In this interview, I was able to catch up with Niclas Buss, Trygve Strömvall, Jari Ketola, and Henrik Böckelman of the Finland based "Power Metal" band NORTHERN FLAME to ask them a few questions about their album 'TWISTED REALITY'.
(Jacob) It's so good to finally be having this interview with your band:
Niclas: Hi there! Thanks for asking us to do this interview!
(Jacob) So, can you give us some insight into what got you involved in the music industry and what is the ultimate purpose of the band?
(Niclas) When I started to compose music a longtime ago I kind of always had a dream of releasing and performing own music, looking up to idols at that time such as Iron Maiden, Metallica, Stratovarius and Nightwish. It wasn't until I got Narnia: ”Long Live the King” album as Christmas present, that I was aware that there is a Christian Metal scene. After that I have strongly felt a calling to work within this scene, spreading the gospel and expressing a different kind of lyrical content than many other bands in the same genre has. If anyone feels built up spiritually by our music or even gets saved in the long run, it is indeed a desirable goal.
(Henrik) I've been playing music since I was 8 or so, but first I played the piano. In the mid 80s, I discovered electric bass and I knew that was my instrument. Around the same time, I found a band to play in and I loved the interaction, so I wanted to keep doing it.
(Jari) (How I started playing drums) I was 13 years old when I saw a live performance from a band called Vomiturition. I watched the drummer mesmerized and the following day told my parents that I want drum set and I want it now. So, I got drums and got a practice place with my friends from school. I called the Vomiturition drummer-Kai Hahto(Nightwish, Wintersun) and alked him if I could get drum lessons. His playing and teaching pretty much influenced me and my playing as a drummer.
(Trygve) I started playing the piano at 8 years old. Mostly classical music. Niclas asked if I could join NF about 10 years ago and I had never played in a band before that. Heavy music has always had a big influence on me. Meeting Niclas and playing and making my own music is a dream come true.
(Jacob) Who was the founding member(s) and when did the band officially form?
(Niclas) Northern Flame has its roots back in about 2001 when I started composing heavy metal music, experimenting and began playing electric guitar instead of piano, which was my first instrument to get lessons in. At some point I wanted to have a name of the project for which I was creating songs for. Emil Stenros (Bass) and our current vocalist-Simon Granlund joined in 2003 for the s/t demo.
(Jari) (How I got involved with NF) I met Niclas when we played together at one project on a choir festival back in 2007 or 2008 maybe? Niclas told me that he has a band that would need a session drummer for studio recordings and asked if I was interested. So, I got the demos, really liked the music and ended up as fulltime member after the session.
(Jacob) Can you shed some light on where your band's name came from and what is the meaning behind it? (Niclas) I got the idea for the band name from aurora borealis or northern lights, that is a very cool phenomenon that can be seen here in the north, if the conditions are right. I have always been in awe to these beautiful moving lights. I wanted to find a synonym for this and came up with Northern Flame (could also have been Northern Flame*s*, but since I was the only bandmember then I thought it was appropriate). Later in the ”Northern Flame” song that Emil Stenros wrote lyrics for on the 2005, it can also be connected to Acts 2:3 in the Bible, where the people saw tongues like flames and were filled with the Holy Spirit.
(Jacob) What brand of instruments do you all use and why do you prefer that specific brand over another? (Niclas) I have used quite a range of guitars for recording the parts for our 2nd album. So, I can't really say what brand I prefer the most. I wanted to get a thick and varied sound. The ones I have used are: Mayones, Ibanez, Washburn and Taylor (acoustic parts).
(Henrik) My main instrument is my 5-string Washburn MB-5 bass, because I love the look and the sound. And I also use Electro-Harmonix effect pedals, they're my favorite brand of effect pedals because of the sound and the quality.
(Trygve) I use Roland RD-700. As a classical pianist it´s important for me that my instrument has an analog feeling to it. And I think the RD-700 provides just that.
