Interview - SOLOTHUS
If you aren't familiar with Solothus, see here first.
This interview is with Kari Kankaanpää, the band's vocalist.
1. No King Reigns Eternal was one of the best albums of 2016, how was the response?
The response was immensely positive. Seemed to garner a lot of good feedback from media and listeners alike. It will be released on vinyl early this year too.
2. How would you describe the transition from 2013's Summoned From The Void, to No King Reigns Eternal?
Summoned From The Void had some older songs on it. With No King Reigns Eternal we only had new material, with which we more or less found our sound. I think our vision for Solothus was crystallised on our last album, and that it will evolve on our third album.
3. It’s a clichéd question, but who are your main influences (if indeed you feel you have influences)?
I would say that our influences are from doom and death metal - bands such as Candlemass, Black Sabbath, Cathedral, Bolt Thrower, Autopsy etc. The usual stuff! One 'newer' band needs to be mentioned, though, and that is Runemagick. Huge influence on Solothus.
4. Could you talk a little about the band’s lyrical content?
On the lyrical side we are mostly influenced by sword and sorcery, high fantasy, occultism and folklore literature. I usually get an idea from something, that starts to grow into a story, which ends up in one of our songs.
5. Who did the artwork for the new album? It's excellent.
Juanjo Castellano did the artwork, and I cannot do anything but praise him. Such a gentleman and pro. I highly recommend him to all who want quality art done.
6. Do you have any future plans which you can share with us?
Yes, indeed we have. We are going to release two split albums this year. One will be with the mighty Coffins from Japan, the other one is still a secret but will hopefully be announced soon. We will start recording our third album after the summer too. So lots of plans in motion. We also have some gigs coming up later in the year. Right now we are concentrating on writing and rehearsing new material.
7. Is there any chance you’ll be playing in the UK any time soon?
Well, lets hope so. We have still yet to play in London. But we played in the UK in 2014 and 2017, so it's a familiar country to us and we would love to return.
