Manuel: Hello Tuomas!
First of all, I want you to introduce your band to our readers. I think most of them won't know you and Before The Dawn.
Tuomas: Before The Dawn is 12 years old melodic metal band from Finland combining clean vocals to Death-Metal crowlings.
Manuel: With „Deathstar Rising“ your new album will be out February 25th on Nuclear Blast. This is your first release on the German Metalgiant. Why did you change the label this time? Why is Nuclear Blast after many label changes the right label for Before The Dawn?
Tuomas: The band has been growing bigger (and better) with each release and while the band is growing the label should do the same. The band needs to get a bigger label which is able to promote and support the band in the best possible way. When you receive an offer where you can´t say no...you say yes :)
Manuel: My first associaton when I read the title „Deathstar Rising“ was : Star Wars. Did you think about this relation when you choose this title for the record? Why did you choose this title?
Tuomas: I knew it from the very 1st second that they will be so many questions about the title :) I am a huge Star Wars fan and the title could be be ultimate title to the next star wars movie :) haha.... but for a Before The Dawn album it symbolises an great ending. The last sunrise of the dying sun. The main theme on the album with lyrics is an ending in its any forms.
Manuel: You have many music projects and if we only point out the releases of Before The Dawn, we have 5 Lps, 2 Eps and 1 Dvd (I hope I counted that right :) ). It just seems like you are writing stuff 24/7. Is that right? Are you not afraid that one day you will be out of creativity?
Tuomas: I am indeed writing new material all the time. I have already written 90% of the 3rd Black Sun Aeon album songs and more material coming all the time. I have also started to take still pictures of nature, gigs etc and started producing music videos so I have other ways for creativity than just music. When the day comes that I don´t feel like writing music anymore I will just simply do something else.
Manuel: How did you write the songs for the new record – (I mean, did you write them all at home, go the studio and record them there as fast as possible or did you go the studio with loose song strutures and put them there all together) ?
What was different to the previous releases?
Tuomas: I wrote all the songs at home, made demo versions, send them to the guys and then we went to the studio to record the final versions. It took only 3,5 weeks to record and mix the album but the whole Before The Dawn crew is very professional and don´t waste any time in studio. Effective and professional. Ideal band members. The biggest difference was the complete lack of problems in the studio this time. Everything went really easy and smooth this time
Manuel: Overall, where are the differences to the others records? What was the musical focus on the new one?
Tuomas: I wanted to have more simple production and highlight the heavy guitars more than in the previous albums. Because of that there is no keyboards at all in the new album. „Deathstar Rising“ is very riff oriented album and very guitar driven. Also the amount of samples and editing of the drums was cut to minimun to get a natural groove and force to the drums.
Manuel: Can you tell me something about the lyrical side of the album? What are they about? Does „Deathstar Rising“ have any concept or something?
Tuomas: Again very personal stuff in the lyrics. A lot of different kind of endings in the lyrics on this album.
Manuel: Did you every thought about doing a „happy“ (kind of Power Metal) album? Or will the music of Before The Dawn be sad forever and you will launch a new project for „happier“ music?
Tuomas: I would definitely need a new project for happy music :). Maybe Power-Metal project would be the thing...:).
Manuel: Did you want to add something? The last words are yours!
Tuomas: Stay true, stay metal!!!
Manuel: Thank you very much for the interview and the time you took to answer my questions!
