Black Sun Aeon (Interview)

Unser Kollege Rene traf sich mit dem Bandkopf Tuomas Saukonnen von BLACK SUN ARON um über die neue CD, Festival Auftritten und Finnen zu reden.

Rene: Dear Tuomas Saukonnen your solo project Black Sun Aeon is going into the second round as double cd and will be available in april. Which are your goals with this album since it appealed very good as well?
So is the pressure as a result of expectation rising on you?

Black Sun Aeon/ Tuomas Saukonnen: Of course I always aim to do better with each album. The debut received very good reviews but that didn´t create any pressure. It just gave a motivation boost. My only goals are artistic ones and managed to achieve all of them with "Routa". I know how I want the album to sound when I am heading to studio and I am ready to work as much and as long as needed to make it come reality.

Rene: I was having the pleasure to give Routa a listen and noticed that the first CD in proportion of the second CD is being softer.
Was that the concept to produce a calmer one at first and the hard remain subsequently?

Black Sun Aeon/ Tuomas Saukonnen: The albums are titled: Disc 1. "Talviaamu" = Winter morning, Disc 2. "Talviyö" = Winter night and the title of the album "ROUTA" means ground frost in english. "ROUTA" is a theme album about Finnish winter and the first album is about tranquil and beautiful winter morning and the 2nd one is about dark, cold and cruel winter night. Each album tells a story of the same winter theme but in a different point of view. That is why the difference between the albums.

Rene: You have found a really good foil in clean vocals together with Mikko Heikkilä (Sinamore).
Was he requested to sing or did it just happen?

Black Sun Aeon/ Tuomas Saukonnen: Mikko has been a good friend of mine for many years and was great to be able to work with him on the debut album and and even better on the 2nd album. I really like his voice and he is very easy to work with in the studio so we indeed make a good team.

Rene: I personally like this album a lot and and i wonder just like your german fans if Black Sun Aeon will be performing live on stage in germany soon or isn't there any tour planned yet for now?

Black Sun Aeon/ Tuomas Saukonnen: We played the album release gig in France and will play in summer at least in switzerland. Hopefully we play in Germany also soon. I have few tour plans on my table but nothing confirmed so far.
Rene: The live debut was at the Summer Breeze Open Air last year. You didn't pick quite a small festival right there.
How did you like performing infront of this scenery?

Black Sun Aeon/ Tuomas Saukonnen: It was actually our 5th gig but our 1st festival gig. It is pretty challenging to perform with BSA with all the background tapes and doing the vocals and drums at the same time but the SB gig went really well and was a great experience. In my opinion BSA works better indoors in a dark rock club but will do summer festivals in the future too.
Rene: While we are talking about performing live, Before The Dawn, where you are taking an active part as well is taking up
it's time,too...So how do you manage to combine both with each other and which one of those two projects has to cut back?

Black Sun Aeon/ Tuomas Saukonnen: At the moment I am 100% musician and not having a regular job so I have time for both bands. BTD is more active with touring but so far I have managed well to avoid any schedule or priority problems. 2 bands = double work of course....and adding to that I also have my death metal band The Final Harvest that released a debut album last year.

Rene: Progressive or rather doom death metal originated in Great Britain with shapes like Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride.
Does this music have any influence on you?

Black Sun Aeon/ Tuomas Saukonnen: I love older Paradise Lost but never really been into My Dying Bride. In general everything melancholic touches me and I am a bit gloomy fellow as well. That can also be heard in my music.

Rene: Finland is just being on the fast track with this kind of music. Your two bands Before the Dawn and Black Sun Aeon and even bands like Swallow The Sun and Ghost Brigade are speeding up properly. German bands within this category are most likely unknown and it's hard to establish for them. What is it that makes the difference?

Black Sun Aeon/ Tuomas Saukonnen: Finnish people are a bit melancholic by nature i think. We have this certain kind of in build darkness and that comes out in music. Finnish melodic metal is technicly pretty basic stuff but the despair and sadness in melodies gives our music a whole different mood than others have.

Rene: You performed already in Germany. Was the atmosphere and the interest at the concerts and festivals any different as usual in Europe?

Black Sun Aeon/ Tuomas Saukonnen: I am happy to say that so far BSA has been receiving very good feedback from the audience where ever we have been playing. I hope it stays like that in the future smile
Rene: I'm wishing you all the best and a successful year!