|
Home
News
Interviews
Reviews
Photos
Tour Dates
New
Releases
Links
| |
Sentenced have reached the end, the final breath of life in their long and
storied career. Now they have come to this, the end, no more records, tours,
nothing. They are about to be six feet under and not to be revived. Please read
this article and give your final respects.
Jeffrey Easton interviewing Ville Laihiala of Sentenced
Jeff: I have been listening to The Funeral Album a lot and I feel that you guys
are going to go out on top.
Ville: Yeah, it seems so.
Jeff: Since this is the end, when did you make this decision?
Ville: We started talking about it two years ago so it has not been easy. We
made the final decision when we were in the middle of writing the new CD. We got
halfway through the writing process when we decided that the next one would be
the last one. that’s when we decided to end Sentenced.
Jeff: Why end it now?
Ville: It is hard to give you one or two or three reasons.
Jeff: So there are many?
Ville: As you know, album by album we got bigger so there was more touring and
we always hated touring. There is only a half life on tour; you never live
except for that one hour on stage. The other 23 hours were something that we
could not handle ever. I did my best to escape those other 23 hours so I do not
really want to deal with that shit again. Also there are guys in the band that
are married now with families so it is a sacrifice for them to be away from
home. Those are good reasons to end this thing. I must point out that it has
nothing to do with the music itself. We did not feel that we had nothing more to
say or that we were repeating ourselves, personally I think our creativity is at
its peak. More or less, it seems logical and natural to end it this way. We have
been talking about suicide for so many years we finally got the balls to do it.
(laughter)
Jeff: Well, when you talk about death so much it is always better to off
yourself as well. You mentioned that making this record was both stressful and
rewarding, what did you mean by that?
Ville: It was a weird one because you can only do your last album once. It was
nerve wracking and exhausting because everybody wanted to pull what was there.
Even thought it was a hard album to record and write it there was a rewarding
feeling there. When we closed the studio door and when we had the finished
version in our hands we knew we did something very special.
Jeff: Where did the inspiration come from for this, where was your head at when
you were writing?
Ville: Obviously on every song there is finality in them and they are more or
less about the ending of this band and what we have gone through in the last 16
years. I guess lyrically it is more personal than ever before.
Jeff: Drain me, it sounds amusing, is that about what I think it is about?
Ville: It is hard to explain, you have to use outside people to survive while on
tour. You got it.
Jeff: I got it. You guys spent a lot of quality time on this album, the music is
everywhere.
Ville: The music comes from many different areas; you spent a lot of quality
time on this album. If it is there it is there; we really do not work that
hard trying to do something. We rehearse to make them ready before we go into
the studio.
Jeff: How long did it take to write this album?
Ville: A year, from first song to the last one.
Jeff: So you knew all along that you were splitting up?
Ville: We kind of talked about the ending and when we decided we really started
to rehearse the songs for the next album. We knew it was the right thing to do
and we found the right moment it just took us two years to say it.
Jeff: I am into the cover, it is very enchanting. Who did it?
Ville: Our drummer did all of the artwork for the booklet and the cover. He has
kind of a weird way to express himself; they are really great pictures
throughout the booklet. I cannot explain what the pics are about because they
are not about anything. There are not that many colors, there is kind of a
funeral theme throughout it.
Jeff: It looks very dark, I like it.
Ville: Black is the color of joy.
Jeff: Black is the color of death and that is all I really wear. You said on
your site that there is a DVD in the works, is that still planned for?
Ville: We will record a DVD of our very last show in our hometown in Finland in
September I guess. The reason we want to do that show, so at least they can
watch it on DVD. There will be all of our videos and hours of footage that we
shot ourselves with our cameras throughout the years so there should be some
twisted stuff for that. It is only one show so I am sure we will fuck it up
somehow.
Jeff: Will you record other shows or that one?
Ville: We will have a guy with us filming stuff but not full shows.
Jeff: I know you do not like touring but will there be any U.S. shows?
Ville: I am sorry but there will not be any. I know we have fans there but it
does not serve a purpose to go play in the states because we will have to do a
full tour. I could not handle it because I am one step away from being a full
blown alcoholic.
Jeff: It is understandable since you have a family. I know you do not want to
come all the way from Europe for x number of weeks or months and be away from
them for that length of time. What does the future hold for you after Sentenced
is done?
Ville: I guess we are all still in the middle of carrying this coffin to the
grave so we have not thought about it. I am sure we will do something musically.
I know personally I am going to sleep for a long time and see what is going to
happen next. Obviously something with music but I do not know.
Jeff: While I am sad that you guys are ending at least you are going out in
style.
Ville: It is great to know that you think that way. People have asked us if
there will be a reunion but we will show some character and principle. We want
to give this band the ending that we feel it deserves. This is the honorable way
to go with our boots on and a final fuck you to everybody.
Jeff: So you are not going to pull a KISS and keep coming back?
Ville: No, it is six feet under and nobody has come back from the grave yet.
Jeff: At least you have your dignity unlike some other acts.
Ville: If we were to get back together 10 years from now and played music it
would be under a new name, not Sentenced.
Jeff: I hope Sentenced rest in peace, thank you for the interview!
Ville: Your welcome.
| |
Contact
Advertise
|
