北境极光 - 芬兰Melodic Death / Power Metal队Suotana专访

Volcano Magazine
4 minutes ago
24 min read

今天我们很荣幸请到了国内金属乐迷们都非常熟悉的老朋友——来自芬兰北部罗瓦涅米的Suotana乐队。就在今年四月，Suotana第二次来到中国演出，而乐队在2024年的首次来华演出，也正是Suotana第一次在故乡芬兰以外的国家演出。成立于2005年的Suotana最初只是Ville Rautio的个人录音室乐队。家乡罗瓦涅米自然风光从一开始便成为了Ville天然的灵感来源。随着Suotana逐渐积累出一定数量的作品，Ville开始计划录制一张正式专辑，并把Suotana从录音室搬上舞台。2015年，首张专辑"Frostrealm"发行后，Suotana迅速收获了芬兰金属乐圈的关注。2016年，伴随着新主唱Tuomo Marttinen的加入，乐队于2018年发行第二张专辑"Land of the Ending Time"并与知名金属厂牌Reaper Entertainment签约。在这之后，Suotana将创作重心转向概念专辑"Ounas"系列，并于2023年发行专辑“Ounas I"。乐队将创作主题聚焦与故乡罗瓦涅米。Ville将他对穿过家乡的Ounas河流的赞叹以及对珍惜家乡自然环境的愿景通过音乐记录在这一时期Suotana的创作中。通过将史诗氛围与传统旋律死亡金属的巧妙融合，将听众带入风景如画的北国大地。这一次，乐队带着全新专辑"Ounas II"与中国乐迷们见面。在这次与同样来自芬兰的...and Oceans和Kalmah的同台巡演中，Suotana向中国的新乐迷与老朋友们呈现了独特且精彩的演出。乐队通过独树一帜的舞台形象与充满热情的舞台表现展现了来自遥远北国的金属之声。在乐队结束了中国巡演之后，杂志与Suotana的吉他手Ville Rautio以及主唱Tuomo Marttinen进行了这次中国巡演回顾专访。Ville与Tuomo在这次采访里分享了他们第二次来到中国演出的感受，"Ounas"系列专辑与乐队芬兰家乡的渊源以及对于Suotana未来创作方向的展望。

（V: 代表笔者 A: 代表Ville T: 代表Tuomo）

Today, we are honored to welcome an old friend well-known to metalheads across China—Suotana from Rovaniemi in northern Finland. Just this past April, Suotana performed in China for the second time, and their first visit to China in 2024 also marked the band’s debut performance outside their home country Finland. Formed in 2005, Suotana began as a solo studio project by Ville Rautio. The natural scenery of his hometown, Rovaniemi, served as a natural source of inspiration for Ville from the very beginning. As Suotana gradually built up a body of work, Ville began planning to record a full-length album and bring the band from the studio to the stage. In 2015, following the release of their debut album “Frostrealm”, Suotana quickly gained attention within the Finnish metal scene. In 2016, with the addition of new vocalist Tuomo Marttinen, the band released their second album, “Land of the Ending Time”, in 2018 and signed with the renowned metal label Reaper Entertainment. Following this, Suotana shifted their creative focus to the Ounas concept album series, releasing “Ounas I” in 2023. The band centered their creative themes on their hometown of Rovaniemi. Through Suotana’s music during this period, Ville captured his admiration for the Ounas River flowing through his hometown and his vision of preserving the local natural environment. By skillfully blending epic atmospheres with traditional melodic death metal, they transport listeners to the picturesque northern landscapes. This time, the band met with Chinese fans to present their brand-new album, “Ounas II”. During this joint tour with fellow Finnish bands ...and Oceans and Kalmah, Suotana delivered a unique and spectacular performance for both new and longtime fans in China. Through their distinctive stage presence and passionate performance, the band showcased the sound of metal from the distant North. After the band wrapped up their China tour, Volcano Magazine conducted an exclusive interview with Suotana’s guitarist Ville Rautio and vocalist Tuomo Marttinen to reflect on the tour. In this interview, Ville and Tuomo shared their impressions of their second visit to China, discussed the connection between the “Ounas” album series and their hometown Finland, and offered insights into Suotana’s future creative direction.