(Jacob) Do you all have any hobbies outside of music that help to rejuvenate or inspire creativity within your music?
(Niclas) For a about 10 years, I've done LARPing, (live action roleplaying) and that helps get an escape from reality from time to time. Just taking a break from being creative helps. I also like travelling and enjoying nature. That is a little difficult right now though with the ongoing virus situation. I'm also creative in the kitchen as well and growing my own chili peppers ;).
(Jari) When it comes to practicing and improving myself as a drummer and as a musician, I am lazy as it gets. This year for example, I have total hours played maybe around 40-50. For comparison, my playing hours in PS4 is somewhere between 700-900, so there you have it.
(Trygve) Physical exercise has always been important to me. A lot of lyrical ideas form during when I´m out running. Travelling is also something that I like to do. It gives you new perspectives seeing other cultures and meeting other people.
(Jacob) Are there any artists that have played a part in influencing the members of your band along with your band's sound?
(Niclas) For me Stratovarius, Sonata Arctica, Nightwish and Yngwie Malmsteen/Narnia have been important for the composing of songs and our finding sound. 'Twisted Reality' is a more collaborative album compared to our debut, where I wrote everything musically, and the better part of the lyrics. So, having more composers has been an enriching experience!
(Trygve) I grew up with Christian bands like Petra, Bloodgood, Stryper (of course) and other Christian rock/metal bands. But musically I think I´m closer to bands like Theocracy/Nightwish/Stratovarius.
(Jacob) What is the biggest problem that you all have had to overcome as a band?
(Niclas) For us it has mainly been getting enough money to be able to produce a new album. Thanks to two cultural foundations in Finland and private supporters we could pull this new album through. We had applied for these for a few times and got rejected. It wasn't until the 2nd or 3rd time it was approved? Having new and appropriate contacts helps quite a lot! For the actual recording process and band rehearsals, getting all members' schedules to sync is quite demanding. The recordings themselves took at least two years, since we all work fulltime with something else.
(Trygve) Just as Niclas said it´s quite difficult to have time to rehearse together and meet the other members due to family/job situation.
(Jacob) Can you go into some detail about your musical direction on your latest release 'Twisted Reality'?
(Niclas) Twisted Reality is a nice collaborative production as I've stated earlier. Many of us have also evolved as musicians so this has improved and developed our overall sound. Our first single ”Sanctification of the World” maybe is one of the songs that is most true to the "old” Northern Flame style. With Trygve as additional composer there are some really cool keyboard driven songs, with parts I couldn't have pulled off composing myself. It's just a more mature and diverse sounding album. Some songs have more progressive elements too. Alexander's songs with neoclassical vibes worked nicely with our general sound as well. It was nice to get two instrumental songs on this album too. I feel such are sometimes more difficult to write than songs with vocals, due to that they preferably must be interesting the whole length of the duration. Songs with vocals can be more repetitive in a sense and have a totally different song structure.
(Trygve) For me it´s been a blast making music for Twisted Reality. As I said earlier, I didn´t play in any band before about 35 years old. About the same time, I wrote my first real song (Heaven and Hell, yeah it took a while getting it released :). I´m very grateful to Niclas who believed in me and let me in not just as a musician but also as composer.
(Jacob) Do you feel like you achieved what you set out to accomplish on your latest project?
(Niclas) Yes, we have done an album with a much better production. It took a long time, but it was worth it. A lot more has been put into this album compared to our debut, 'Glimpse of Hope'.
(Henrik) I think the end result is so much better than I could have ever imagined when we started. So, my answer is yes.
(Trygve) I think this (corona)-year in some way has made it possible for us to get twisted out (maybe) at all. We have had more time to meet with the guys in the band. We made a lot for the album last summer. Usually, we don´t have time to do anything with the band in the summers.
(Jacob) What is your favorite song to perform, whether live or in studio, and why?
(Niclas) 'Glimpse of Hope'. It is so symphonic and epic with many nice solo parts for me :P. A song filled with a lot of variety.
