And while making songs I try to put also these riffs made by Jarno into song. On the next album there will be a song that also includes Jarno's riffs. So I guess songmaking will become steady for others.
Arcana Noctis: Tell me a little bit about the themes of the lyrics? Does your own life have an affect on the lyrics?
Mikko: Yes it has, I'm really not people loving person and for example song "Pathetic Existence" tells a lot about it. Although there's combined my hate for religious people. My own experiences have lots of influence on the lyrics. Surely you have to exaggerate in lyrics.
Arcana Noctis: I would describe music of Nowen as technical and melodic Death/Thrash Metal with Death influences, is my describe right? What bands have influence Nowen the most?
Mikko: Every description is most likely right. I don't classify us to anything, because I can do a lot of different kind of stuff. On different seasons I make different stuff. Compare for example "Cursed Or Blessed" demo and "Where Hell Begins" MCD. They differ like night and day. On the next album there will be a few things that will surely surprise many. That's my goal: you can expect anything from us and we will not get stuck on any genre. My musical background is damn wide and I've listen many bands. And I've been surely influenced by everyone of them. However most important bands are Death, old Sepultura, Anthrax, Slayer, Vader, Immortal, Emperor, Morbid Angel etc. The newest band "enchantment" that I have is Iced Earth. Upsetting hard stuff. Our other guitarist is damn brilliant singer so maybe we will use that in the future.
Arcana Noctis: Tell background of band's name, where does the name come from?
Mikko: Making up the name for the band is probably the hardest thing. Sometime in the end of 90s I tried hard to come up with names and that just popped into my head while being drunk. The name doesn't mean anything, it's just sort of inside thing that only a few chosen ones know. And so it shall be :D
Arcana Noctis: How important you think accurate playing is on Nowen gigs? Does it matter if there's a few mistakes on gigs? How much Nowen has played gigs?
Mikko: There's always some little mistakes, mostly the kind of that only you notice yourself. On our gigs there has been damn hard action especially in Helsinki and few mistakes don't mean anything in there. Sometimes I forget my own lyrics and I just shout something and no one notices it. There hasn't been too many gigs in the past, but this kind of tardy gigging is more than fine for me. Two gigs at most in a month and I'm happy. In the summer we take a break. The heat takes away interest for band things. Ville gets to go into gigs with Waltari all the time, so that's also why we have to plan every gig very carefully so that there won't be two at the same time.
Arcana Noctis: On "Cursed Or Blessed" demo vocals are growl, when on the new "Where Hell Begins" MCD vocals are more screaming. Though growled vocals did fit well to Nowen's music, vocals on new MCD represent music better. Where does the idea of changing vocal style come from?
Mikko: "Cursed Or Blessed" was recorded in 2002. In three years you have time to practice a lot. I noticed that I can sing higher. Songs tell what to do. New songs are considerably harder. More towards Death Metal. So there will be again a lot growl. Not forgetting higher singing.
Arcana Noctis: If you could decide, what bands would you like to tour with?
Mikko: It doesn't matter. Charon would be great thing for me, because I know most of the band members. Pasi Sipilä was at the same time in basic school with me. And has been friend since. Also Antti Karihtala, Teemu Hautamäki and JiiPee are quite familiar guys. People from Raahe have so sick sense of humour, that Charon/Nowen tour would be something brainless. To be sure, I won't do willingly anything with these Folk "Heavy" shit bands. Playing with Deathchain would be nice, relaxed guys from Savo are known are damn fun company. And getting booze won't be avoided. if the guys from Deathchain are known hard boozers, surely our camp won't stay second. But maby Charon would be greater option because of their music. There hymen of teens would blow, when Charon is expected on stage but our pretty ugly band would get on stage with quite different music style. HAH!
Arcana Noctis: Thanks for the answers! Lastly, tell about Nowen's plans for future.
Mikko: Preparatory plan is that on 2007 we go into studio and recording of full length begins. People can expect Nowenish music, in other words a lot riffs, tempo changes and surprises. Not forgetting heavy sound. We're not going Pop. Little by little there starts to be enough songs ready for the album. This depends strongly how we have possibility to rehearse new songs. Waltari takes Ville's time too. But we talked about this with Ville, intensive rehearsing begins on autumn. Also, there's few gigs coming on autumn, but let's not discuss about them yet. In Helsinki there seems to be eagerness for our band, so certainly we will visit there. And surely in elsewhere too, but let's not discuss about them yet.
Dissing people everywhere!!!
Arcana Noctis: Was it easy to find members for the band?
Mikko: I don't think it's ever easy find suitable members. Line-up on Nowen has changed quite often. Guys knew how play but attitude really sucks. Now year has passed with this new line-up and it won't change by my action. For once there's attitude guys around, who we get along with very well also on spare time.Arcana Noctis: How are the Nowen songs made and do all members participate in song making?
