Serenity's End

"We make music that WE care about."

Northern Finnish town Oulu has a very, very big and vibrant metal music scene. One of the bright, rising bands is Serenity's End. Melancholic yet heavy hybrid of metal and rock is the band's trade. At the moment they are putting finishing touches on their fourth demo. Meanwhile, Archaic Metallurgy contacted the band and guitarist/vocalist Juha Simola, guitarist Miika Pesonen and bassist Mikko Brandt replied with a few months delay, so bear with that.

AM: Hails from Western Finland. How are things up in Oulu after the New year's Eve? Still suffering from hangover?!

Miika Pesonen: Hangover seems to be part of every weekends program. Maybe thats not good in the long run. :)

AM: So, you recorded three new songs and last news is that they went to the mixing desk. Already done? Can you reveal something about the newbies?

MP: They are still at the mixing desk, but I think they are pretty much done already. Just little tweeking here and there. But everything at it's time.

Mikko Brandt: This time we are mixing it ourselves so obviously it takes a bit more time to make it sound good enough. But we are near the goal and the songs are almost ready for the mastering process. Maybe done when this interview comes out, heheh.

AM: Can you tell the major points in the band's history, please?

MP: Well, all began in 2003 when Juha asked me about forming a band, which would play metal, but not forgetting the beautiful and sad melodies. Then we gathered all the needed players and the band was in full strength. Next we recorded the stuff we had composed so far, the basic road that every band walks.

First demo came out in 2005 and it was called 'Transparent'. We recorded it by ourselves at our rehearsing place. Almost right after 'Transparent' we recorded 'Another Day of Misery'. Couple of gigs was also played at that time period.

Then our bassplayer Ari Hautasaari went studying in Japan and couple of months later our keyboard player Matti Pouke followed him there and things just started to fall apart. Juha and Antti Meriläinen (drummer at the time) joined The RMS and Serenity's End was at the dockyard for couple of years. When The RMS quit, Serenity's End was dug up from naphthalene in 2008.

MB: I played bass in The RMS and naturally was asked to join Serenity's End after The RMS was buried.

MP: One and a half years went by playing and composing new stuff and then we started to record our next release 'Silence in Grey'.

MB: This time the band actually booked a studio and recorded the songs with the help of Pasi Sipilä, who is known from the band Charon.

AM: You have three demos out. The debut, 'Transparent' (2005) is not familiar to me, but 'Another Day of Misery' (2005) and more melancholic 'Silence in Grey' (2009) are both great, but not similar to each other. Can you tell how the band's sound and style have developed since the first compositions? I hear many influences, but still you sound like yourselves. How did you achieve that?

MP: I think, we are listening music so wide range, that it shows in our playing. When I compose music, I take musical grooves and feelings here and there and mix them to my own playing style.

Juha Simola: The fact is that when you start to care too much on what listeners (or media) think about your music and try to adapt the way you make your art to these false expectations, you're on the wrong track. At least if you want to be honest to yourself and make music from the heart. I think this is at least one reason why Serenity's End sounds the way it does. We make music that WE care about.

AM: Why the hell aren't you already signed?! I mean those two newer demos are absolutely corking, and should have woke some labels interest. Did they? And if yes, why another demo coming?

MP: Thanks! I am not sure if we have sent the old demos to labels at all. Even 'Silence in Grey' hasn't been sent yet to labels. Still in progress. :)

MB: Maybe that is the answer, haha. We have been a little lazy gotta admit but the latest release is sure being shipped to labels as well. New demo is coming because there's too many good new songs that we really need to put out there.

AM: There has been a lot of line-up changes in the band, but guitarists Juha Simola (also vocals) and Miika Pesonen are the primus motors. Do new members add new nuances and leaving members take their style always with them, or are you two THE men? Meaning, that has anyone else have their say or no?

MP: Me or Juha usually bring some riff or song to our rehearsing place and there we develope stuff further. Everyone adds their own things to the soup. Little by little we have a song. Thats the way it usually goes.

MB: What is great, is that usually it doesn't take very long for us to complete a song. I mean it's refreshing to just jam around a riff and build the song up from there. Because in my previous band we took the song making process sometimes too seriously and spent just too much time trying to make a song better and better, which just made things usually to the opposite direction. Also in Serenity's End we don't have any "Hitlers" in the band and everyone is open to everyones ideas, which is cool.

JS: Yeah, we are THE men :) Seriously speaking, I think think me and Miika only planted the initial seed back in 2003 and the way Serenity's End has grown and developed has depended much on the other (past and present) members of the band. Every arragement or composion idea from every member of the band is tried out and then decided if it's for keepers or total shite. And even from the crappiest ideas you can be inspired to make good ones later on. And that's the way (aha aha) I like it (aha aha).

AM: Serenity's End sound like a very well-oiled machine. Have you studied music or just self-trained?

MP: We are all self-trained except our new keyboard player Saara. She's actually studying music.

MB: I know a couple of notes... But can't remember which is which.

AM: I'm curious about the change of vocal style between 'Another Day of Misery' and 'Silence in Grey'. I guess it's the songs which needed different approach? Will the Warrel Dane style that was heard on 'Another Day...', ever return, as I wish?

MP: I leave this question to Juha.:)

JS: I had to google for "Warrel Dane" to get your point. I think the main reason for the change in my vocal style is that I have eventually leared how to sing, haha. Mayby my vocal range has grown a bit in the past years of active singing. Also I think that I have started to learn the importance of delivering the emotion of the song into the vocal performance. And it's also quite fucking boring to sing the same way year after year.

AM: You've played a few gigs? Have people received Serenity's End?

MB: Last gig we played at our hometown Oulu was really great! The place was packed and the new songs worked out well. We are definitely going to book more shows in the near future and planning on playing in other cities as well. All help is appreciated!

AM: Since your music sounds characteristic, I'm curious to know your influencing and favorite artists, albums and songs.

MP: Oh, There are so many good bands and so many different genres that I like. Maybe I leave that to the listener to discover.

MB: Everyone of us has their own favourites, but the main point is to just have fun at the rehearsing place and try to make as good songs as possible.

AM: Your demos feature good cover artwork. Googling "Einari Keskipörhölä" showed some interesting results, believe me... Who makes these beautiful covers?

MP: Hahahaa....Mysticism is fun.

MB: Actually I made the cover for 'Another Day of Misery' in 2005 and took the band photo inside the cd-case. And later on I joined the band so go figure, heheh.

AM: So, you have a new demo coming out. Any other news to reveal?

MB: New demo is going to be called 'Dead Waters' and it has three new songs on it. This time we recorded it by ourselves so it has that warm good old Serenity's End sound. New promo photos are coming up of the latest line-up and we are also making some improvements to our website. We even launched our very own youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/serenitysend, go check it out!

MP: There are also 4 to 5 brand new draft-songs to work with. Let's see what happens.

AM: So, good luck with your newbie! Anything you want to say, that's not said as yet?

MP: Äitille terveisiä!

MB: Rock out with your cock out!

Serenity's End (left to right, keyboardist Saara Rajasalo is missing from the photo): Miika Pesonen (guitar), Keijo Viinamäki (drums), Juha Simola (guitar, vocals) and Mikko Brandt (bass).

Interviewed by Lane.

03/22/2010 22:27