Grave Pleasures: "If you go all retro, it's not going to be interesting"

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It has been now a few years since the debut album of Grave Pleasures. The band that was born from the influential shine of Beastmilk, is now self-luminus and stubbornly follows its own path.

To be exact, the quality of "Plagueboys" that is probably the band’s top moment is worth of some engagement and conversation. Grave Pleasures’ guitarist, Aleksi Kiiskilä, was willing to answer our questions and allowed us to indulge in the depths of this addictive gothic/ death rock rythmic dance which blows away our minds with a demonstration of personality. Moreover, he even uncovers how the band is able to compose so many unapologetically catchy songs. Grave Pleasures are back with enough reasons to not rush and overtake them.

Greetings, I am Apostolis and I welcome you back in Rocking.gr! I hope everything is fine! Where does this interview find you?

Thank you! Looking forward to it. I’m right now in Tampere, Finland - my hometown. Right now there’s 20 centimeters of snow even though it’s almost April. - Aleksi

You are about to release your third record, "Plagueboys", and I have to congratulate you because it sounds so great! Why did it take you so long to release a follow-up to "Motherland"?

Glad you like it. We tend to put quality first in our Art - that’s the main reason. We cooked this soup slowly, making sure every track matters. We don’t want to hurry and make wrong productional decisions due to that. Also, we’ve put out a few of our other bands’ albums such as Hexvessel, Šamane and Oranssi Pazuzu, and then of course there was the corona virus that stirred up all schedules. But we didn’t want to make another "Motherblood", instead we stepped on a whole new level and distilled our sonic potion further for "Plagueboys".

"Plagueboys" is not a direct reference to Covid, but in existence they have a lot in common

Would you like to explain the title of the record? Did the pandemic affect the completion of the album?

Actually if I remember right, I think Mat came up with the title idea before the pandemic already. So "Plagueboys" is not a direct reference to Covid, but in existence they have a lot in common and Covid confirmed the title for sure. More importantly "Plagueboys" is about the rises and falls of civilizations and fears becoming reality. The pandemic affected the album creation quite little actually, but it could have affected - way, way more - like it did for bands who were about to tour around that time.

We all challenged ourselves and each other with the songwriting

From the first listening sessions, "Plagueboys" showcases a different aspect of your sound, in contrast with the previous releases. Was the compositional process any different this time?

It was quite different actually. We have three songwriters on this album, Mat, Juho and me. Then we arranged all the stuff together with Rainer and Valtteri. So it’s much more than a sum of its parts. We all challenged ourselves and each other with the songwriting, this was really important. So together we created a wide but focused sound, with very differing songs but a very unified overall sound. Juho writing most songs and being the actual producer on this album had so much to do with keeping all this together and one-sounding.

Furthermore, "Plagueboys" sounds much more massive and deep, while unmistakeably Grave Pleasures. How did you manage to place all these ideas into a perfect duration of 43 minutes? Any material that didn’t make the final cut?

We left one or two out, but actually not because we weren’t happy with the songs but because they just did not fit the entity of "Plagueboys". Let’s see what happens with these! But as mentioned before, Juho’s effort on the production as well as Niko Lehdontie’s skillful, creative recording and mixing work played such a massive role in keeping it all together and as one.

In "Plagueboys", I found the synth-parts more dominant than before, and the vibe of the album to shift towards more synth-wave patterns and sounds. If I am correct, what urged you to explore these sounds?

This was natural evolution, to expand our sound a bit. More color than just black and white, like on "Motherblood". But there’s not as much synth as you might think; most of it is guitar. But you can find a bit of Juno and Moog there as well, as sometimes they make the song sound better.

Actualizing a finished song requires lots of practice and creative passion

When you compose, what comes first, the chord progressions or the melody? I mean, how do you transform an idea into such a catchy song?

This depends. Depends on the song and the songwriter. A lot of the time a beat can come first, or a tempo, or a feel, even a visual sight of vision that you then turn into music. Having a scenario in your mind can really help creating an interesting melody or a part, hence we sometimes have Mat giving song title ideas in very early stages. But anyway, actualizing a finished song requires lots of practice and creative passion.

Even the great cover artwork, transmits this kind of cold-wave feeling. How did you come up with it?

It was Mat’s idea, he was really inspired by "Lord of the Flies" and stuff like that, I really love the cover also. Tekla Vàly did an amazing job capturing it, with all it’s colors and the feeling. It almost feels like the beginning of something, maybe a new civilization after some horrid global event? I have to agree, it feels very cold.

Why did you pick as the first single of the album the "Society Of Spectres"? Would you like to also guide us behind the lyrical concept?

It just felt right as the 1st single. It sort of portrays how civilization works right now but can also be seen as a smaller society, behind the curtains…

The album starts with "Disintegration Girl", and I have to ask if there is a hidden The Cure reference in the track! Why did you pick it as an album opener?

You have to ask Mat about the reference, everything’s possible! But it works as an album opener since it offers that classic Grave Pleasures death rock dance movement. Full-on. It grabs you by the *** and gives a lot of air to the tracks which will follow. Would’ve worked as a single in my opinion as well, but it really works as an opener.

If you re-do the wheel and go all retro, it’s not going to be interesting

You focus on a style that seems to resurface in the wider alternative scene, but you were one of the first bands (as Beastmilk), to herald this revival. How do you see the post-punk/gothic scene today, and how would you explain that this genre keeps giving interesting albums?

It is an interesting genre since it can be modified and twisted so much. So we don’t really think about the genre itself that much, but it offers the tonal and rhythmic ingredients that are spot-on for cold, dancey goth rock music. And Mat’s voice fits it like a glove. Post-punk is very versatile, but as in all genres, if you re-do the wheel and go all retro, it’s not going to be interesting, just shitty pastiche. You have to try to bring up something new as well.

"Lead Balloons" is a song that really stands out with its doomier, darker atmosphere and tempo. Would you mind guiding us behind its conception?

It’s Mat’s song and I have to agree it really stands out. Very British. I’m not going into details, since these lyrics are very ambiguous. You can listen to it and it makes your imagination flow.

As the second single, you picked "Heart Like A Slaughterhouse", a song that, although it is pure Grave Pleasures, it gives a punkier attitude, with its chords. Would you name to our readers some of your influences in this album, not strictly musical?

Influences are everywhere inside you and outside you. Emotions, shit happening on the street, Art, literature, natural phenomena, hysteria, everything really…

Kvohst in this record sounds like he tries to incorporate at times a different approach in his vocals. How challenging were the recordings of the album, vocal-wise?

He put so much effort in this. I’m sure you can hear it. I love how he always aims for artistic progress and it just works. This was special since the vocals were recorded in his new little Pine Hill studio, and most of them he recorded on his own, to get very intense and honest results.

I wouldn’t tell you if I knew hehe

This is, a somewhat out of topic question, but I have to. Any update on the Haunted Plasma project!?

Possibly. But I wouldn’t tell you if I knew hehe.

We REALLY wish to come to Greece, please get us there as soon as possible

Final question, I would like to thank you for your time, and I hope that you may come here in Greece for a show! Any future plans that you would like to share? I wish you the best! The final words are yours!

We REALLY wish to come to Greece, please get us there as soon as possible. Right now we’re just pushing out this album and see what happens, and are also looking forward to booking more live shows.

Here in rocking.gr, we have this monthly feature where editors and guest artists post their playlists. It would be an honour if you could participate by naming the 5 albums that you listen to the most during this time of the year!

To be honest I haven’t been listening to that much music right now as I work on it so much. I enjoy silence and guitar music. But I will give you some really proper ones!