Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )

FEAR OF DOMINATION (FoD), formed in 2006, is a Finnish industrial death metal band with a wide range of musical influences.  Their second album Create. Control. Exterminate. was released in November 2011. The new album generated a lot of positive feedback, setting the band’s goals for the future even higher than before. Slowing down was no longer an option. Right now the band’s main goal is to focus on live shows and start piecing together their third studio album.

Recently Metalshock Finland had a chance to have a chat with band’s lead vocalist Saku Solin, please join the conversation…

1. Hi Saku, i’m Tarja and welcome to Metalshock Finland. We met at Myötätuulirock in Finland, but for the tight schedule I had no chance to interview you. Let’s do it now. To start, please tell me who you are? in other words, introduce you and your band mates…

Well, we are Fear of Domination from Nurmijärvi. Band consists of six members.
Lead vocals: Saku Solin
Lead guitar: Johannes Niemi
Guitar: Jan-Erik Kari
Bass: Lauri Ojanen
Keys: Lasse Raelahti
Drums: Vesa the Kaapelikaveri Ahlroth

Just bunch of crazy guys. Titled as the most positive industrial metal band in Finland. We get up on the stage to give all we can for the audience. Because we can. Nothing more, nothing less.

2. Your bio says your genre is deathmetal… but is it really so? how would you define it?

First of all genres are very overrated and nowadays it is very hard to define differences between the genres. Usually audience puts us in industrial-death metal genre. Whatever that means then? We play music that sounds good to our ears. And it seems to work for the fans. That’s the most important thing, right?

3. Saku, you formed the band in 2006… but tell me, was it diffult to find your place in finnish metal scenes?

It wasn’t me alone who formed this band. It first started with me, Jan-Erik and Jaakko (our former drummer) with just a desire to make music together. Back then we didn’t even know for sure what we wanted to sound like. We didnt have full plan or purpose. Just the will to make this.
It was later about 2008 when FoD took it’s full form and when we started to make this with clear vision what we are doing and why. And yes, it is very hard to stand out from the other bands because the quality of finnish metal bands is very high. It needs much more than just good riffs to make you worthy for the audience.

4. Who are your musical influences?

Well that’s an everlasting list. Some of them could be In Flames, Pantera, Rammstein, Pain etc.

5. I’ve read that you, as a band, think of FoD as your family… what exactly you mean with that? sharing the household-tasks too? lol

Including wiping each others asses and so on… 😉
Well we consider us like brothers and bother to others. We have just experienced so much common history and never forgetting moments that have made us tied together. Not forgetting the fact that many of the band member have known each other for many years before the band even existed. In the freetime we are more or less seeing each other and hanging out together. It’s hard to explain it more than that.

6. So, I met you at Myötätuulirock and saw your show which was really something i hadn’t seen before… with fireworks, fire-eaters, and burning Icarus… so tell me about the idea behind the show.

First of all, we have always wanted to give something more than “just” a gig. We always want to give a show that everybody remembers. MTR was the first big festival gig for us so we decided to bring out the big guns. And what a show we gave. So many bands have pyros and stuff but we wanted to give even more. More theatrical and with more than static fire. And thats where the circus came in.
Big thank goes to Uma Pöllänen, the head of the fire circus. Her visions and ambition for good show was phenomenal and it was a pleasure to work with her and the circus. It was more than fun to practice together with them. Hopefully promoters etc will give us more possibilities to use such assets in the future.

7. Seeing you on stage, with a “make-up”, hairdo and a special clothings give surely a great add to your show and band-image… but tell me what do you want to message to your audience with it?

It’s just fun to provoke people with something “weird.” Bands that stick out get remembered better than the others. But most important thing probably is that the person who goes on the stage is not just ordinary guy. It’s the alter ego of us who gives 150% of himself and still hungers for more.

8. Still remaining your live shows… what keeps you going? i.e. what is your source of energy?

The audience of course. There is no better feeling than making music and giving it to them with spectacular show. The faces of the audience or the overall feeling… It’s just something that words cannot describe.

9. Your latest album “Create.Control.Exterminate.” came out at the end of 2011. As for the title, can the album be divided in 3 parts as themes?

The message behind every song culminates in the name of the album. It was too hard to compress it in one word, so we came up with three. We left the discovering of the words to the listener.

10. Techically speaking, how it differs to your debut album “Call of Schizophrenia” (2009)?

Technically speaking it differs in every way. We were so young and inexperienced while recording C.O.S. so it had it’s pros and cons. In C.C.E. we learned from those cons and turned them into pros.

11. Talking about the new album, what would you like to tell me about the song-writing process?

Jonne brought out the basic riffs and concepts for the songs. We tried them out together and molded them to their final form at the D-studio.

12. …and any particular memories about the studio sessions?

Long nights. Tons of swearing. Tireless sound of cowbell metronome and frustration. Still hearing the complete song was the most rewarding moment ever.

13. This summer you’ve played a lot promoting the album… but what else will you do this autumn and first winter months?

We focus on making new songs for the upcoming album. There is also some gigs coming up. The first step beyond the borders of our beloved Finland is coming too.

14. Your management and promotion is handled by Helsinki-based HR Promotions, what can you tell me about this co-operation?

Masa “Daddy” Remes is one of the best things that we have come across with. His restless work for us and ever- inspiring attitude towards us really helps us going. We can’t wish for better promoter him.

15. What we can expect from your near future? a new album?

Well we are working for the new album. Going to be some killer songs and more killer gigs. Better to come to see yourself!

16. Give me some links where our readers can find you and your music…

www.fearofdomination.com
www.facebook.com/fearofdomination
And of course in the world of youtube.
Be sure to get our physical albums too for example:
http://www.recordshopx.com/artist/fear_of_domination/

17. Before the last question, I wanna thank you Saku, for this chat, and hope to see you soon again on stage … and now, how would you like to conclude this interview?

Thank you very much for the interview. It was our pleasure all the way! Better to come and see us again! We promise to keep giving unforgettable shows every time we get up on the stage!

Interview by Tarja Virmakari – Photos: Fear Of Domination show at Myötätuulirock