(Trygve) Glimpse is a really cool song to play and sing live. ”Paradise” is technically the same; a lot of keyboard and backing Simon on vocals...
(Jacob) Was there any special or funny moments during the recording process of the album?
(Niclas) The drums sessions at Midas Studios were fun, same as when we recorded the video for ”Sanctification of the World” (same studio). To hang out with the guys and doing our thing. The technical level of the music for this album is quite high so it evolved me further as musician. That is always good, even when there were times of frustration during the recording process. Some days I just had to stop and try the next day to nail a certain solo or riff perfectly.
(Trygve) All the recordings days at Midas Studios were quite fun. Also recording the songs at Niclas’ home studio with Simon tends to get out of hand.... :)
(Jari) As for second album recordings, the experience was awesome. We had three studio days booked and the plan was to record 16 tracks (included 3 Hilastherion tracks) Studio was great and I had the most amazing drumkit to play with. My biggest enemy was schedule. So, I did rush a bit and that’s why I am not totally happy with my performance on the album. I was little stressed over the schedule the whole time and that probably took a bit away of my creativity. It would be a dream come true for me to record an album without pressure of € counter ticking Maybe someday... I ended up having all 16 tracks done in two days and the last day was then just editing.
(Jacob) At this time, are you planning to keep moving forward as a band and are there any plans for future projects in the works?
(Niclas) I hope there will be more songs at some point, can't estimate when though. Some material didn't get used for this album that can be developed further I believe. Right now, we are focusing on promoting our new album and hope that the epidemic stops and that bands can perform live at venues again!
(Trygve) I have 5-6 songs in the making that could make it for a third NF album. But at this time, we´re focusing on promoting Twisted and let´s see where it´s taking us....
(Jacob) Thank you for your time and thoughtful responses to each and every question. I am excited about your latest release and am looking forward to hearing more from the band in the future.
(Niclas) Thanks for having us! God bless, take care and we pray that 2021 is a better year for everyone!
(Trygve) I really hope and pray for Good News for 2021 as Pastor Bob Beeman so encouragingly said in one of his "Pastor Bob´s Coffee Break"
(Jacob) It's so good to finally be having this interview with your band:
Niclas: Hi there! Thanks for asking us to do this interview!
(Jacob) So, can you give us some insight into what got you involved in the music industry and what is the ultimate purpose of the band?
(Niclas) When I started to compose music a longtime ago I kind of always had a dream of releasing and performing own music, looking up to idols at that time such as Iron Maiden, Metallica, Stratovarius and Nightwish. It wasn't until I got Narnia: ”Long Live the King” album as Christmas present, that I was aware that there is a Christian Metal scene. After that I have strongly felt a calling to work within this scene, spreading the gospel and expressing a different kind of lyrical content than many other bands in the same genre has. If anyone feels built up spiritually by our music or even gets saved in the long run, it is indeed a desirable goal.
(Henrik) I've been playing music since I was 8 or so, but first I played the piano. In the mid 80s, I discovered electric bass and I knew that was my instrument. Around the same time, I found a band to play in and I loved the interaction, so I wanted to keep doing it.
(Jari) (How I started playing drums) I was 13 years old when I saw a live performance from a band called Vomiturition. I watched the drummer mesmerized and the following day told my parents that I want drum set and I want it now. So, I got drums and got a practice place with my friends from school. I called the Vomiturition drummer-Kai Hahto(Nightwish, Wintersun) and alked him if I could get drum lessons. His playing and teaching pretty much influenced me and my playing as a drummer.
(Trygve) I started playing the piano at 8 years old. Mostly classical music. Niclas asked if I could join NF about 10 years ago and I had never played in a band before that. Heavy music has always had a big influence on me. Meeting Niclas and playing and making my own music is a dream come true.
(Jacob) Who was the founding member(s) and when did the band officially form?
