(Masokismi - april 2005)

Hails Masokismi, who’s answering the interview, of the two members of the band?

Ave Italia! Your information seems to be outdated. After debut lp Masokismi changed from aristocracy to dictatorship - so your answerer will be the only member, the undersigned, Fresh Hatred.

Can you tell us a handful of info to frame on your band (bio, line-up, general stuff…)?

At first Masokismi had two members. - I had played with Ebola for years. Before not really any serious projects, just lot of different kind of music from punk to grind, heavy to noisecore, and then again, something completely non-extreme music. At the beginning of this decade was formed the original Black Core band, Tuska ("Pain" in finnish). That had really strong influences on me and introduced me deeply to underground black metal scene. Black Core is of course a kind of hybrid of different styles - but clearly close to me musically and idealically. So we formed Masokismi and did our part for BC in form of two rare CDr-EP:s (I have no interest to call those demos as most of people do - those were done for the music like we wanted to, and we hadn't any interest as bands who usually make demos). Few people seemed to like it, and after a while Bestial Burst wanted release CD from us and we did it. This was in the beginning of '03. Already when making the debut lp I was quite bored with Ebolas way to play in this band. No one resigned or anything but we just didn't play with each others anymore. He had his projects and I had mine. I thought Masokismi would have become to end, but then again I wanted to do that music and saw that I don't need anyone else with it. The CD was released a year after the recordings and BeBu asked if Masokismi would be able to play a gig sometime. I had two friends available and we played at Imatra in December '04 with never-heard-before-material. I also released new Masokismi tape myself at same time, first time played only by myself. So now, as more independent, Masokismi is feeling better than ever, heh.

You define your music as “black core”, right? What do you mean exactly? In my opinion your music has various influences from hard core/grind core to punk and thrash metal/black metal… do you recognize yourself in this view?

I surely recognize! Like said, the first BC band was Tuska. At the booklet of their first EP was text "True Black Sludge core metal", and afterwards it was shortened to Black Core (which, I think, is much better term). As I have understood, the original idea of Tuska was to play DarkThrone-style black metal with pure hardcore attitude. And from the first Ep you really can hear their influences. Afterwards, it has become much more original black core. New drummer gave them grind-elements and so on.. But in basis there is still black metal and hardcore. I have always liked noisecore and 82hc stuff - a lot - and I'm always trying to increase the level of distortion at every release. In good way of course. Even so, I'm not the one who invented to call Masokismi "necro black noisecore". Maybe some might think our soundscape is just cheap and awful, bur it's just like I want it to be.

Why did you thank Beherit in the booklet of your Cd? You don’t have that appearance of “black metal” band nor in the music, nor in the presentation of the music (booklet, etc.)… is Beherit (still) worshipped in Finland?

No? Are you sure? Ah, I'm sure you're not the first one with that oppinion, but actually first comment outside the band was: this reminds me of Beherit, hah! I don't know, maybe those people won't understand anything about bm - but to answer your question, at the time when we made Häpeällinen Siveysoppi, was also the time when I listened Beherit more than ever before or after. It doesn't need to be heared, but that was mentally a big influence for that record. Along with Tuska and Incriminated of course (also mentioned at the same booklet). I'm going to come back to this topic at lyric-question, but I'm still going say, that Masokismi is satanism-dedicated antihumanism noise - and I'm sure making this music with black heart. I can easily find a lot of bm influences from the riffs, but yeah, I have seemed to be the only one who hears any riffs from our music. With booklets almost every time I have given free hands to Roberto Armagedom, so those are his visions of the songs. He had always stayed on the perverse side, and I have to say that I like it. And often he finds quite strange things (the picture he made from "pyhän pojan raiskaus"="raping a holy child" was devil fistfucking crucified christ up the ass, and it was a natural way to him - but I never thought anything like that). I actually won't give a shit of what kind of appearance does it give - in my oppinion it's quite personal. With the newest tape, I made the covers by myself - for that time I really wanted to have compact idealistic package, but 'cause I'm quite lousy at arts, I had to keep it simple. Even if it isn't black metal, bm scene seems to be the only one to have something positive to say about it. And we're on bm label too. Every punk - who I have heard - have hated it, which isn't so unbelievable after all, but I always thought that finnish punk scene would be open-minded freak community. I haven't heard anything about grind / noise(core) side, but there's just few ones in Finland s I'm not suprised. Beherit isn't worshipped in Finland - we have too many good bands still playing to grieve dead ones. Of course (I quess almost) everybody have their own Beherit records which they listen from time to time, but idiotic nostalgia isn't good for anybody.