(V: represents author A: represents Ville T: represents Tuomo)

采访对象：Tuomo / Ville（Suotana乐队吉他 / 歌手）

采访时间：2026.06.21

V: 你们好！很荣幸终于有机会让Suotana出现在Volcano Magazine的采访里了，向Suotana的各位问好！

Hello! It's an honor to finally have the opportunity to have Suotana featured in an interview with Volcano Magazine. Greetings to everyone in Suotana!

A: 大家好，感谢你们的邀请！

Hello everyone and thanks for having us!

T: 大家好！

Hello all!

V: 今年四月你们与两支同样来自芬兰的金属乐队...and Oceans和Kalmah一起在中国进行了四城巡演。这是你们第二次来中国演出，这一次有哪些不同的感受？

This past April, you embarked on a four-city tour in China alongside two other Finnish metal bands, ...and Oceans and Kalmah. This was your second time performing in China—how did this experience differ from your first?

A: 这次我们在中国的演出场次比上次巡演少了一场，但现场观众的热情完全弥补了这一点。由于我们乐队的贝斯手Rauli Alaruikka这次无法参加，Kalmah乐队的Timo “Lede” Lehtinen在巡演期间替我们担任了贝斯手。能有他加入对我们来说非常特别，我们中的许多人都是听着他在Kalmah和Catamenia乐队的音乐长大的，所以每晚能与他同台演出真是太棒了。此次巡演中，我们在演出间隙有了更多空闲时间，这让我们有更好的机会去探索演出场地所在的城市。上次巡演时，无论是北京还是上海，行程都安排得非常紧凑，我们几乎没能看到除了交通路途上和演出场地以外的任何风景。这次，例如在成都，我们就得以参观了美丽的武侯祠博物馆。这是一次很棒的体验，给我们留下了美好的回忆。

A: This time we played one fewer show in China than on our previous tour but the energy at the gigs more than made up for it. Since our own bassist Rauli Alaruikka couldn't make it this time, Timo “Lede” Lehtinen from Kalmah handled bass duties for us on the tour. Having him was something really special for us and many of us grew up listening to his playing with Kalmah and Catamenia, so sharing the stage with him every night was pretty amazing. On tour we also had more free time between shows, which gave us a better chance to explore the cities around the venues. Last time, I think both Beijing and Shanghai were on such a tight schedule that we barely got to see anything beyond the transportation and the venues themselves. This time, for example, in Chengdu we had the chance to visit the beautiful Wuhou Shrine Museum. It was a great experience and left us with wonderful memories.

T: 2024年我们在中国的首次巡演是一次绝对难以置信的体验，我们一直非常期待能再次回来进行第二轮巡演。不仅能结识新朋友，还能与那些在2024年看过我们演出的观众重逢，这真的很棒。首次中国巡演也是Suotana乐队首次在我们的祖国芬兰以外的地方演出，自那以后，我们很幸运地在欧洲各地进行了广泛巡演。这次在中国进行的第二次巡演对我们意义重大，我们由衷地感到兴奋，并满怀热情地再次回到这里。

Our first tour in China in 2024 was an absolutely incredible experience, and we were really looking forward to coming back for a second run. It was great to meet new people, but also to reconnect with those who had already seen us perform in 2024. The first tour was also Suotana’s first experience playing shows outside of our homeland Finland, and since then we've been fortunate to perform extensively across Europe. This second tour in China meant a lot to us and we were genuinely excited and highly motivated to return there again.

V: 许多观众注意到Suotana是这次巡演的三支乐队中唯一一个有特殊演出服装的乐队。你们的舞台形象的灵感来源是什么？

Many audience members noticed that Suotana was the only band among the three on this tour to have special stage costumes. Where does your stage image draw its inspiration from?

