Really strong emotions from all different edges

When we at Metal on Loud once again got the opportunity to talk to Battle Beast’s Noora about their new album Bringer of Pain and their upcoming tours we of course did not refuse.

Their new album Bringer of Pain was released on February 17th and is an album you have to check out!

How are you?

We are preparing ourselves for the European and the USA / Canada tour and it is very hectic right now. We are actually having these pre-listening parties yesterday and today in the band members home towns, Helsinki and Tampere and have been celebrating the new album.

We know you have been singing since a young age and like to sing a lot of different styles and genres. Which do you enjoy most?

I can’t say which one I like the most. Because I overall enjoy singing and preforming and interpreting songs. So there isn’t any particular genre I love to do. But in heavy metal I can, as a performer, do my own thing. And as a singer too. So that’s why I feel I have found my place in heavy metal. That I can actually do things in my own way and kind of stand out in heavy metal. If I would start to be a pop star it would be much harder to stand out in that genre for example. So if I would have to pick something I would have to say that I like heavy metal the most because I can actually express myself in so many ways.

If we want to see you preform those genres, do we have to go to Finland or are there also other opportunities for that?

Well, for now I have only been doing this in Finland but you’ll never know. When the time comes I will definitely do other stuff abroad, but now it has just been very hectic with Battle Beast. I think there is always a right place and a right time for everything. So now I will concentrate on doing battle beast with my full hart. And I will do the other stuff when I have the time for that.

You parted ways with Anton 2 years ago, which was also the band’s song writer. I can imagine it must have been nerve wrecking to have to take over the wheel with songwriting.  How did this process go for the band? Did this create tensions between you guys or did you form more of a unity?

It was a really hard process because… First of all Anton and Juuso and Pyry were friends since they were kids. So they also ended the friendship, so it was really hard. We tried to do everything to fix the situation but nothing mattered. So the only options were either everybody leaving Battle Beast or that one person would be resigned. So that’s why we had to go different ways. But I think now, after two years, I am hundred percent sure it was the right thing to do. Because now we are so happy in the situation we are in with these people whom are in the band and I really do hope that Anton is also happy with his new band. Now he can do the things he wants to do the way he wants to do them and we can do the same with Battle Beast. So I think in the end everything turned out quite right.

I’ve read a lot of excellent reviews for the new album Bringer of Pain But if you guys do get a negative review, how do you and the band react to and deal with it?

That is always very personal. For me for example, I have such a positive life philosophy that there is always room for negativity and critics. You have to always use your wisdom. If someone for example has personal issues with us or hates us for some reason, then I really don take it seriously. But if there is some kind of constructive criticism then it depends on whom says it for how seriously I take it. And also advice my dear band mates to consider what they read because i really think it depends on whom is doing the criticism and how seriously it should be taken.

But overall we’ve always been a band that is loved or hated so we are used to it and we are still gonna keep on doing things the way we want to do it. And if people still say that they hate it or us it is still a cool thing, I think, that we can make people feel these really strong emotions from all different edges. So I hope it will always stay like that, that people will hate us and love us, and nothing in between.

Yeah, you can’t make everybody happy of course. Everybody has their own styles and opinions.

Exactly. Remember when Bruce Dickinson came to Iron Maiden. They got the worst evaluation of their first album with him so… People are weird [haha] and they change their mind. For example, when I came into the band there were a lot of people saying “she is not gonna make it” and “She is bullshit” and whatever. But I think actions prove more than words and whenever people say something negative or try to put me down I get very fueled by that. And I use that as a power force to better myself and that is something we will always do with Battle Beast. There were also so many people saying that we were never gonna make it without Anton but here we are with a new great album. So we will use that negative energy as a fuel for the band.

Bringer of Pain holds a lot of different styles and influences in it, from classic 80’s metal to pop. Which isn’t strange with 6 songwriters. Yet you stayed true to the Battle Beast sound while also experimented with different sounds. Are you afraid that there will be fans that won’t like and appreciate this? And if so, what would you like to say to them?

Uhhhm… Pff… Well I think we can really please everyone and we don’t even want to. And I always want to say to people that don’t like us or change their minds to not like us anymore that it is up to them and that we will welcome everyone that does like us to the Battle Beast family. Our main goal is to make people feel great. When they come to our show we want to give them the best heavy metal party they have ever had and forget their normal life for a while. So I don’t know… When someone is not liking us all I can say is you don’t have to listen to us or come to out show. But there are seven billion people on this earth so I think there will be enough listeners for us [haha].

