Interview Jari Laine Torture Killer

Lineup: Chris Barnes - Vocals Jari Laine - Guitars Tuomas Karppinen - Guitars Kim Tornianen - Bass Tuomo Latvala - Drums

3/2/06 Interviewer: Karma E. Omowale

"When Chris contacted us…we felt that we just couldn’t say no to a rare opportunity like this, without him we probably wouldn’t have a band together now".

In 2002 what started as a joke being a side project four Finns band together all in the name of Six Feet Under jamming and drinking beer. Soon thereafter, the "band" had the chance to do a local gig performing SFU covers. Wouldn't you know it, they decided to name their band after a SFU under song, and Torture Killer was spawned from the pit of hell. Fast forwarding to 2004 and an album, For Maggots to Devour and an a split EP later, the band wound up losing their singer and what turned out a kind twist of fate, Chris Barnes contacted the band and offered his services to fill in. Don't you just love the way things work out? In what will be a two-part interview, guitarist Jari Laine offers his point of view from the Finnish perspective stay tuned for Chris Barnes' side. Read on for Jari's introspective views on the new album, Swarm!, a possible tour to the States…

Karma: Thanks for doing the interview Jari! After hearing “Forever Dead” on Music Choice for a poll I was hooked and have been hooked ever since on the dreary yet hypnotic chords.  

Jari: Glad you like that one, it seems to be one of the tracks people like the most and I think it turned out good as well.

Karma: After getting a start of joking around and jamming to then months later becoming an actual band to naming the collective after a Six Feet Under song… must be awe-inspiring for you to have Chris [Barnes vocalist of Six Feet Under] at the helm. Very cool that he contacted the band on his own accord after seeing the name of the band. How did he hear of the band?

Jari: He picked up the news that we were having a line-up problem somewhere. As he was interested about the band name he went for our website and checked the stuff we have there and just thought it would be a cool idea to get in touch with these guys. It is a huge compliment without a doubt, something we never would’ve expected, and it pretty much took us by complete surprise. You don’t hear things like this happening too much and I agree - it is pretty much a script from a Hollywood movie.

Jari: Obviously a lot, not seeing one guy that much being the first difference. There is no doubt we now have the best line-up so far for what comes to writing music, Chris has an amazing ear for rhythms and arrangements that he can do with the vocals. It is different when you’re working with a guy that doesn’t speak our language but so far we’ve worked everything out and it’s been easier than you’d might think.

Jari: To tell you the truth we did a serious self-examining when Chris contacted us if we were the guys to go for it. At the end, we felt that we just couldn’t say no to a rare opportunity like this, without him we probably wouldn’t have a band together now. We don’t feel any pressure out of anything - we’ve already exceeded all our goals with this band. If things happen - cool. If not - so be it. We are doing exactly the same thing we did two years ago, or from the day we started the band. It is more serious of course but the ground factor hasn’t changed at all - to write and perform the kind of old-school influenced death metal we like.

Jari: Recording isn’t actually the problem, we can send tapes back and forth pretty easily. The problem obviously being more with the touring, SFU is still his main band and that’s the way it should be. Those guys are 100% professionals which means constant touring and album releases, having those things scheduled with our daily life stuff and to touring possibilities is the toughest part. It’ll take patience from all but it’ll happen when the time is right. At this moment all our recording and touring plans include Chris, we’ll just have to work it out somehow, and so far it’s been good.

Jari: Most probably not during 2006 but hopefully next year. Just going to the States would be awesome for me personally - touring it would be a fucking highlight.

Jari: Definitely. Metal Blade is a part of metal history and being signed to them is as big as honour as having Chris on the band. I mean which band wouldn’t want to be signed with them?

Jari: We don’t come up with the questions people ask us so we can’t really help it, also we were pretty much completely taken by surprise how much Karmageddon was able to help us out with the first album. We did by our standards a huge amount of interviews that covered that release completely. To tell you the truth I’m kinda pleased I don’t have to do that again and I think there has been things happening to us lately that are more relevant so it’s all good.

Jari: Our first European tour still being able to make it despite the fact we lost a singer just two days before - that should say something that we do what it takes and won’t cancel or disappoint anybody if we can possibly avoid it. It didn’t look too good for us then and the following months because finding the right, or even any kind of line-up for a death metal band here in Finland is an accomplishment. The lesson I guess being that you’ll get your reward if you keep on going with the thing you want. Or not.

Karma: Congrats with Swarm! How has reaction been to the release of the CD by way of press and fan reaction?

