Interview: Havukruunu (Written)
After three albums, the pieces of the puzzle fit, and Havukruunu, the favourite band of the sensitive and sorrowful returns with a vengeance to blur the line between the real and unreal. Svart Records is set to release the band’s fourth album ‘Tavastland’ on February 28th, 2025. In this interview we learn a little bit more about the band and this new album.
1. Hello. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. How is the mood within Havukruunu right now?
Pretty bad to be honest, I’m having to do tons of interviews. Just kidding, but theres a half truth to it always. Pretty busy again, waiting for the album to come out, and rehearsing new material. Going to work, eat, shower, sleep, drive, go to work etc you know how it is.
2. We’re very close to the release of ‘Tavastland’, your brand-new and fourth album. What has the build to release been like and has there been any particular moment or event that has stood out for you?
Oh well, I have been pretty satisfied how smoothly things have gone all in all. Pretty major thing was the video release, I put all my half-assed heart and soul to TAVASTLAND video, turned out pretty good.
3. Tell me about the early stages of this album’s creative process? Did you have a vision for what you wanted it to be, and if so, how clear was it?
A vision as clear as the unfrozen frozen spring in late winters morning light. I don’t really know how to answer, I await for the material to emerge from my (dark) subconcious, and then I hit record on my cassette player and start working.
4. When did the concept fully come together and how much work went into researching the detail?
My whole life is doing research, occasionally disturbed by live shows and speaking to people. I like to bury myself into dusty old tomes about history, mythology, folklore and astrophysics.
5. What attracted you to this story and point in history?
This story, is about myself searching for truth, and pointing out the evils of organized religion. Seems very relevant in this day and age, as all I see is people succumbing to half truths and taking things in at face value, and regarding as truth something some guy said in the internets. So the heathen uprising is symbolically relevant again, and there is always something to learn from history.
6. Did you have any reservations about it working for the Havukruunu sound, your particular style of black metal?
This particular style of black metal has very little black metal in it, as far as I’m concerned its VERY Heavy metal. No I don’t have any reservations, I’d like to think I’m doing the right thing when trusting my intuition and the whisperings instructions of night-folk.
7. How experimental were some of your musical ideas to be begin with, and at what stage did you start to see an album come together?
Very experimental, very hard rock oriented at first, the album started coming together after hundreds of hours of guitar playing and contemplation.
Much of the album is again older material arranged anew, as in most Talvenvarjo, Tavastland and Yönsynty written in 2017-2018 already. Album took shape when the first riff of the first song occurred to me about a year ago.
8. When you look back at the entire creative process, beginning to end, what are some of your favourite memories?
I recorded hours worth of rain, from the window of my new attic studio. Its in the middle of the woods, and I am at peace there. Alas all the work with labels and venues and shows, just makes me wanna consider live playing again.
I was very pleased when working with Humö again, we picked up right where we left and we still got it.
9. Likewise, looking back at the entire creative process, beginning to end, what were some of more challenging aspects of it and how did you overcome those challenges?
Well, time-management, as I am working a real job simultaneously. Solution was simply sleeping less, and working nights on the album.
10. What does this album, ‘Tavastland’, mean to you?
Havukruunu’s fourth album, and the first one I am pretty okay with for what it is. Its a symbol of freedom.
11. What do you hope listeners can take away from it?
Tips and tricks on how to live a life according to your values, and what to consider and possibly learn from the (dark) past.
12. What other plans do you have in place for the remainder of 2025?
Live shows in Finland, one in the US, and as much recording as I can do. Svart Records is also reissuing our old albums during 2025 so I have plenty to do with that also, so stay tuned metal maniax 666 hail satan!