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Starting with your s/t album. How are sales going? And what are the reactions you got sofar?
Teemu: Reactions towards the album have been great. Bunch of nice reviews and more important we have received nice feedback from people who have bought the album.
How did you get in touch with Totalrust Music? Being located in Jerusalem is quite extraordinary for a high quality label like TotalRust, so did they find you or did you send a demo to them? Are you satisfied with the label?
Teemu: Gad from TotalRust found us from MySpace and got interested. We had just got the promo version of the album from pressing so we sent him a copy. Soon after hearing it he offered us a deal.
Markus: We are very satisfied with the label. Totalrust has done really good work promoting our album.
My first feeling when hearing Paganus was "what the fuck, this is Thee Plague of Gentlemen from Finland"!!! Do you know that band? And can you understand my feeling?
Markus: I know the band by name, haven't heard them. Got to check them out I suppose, sounds interesting.
Second feelings though, also made me compare your stuff with Grief, especially vocal-wise! Can you agree with me? How important are such aggressive vocals to your music? Could you ever imagine having clear vocals with Paganus?
Markus: Grief is a great band, but they have not influenced me in how I use my voice. I wouldn't say that Grief is very obvious influence to us, but you can find some similarities in our music. Aggressive vocals are very important to Paganus, you can create some sinister moods with nasty vocals.
We like to experiment stuff, so nothing is impossible, maybe some clear vocals, perhaps something else. Teemu: I usually personify each song to Markus' vocals and lyrics. Each time we play the songs I find myself singing along with the lyrics and I can't get the proper feeling to my playing without vocals. Sure we could use some clear vocals if we would feel the song needs it. 
How is your popularity in your own region or country? Is it hard to get your music out to the rest of the world - meaning, spreading it outside of Finland?
Teemu: We play quite small venues in Finland and most of the times we play to an audience that has never heard of us. We always try to perform our best and give a good show. We would love to play more gigs but it is very hard to organize in our current lifestyles with children and day-jobs. Thanks to Gad and TotalRust our album is available in many parts of the world so we are quite happy with the current distribution.
Markus: I don't think that we are very popular in Finland. It is just a small group of people who listens to and who understand this kind of music. So I don't think we ever grow much popularity, which is just fine. It's not hard to get our music out to the world, this internet era does the work pretty well. And now that we have got our album out TotalRust has done really awesome work promoting our album. |
I guess Reverend Bizarre is one of the most 'famous' Doom acts from Finland. Do you like them? Do you know them personally? Would you like to be as well-known as them, or would you prefer a rather more underground status?
Teemu: Well, we certainly wouldn't mind having more people into our stuff and coming to our gigs.
Markus: We don't know the Reverend Bizarre guys. It would be great to have some recognition in the future. I don't think that this kind of music ever hits the mainstream.
According to your biography, you already formed in 2000. Why did you take so long to finally release something in 2006? How many copies of "Live at Valorock 16.9.2005" where sold? Can this release be considered as an official demo, or was it intended as a promo in the first place, to attain some attention?
Teemu: Paganus originally started as a side-project to another band we had at the time. It took us a very long time to realise what we wanted our sound to be. With our drummer Tomi coming to the band we started getting our shit together so to speak.
- Live at... was never pressed as a CD and we never introduced it as a demo. It was sort of a memoir from our first live performance. Markus: I wouldn't consider "Live at.." as an official anything. We just had the possibility to record the show, so that's what we did. 
The songs on that live recording are the same as the ones on your debut CD. Don't you have any other material? How many new Paganus songs do exist? Any new material in progress?
Teemu: We have been playing newer stuff on our shows for last few years now. Our relationship with the album songs are pretty weird for we haven't been playing some of them live for a very long time.
Markus: Off course we have new material, we just don't have the possibility to practice them much. It takes time to make new songs because we gather together rarely. There are some great new material in progress, can't wait to play them live.
You already did quite a few live gigs. Is it easy to get gigs, considering your musical style (which isn't that much accepted by the overall 'Metal'-public). What kind of feeling do you get when performing live? And how does the audience react on your music?
Teemu: Most of the gigs we do are offered to us. Our "fellowgroups" contact us and invite us to support them. It is also great that there are people who keep arranging these venues, where we, and lots of other bands can perform our music. Playing live is the most important thing for us a band.
Markus: Off course every show is different, and how people react to our music depends where we play and in what kind of happening. Some people just don't get this kind of music, so sometimes you can see some confused looking people at our shows. But shows that are directly meant to people who enjoy doom metal have been great. |
Any plans to play outside of Finland, for example in Germany or the rest of the world?
Teemu: Hopefully in the future we will be able to do a small tour outside Finland.
Markus: We haven't even thought of that. But in the future it would be great to have the opportunity to play outside Finland, especially Germany.
By examining your website, it is quite obvious that most of the Paganus' members are mainly into other styles of Music - not solely Metal or Doom Metal... How's your interest in todays Metal scene? And would you consider yourself to be a part of it?
Teemu: It is true that each member of Paganus also enjoy loads of other than metal music. We think it is a great thing that our musical influences come from a wide range. Every now and then I come across with a metal band that totally explodes my mind.
Markus: We all have a wide taste in music. I think in music purism is a very stupid thing. I don't follow any scene. 
Are you in contact with other Doom Metal bands worldwide? If so, which ones?
Teemu: Our fellow TotalRust band Volition kicks ass and I've also expressed it to them.
Markus: We are mainly in contact with some Finnish doom metal bands, like Garden of Worm and Profetus.
Hope this one isn't boring, but could you tell us something about your normal lifes? What do you guys do, if you aren't rehearsing or recording?
Teemu: We live our lives as students, workers, partners, and fathers. Trying to make the best of the time we have to spend in this planet.
Markus: Got to work to get money. But in my spear time I always find myself listening to music, or making new songs for Paganus or my other band The Dilligafs. I try to find time to do some sports too to stay in fit, combat sports mainly.
How would YOU describe Paganus music? I mean, I am referring to it as Doom Metal all the way through this interview - but maybe you would prefer to give it another definition?
Teemu: To tell you the truth, I personally don't know what makes some music Doom and what does not. Usually when someone asks a definition for our music I simply answer that we play Metal music. Loud and massive!
Markus: Experimental Doom metal ;)
OK, guess that's all for the moment! Any last comments?
Teemu: We dare everyone to visit our website and come to see us perform live!
» Paganus @ The Bible of DoomMarkus: Thanks for the interview! Enjoy Paganus. » Paganus @ MySpace » Paganus Official Homepage |