A: 我们希望通过音乐之外的更多方式来表达我们的艺术愿景，因为所有这些元素相互支撑，共同营造出完整的体验。我们的舞台服装深受家乡芬兰拉普兰以及周围北国风光的启发。例如，我们融入了风化枯木的灰色调——这是拉普兰森林中常见的景象，也是该地区特色的重要组成部分。

We want to express our artistic vision through more than just music, because all of these elements support each other and together create a complete experience. Our stage outfits are heavily inspired by our home region of Finnish Lapland and the northern landscapes that surround us. For example, we've incorporated the grey tones of weathered deadwood, which is a common sight in Lapland's forests and an important part of the region's character.

T: 随着我们不断探索真正代表Suotana个性的元素，我们的舞台服装也随之演变。就我个人而言，我一直希望为现场音乐注入戏剧感和视觉叙事。我相信，一套恰到好处的舞台服装能为观众的体验画龙点睛，并最大限度地提升音乐所能带来的感受。当所有元素融为一体时，所营造的沉浸感和难忘体验，远比单纯的音乐更为深刻。

Our stage outfits have evolved over time as we've searched for what truly represents Suotana's identity. Personally, I've always wanted to bring a sense of theatricality and visual storytelling to live music. I believe that a proper stage costume completes the experience for the audience and enhances what the music can offer at its very best. When all the elements come together, it creates something much more immersive and memorable than music alone.

V: 我看了你们在北京的演出，这也是我第一次看Suotana的演出。许多曾在2024年看过你们与Kalmah一起巡演的观众们都说这一次你们的演出效果比上一次有很大的提升，现场的演出在还原录音室专辑的基础上通过舞台表现生动地诠释了专辑主题。你认为是什么让这次的演出能获得观众们广泛好评？

I attended your show in Beijing, which was my first time seeing Suotana perform live. Many audience members who saw your joint tour with Kalmah in 2024 have noted that the quality of your performance has significantly improved since then. While staying true to the studio album, your live show vividly interprets the album’s themes through your stage presence. What do you think contributed to the widespread acclaim for this performance?

T: 很高兴听到这个反馈！正如我之前提到的，2024年的亚洲巡演是Suotana首次在芬兰以外的地方演出。从那以后，我们完成了两次较长的欧洲巡演，并在多个音乐节上登台，这些经历自然帮助我们成长为一支更成熟的现场乐队。我们在舞台上变得更加从容，现在一起表演的感觉比以前自然得多，也更令人享受。

Tuomo: That's great to hear! As I mentioned earlier, our 2024 Asia tour was Suotana's very first experience playing shows outside Finland. Since then, we've completed two longer European tours and performed at several festivals, which has naturally helped us grow as a live band. We've become more comfortable on stage, and performing together feels much more natural and enjoyable now than it did before.

A: Suotana最初的定位是一支“录音室乐队”，主要专注于创作专辑。然而，通过巡演和现场演出，我们逐渐意识到，演出是我们乐队不可或缺的一部分。现场演出无疑是乐队最重要的组成部分之一，甚至可以说是仅次于音乐本身的最重要的部分。现场演出让我们能够拓展歌曲的氛围和情感，创造出超越录音室版本的独特体验。

Originally Suotana was intended to be more of a "studio band," with the main focus on creating albums. However, through touring and performing live, it has become clear that concerts are an essential part of who we are. Live shows are definitely one of the most important aspects of the band, if not the most important after the music itself. Live shows allow us to expand on the atmosphere and emotions of the songs and create something unique that goes beyond the recordings.

V: Suotana成立于2005年，今年也是你们成立的20周年。可以介绍一下Suotana的早期历史吗？各位成员们都是怎样加入Suotana的？

Suotana was founded in 2005, and this year marks your 20th anniversary. Could you tell us about Suotana's early history? How did each member join Suotana?