Mikko: Nowen songs are born from my guitar, on my place. Then I bring the complete song to rehearsal place, where I start teaching riffs to others. And I tell drum rhythms to the drummer. Of course Ville adds a lot of his own drum stuff. As a Death fan I demand it: there has to be Gene Hoglan stuff! Vehviläinen has horrible technique, so it's also exploited. And now our bassist Jarno has brought some new ideas to our new songs. In practice he shows his riffs to me, I practice the best ones. And while making songs I try to put also these riffs made by Jarno into song. On the next album there will be a song that also includes Jarno's riffs. So I guess songmaking will become steady for others.
Arcana Noctis: Tell me a little bit about the themes of the lyrics? Does your own life have an affect on the lyrics?
Mikko: Yes it has, I'm really not people loving person and for example song "Pathetic Existence" tells a lot about it. Although there's combined my hate for religious people. My own experiences have lots of influence on the lyrics. Surely you have to exaggerate in lyrics.
Arcana Noctis: I would describe music of Nowen as technical and melodic Death/Thrash Metal with Death influences, is my describe right? What bands have influence Nowen the most?
Mikko: Every description is most likely right. I don't classify us to anything, because I can do a lot of different kind of stuff. On different seasons I make different stuff. Compare for example "Cursed Or Blessed" demo and "Where Hell Begins" MCD. They differ like night and day. On the next album there will be a few things that will surely surprise many. That's my goal: you can expect anything from us and we will not get stuck on any genre. My musical background is damn wide and I've listen many bands. And I've been surely influenced by everyone of them. However most important bands are Death, old Sepultura, Anthrax, Slayer, Vader, Immortal, Emperor, Morbid Angel etc. The newest band "enchantment" that I have is Iced Earth. Upsetting hard stuff. Our other guitarist is damn brilliant singer so maybe we will use that in the future.
Arcana Noctis: Tell background of band's name, where does the name come from?
Mikko: Making up the name for the band is probably the hardest thing. Sometime in the end of 90s I tried hard to come up with names and that just popped into my head while being drunk. The name doesn't mean anything, it's just sort of inside thing that only a few chosen ones know. And so it shall be :D
Arcana Noctis: How important you think accurate playing is on Nowen gigs? Does it matter if there's a few mistakes on gigs? How much Nowen has played gigs?
Mikko: There's always some little mistakes, mostly the kind of that only you notice yourself. On our gigs there has been damn hard action especially in Helsinki and few mistakes don't mean anything in there. Sometimes I forget my own lyrics and I just shout something and no one notices it. There hasn't been too many gigs in the past, but this kind of tardy gigging is more than fine for me. Two gigs at most in a month and I'm happy. In the summer we take a break. The heat takes away interest for band things. Ville gets to go into gigs with Waltari all the time, so that's also why we have to plan every gig very carefully so that there won't be two at the same time.
Arcana Noctis: On "Cursed Or Blessed" demo vocals are growl, when on the new "Where Hell Begins" MCD vocals are more screaming. Though growled vocals did fit well to Nowen's music, vocals on new MCD represent music better. Where does the idea of changing vocal style come from?
Mikko: "Cursed Or Blessed" was recorded in 2002. In three years you have time to practice a lot. I noticed that I can sing higher. Songs tell what to do. New songs are considerably harder. More towards Death Metal. So there will be again a lot growl. Not forgetting higher singing.
Arcana Noctis: If you could decide, what bands would you like to tour with?
Mikko: It doesn't matter. Charon would be great thing for me, because I know most of the band members. Pasi Sipilä was at the same time in basic school with me. And has been friend since. Also Antti Karihtala, Teemu Hautamäki and JiiPee are quite familiar guys. People from Raahe have so sick sense of humour, that Charon/Nowen tour would be something brainless. To be sure, I won't do willingly anything with these Folk "Heavy" shit bands. Playing with Deathchain would be nice, relaxed guys from Savo are known are damn fun company. And getting booze won't be avoided. if the guys from Deathchain are known hard boozers, surely our camp won't stay second. But maby Charon would be greater option because of their music. There hymen of teens would blow, when Charon is expected on stage but our pretty ugly band would get on stage with quite different music style. HAH!
Arcana Noctis: Thanks for the answers! Lastly, tell about Nowen's plans for future.
Mikko: Preparatory plan is that on 2007 we go into studio and recording of full length begins. People can expect Nowenish music, in other words a lot riffs, tempo changes and surprises. Not forgetting heavy sound. We're not going Pop. Little by little there starts to be enough songs ready for the album. This depends strongly how we have possibility to rehearse new songs. Waltari takes Ville's time too. But we talked about this with Ville, intensive rehearsing begins on autumn. Also, there's few gigs coming on autumn, but let's not discuss about them yet. In Helsinki there seems to be eagerness for our band, so certainly we will visit there. And surely in elsewhere too, but let's not discuss about them yet.
Dissing people everywhere!!!