1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Some of us started playing together as a band more than 10 years ago, as most of us are long time friends from the same neighborhood. Some of the songs on our new EP are almost that old as well.
At that time folk metal was a big deal in Finland and the idea of venturing into that genre formed as the original members of the band had been playing together for some time.
It was around 2016 that all current members had been established, so the band has seen some member changes and been through some more stagnant phases throughout its history so far.
2. Recently you have released an album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?
All of us like and listen to folk metal, but as all folk metal fans know, there is quite a lot of variation within this genre.
We’d like to think that one of our strengths as a band is how all of us have different influences and inspirations within folk metal and music in general, and this brings different
perspectives into our music. All of our members take some part in making the music, but specifically on this EP, the songs have been written by three different songwriters within the band.
Their different distinctive styles can be heard, but there are still common elements and a sound that makes it Elvenscroll. In short, we like to make epic catchy folk metal in the style of bands
such as Ensiferum, Finntroll and Moonsorrow, yet approach this music in various ways.
3. Some of your lyrics cover Paganism themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?
Paganism is a reoccurring theme in movies, literature and games that all of us have enjoyed since childhood, therefore it’s a great source of inspiration. As one of our writers put it:
- As someone who likes reading about history I’ve always found old customs, traditions and folklore to be intriguing. Paganism and old beliefs are a wonderful source of inspiration for me
when writing music and/or lyrics.
4. What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects that the band has explored so far with the music?
The lyrics often encompass battle and war in a literal sense, but also as a metaphor for a struggle within oneself, as this is a fundamental part of life. Other lyrical themes present are nature,
brotherly solidarity and elements from fantasy. Some songs approach these themes more broadly, and others focus in on a specific subject. For instance the lyrics to Wild Hunt are based on a famous
old German folk tale.
5. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Elvenscroll'?
The name started off as a joke, not unlike the band itself, but turned out to fit the fantasy theme we were going for quite well, so we ended up keeping it.
6. Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the album cover?
The artwork is based on the concept of the album. Never to be mourned refers to the casualties of war that do not get written about or remembered in history, the tragedies that die with the
common people who suffer in silence. The cloaked man on the cover represents someone who was left behind to be reclaimed by the wilderness. His face is hidden so you can only imagine who he
was or what purpose he had. In another picture you can see the remains of his horse, whose purpose and death is also of great meaning to some, but meaningless in the grand scheme of things.
This concept translates to war in a literal sense but describes quite well the struggles of human life in a figurative way.
7. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
The few most recent ones, as each gig has been better than the last. None of us are trained entertainers so playing live can be awkward and difficult to some of us, and there is work to be done
regarding stage performance. We keep getting better as a group with each show and feel more comfortable on stage, so we are heading in the right direction for sure. Our last gig in the soon to be
legendary venue Ahjon Paja is probably our best one so far. Ahjon Paja is our neighboring bar and hosts a variety of interesting artists and gigs. Our last gig there was a success as all
technical aspects were running smoothly, the sound was great, the house was packed and the feeling in the room was awesome.
8. On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of folk metal?
So far, from reading reviews, it’s been pretty positive. We have been getting plenty of album orders worldwide as well which is a great honor!
9. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We’ll keep making music, record things we have stored and write more. In the future we’d like to incorporate more cello into our compositions as well. We’ll hopefully have some singles out
quite soon, then we’ll focus on our full length album. We are pretty content with our music style and wish to develop it rather than changing directions, so listeners can expect more epic folk
metal in the future. And of course we’ll schedule more live gigs and hope to see everyone there!
10. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Our music is heavily influenced by legends such as Bathory, and of course the great Finnish folk metal bands Finntroll, Moonsorrow and Ensiferum. As one of our songwriters puts it,
Emperor and Bal Sagoth has been a huge inspiration for him since back when he was still learning how to write songs. More indirectly perhaps, most of us also have a background in classic heavy
rock acts such as Deep Purple, Rainbow etcetera, including old progressive rock like Uriah Heep and Jethro Tull, to name a few. Most of us have been really into black metal for a long time, and
that is a large part of what we listen to, but as anyone with a love for music, we’re always on lookout for new music in anything that sounds interesting.
11. What are some of your non musical interests?
Video games, literature, board games and anything fantasy themed. One of our vocalists who also made the cover art draws and paints but is also an avid crafter and has for instance built an own
shamanic style drum.
12. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We’d like to thank everyone who has shown interest in our band and enjoyed our music, we hope to keep you updated with some new stuff soon and cast elven spells upon thee!
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