Do you think do you behave to a current of bands or do you think you’re an original band? Can you advice me some other cool “black core” bands from your area (and not only)?

Well, we're not THE Black core band, but I'm sure we're no a Tuska-clone. We more like complete the black core together. Of course a lot of influences has come outside the genre (look at the favorite music question), and I wouldn't say that black core itself would be truely original. But altrought you can mention bands we sound a bit, I would say you can't mention band which sounds just like us. Usually if someone say we sound like some band, I haven't ever heard of it before (like Crucifixion Wounds and Gonkulator, but how does we sound like Gonkulator?!?!!?) , or the it's absolutely absurd to claim something like that (Impaled Nazarazene? haa haa...). I always want to get absurd and extreme outcome, and of course this connects us to a lot of bands. But I never do any riff wanting it to sound just like.. anything. I want results compatible to the essence of the song and to be natural to me. Of course I have been influenced by everyone, but who wouldn't? Nowadays, I have became a friend of Tuska members, so whole black core scene is quite small. At least I haven't heard any other BC bands. I once ordered a record from some distro which claim it to be something like black core, but actually it was just harsh black metal. This seems to be a local phenomenom. Tuska had web sites, but some quarter removed it, 'cause "it was too misantrophic", hah hah! But Bestial Burst will surely have all Tuska releases available in their distro, so check that out.

Why the choice to write alll the lyrics in finnish? Don’t you care about spreading a message to the (international) listener?

I've never thought of spreading message that way! After last release, someone said to me: "still not any lyrics?" and I was suprised, 'cause I never even thought about that someone would like to read the lyrics. Not because I wouldn't want to, but I just haven't thought about it. Masokismi has always been making music for myself and then again the idea of those songs can't come out from the lyrics only. Vocals are only an instrument with Masokismi. Of course I want to feel the same feeling with the lyrics and song names also, but for that it's only natural thing to make it in finnish. But this thing still need to be considered. I'm not going to change language, but I could translate stuff to english. And I probably won't put any lyrics to booklet, put I could give those with the records, if wanted. I'm definitely not against that someone else would read the "message" too, but that haven't ever been my aim when writing.

What kind of music do you appreciate/listen to the most? Which are your favourite bands, taking apart the above mentioned?

To put it simple, if it's extreme, it's my music. Still I listen too much to mention even a few style.. But my roots are definitely in the hardcore. Old finnish punk from Terveet Kädet to Kaaos. Japanese Disclose has been one of my favorites for long time, as well as some Swedish d-beat bands. Early-Armagedom (BRA) is also quite a noisy. And of course Siviilimurha is probably greatest 82hc ever! At grind side I'm quite boring, Napalm Deaths Scum is absolutely invincible. Add some Carcass and Cause for Effect and that's it. Most influenced thrash album for Masokismi has absolutely been Rytmihäiriö - Surman Siipien Havinaa. When I first time heard it, it was amazing - I never thought that there could be so much distortion! The new Rytmihäiriö Cd is also great, althrought they have change the style a bit. From bm scene, finnish bands like Clandestine Blaze, Satanic Warmaster and Baptism are most often at my record player. Ah, and from the doom/sludge scene I have to mention Reverend Bizarre and Fleshpress which are quite unique bands. I can't ever stop admiring how powerful their songs are. And I still haven't talk about noise/jazz/blues/proge -side of me, but I think here's enough.

Of which themes your lyrics deal about the most?

Most of people still think that the mission of Masokismi is based on perversions and bruatality. And probably not least 'cause the cover-art, name of the songs and violent style of music. But I have never thought it to be praise of anything like that. I'm not trying to agitate anyway other than ideologically. I'm personally not so much into brutal perversion - I think seeing the true evil inside us is much more important and interesting. But - it seems that human without values usually becomes a fool making somekind values in his mind to restrict himself. And that kind of action really pisses me off. And 'cause the source of my music comes from anxiety and anger, that seems to be quite obvious poit to start with lyrics - to smash the illusion of nice unparadoxical "reality" this kind of people have. Of course, like I said before, I'm not waiting anyone else to change for my music, I make it for myself. To remind me of the decadence waiting in my thoughts. My lyrics have become quite complexive 'cause I still try to made progress without forgetting the old thoughts. Recently there were discussion of discrimination of bm-warrior/priest on local web-forum. I think most see Masokismi to be perverted wb-warrior aiming to destroy everything created, where I find it trying to have something to say for a single individual. True choices concerns your attitude and dedication, not action itself, I would say.