(Niclas) Northern Flame has its roots back in about 2001 when I started composing heavy metal music, experimenting and began playing electric guitar instead of piano, which was my first instrument to get lessons in. At some point I wanted to have a name of the project for which I was creating songs for. Emil Stenros (Bass) and our current vocalist-Simon Granlund joined in 2003 for the s/t demo.
(Jari) (How I got involved with NF) I met Niclas when we played together at one project on a choir festival back in 2007 or 2008 maybe? Niclas told me that he has a band that would need a session drummer for studio recordings and asked if I was interested. So, I got the demos, really liked the music and ended up as fulltime member after the session.
(Jacob) Can you shed some light on where your band's name came from and what is the meaning behind it? (Niclas) I got the idea for the band name from aurora borealis or northern lights, that is a very cool phenomenon that can be seen here in the north, if the conditions are right. I have always been in awe to these beautiful moving lights. I wanted to find a synonym for this and came up with Northern Flame (could also have been Northern Flame*s*, but since I was the only bandmember then I thought it was appropriate). Later in the ”Northern Flame” song that Emil Stenros wrote lyrics for on the 2005, it can also be connected to Acts 2:3 in the Bible, where the people saw tongues like flames and were filled with the Holy Spirit.
(Jacob) What brand of instruments do you all use and why do you prefer that specific brand over another? (Niclas) I have used quite a range of guitars for recording the parts for our 2nd album. So, I can't really say what brand I prefer the most. I wanted to get a thick and varied sound. The ones I have used are: Mayones, Ibanez, Washburn and Taylor (acoustic parts).
(Henrik) My main instrument is my 5-string Washburn MB-5 bass, because I love the look and the sound. And I also use Electro-Harmonix effect pedals, they're my favorite brand of effect pedals because of the sound and the quality.
(Trygve) I use Roland RD-700. As a classical pianist it´s important for me that my instrument has an analog feeling to it. And I think the RD-700 provides just that.
(Jacob) Do you all have any hobbies outside of music that help to rejuvenate or inspire creativity within your music?
(Niclas) For a about 10 years, I've done LARPing, (live action roleplaying) and that helps get an escape from reality from time to time. Just taking a break from being creative helps. I also like travelling and enjoying nature. That is a little difficult right now though with the ongoing virus situation. I'm also creative in the kitchen as well and growing my own chili peppers ;).
(Jari) When it comes to practicing and improving myself as a drummer and as a musician, I am lazy as it gets. This year for example, I have total hours played maybe around 40-50. For comparison, my playing hours in PS4 is somewhere between 700-900, so there you have it.
(Trygve) Physical exercise has always been important to me. A lot of lyrical ideas form during when I´m out running. Travelling is also something that I like to do. It gives you new perspectives seeing other cultures and meeting other people.
(Jacob) Are there any artists that have played a part in influencing the members of your band along with your band's sound?
(Niclas) For me Stratovarius, Sonata Arctica, Nightwish and Yngwie Malmsteen/Narnia have been important for the composing of songs and our finding sound. 'Twisted Reality' is a more collaborative album compared to our debut, where I wrote everything musically, and the better part of the lyrics. So, having more composers has been an enriching experience!
(Trygve) I grew up with Christian bands like Petra, Bloodgood, Stryper (of course) and other Christian rock/metal bands. But musically I think I´m closer to bands like Theocracy/Nightwish/Stratovarius.
(Jacob) What is the biggest problem that you all have had to overcome as a band?
(Niclas) For us it has mainly been getting enough money to be able to produce a new album. Thanks to two cultural foundations in Finland and private supporters we could pull this new album through. We had applied for these for a few times and got rejected. It wasn't until the 2nd or 3rd time it was approved? Having new and appropriate contacts helps quite a lot! For the actual recording process and band rehearsals, getting all members' schedules to sync is quite demanding. The recordings themselves took at least two years, since we all work fulltime with something else.
(Trygve) Just as Niclas said it´s quite difficult to have time to rehearse together and meet the other members due to family/job situation.
(Jacob) Can you go into some detail about your musical direction on your latest release 'Twisted Reality'?
