Recordings of the new record Crimson were meant to start in September, but the drummer Vesa Ranta broke his thighbone before Midsummer - did this complicate the schedule?

VeskuÕs leg got better so that he was in a playing condition when we had to go to the studio, and luckily couple of weeks before it, Ôcause we had to train.
Couple of songs were left out of the record because we didnÕt manage to train them ready on time, but those 11 songs that come there are enough.
But well - it didnÕt complicate that bad, little rush in the end.

When I heard that the title of the new record is Crimson, my first thought was, has someone been listening to Edge of Sanity... So how did you come up with the name?

No none of us listens to Edge of Sanity.
We started to think of the title of the next record already after Frozen, and there was several choices, and we ended up to Crimson.

Lopakka said in some interview, that Sentenced works best under pressure - were you under pressure while making Crimson?

Well if you mean the pressure to make a better record than before not that - of course we try naturally to do the best work there is, and I have to say, that we are again really satisfied with the result.
It was really good now, that almost nothing was against us in the studio, that all went ok, we had some technical problems that stole a day of the studio time, but anyway we were ready a week ahead of the schedule. Then of course when we were mixing at the Finnvox we were in a bit of a hurry, so it might have been good if we had a day more of mixing time there.
There is always some kind of pressure to try to play so good as possible on the record and it may give some extra kick to it, so that you play all loud also in the studio, where you donÕt need to do that, like in some Nummirock-stage for example, Midsummer festivals.

Couple of the last records have been recorded in Germany - why did you now decide to go back to Tico Tico in Kemi?

Well, frankly, we started to get pissed off that why in the hell we have to go abroad to make it, Ôcause the Finnish technical level and know-how are in the world class, and in Tico can be made really good results. ThatÕs probably why itÕs one of the most popular demo- and record making places in Finland amongst metal bands.
And Ôcause we had this great producer Hiili Hiilesmaa with us, who got the sounds on their places pretty well, the result was great. And itÕs more comfortable when itÕs made in the homeland, can go to a shop and ask advice from the sales clerk without them speaking German.
Homeland is always homeland.

Song titles, like Killing Me Killing You, Home in Despair and My Slowing Heart reveal, that the familiar depressed style of the lyrics continues - what about the music, do you continue on DownÕs and FrozenÕs more melodic line, or do you return to the Death Metal of the early phase?

This is pretty much the same line, that as a matter of fact the only thing how this Crimson maybe is different from for example Frozen is this sound side. It has these more rough and not so smoothed sounds, they are pretty much the sound that comes straight from the guitar amplifier. Frozen has quite clinical and to the end produced compressed sounds.
So from the sounds, otherwise musically itÕs the same melancholic melody emphasised stuff.

Songs have usually been quite a long way made by Tenkula and Lopakka, and Ville wrote lyrics for at least Frozen - how do you and Vesa affect to the songs that come to the records?

Well, we have this song making system, that every one does what they do, song ready or quite ready at home, and then comes to the trains with it, and we check it, and sometimes itÕs good the way it is, but then sometimes we think of it and try things.
Every one who has an idea can bring it out and we try it, if it doesnÕt work we reject it and take another one.
Of myself - of course Ôcause I can play even this 6-string wonder device guitar besides bass, I can make riffs and stuff and suggest that play like this, but with Vesku itÕs mostly that he suggests that would this kind of comp for example or this kind of fill be ok here and so on.
So itÕs usually pretty much group work, when someone just brings the song there, and then we check all through singing melodies. If e.g. Tenkula has a ready singing melody, we donÕt need to go by it that slavishly, we can work it up and suggest ideas to it.

On Down the female vocals were pretty much on top on a couple of songs - will there be any visitors on Crimson?

Here is no visitors, only Mr. LaihialaÕs charming voice can be heard on this record.
There was no songs that we thought needed any kind of bright female voice, that these are just with us, there doesnÕt need to be on every record the obligatory whining (laughs).

The first single from the album, Killing Me Killing You, comes out in December - how did you end up to this song?

ItÕs a very good and beautiful song, unlike our previous songs it has this instrument called piano. But no need to be scared, itÕs no abba or whatever, itÕs strong heavy stuff. Beautiful, beautiful.
We thought that this song was quite audience-friendly , so you donÕt need to be a total heavy monster to listen to it. ItÕs quite easy listening to, and thatÕs good for a single, that it can for example be played in the radio.
They donÕt play that much Fin-metal there these days, maybe some song from HIM.

According to Homegrave, a.k.a. your net site the video of the song will be shot in Norway - can we expect playing between fiords wearing a Norwegian sweater?

Well fuck if we could have kept the Norwegian sweater on but no.
This video was shot in this 28000 people metropolis called Vardš, thatÕs on the shore of the Arctic Ocean. It was shot last weekend, a.k.a round the 20thday. The crew got there already on monday and shot there for 5 days, we went then, were there on Friday and on Saturday was the shooting, and it was hell of a cold, so I recommend it to no one. The director thought it would have been hell of a good if we had played in T-shirts, but there would have been then 5 deep frozen heavy guys ready to be sent home with a tag on the toe. He consented, that we could even keep long sleeve blouses on, what didnÕt warm much in that weather.
Actually I donÕt have an exact idea of what the result will be like, there is some sort of story, but IÕm not gonna tell more of that now. The video should be ready in the beginning of December and the probable release date of the single would be in the half way of December.
The idea was that the video would be ready to be shown them. Hopefully it will be shown somewhere - well is there many choices where it can be shown at least in Finland, but anyway.

Why Norway?

It was directorÕs idea. He had earlier shot in the same region the video of Don Huonot, in last August I think, and is obviously affected to the views of northern Norway.
We gave him pretty free hands to do what he likes, he had faxed some sort of picture script to the guitarist Lopakka, I didnÕt see it, so I knew nothing of whatÕs going on when we went there.
So we just slavishly followed directorÕs wishes, we ourselves had no will to go to any direction, that should we go to Norway or Canary Islands to do it, but if asked now rather to the Canary Islands.

When does the proper tour start?

Of Fin-tour no idea yet, the manager suggested that in March-April would be again that European turnee.
They try to get it to that point of time, of course it takes work that we try to get possibly good package Ôcause in Europe at least itÕs about 3 bandÕs tour. The idea is to get 2-3 equal really good bands, so that the audience donÕt need to watch some z-class warm up -band, but get good music for all the money.
But we donÕt know for sure before the record comes out, so in February we are wiser about the Finnish and foreign gigs.

Thank you very much. Do you have something deeply depressed to say to the end?

Jaa-ha... donÕt forget to drink to forget. Thanks.