Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
You surely know that Finland is a cradle for some insanely talented people, just like the band that I’m about to interview. They’re called Dyecrest, and I had the pleasure of chatting with drummer Niko Takala about their latest album, their passion and life in Finland!
Hello! How are you doing at the moment?
Niko Takala: Hello! Thanks for asking, we’re doing great. Right now we’ve been busy rehearsing and preparing for our upcoming shows. There are only a few gigs during the summer, but we have more coming up in the autumn.
I really enjoyed your new album! Is there a particular track on “Defying Gravity” that started in one way and then completely changed into something else?
Niko Takala: Thank you! We honestly think the album turned out really well, too. I wouldn’t say there are any songs that completely transformed into something else during the process, but “Fire Walk With Me” probably comes closest. Matti’s (the songwriter’s) earliest ideas for the song were a bit calmer and more atmospheric, perhaps somewhat in the style of Amorphis. Of course, the song still contains plenty of atmosphere alongside its straightforward chorus, but it probably underwent the biggest changes during the arrangement phase.
You have been active since the early 2000s. Looking back, what is the secret to keeping the passion and resilience alive after more than twenty years in the industry?
Niko Takala: The answer is probably a bit boring, but it’s simply the love of music and making it. And of course the fact that we’ve been friends for such a long time and still genuinely enjoy spending time together. After 2008 (when we put the band “in the freezer,” haha!), we actually took about five years completely off before gradually returning to making music. The public comeback didn’t happen until the release of our comeback album “Are You Not Entertained?” in 2018.
Can you share with us in what ways do the Finnish nature, landscapes, or lifestyle influence the emotional depth or darkness of your music?
Niko Takala: That’s actually a bit difficult to evaluate from the perspective of someone creating the music. But I suppose the traditional Finnish factors have influenced us as well. The cold winters and the long dark season probably play a role — at least they don’t exactly inspire the happiest sing-along songs for us, haha! On the other hand, there is the overwhelming explosion of nature during summer, the warmth and the endless bright nights. I imagine all of these things find their way into the music one way or another.
You’ve shared stages with giants like W.A.S.P., DragonForce, Stratovarius, and Sonata Arctica. Is there a specific piece of advice or a memorable anecdote you picked up from backstage on those big tours?
Niko Takala: The most memorable experience overall was definitely the 2004 European tour, where we were involved as quite young guys. We opened the shows, DragonForce played second, and W.A.S.P. headlined. It was quite something at the first show of the tour when the dressing room opposite ours had a sign on the door saying: “Dressing Room – W.A.S.P.”! One funny story from that tour comes from Italy. In early June there was the “Gods of Metal” festival near Milan, where W.A.S.P. was also performing. DragonForce had managed to get a slot at the festival, but we hadn’t. So for us it was basically a day off.
When we found out that the backstage catering was also available to us because we had tour passes, we naturally made full use of it from late morning onwards! Every now and then we’d go watch some bands and then return to “refuel.” Sometime during the evening, word started spreading among the bands that free beer backstage would only continue to be available for members and crew of Testament and Alice Cooper, hahaha! The festival featured bands such as Twisted Sister, Stratovarius and the ones already mentioned. I still regret that we didn’t get to stay and watch Alice Cooper‘s show because we had to leave for Spain and continue with the next dates of the tour.
Ohh that’s too bad! Are you planning a promotional tour for “Defying Gravity”? Is there any chance we’ll see you touring Europe or visiting Italy soon? I would love to see you in a live show here!
Niko Takala: We certainly have plans—or perhaps hopes would be a better word. Organizing a tour always requires a lot of pieces falling into place at the same time, so we’re waiting for exactly that to happen. It would be absolutely fantastic to tour Europe and finally come to Italy to play our very first show there!
You have earned a solid international following. How do you connect with fans outside of Finland, especially in the era of social media and streaming?
Niko Takala: Most of the interaction happens through exactly those channels. People send us messages through social media and occasionally by email as well. And of course media interviews like this one help us stay connected with fans too. This is actually a huge difference compared to twenty years ago, when we were last receiving a lot of media attention and doing interviews. Back then we conducted interviews by phone with media outlets from all over the world—even from places like Venezuela! Nowadays interviews are almost always handled via remote connections such as Zoom, Meet or similar platforms, or simply by email.
What’s some advice that you would give to someone who dreams of performing and playing in a band at a professional level?
Niko Takala: Believe in what you’re doing and in your own vision—that’s the most important thing of all. But at the same time, be willing to listen and learn from the “old and wise” people around you.
I wanted to play a little game with you if that’s okay. If you had to choose a song from “Defying Gravity” to enter Eurovision Song Contest… which one would you choose?
Niko Takala: Then it would probably have to be “The Spark“, because it’s the only one short enough, hahaha! (“The Spark” is actually the intro to “Fire Walk With Me“.) But speaking more seriously, it would probably be one of the songs that were chosen as singles. Maybe “Enceladus“? Cut down to three minutes, of course—and we’d definitely need to add one of those classic Eurovision-style key-change choruses at the end, hehe!
I vote for “Enceladus” too! That’s one of my favorites! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview! Is there anything else you’d like to add to our readers?
Niko Takala: Thank you a million times for your interest in us! To all your readers: please check out our new album “Defying Gravity”, and make sure to follow our social media channels as well. That way you’ll stay up to date with everything that’s happening in the world of Dyecrest!
