INTERVIEW: KOUTA (2022) – Humanity Through Myths & Legends

Conducted by Felin Frost

Behold, KOUTA emerges from the dark recesses of the Finnish forests full of myths. The band was born in 2021 and, the line-up consists of five members, Antti Mäki (Vocals), Eemeli Haarala (Guitar), Lauri Törmä (Guitar, Clean Vocals), Arttu Pentikäinen (Bass, Clean Vocals) and Ville Vitikka (Drums).
Thematically, KOUTA’s musical inspiration comes from the old Nordic lore and myths, combined with the malign nature of the northern forests and the iniquity of being human. On 11th March 2022, the guys will release their first EP, Aarnihauta. The EP has been recorded, mixed, and mastered by Pekka Posio. Aarnihauta brings a splendid cold black metal and the ethereal nuances of folk metal, permeated by a dark and almost hopeless atmosphere.
In this interview kindly granted by Arttu Pentikäinen, one of the founding members of KOUTA, you will be able to know a little more about this promise that emerges full of toughness and dedication to black metal and the otherworldly ancestry of the Finnish lands.

Hello Arttu, it’s a pleasure to talk to you about the recently formed project KOUTA! First of all, tell us how it all started. Who is the founder of the band? How did you guys get together and decide to form the band? What is the main goal?

I and Antti met in another black metal project, where Antti was a singer and I did a couple of live gigs with them. With similar musical and aesthetic interests, it was only a matter of time when we would form a new band together. Eemeli and Ville joined the band soon after and KOUTA was formed. Lauri made an everlasting impression on me while smashing beers in a local metal pub in Tampere and so, the lead guitar player and the last piece of the puzzle was found.

What’s the musical background of each of you? Have you participated in other bands or made any collaborations? Tell us more about it.

Eemeli and Antti have a long history in a band called Meatgrinder. Ville plays melodic death metal and is one of the founding members of a band called Casted.

What are Kouta’s musical influences? Which bands were essential for you?

Metal-wise my taste is wide, but the roots lie deep in both folk and black metal. Of bands that inspire me, Ensiferum, Wintersun, Behemoth and Emperor are among the most important ones, to mention a few.

Norse folklore and myths are Kouta’s themes. What is your general belief in ancient myths and legends?

Finnish, that is to say, Lappish-Karelian, mythology is indeed an inspiration thematically. On a wider spectrum, the Nordic mindset with its dark forests and their general aesthetic are an important part as well. Not only in music but life as a whole. Myths and legends represent the narrative structure of humanity. We tell stories and these stories make up a large part of who we are and how we see ourselves. They remind us of the eternal. KOUTA joins a long tradition of story-telling, taking the old and adding some of its own into the mix. Emphasizing respect for the old, naturally.

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Where does the band’s name come from and what does it mean?

Kouta is an old Finnish mythological being; a demigod or a strong shaman of sorts. One of Finland’s most well-known poets Eino Leino paints a fascinating story by which we were inspired. Kouta, having achieved all knowledge and know-how on earth, roams to Lapland to seek knowledge eternally. That is to say, death. We want to build on this narrative, resurrecting Kouta, who manifests the divine hatred for the defection and malice that is all too embedded in the greed and destructiveness of man. In an unholy, yet natural vendetta, Kouta wishes to unburden mother earth of its vermin: the disease of man.

In my opinion, the Nordic languages are dazzling and give me this feeling of having originated from the gods (my poetic and particular interpretation). Do you believe that singing in your language brings a peculiar emotion and perception to the legends described?

Absolutely so! To sing to the gods of the north, one must sing in their language. How else could the gods understand what we are singing about? All jokes aside, the emotion, tension and release which manifests through one’s birth language are of utmost importance. And to add to this, Antti’s style of singing and performing is a strong and emotional one, that relies on his ability to naturally perform and find the correct mindset. Therefore, the Finnish language is the most natural choice. And as you said, growling in Finnish just sounds great!

“Maanviha” music was filmed in the malevolent woods of Posio, Lapland.

Tell me more about the lyrics. How do myths relate to the human condition? What is the intrinsic message?

To build on what I said earlier: we use Kouta’s myth as a backbone onto which we connect other intriguing stories. On the upcoming album, for example, stories of fratricide and senicide are told through the grand narrative of Kouta’s unholy pilgrimage.

Without the need or desire to categorise the band too much with misanthropy or ecological ambition, this much can be said: the betrayal of humanity against mother earth as well as each other is in the centre, thematically. There is hatred, but indifferent observation as well. An inspection of humanity’s story-telling culture is an important part as well when building the thematic. One can definitely see Kouta as a malevolent being since he leaves burned villages in his footsteps, but from the point of view of the natural world, who is the antagonist here, really?

How was the conception process for Aarnihauta? How long did you guys mature the idea, and how difficult was it to put it all together and release this beautiful EP?

Aarnihauta EP came together relatively quickly, in fact. Six months after the band was formed, we were already in the studio. It was actually difficult to choose the songs because, at that point, our demo folder was already piling up.

Do you guys intend to continue in the black/folk metal style and dedicate future endeavours exclusively to the Nordic legends chosen initially?

Aarnihauta EP offers some black, some folk, but also some rockish elements. To what end and extent these will grow to remains to be seen! We just finished our studio sessions for the second EP as well as the debut album and there is definitely some groovy black/folk metal to be expected. I think thematically and aesthetically we have already found our framework and there is still a lot to discover!

I heard that you already have some dates scheduled to do some tours. Tell us more about it. Will other bands perform, and is the style similar to yours? Do I say Black/Folk Metal?

Blackened Folk Metal? Black ’n Folk? Forest Black? They all have a great sound, let’s wait and see what sticks! We will be playing with black metal bands, death metal bands, and also rock’n’roll bands. So a wide variety and that suits us!

Here are the dates for our upcoming gigs so far:
26.3. Sykäräisen Pakanajuhla
2.4. Ilokivi, Jyväskylä (+ The Backstabbers, Atomic Annie, Terromania)
9.4. Varjobaari, Tampere (+ Vetten Äpärät, The Lifted Veil)
18.8. On The Rocks, Helsinki (+ Black Crucifixion, Havukruunu)
20.8. Haukka Music Bar, Kotka (+ Black Crucifixion, Havukruunu)
27.8. Solekko Fest, Kittilä

A new EP and a debut album are in the works, and we could expect them yet for 2022. Have the recordings already started? Can you tell us more about it? What can we expect from Kouta?

We just finished our ten-day studio session in Posio, Lapland. Some choirs and some lead vocals remain to be recorded. These we will have to do in Helsinki or Tampere later this year. The recording was ten days of hard work, but I’m certain it will pay off. It is intriguing to hear the whole come together. Exciting, but nerve-wracking as well. We expect our second EP to come out this summer and our debut album at the end of 2022.

I want to thank all of you for your dedication and unparalleled commitment to the development of the work that culminated in this debut EP. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions. Here, you can leave a message for the black metal hordes or express yourself however you like!

Come and see us live, if you can and be sure to come and talk with us as well! We hope you enjoy the music, there is more to come! \,,/

FOLLOW KOUTA:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/koutaband
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/koutaband
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOzAUM6BzUQJWbdRhVBXJqQ