A: 我很年轻的时候就组建了这支乐队。当时，我一直在创作歌曲，并把它们分享给最亲密的朋友们。音乐成了我对钓鱼和亲近大自然这份热情的自然延伸，让我得以表达北方荒野既美丽又严酷的一面。我的一位老同学兼挚友——我们的吉他手Pasi Portaankorva——很快加入了我，开始和我一起演奏这些歌曲。从那时起，一切都顺其自然地发展起来，完全源于我们的热情以及对音乐的共同热爱。大约在2010年，我们开始讨论围绕这些作品组建一支完整的乐队，并最终录制一张正式专辑的想法。由于我们的家乡罗瓦涅米位于偏远的北方，寻找合适的乐手并不容易。我们甚至在其他成员加入乐队之前，就已经有了排练室，还提前购买了一整套鼓，尽管当时还没有找到鼓手。到2012至2013年间，我们组建了第一支完整阵容，包括我、Pasi、主唱Juhani Merkkiniemi、贝斯手Harri Portimo、键盘手Jari Körkkö以及鼓手Rauli Juopperi。Rauli最初只是为了录制我们首张demo的鼓而加入，但本应是一次性的合作却变成了长期合作，时至今日他依然是我们的鼓手。首张专辑"Frostrealm"（2015年）发行后，Juhani和Jari离开了乐队，但我们很快找到了接替者。键盘手Tommi Neitola通过Harri加入了乐队，2016年，我们迎来了现任主唱Tuomo Marttinen。继"Land of the Ending Time"（2018年）发行后，Harri离开了乐队，2019年由现任贝斯手Rauli Alaruikka接替。他与乐队已有多年渊源，实际上正是他帮助我们在2013年促成了乐队首次现场演出。

I started the band when I was quite young. At the time, I was constantly writing songs and sharing them with my closest friends. Music became a natural extension of my passion for fishing and spending time in nature, allowing me to express both the beauty and the harshness of the northern wilderness. One of my best friends from school, our guitarist Pasi Portaankorva, quickly became involved and started playing the songs with me. Everything grew very naturally from there, driven purely by enthusiasm and a shared passion for music. Around 2010, we began discussing the idea of building a full band around the material and eventually recording a proper album. Since our hometown of Rovaniemi is located far in the north, finding the right musicians wasn't easy. We even had a rehearsal space before anyone else joined the band and we also bought drums in advance even though we didn’t yet have a drummer. By 2012–2013, we had assembled our first full lineup, including myself, Pasi, vocalist Juhani Merkkiniemi, bassist Harri Portimo, keyboardist Jari Körkkö, and drummer Rauli Juopperi. Rauli originally joined to record drums for our first demo, but what was meant to be a one-time collaboration became permanent and he's still our drummer today.

After our debut album Frostrealm (2015), Juhani and Jari left the band, but we quickly found replacements. Keyboardist Tommi Neitola joined through Harri and in 2016 we welcomed our current vocalist Tuomo Marttinen to band. Following Land of the Ending Time (2018), Harri left the band and was replaced in 2019 by our current bassist Rauli Alaruikka, who had already been connected to the band for years and was actually responsible for helping us secure our very first live show back in 2013.

T: 2016年，鼓手Rauli Juopperi联系了我，问我是否有兴趣加入乐队。当时我正准备搬回老家罗瓦涅米，时机再好不过了。有趣的是，Ville和我其实早就认识，但在试音见面时，我们俩都没认出来对方。后来在Juhani和Jari的“告别”Suotana的演出上，我们才意识到这一点，此后我们为此开过很多次玩笑。

In 2016 I was contacted by drummer Rauli Juopperi, who asked if I’d be interested in joining the band. Since I was about to move back to my hometown of Rovaniemi, the timing was perfect. The funny part is that also Ville and I already knew each other but neither of us realized it when we met during the audition. We figured it out later at Juhani’s and Jari’s ‘’farewell’’ Suotana show and we’ve laughed about it many times since.