(Niclas) Twisted Reality is a nice collaborative production as I've stated earlier. Many of us have also evolved as musicians so this has improved and developed our overall sound. Our first single ”Sanctification of the World” maybe is one of the songs that is most true to the "old” Northern Flame style. With Trygve as additional composer there are some really cool keyboard driven songs, with parts I couldn't have pulled off composing myself. It's just a more mature and diverse sounding album. Some songs have more progressive elements too. Alexander's songs with neoclassical vibes worked nicely with our general sound as well. It was nice to get two instrumental songs on this album too. I feel such are sometimes more difficult to write than songs with vocals, due to that they preferably must be interesting the whole length of the duration. Songs with vocals can be more repetitive in a sense and have a totally different song structure.
(Trygve) For me it´s been a blast making music for Twisted Reality. As I said earlier, I didn´t play in any band before about 35 years old. About the same time, I wrote my first real song (Heaven and Hell, yeah it took a while getting it released :). I´m very grateful to Niclas who believed in me and let me in not just as a musician but also as composer.
(Jacob) Do you feel like you achieved what you set out to accomplish on your latest project?
(Niclas) Yes, we have done an album with a much better production. It took a long time, but it was worth it. A lot more has been put into this album compared to our debut, 'Glimpse of Hope'.
(Henrik) I think the end result is so much better than I could have ever imagined when we started. So, my answer is yes.
(Trygve) I think this (corona)-year in some way has made it possible for us to get twisted out (maybe) at all. We have had more time to meet with the guys in the band. We made a lot for the album last summer. Usually, we don´t have time to do anything with the band in the summers.
(Jacob) What is your favorite song to perform, whether live or in studio, and why?
(Niclas) 'Glimpse of Hope'. It is so symphonic and epic with many nice solo parts for me :P. A song filled with a lot of variety.
(Trygve) Glimpse is a really cool song to play and sing live. ”Paradise” is technically the same; a lot of keyboard and backing Simon on vocals...
(Jacob) Was there any special or funny moments during the recording process of the album?
(Niclas) The drums sessions at Midas Studios were fun, same as when we recorded the video for ”Sanctification of the World” (same studio). To hang out with the guys and doing our thing. The technical level of the music for this album is quite high so it evolved me further as musician. That is always good, even when there were times of frustration during the recording process. Some days I just had to stop and try the next day to nail a certain solo or riff perfectly.
(Trygve) All the recordings days at Midas Studios were quite fun. Also recording the songs at Niclas’ home studio with Simon tends to get out of hand.... :)
(Jari) As for second album recordings, the experience was awesome. We had three studio days booked and the plan was to record 16 tracks (included 3 Hilastherion tracks) Studio was great and I had the most amazing drumkit to play with. My biggest enemy was schedule. So, I did rush a bit and that’s why I am not totally happy with my performance on the album. I was little stressed over the schedule the whole time and that probably took a bit away of my creativity. It would be a dream come true for me to record an album without pressure of € counter ticking Maybe someday... I ended up having all 16 tracks done in two days and the last day was then just editing.
(Jacob) At this time, are you planning to keep moving forward as a band and are there any plans for future projects in the works?
(Niclas) I hope there will be more songs at some point, can't estimate when though. Some material didn't get used for this album that can be developed further I believe. Right now, we are focusing on promoting our new album and hope that the epidemic stops and that bands can perform live at venues again!
(Trygve) I have 5-6 songs in the making that could make it for a third NF album. But at this time, we´re focusing on promoting Twisted and let´s see where it´s taking us....
(Jacob) Thank you for your time and thoughtful responses to each and every question. I am excited about your latest release and am looking forward to hearing more from the band in the future.
(Niclas) Thanks for having us! God bless, take care and we pray that 2021 is a better year for everyone!
(Trygve) I really hope and pray for Good News for 2021 as Pastor Bob Beeman so encouragingly said in one of his "Pastor Bob´s Coffee Break"