Jari: So far it’s been good, better than we hoped for. There are a lot of good reviews all around the internet and we are very pleased with the response so far.

Karma: Was it a conscious effort on your part revisit the days of yore (classic Floridian death metal sound) with Swarm!?

Jari: Totally. That’s my favourite kind of music and the reason why we formed this band in the first place - to write and perform that style of music with the best of our abilities. All my fave albums share that Florida sound.

Jari: Yes I hear things I’d like to have turned out better but what’s done is done, we know where we have to improve in the feature and there’s nothing I’d be disappointed about. All I see possibilities where to go and improve with the third album. I think it is very strong song wise.

Karma: Were you present during the mixing of Swarm!? And if not, how did it feel to relinquish control of not being present and having the finished works being returned to you?

Jari: No we weren’t, the studio opened up in a short notice and we couldn’t fit our daily obligations with that session. We felt relaxed about it, we knew we would have the right guys to finish it - those guys have more experience with mixing than any of us so it didn’t worry us. It felt a bit weird and you’ll always have your doubts but it turned out the best possible way.

Jari: We did them separately; it allows to be more precise on each instrument when you’ll only work with one at the time.

Jari: Not really, I guess it was kinda standard music writing - you just feel you’re in a mood of writing something and start playing the guitar and searching for that good riff. Usually it feeds on itself, once you can come up with a riff you like a lot, you instantly want to keep on going with the song. I think that’s the most motivate part in the song writing. Most of the lyrics are written by Chris so I’m not sure if he has a different angle to it but for me writing lyrics is also a bit like that - you like one riff and come up with a cool line for it and just want to finish the story around it.

Jari: Chris came up with the track title "Swarm" and described this image he got after listening to that track and we felt it was an instant hit for the cover art. I’m a huge fan of his work with the Mortician covers and just brought it up and we are so happy he could do it and I think it looks amazing. To me he’s the best cover artworkist around.

Jari: I have several favourites: "Forever Dead", "Funeral for the Masses", "Multiple Counts of Murder", "Obsessed with Homicide" and "Heading Towards the Butchery". Most of all because I thin those work out best as a whole tracks, I like the riffs and the vocal arrangements on those, and I think they share this drive I like in a song. Least favourite? I like "Violent Scene of Death", but I think we should’ve performed it a bit better so to me that song is not working as it should – song wise I thought it was one of the better ones on the album but this version doesn’t fully satisfy me.

Jari: Wow...SFU doing “Violent Scene of Death” maybe those guys could bring more life to that version.

Jari: I think that EMO and nu-metal is going strong right now and I really have no ability to foresee what would exceed that hype.

Jari: Hopefully a tour towards the end of the year, 3rd album and we’ll see after that where we are going.

Jari: Evolution.

Jari: Death metal.

Jari: More Finnish death metal bands.

Jari: Our drummer imitates Arnold, or actually the sketch of Arnold from Conan O’Brien a lot and we think it’s hilarious...he’s pretty good at it too.

Jari: No...hahaha.

Jari: Other than shooting flames out of my ass?

Jari: Definitely not.

Jari: I have no idea, maybe just plain beer coz that's what I drink.

Jari: If the world has any justice it will be Godhate from Sweden.

Jari: Sepultura: Arise, Obituary: "The End Complete", Bolt Thrower: "Warmaster", Devin Townsend: "Ocean Machine", Strapping Young Lad: "City".

Jari: Prostitute Disfigurement CD, just got it today and a fan of Godhate, Monstrosity, Dying Fetus, Obituary, Pestilence, SFU, Misery Index, Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Demigod...all the great bands playing US style of death metal.

Jari: Forklift driver.

Jari: I'm called mostly by my family name (a usual thing to do in Finland) and I high school I was called Kukko.

Jari: Definitely hockey.

Jari: When things don't work my way I get pissed in 2 secs, especially if things could've been avoided. Hockey games do that as well.

Jari: Obituary playing in midsummer festivals in 2005 and SFU with their European tour last November.

Jari: Lifting cars with my bare hands.

Jari: It would involve Jenna Jameson for sure.

Jari: Best: respective to those who deserve it. Least: patience.

Jari: Chicken and Coke.

Jari: You can choose on my behalf.

Jari: These questions are not metal.

Jari: Thanks for the support with our new CD and hopefully we can meet up at a Torture Killer show somewhere.

Jari: Thanks a lot for the interview! All the best with the mag as well!!!

I'd like to thank Jari again as we look forward to Torture Killer annihilating our shores and to the fine PR Department at Metal Blade.

Click here for review of Swarm!