Sentenced - Interview Hanzi / V.U. and Lopakka / Sentenced
Already in the beginning of the year the big following of SENTENCED was not only surprised by but also deeply distressed about the "funeral statement" by Sami Lopakka which referred to the breakup of the band and thus to their very last album. Only few last shows solely in Europe were announced. So the year began with shocking news as a lot of people can hardly imagine the loss of one of the most talented bands in the metal scene. Nothing but a bad joke ?
No, there is no fake- SENTENCED seem to push it through consequently and now, after having already played a couple of funeral shows and even after having visited Mexico for 2 gigs, it´s time for Visions Underground to find out the mood within the band just when the end of their great career is about to come.
By intensive asking including one or another unpleasant question we renounce any speculations and try to lighten the background of this surprising decision. So we once again take a closer look at the past of SENTENCED and ask Sami Lopakka several questions which haven´t been asked yet...
Visions Underground:
Sami, after having announced that SENTENCED are going to split up at the end of the year the quite impressive reaction of your fans which turned out to be a bit unexpected to such an extent was mainly focused on your homepage.
Also your last shows were very well visited and your fans supported you unconditionally until the last minute. How did you as musicians handle these reactions and how would you describe your mood and feelings after the most of the funeral shows are done ?
Have you ever thought about reconsidering the decision of SENTENCED splitting up?
Lopakka: Well, the decision to call it a day is final, and we will not reconsider. Before making the decision and making it public we thought about it for about two years. We wanted to be certain that it is the right call. And we are still certain. It has been overwhelming to see people´s reactions during the farewell shows, it seems to be just as emotional for many of them as it is for us. We will have a lot of good memories.
Visons Undergound:
Your last show was rescheduled in order to play a couple of more funeral shows in Finland and surprisingly you went to Mexico for two gigs. What was the reason of this sudden decision ? It could be concluded that you still have a lot of fun making music and playing on stage together...
What did you experience in Mexico ? The fans from the sunny country seem to beleaguer the forum and guestbook on the SENTENCED Homepage...
Lopakka: We had an open weekend there and were actually looking for offers for that one. The Mexican promoter came up with a good offer and we are always interested to go to places we have never been before. The same thing actually happened for the show in Moscow, Russia, which was a week later. All shows on those trips were something really special, as everyone of course knew that they would be the first and the last times at the same time. And do we have fun on stage together? Sure we do. Why would we not?
Visions Underground:
After the release of "The Cold White Light" the band has taken some time off for a little break. Has the idea of breaking up with SENTENCED already developed back then and whose idea was it ? Certainly not all of you at the same time, so what and who gave the impulse ? Maybe one reason which affected you all to the same extent in that certain period?
Lopakka: The idea was initially born during and after the long touring we did for "The Cold White Light". I think all of us had the thought in mind, at least at some level. It was time to consider what to do with the rest of our lives, and what are the priorities in the future. There wasn´t anything specific, one thing or one incident that would have caused the decision, it is more like a series of reasons. I don´t even remember who was the first one to say his thoughts aloud, and what does it matter anyway? In the end the decision was made together and everyone agreed on it.
Visions Underground:
When Ville joined SENTENCED in 1996 not only your music style changed but also your way of treating the fans which hadn´t been very intensive before changed in a way that you became more open and accessible. How did this change strike you personally ? Was it easy for you to handle? When Taneli used to be your singer, you went off on the tourbus immediately after the end of the show...
Lopakka: Hah, my behaviour is not dependent on who is doing the vocals in Sentenced... I mostly still just go to the bus because that´s where the remaining beer is. I don´t consider myself as an open person, never have. But if someone wants to have a word with me for whatever reason I don´t have a problem with that either. I guess you just got incredibly unlucky and had to meet me in person while I was on the way to the bus.
Visions Underground:
By your music you were able to reach a big number of fans. Actually a lot of fans have been inspired by your music so much that they determined their life to it. These were only a few ones, nevertheless I would like to ask you now how you feel about your music being of such a big importance for some people you don´t know at all that for them a lot of things depend on it. How do you judge that and will you miss writing lyrics in the future? A few years ago you said that it is a sort of therapy for you...
Lopakka: It is of course very, very nice to see the music and lyrics working in the same way for someone else as they work for the writers themselves. I don´t believe, however, that anyone would really "determine his/her life" to only pieces of music or lyrics. Writing itself I won´t miss, simply because I´ll keep on writing different kind of things anyway. As you mentioned it is a form of therapy for me. It will just be without an audience at least for a while. Actually, the congenial audience is one thing I will definitely miss.
Visions Underground:
Regarding your live shows you completely retired from the former releases . Only "Nepenthe" from the album "AMOK" can still be found on the setlist and is presented to the audience.
What is the reason for the songs to be chosen basically from the newer albums? "Love And Death" or "Forever Lost" definitely are killer songs which the audience probably would also love to hear. Not to mention the songs of the phenomenal "North From Here" Album...
The last show will be on October1st, right? Will you experiment a bit on the setlist until then so that we can be anxious for some surprises, or will you bury SENTENCED with the common programme?
Lopakka: Those older tracks are just so different from the later era that it didn´t feel natural to squeeze them in the live-set, just for the sake of having old stuff there. About Oulu and the last show... I´m not going give the details away yet.
Visions Underground:
We have heard that the township of Muhos which is 30km distant from your hometown Oulu and where you lived back in the very early days of SENTENCED wants to endow you land for your "metal merit" so that everyone of you can build a nice house and come to rest while drinking to the soon retirement age, so to speak :).
