“There is a shitloads of amazing and talented bands in basements and garages” – interview with I Am Your God

Finnish metal group I am Your God just released their long-awaited new record “SINister”. Chaoszine reached to the band in order to talk about their new music, their live show’s, Finnish metal scene and their future plans. You can read the whole interview below.

Hello! How has your year been so far? 

Hi, the year has been very fine for us thus far. We have been busy with all the album release preparement and we have been playing a few shows in Finland. And also writing some new IAYG music.

You just released your new album “SINister”. What was the process of recording the album like?

The recording process was actually a bit easier than with our debut album, because we planned and scheduled it way better beforehand. But of course it also was a big pain in our asses, and we spent so much time at our studio (which is also our rehearsal place) last fall. This time we knew better what we were doing with the recording, producing and arranging the album, so we got the situation pretty much ”under control” all the time.

What kind of themes does the album cover?

The lyrical themes basically revolves around a horrible burnout experience and its different phases, including the way into it and healing from it. All kinds of extrimities in life. Also some of the songs are heavily written from the perspective of brotherhood, which was also one of the important elements in the healing process.

How would you compare the album to your previous release “The Resurrection”?

We think we managed to top up the debut album with better songwriting, producing, playing and doing the small nuances in a better and more interesting way. We consider the album more cohesive than the debut, which is at least partly explained by the shorter period of writing. Some of the songs on the debut album was very old songs that Matti had composed before this band even existed, and this time we wrote all the material during the last couple years.

Is there a song or songs on the album that stand out as your favourites?

It’s impossible to pick out only one or two, but for sure the music video track ”Another Day To Die” and the brand new focus track ”The Warden” are some of the strongest songs on the album. Also, a bit earlier released single called ”Dead Standing Tree” enjoys high credit as one of our best live show tracks so far. But the whole album is unbelievable.

Which one of your new music videos was the most fun to make? Did you face any difficulties?

”Another Day To Die” was very fun and also hard experience – we really gave our all there and we think you can see it from the final outcome. Joona Mäki is a high level professional in his field, and the light engineer Mikko Nykänen also did amazing work and kept the smiles on our faces during the filming evening. We are thankful for all the Huuru Media people for doing the video with us!

You will play your first gig abroad in Germany. How are you preparing for the gig and what can the German people expect from you?  

We are preparing by playing a few Finnish summer festivals before the trip to Germany, and of course rehearsing our live set as tight as possible. The German audience can expect a fun and sweaty metal show – we will give it our best shot.

What advice do you have for bands looking to sign a record deal?

We recommend to do just the kind of music that you really love yourself – no matter what people say or how other musicians comment or who they compare you to. Just do what you truly want to do, and you will find your own strengths and your own sound.

How do you think the new material will work live?

We have been playing the single releases live for a while now, and the response has been fine as hell. Windmills and bumping fists at every town we’ve played in . We love playing the new material live, and can’t wait to hit more pieces from SINister at the next shows.

What would you like to see change in the music scene?

At least the scene in Northern Finland should get more active and our home town Rovaniemi should get more places to play shows. The scene in general should enable more of the unknown and smaller bands to get shots to play at the festivals – there is a shitloads of amazing and talented bands in basements and garages who get no response when trying to get on festivals.

What are your goals for the next 5 years?

At least GOD3 has to come out, haha. The new material we have been writing after finishing ”SINister”, has been crazy, and we will keep on working. And of course we also want to conquer more cities, countries and hearts of the metallers by playing more gigs.