V: 虽然乐队成立于2005年，但直到2014年Suotana才正式发行第一张demo"Forgotten Soil of This Land"，2015年才终于发行第一张全长专辑"Frostrealm"。为何乐队成立的时间和你们正式发行作品的时间隔了这么久？

Although the band was formed in 2005, Suotana didn’t officially release its first demo, “Forgotten Soil of This Land”, until 2014, and it wasn’t until 2015 that the band finally released its debut full-length album“Frostrealm”. Why was there such a long gap between the band’s formation and the release of its first official recordings?

A: 最初几年我主要在写歌，为乐队打基础。我们也上传了一些早期的demo到网上，当时就已经引起了一些外界的关注。虽然demo的质量嘛……嗯……只能说一般般。哈哈。所以对我们来说，最终发行正式专辑时，质量必须达到一定的水平。除非我们100%确信作品达到了自己的标准，否则绝不发行。这需要为乐队物色合适的人选，组建一支真正感觉互相契合的阵容。在我们家乡，当时的乐队可能比现在要多得多，但我和Pasi其实并不算是本地“金属圈”的一员。大多数人甚至都不认识我，或者把我跟乐队联系起来。我们更像是局外人，做着自己的事情，这可能也让组建完整的乐队阵容变得更加困难。这是一个缓慢但稳步推进的过程。

The first years I was mostly writing songs and kind of laying the groundwork for the band. We did upload some early demo versions online as well and even back then there was already some interest from outside. Even though the quality of the demos was, let’s say… what it was. Heh. So it was important for us that when we finally released some ‘’real’’ records, it would meet a certain quality level. We didn’t want to put anything out unless we were 100% sure it met our own standards. That required finding the right people for the band and building a lineup that truly felt like the right fit. In our hometown there were probably more bands back then than there are today but Pasi and I weren’t really part of the local “metal scene” as such. Most people didn’t even necessarily know or associate me with the band. We were more like outsiders doing our own thing which probably made it harder to get a full lineup together. It was a slow but steady process.

V: 在发行了"Frostrealm"之后，你们便以平均每2-3年的速度发行全长专辑，同时也在世界各地进行演出。可以分享一下你们创作模式吗？在创作时，你们会怎样记录想放在歌曲里的灵感？

After releasing “Frostrealm”, you've been releasing full-length albums every 2-3 years on average, while also touring the world. Could you share your creative process? How do you record the inspirations you want to include in your songs during the creative process?

A: 我会在灵感迸发的时候创作音乐，这些年来，我积累了不少素材，把它们存在一个，你可以叫做“抽屉档案库”的地方里。我们的音乐很大程度上受到了北方自然环境的影响，这种影响自然而然地融入到我们的音乐中。我的创作方式和二十年前非常相似。我会捕捉灵感，制作MIDI版本的歌曲，然后再将其制作成正式的demo。之后，整个乐队会一起对它们进行打磨，最终达到可以录制的状态。每当我们开始计划一张新专辑时，我们会挑选那些感觉适合这张专辑的歌曲。但通常情况下，我会提前很久就开始思考专辑的整体概念，并准备一些能够融入整体框架的素材。我们专辑中的大部分歌曲都是新创作的，但我们也喜欢加入一些老歌，以增加整体音乐的多样性和不同的视角。

I compose music from time to time whenever inspiration strikes, and over the years I’ve accumulated a good amount of material in what you could call a “drawer archive.” A big part of our music is influenced by the nature of north which naturally finds its way into the sound. I still work in a very similar way to how I did twenty years ago. I capture ideas and build songs as MIDI versions, which I then turn into proper demos. From there, the whole band starts shaping them into a form that is ready for recording. Whenever we start planning a new album we select the songs that feel right for that particular release. But usually, well in advance I’ve already start thinking about the overall concept and preparing material that could fit the bigger picture. Most of the songs on our albums are newer compositions, but we also like to include some older material to add variety and different perspectives to the overall sound.