Heavy metal hasn’t been born from frightened musicians that were afraid of what people would think about them. It is Rock and Roll you know. It’s a lifestyle and you have to do things the way you want to do it and not apologize for what you are. That is something that we are gonna do also. That we are never going to lose ourselves. If we would try to please the people that say bad things about us, we wouldn’t be so likable.

In your own words, how would you describe Bringer of Pain and what this album means to you?

This is a big milestone for Battle Beast because this is the first album which includes the whole band in participating in the songwriting and the entire process for making the entire album. We have also grown so much more together as friends and colleagues and we also found a great new family member in Joona our new guitar player whom is also in genes family because he is our keyboard player Janne’s little brother. And he appeared to be a great guitarist and great friend and songwriter. So it has been a great process making this album.

But of course we have had out downs also, we have had our fights. But that is always like that, in a family you always have fights and then you make up again. So that’s normal. In the end we’ve got this great album done, and also music wise we have developed sounds and songs going forward to what Battle Beast can be. The thing about Battle Beast is, music wise,  we combine different kind of styles and we have the Battle Beast signature sound and then we put all these influences we all have had over all the years as musicians and people and put them together in a Battle Beast blend and then there comes out the new stuff. I think bringer of pain is a fresh new start for the new journey for the band.

Do you have favorite songs on Bringer of Pain?

It depends on the day and the mood to be honest. Sometimes it’s Bastard son of Odin, sometimes it’s Bringer of Pain or Beyond the Burning Skies. It all depends on the mood. And I think that is why the album is really good to listen to because the first impression that I get from the album when I put it on, for example in the car, you get a good and positive feeling from the album. For example if you want to get a good on your way to work you should definitely put our now album on and just get the positive energy from it.

Which songs are you looking forward to most to play live on stage?

ANY SONG! Truly any song because we have been waiting so long to do this, to preform our new songs . So we are just so pumped up to do any song and to show our new balls of Battle Beast [hahahaha].

Battle Beast is going to America for the first time this year to tour with Sabaton once more. I can imagine going to America is a big deal and big step for you. How excited are you about this?

Do you even have to ask?

Well, no and yes. I would like to hear in your own words how excited you are and what this means.

It is so great! And we have been waiting for this for years now. And our American fans have been waiting for a long time also. So it is really great.
But I don’t know. I really can’t believe it until we are actually there. I have never been to the United States or Canada so it will be great to see their culture and the people and to have the whole experience. And of course we have the best companions because we are going with Sabaton who have done their ground work so well and they don’t play in the smallest venues anymore so we have such a great opportunity being the support band. And also we have great new companions, Leaves Eyes, and we have never met them before. Well actually I have met the singer of the band in Finland a couple years ago. She seemed like a very nice and sweet person so we are really excited to meet and work with them. I think it is gonna be totally great! But lets focus on the European tour first!

Now that America can be taken of the list of places you want to tour, which new countries would you like to conquer next?

Well, we have actually already been to Japan a couple years ago. The best experience was when we were in Japan Loud Park and it was really something unforgettable. And I believe we are going there again hopefully at the end of this year or in the beginning of next year. But new areas we really want to go for example are Australia. And China, we have never been there either. And you know, anywhere! Africa, Arabia, you name it. Last year we were in Israel and it was a great experience, they have very passionate heavy metalheads. We really wish to go there again.
But really anywhere you know. Our goal is to have world domination! [chuckles] There are still a lot of places to go

If you could chose any band to tour and work with, which band would you chose and why?

Iron Maiden! Bruce Dickinson is my vocal god. So that is something I have been dreaming about since I was a teenager. I actually met him last summer so now that I did the first step [haha] maybe it might happen sometime. When somebody said to me “Don’t get a heart attack but he is standing behind you.” I just jumped up from the chair I was sitting on and I just walked to him and told him that he is my biggest idol and thanked him for his life job and we took some pictures together. Of course I didn’t tell him about our band because I think it wasn’t the right situation for that. I just went there as Noora, as his fan. And he seemed very much like a, you know, feet still on the ground person. Just a normal, British guy doing his job.

Anything left you want to say to the fans?

I want to say thank you so much for supporting us and we love you. We want to see you all as soon as possible again. And get your copy of Bringer of Pain and learn the songs so when we come we can sing together, roar together, and have a great time!

Keep on rocking and hope to see you soon!