Interview with Pasi Vastamaki vocalist of Apocryfal done by Patrick
1.Hello Pasi how are things starting out for you in the new year? Please introduce yourself to the readers?
I’m Pasi Vastamäki from Finland and I make the lyrics and handle the vocals in Apocryfal. The starting year has been dark and grim. It feels more like autumn than winter since there isn’t much snow on the ground, but fortunately that supports our last record though, heh.
2.When did you first discover death metal and who were the first bands that caught your attention?Are their any new bands that have caught your attention?
As I was young, I looked up to bands like Vader and Gorefest for the power that was in the shouting/growling vocals. The commanding style was something that I wanted to master myself. Since the early days, I have found much greater meaning and inspiration from Black Metal bands, since they often offer so much more in their lyrics. Also, I have found that breaking the usual boundaries with the vocals lets you deliver the message that you are trying to channel much more authentically and with much broader range. That’s why the vocal style varies within the songs and why we don’t label us strictly Death Metal anymore.
Some of the newer bands that I have found interesting: Fullmoon Lunacy, Abyssal Vacuum, Death Fortress and Mylingar.
3. Apocryfal was formed in 2009 when did you and the other members first get the idea to start this band? And how did you choose Apocryfal as the band name does it have a special meaning?
I wasnt the first vocalist of the band. They had 3 or 4 songs ready when I hanged out in the rehearsal room. I knew the drummer Juho Suomi and our guitarist Juha Lausamo from before and I liked their style and got invited to fill-in when their vocalist didn’t show up. That’s where our path started. The first songs were very much in vein with bands like Vader but like I said before, we have grown out to be something of our own and not defined by our pioneers anymore. Or so I hope. Apocryfal is a stylistic version of the word apocryphal which means some story or part of it that is often believed to be true, but which is probably just lies. Like someone could guess, it refers to religions.
4.Who would you say are the bands biggest influences and have they remained the same over the years?For the readers who have never heard Apocryfal how would you best describe the bands musicial style?
I have spoken about this in the other questions. Our style is blackened death metal and nowadays it probably nods towards Icelandic Black Metal scene, even though we don’t have any clear idols from there. Our musical preferences vary a lot within the band so it’s not easy to compare us to any particular band. Crushing Black Death hopefully summarizes what we are or aim to be.
5.Crushing Black Death is the bands debut full length release how long did it take the band to write the music for the debut?How long does it usually take the band to complete one song?
The songs take the time which they need. The whole process lasted 6 years since the EP mainly because we have grown up and had responsibilities pop up in our lives. Like army and such. I’m not going to tell some bullshit lies about the need to take those years for this release, but without the time, the material wouldn’t truly be so strong, and the songs wouldn’t have been the selected ones. We have had some scrap songs,but we have trashed them, since they haven’t been what we want to signal. So, it differs a lot. There are lots of bands which have tens of albums out and sadly, the quality reflects that as well.
6.Pasi you handle the vocals for the band so I assume you write the lyrics for the music what are some topics you wrote about on the debut release? Which usually comes first the lyrics or the music?
I have done all our lyrics except when I have taken parts from the book of lies. Also, Truth Hath No Confines is taken from Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, which has been a great inspiration to me. I have done some lyrics beforehand, but it’s important to me, that the lyrics fit the song. You can force your lyrics into any song, but if the music doesn’t support the lyrics, you are doing things half-assed.
7.Besides the debut Crushing Black Death are the bands previous demo and EP.still available for the readers to purchase?Besides physical releases does the band have any other merchandise currently available if yes what is available and where can the readers purchase it?
We have Aberration of Mind t-shirts available (graphics done by Costin Chioreanu) in sizes S and M. The physical copies of the first two albums are long gone. We are currently pondering with the idea of pressing a shirt with the Crushing Black Death’s drawing on the front, but we will see. The front cover was drawn by my father and we are more than pleased with the result. We will inform about these things in our Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Apocryfal/
8.Has Apocryfal gotten to play live over the years or do you prefer working in the studio?What have been some of the bands most memorable shows and who are some bands you have shared the stage with?
We have done over 10 gigs in the past years. The highlight must have been the Steelfest open air 2014, where we played with bands like Vader, Primordial and Maveth (R.I.P.). The live shows aren’t really any necessity for us so we are not interested in playing every other month in our hometown, where the crowd would probably be 95% the same every time, like some other bands do. You get so much more from a band, when there is a decent gap between the live shows – and that goes for both the listeners and the artists as well.
9.Are their any shows or tours planned for 2020 if yes where will the band be playing?
No tours or shows planned. Again, we will inform about these in our Facebook, so subscribe if you are interested.
10.What does Underground Metal mean to you?
Something that operates by its own boundaries and not with those that the mainstream has set. That’s why I see attacks against bands or events as conservative acts rather than liberal acts since the meaning and purpose of the underground should be against what is set and settled.
11. Pasi you handle the vocals for the band when did you first start growling and screaming? Do you do anything special to keep your throat and voice healthy?
I have done metal vocals since the start of our band. The higher pitched screams started around 2012 and I have not rehearsed those a lot. I do them only for the record, so there were years of silence on that part. I started to rehearse those again like 1 month before the last album, but I’m pleased with those since I could transmit what I intended with that style. I keep good breaks from it and let my throat rest, so nothing special.
12.Who are some of your influences and favorite vocalists?
It’s hard to pick one favorite, since the styles differ so much, and some vocalist do better on studio than they do on stage. The usual tipping point is that when a good sounding studio vocalist sings live, and the voice can’t carry the whole show. Or if the vocals are mixed so that you cannot really do them live. Deicide’s latest put Glen Benton high on that list. Wasn’t really a fan before that. Corvus from Korgonthurus is probably my favorite Black Metal vocalist since he can really transmit the black energy that he intends to.
13.Apocryfal comes out of Finlands death,black metal scene what is your opinion of Finland's metal scene over the years?
Lots of circle jerking and holy pioneer bands that people wouldn’t dare to criticize. I think that Black Metal especially should stay in the underground but there are lots of ground rules that you cannot break, or else you are a poser or what not. I agree that lyrics should define what is BM and what is not and that is one of the strong points of Finnish BM scene. In US and UK there are lots of bands which label themselves as BM but then make some pitiful statements against hate or change and they make their lyrics about some fairies and other wimpy shit. They should really reconsider what they are trying to put forth – What is black about some hopeful fucking unicorn dreamland pictures that are sung on top of some cheerful melodies? Absolutely nothing.
14.Who are your all-time favorite bands coming out of Finland and are their any new bands you could recommend to the readers?
Korgonthurus, Shape Of Despair, Maveth (not active anymore, check out Proscription), Saturnian Mist and Lordamor come first in mind. If I would have to pick just two, it would be the first ones mentioned. Highly recommend both their records and their live performances. Other than metal: Kuolema-duo, Leevi and the Leavings and Mika ja Turkka Mali (their Vysotsky works).
15.When you need to take a break from working on new music or band business what do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Feels stupid to say this in this context but walking in the nature. I have a forest like 50 meters behind our home so that’s where I spend a lot of time. I also like reading biology (evolution and ethology especially) and psychology (errors in thought etc.). In the summertime I try to spend as much time as I can in our cabin which is isolated by the lake.
16.Thank you Pasi for taking the time to fill this interview out do you have any final comments for the readers?
Put out the light in the darkness that you have personally set ablaze and greet the Truth.
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