It seems that you don’t use a bass guitar, nor it is used in the recording of the Cd, right? Why this? Do you like a kind of abrasive sound of over-driven guitar only, or didn’t you haven’t found a bass-player?

Hah! Actually we did use bass guitar with Häpeällinen Siveysoppi. It just doesn't have the usual low frequencies - just the mid ones. I easily understand why you thought there isn't one 'cause it's quiet and the sound varies a bit, 'cause due technical problems, we had couldn't record all the bass parts with same sounds. But listen that song # 5. It starts with bass, althrought it may not sound like it first time. But yeah, to me over-distoted guitar is really important thing and the normal bass isn't - as simple as that. There's two option, the bass is mixed back - when you can't hear it without comparing it to version without it - or the it has to be high pitched and noisy hc-bass which wouldn't be so good idea with Masokismi. I played the bass already when Masokismi still was a "band". We weren't ever going to be a live band (for some reason Ebola was really against it) and I just didn't want to find a "bass player" to band - I want good persons to play with. I've never been so much into musicians - attitude is a lot more important. Basist wasn't ever so much needed.

Why those phrases in latin in the back of the Cd?

There's a lot of weird things with the covers 'cause managing it was really a mess. There was couple misunderstandings with me and the label, and this was one. Those phrases never ment to be together, and not on the back cover. But to the contents, I like to use these kind of phrases out of their context. My favorite is still 'Sic Transit Gloria Mundi', but these two were good for this specific release. "Nihil est veritatis luce dulcius" is against christianity of course. Satan is the truth. But also against morality, 'cause there isn't such a thing as moral. "Corruptissima Republica, Plurimae Leges" points at quite same thing. Laws points at corruption, corruption to the weakness. The CD had three parts: I) mortal sins, II)perverisons, III)death. And the name of the CD means: "disgraceful moral theory". It all aims to autonomity from moral and obligations, but not for perversion/brutality, which is just a metaphor of true evil. But why I used latin? I just think it has more force than english or finnish. And it also sounds better, har har.

Your future plans with Masokismi are to release another Cd that way, or do you think you’ll develop, musically speaking?

I don't even want to label Masokismi strickly to Black Core when producing music, 'cause I don't want to same things again and again. But then again, all the music I play for this is really black based, and somehow it always start to sound noisy black core... After first EP I have always first created some theme to every record and then made the songs with that feeling. Sometimes it needs more noise, short attacks and annoying tricks (as at new recordings just a while ago). Sometimes it needs deep and monotonic riffs with easier drums and more concentration to the vocals - more black stuff. With every records I try to have totally different kind of mood also with soundscape. There is no good reason to listen more than one record which sounds the same. Now it's been almost 2 years of recording the debut CD. I really hope that any other Masokismi release wouldn't ever sound like that. Maybe I have listened it through too many times, but I find i to be a bit boring, and not extreme at all. Lot of good ideas, but still... hrrr. Hopefully the newest records will have their glitter for a while longer.

Ok, end of the interview… you’re welcome to state everything you want…

  New material for Tuska / Masokismi -split has already be recorded and it's been promised to be released during this year by Bestial Burst, but we'll see. Other releases are also planned, but before I know if they have been serious or not, I don't want to say more. Check out www.necroblackcore.tk every now and then if you're interested and bestialburst.blackmetal.fi for good black metal. (altrought websites haven't been ready yet..) Probably no-one reads this soon enough, but 'till 8.4 you can order sick Masokismi t-shirt/ähooded sweatshirt, ask more from bestialburst@blackmetal.fi if interested.

Thanks to My Heart Bleeds For You 'zine and Hail all Black Core Killers!

Noisography:

Häpeällinen Siveysoppi CDr (selfreleased)

Raiskattuna CDr (selfreleased)

Häpeällinen Siveysoppi CD (Bestial Burst Rec. '03)

Kaikkien Arvojen Uudelleen Arvioinnin Äärellä tape (selfreleased)