Interview by: McManis
SLUTIFER: Yes, there was a lot. XYSMA, FUNEBRE, SENTENCED, DISGRACE, DEMIGOD, etc.etc. I reckon we are the only one who kept it brutal though.
REAVER: Ever since I.N. has formed, you always pushed away any conventional boundaries (from utilizing different unorthodox languages, like Hindu, to not staying with the basic black metal imagery that every other band was doing in Scandinavia). What do you feel will be next?
SLUTIFER: Only Satan knows. Well, as for us, we will record a live CD next month in Italy. We bring recording gear & personel from Finland, & tape three shows there (Milan, Catania & Ascoli). About fucking time to do this, finally. And no, we will not do a DVD at the same time. I am sure that we will do a DVD at some point, but I don't want to do it yet. Later.
REAVER: In, America, the metal scene has been declining & people seem to have to go further & further to see metal shows. Tell me, does Finland have the same problem? If not, how was this overcome?
SLUTIFER: Thanks to the major success of CHILDREN OF BODOM, NIGHTWISH, etc. metal is huge in Finland. Well, not extreme metal, but still, it is easy to score shows here, & there are (now days) many, many more shows than before. Evan bands like us benefit from this. And we have some excellent festivals in summer time. Some are pure metal fests, but even normal outdoor fests take metal bands.
REAVER: IMPALED NAZARENE has only done a few festival shows in America. Are there any U.S. tours in the works?
SLUTIFER: We get so many e-mails about this. The fact is that all offers we have gotten are like this: pay your own plane tickets, work visas, blah blah fucking blah. Sorry, but I've got to pay my rent somehow. If there is no tour support from a U.S. label, there is fucking nothing we can do. I think this is also one of the reasons why the metal scene is so much healthier in Europe. We get paid, clubs have meals, drinks, & showers, they take no merchandise money from you, etc. We did not need work visas before Sept.11, nowadays we do. That is big money for a small band like us.
REAVER: Your brother, Kimmo was the original drummer for I.N. What (if any) other projects is he involved with currently?
SLUTIFER: He is drummer of THE BLACK LEAGUE, who also features former SENTENCED/I.N. dude Taneli Jarva. They have three albums & one mcd out. Signed to Spinefarm.
REAVER: The music of I.N. is always very scathing. What, in your opinion, contributes to this?
SLUTIFER: I think we pretty much put our negative energy into songs. As commonly boring as it is to say this, but daily life is the main inspiration for our music & lyrics. I fucking hate people. Stupid lost sheep.
REAVER: I read somewhere that you and your bassist work together. Does that get tiring or is it more convenient for practice?
SLUTIFER: We work in a huge firm (close to 1600 people work there) so we don't exactly hang out with eachother 24-7 you know.
REAVER: About how much practicing does I.N. get in a week?
SLUTIFER: Depends. Usually once a week, if we have studio or shows coming up then more. We all practice at home (read & write new stuff). Well, I don't scream at home obviously, but I do play guitar every day.
REAVER: In America, we have that pop-culture nonsense. Does Finland have such things? Is MTV Europe crammed with rap & reality tv also?
SLUTIFER: Yes!!! Same shit here exactly!!! The biggest joke is, of course, Finnish rap artists who rap in Finnish & think they are from the East Side or some shit like this. What is really horrifying, in 2003, the biggest selling Finnish artist was this 16 year old rap faggot Pikku G, who is also extreme Christian!! I could not fucking believe it when I saw the sales figures for this shit. I cannot understand why people listen to this rap & hip-hop shit. Well, sub-humans. Fuck, this shit makes me sick!!
REAVER: In America, IMPALED NAZARENE is most definately known by the die-hard metal underground, but to the mass of people, I.N. is virtually unknown. Is this something you want to change, or do you even care about America at all?
SLUTIFER: Of course we would like to tour there, but like I explained earlier, it seems to be impossible at the moment. I know that in order to gain even a moderate success, You have to tour a lot in North America. Bands like us are in a very shitty position & can practically do nothing about it. Shit happens.
REAVER: I read in your bio that a communist youth group got "Suomi Finland Perkele" banned from stores in France. What contents offended them, or do you think they just wanted something to cry in their berets' about?
SLUTIFER: They got pissed off about lyrics on "Total War-Winter War". Claimed that we were Nazis, you know, the same old story. It was clear that they knew shit about our history. The song is about a winter war that happened in WW2, between Russia & Finland. We got much publicity in France, & in the end our CDs were again on the shelves in FNAC. Victory was ours, again.
REAVER: Thanks again, for taking time to do this interview. Is there anything that you would like to say to rally the U.S. metal troops?
SLUTIFER: Let's hope that someone makes us an offer to which we can not say no, & then we will come & spread nuclear armageddon over there. Thanks for the intrest. Drink beer & be free!!!