This sounds very questionable, that´s why we ask: What is true about it and if it´s true, will you take the generous offer? (sell it and drink it!!! :) )
Lopakka: One representative of the local government of Muhos has proposed that the town should give the Muhos boys (Miika, Vesa and me) some land there. You know, in the same fashion they give land to athletes who have had international success or whatever. The issue is still under consideration, the local council will decide on it during the winter. I doubt they are really going to give those pieces of land to us in the end, but it´s a nice gesture anyway.
Visions Underground:
Let´s go back a couple of years to the past of SENTENCED. Please describe us under which circumstances you got to know each other before the founding of the band and how it happened to coin SENTENCED...
Lopakka: A "couple" of years back indeed. This was in 1989 and we were 14-16 years old. There was this small bar in Muhos, our home village, where we used to hang out. Miika and a couple of other guys had a band which was called Utmost Deformity, and one night they asked me to join and play rhythm guitar. They put up this test for me. We went to the rehearsal place, an old house in the woods, and they told me to play as fast as I can. I sawed the strings for a minute or so, after which they said: "OK." And I was in. Vesa joined a few weeks later replacing the original drummer. The name was then shortened to Deformity, and shortly after changed to Sentenced. The bar in Muhos doesn´t exist anymore, it was burnt down a few years later. ( very mysterious.....comment by V.U. )
Visions Underground:
In the beginning of the 90s the Finish Death Metal scene consisted of bands like Amorphis, Beherit, Demigod and of course Sentenced. We found out that just these mentioned bands played a gig with you in your hometown Oulu. The insane guys of Impaled Nazarene were also part of the party. Please describe us the progression of this "day of darkness"...there must have been a lot of booze involved...
Do you have any videos from this time as a memory?
Lopakka: Yeah, it was in 1991 and basically the whole Finnish death metal scene was on the billing. Amorphis was supposed to play last that evening, but they wanted to switch slots with us to get to the bottle earlier. So now we were the last act. But we went to the bottle anyway! That evening is the only time I have seen Vesa wasted on stage. I wasn´t sober myself... I don´t know if anyone was, even in the audience, but it must have sounded absolutely horrible when we played. I remember that the stage was all covered in blood, as the Impaled Nazarene guys had made a mess with it during their show. Unfortunately I haven´t seen any video material from that evening. Or, what I really should say: fortunately.
Visions Underground:
Have you already thought about what will be after SENTENCED ? I think it´s evident that you won´t completely stop playing guitar. Can you imagine to play in a band again, maybe together with your former colleague Taneli Jarva ? Or are you going to concentrate solely on your family ?
Lopakka: Sure I have thought about time after the band. I won´t completely throw music away - I couldn´t do it even if I wanted to. But before even thinking about a possible next band, with whomever, I will take a break and rest my nerves. And of course take back time with my family.
Visions Underground:
How do you personally rate the older releases of SENTENCED ? Do you judge them under the consequent aspect of musical advancement or could you maybe even imagine to participate in an album like for example "North From Here" again? After all this work was technically the best one which SENTENCED have ever released. Would you agree ?
Lopakka: "North From Here" is technically certainly the most complicated one, but I wouldn´t really say it is the best one technically. Overall, the simpler the songs become, the more challenging it is to maintain the quality. At the moment I could not imagine participating on an album like that, simply because I have become a lazy old fuck who stopped rehearsing years ago. It would probably take me half a year in a rehearsing cellar with my guitar, to gain back the skills needed for that kind of composing and playing. Otherwise it would not be a problem for me.
Visions Underground:
At the end of this interview your spontaneity is demanded. Please describe the following words/notes in a few short sentences:
1. the first SENTENCED show:
Lopakka: That was in 1990 in a small village called Ylikiiminki in Northern Finland. We were so nervous that we were white as corpses. The main act of the evening was a band called Gobra, and I think they are still going... still going nowhere.
2. Release of "Shadows Of The Past": your first CD!!!!
Lopakka: We were of course thrilled to see it released. Nowadays we are not so thrilled about it.
3. Love:
Lopakka: Without it I wouldn´t be here answering your questions. And that is a fact, not something I would say to sound impressing.
4. Fears:
Lopakka: Losing the ones dear to me.
5. your worst live experience:
Lopakka: Playing 5-6 shows with salmonella in 1995. We were on our first European tour. Once again I was white as a corpse, but for a whole different reason.
6. Taneli Jarva:
Lopakka: A good man, a great friend.
7. Bitburger :)
Lopakka: A lot of it has streamed through my system. And I enjoyed every single stream.
8. Free beer- the first SENTENCED tour:
Lopakka: A real culture shock. We thought we were in heaven, but after all the road led to hell.
9. Dynamo 1997:
Lopakka: The first really big festival we ever did. Amazing crowd. Once again white as a corpse. God dammit!
10. the most significant SENTENCED Album for you:
Lopakka: They are all significant, but I hate to give an answer like that. So... I pick the last one. To me every ending is more important than any beginning, or anything between the two. And I end this interview here.
One of the last Signs of an eminent Band.....
The SENTENCED Guys always known how to step on during their whole Career beside their musical capability and that was the most significant sign of this sympathetic Band from Finland. I have to repeat, that the Metal Scene will lose one of the greatest Bands and that it will be very difficult to close this originate gap. Our Hope that they will return will stay until at last. Secretly I still know when SENTENCED will return and if I´am wrong with my acceptation, me and all Fans Of SENTENCED will have a great remembrance of 16 Years of their musical brilliancy.
R.I.P. SENTENCED
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