Slow Fall is still a not too well-known melodic death metal band from Oulu, Finland. Having released their second album "Obsidian Waves" on a small German label probably won't change their status much but when I had the opportunity to talk with Juho Viinikanoja (git.) and Markku Kerosalo (bass) and got the chance to know the band a little bit better I took it without hesitation. Their music is simply outstanding in my opinion and should be appreciated much more than it is, so go ahead and support the band, check out the interview and before you finish reading you will know the connection between Bruce Springsteen and Slow Fall! Enjoy!

Michael

Hey, how are things in Finland?

M: Everything's totally fine – winter is getting close (laughs).

J: Yes, it's so fucking cold all the time (laughs).

I have to confess that I didn't know you until Brigitte, your booker, hooked me up for an interview! Maybe you can introduce yourselves a little bit more to our readers?

M: Well, Slow Fall was formed in 2016, here in Oulu, Finland. We are playing melodic, melancholic death metal, I guess that's what you can call it (laughs). We have released two albums and one EP.

Is there a deeper meaning behind the band name – does it mean that you are falling slowly or is it about the season, that the fall is coming slowly…?

M: It's both. It's about the autumn, when all life slowly withers and dies and the season is getting towards the winter. And it does mean that you are falling really slowly towards your death. You have a lot of time to think about your life and the fall as a time of the year has the same kind of mood to me.

J: In another interview they asked the same question and I said that it is a slow fall towards the inevitable that awaits us all.

Ah, it is always nice to talk to Fins, it is always so positive, haha!! You have released two full-length albums so far, the last one "Obsidian Waves" last June. I personally get much reminded of Amorphis with the clear and growling vocals and also the melodies are somewhat similar. Are they your major influence?

M: Yeah, it's definitely one of those. When I grew up listening to metal music, I listened to a lot of Amorphis I have to admit but it's not the only one. We are definitely not trying to sound like Amorphis. I think that the melodic aspect of Amorphis and us is similar of course but I think that's in our DNA.

What are your other influences? I can see a picture of the Beatles in your room, Markku.

M: Yeah, the Beatles are one of my favorite bands but I don't think that you can hear a lot of Beatles in our music. Music in general, I listen to all kinds of music, metal is just one. But of course you can bring up names like Opeth, that has always been a huge influence to me, Swallow The Sun, Insomnium, Amorphis, Sentenced.

J: All of us have a very varied taste in music. We have six dudes in the band and once we gather around to write new songs, we all put our own stuff in it and at the end it sounds like Slow Fall.

M: Like I said, just like our band name, when the fall is coming after the summer and it is turning to winter, you are getting all the darkness (laughs). Maybe I should compose some music then. I don't know, it's just the darkness and coldness which brings us up all day this melancholy and the mood, I guess.

J: I would add to that in order to understand Finnish metal bands you should live in the north of Finland for a while. I think that explains a lot. When you live here and you play metal it turns out to be something like this.

What are the lyrics about – death, depression, darkness?

J: I wouldn't say that they are all themes in our lyrics. They are a lot about personal stuff like handling your emotions on the new album. There is a little quintessence of hope also. I ended up as the main lyric writer. I wrote a lot of songs about time and leaving a mark behind you when you leave this world. How would you like to be remembered? There is a lot of different stuff, it varies a lot.

Are the lyrics very direct or more hidden behind some metaphors?

J: They might look pretty complex at first but my type of writing lyrics is that I just start writing about something and then it gets some sort of meaning while writing the lyrics. I might not have a very clear vision at first of what I'm writing about but it comes from me and it can get a meaning in the future. So I come back to it later and get an idea what it might be about. But it is hard to say, I don't want to describe my lyrics that much (laughs).

You are currently signed on Out Of Line Music, a small German label? How did they notice you and why did you decide to get signed by them?

M: Well, when we were making our second album, Obsidian Waves, we made a demo out of four songs and sent them all over the world. Before even Out Of Line contacted us because of the demo, we were already speaking about that if Out Of Line Music would contact us and would like to sign us that we should go with them. Our friends in Mors Subita are also signed by them and I heard a lot of good things about that label from them. Also another of the biggest Finnish metal bands, Bloodred Hourglass, are signed by them, too. It's a good, decent, small record label and we thought that they would make a good deal with us.

Is it still possible to purchase your first album or is it completely sold out?

M: I think that some record stores here in Finland still sell it. But it was released with our previous record label, so I don't even know where to get it.

When you think of the Finnish metal scene, has the hype around heavy metal a little bit flattened in the last few years? When I think of the 90s when almost every 3rd black metal band came from your country, not to forget bands like Sentenced or Children Of Bodom? I mean metal is still very popular in Finland when I think about that even Satanic Warmaster was in the Finnish album charts but there isn't so much stuff coming from there lately.

J: Yes, it's a mess. Even our first album was in the Finnish album charts on #2.

M: Yeah, it was #2 behind Bruce Springsteen (laughs). So we lost to The Boss but that's okay.

J: But to answer your question, there is a lot of stuff coming out from everywhere. Not just Finland but from everywhere. Now that we're in that "music business" everybody tries to survive with all these streaming stuff and gigs.

J: Yeah, Finland is flooded with bands but there aren't so many places to play. It's only a handful of locations where you can play metal in Finland. There are about 10 to 20 places and about 500 bands who try to play there every night.

Do you have some plans to go on tour next year?

M: We have some plans but it's still in the works.

The last words belong to you!!

J: Please listen to Slow Fall. It's available everywhere on major streaming platforms and YouTube and there's also physical media and cool merch available.  Feel free to check out our music!