V: 2023年你们发行了"Ounas I"专辑，这是一张旋律恢弘大气，氛围充满史诗感的旋律死亡金属专辑。听着"River Ounas"仿佛让人感觉置身于北国刺骨的寒风中。可以向中国的乐迷们介绍一下“Ounas”专辑的概念吗？

In 2023, you released the album “Ounas I”, a melodic death metal album with grand, epic melodies and a truly grand atmosphere. Listening to “River Ounas” feels like being in the biting cold winds of the North. Could you explain the concept behind the “Ounas” album to your Chinese fans?

A: 这其中包含许多层含义，但我会尽量简要说明。Ounas这个名字直接源自我们的家乡。我们的故乡罗瓦涅米（Rovaniemi）位于两条主要河流的交汇处：奥纳斯河（Ounasjoki）和凯米河（Kemijoki）。“Ounas”对我们意义非凡，专辑的主题也聚焦于奥纳斯河及其周边的自然环境。歌曲《River Ounas》讲述了这条河流的故事——它受到法律保护，未受水力发电和水坝的侵扰。然而，由于它汇入二战后被大量修建水坝的凯米河，这些水坝的影响至今仍波及上游的奥纳斯河。水电开发和水坝的修建摧毁了这些河流沿岸传统的三文鱼捕捞文化，这种损失所造成的创伤至今仍在代代人之间回响。欧洲最伟大的三文鱼河流因筑坝而导致河流中的三文鱼种群灭绝。随着村庄和家园在水库水域下消失，生命的自然流转也被中断了。在不忽视自然之美的同时，专辑的主题还触及了对环境造成的更广泛破坏，尤其是对水道、野生动物和生态系统的破坏。

There are many layers to that but I’ll try to keep it short. The name Ounas comes directly from our home region. Our hometown, Rovaniemi, is located at the confluence of two major rivers: the Ounasjoki (River Ounas) and the Kemijoki (River Kemi). Ounas carries a lot of meaning for us and on the album the theme focuses on the Ounas River and its surrounding nature. The song River Ounas tells the story of the river which has been protected by law and remained untouched by hydroelectric power and dams. However, because it flows into the Kemijoki which was heavily dammed after the Second World War the effects of that still reach upstream into the Ounas as well. The way hydropower and dams were built destroyed the traditional salmon fishing culture along these rivers and the trauma caused by that loss is something that still echoes through generations. Damming Europe’s greatest salmon rivers led to the extinction of the river's salmon population. And the natural flow of life was interrupted as villages and homes disappeared under reservoir waters. Without forgetting the beauty of nature itself, the album’s themes also touch on the broader destruction caused to the environment, especially waterways, wildlife, and ecosystems.

V: 这次的Suona的演出歌单里大部分歌曲来自你们2025年的新专辑"Ounas II"。大部分观众比较熟悉你们的上一张专辑"Ounas I"，作为"Ounas"系列的第二张专辑，你认为这张专辑和"Ounas I"相比最大的不同是什么？

Most of the songs in Suotana’s setlist for this tour are from your upcoming 2025 album, “Ounas II”. Since most fans are more familiar with your previous album, “Ounas I”, as the second installment in the “Ounas” series, what do you think is the biggest difference between this album and “Ounas I”?

A: "Ounas II"自然是第一张专辑的延续，但我认为第二部比前作节奏更快、技巧更精湛、旋律也更优美。

Ounas II is naturally a continuation of the first album, but I’d say that the second chapter is faster, more technical, and more melodic than its predecessor.

V: 许多观众都很喜欢“Ounas”系列专辑，尤其是新专辑的长篇曲目"1473 Ounas"。你们的歌曲层次感很丰富，人声的演奏让人印象深刻，清嗓和嘶吼的交织让歌曲的情感随着音乐的发展层层递进。在上一张专辑"Ounas I"中，同样有"River Ounas"这样时长超过十分钟的长篇曲目。我想知道这些长而复杂的歌曲都是怎样创作出来的？

Many listeners love the "Ounas" album series, especially the long track "1473 Ounas" from the new album. Your songs have rich layers, the vocal performances are impressive, and the interplay of clean vocals and screams allows the emotions to build layer by layer with the music. The previous album, "Ounas I," also featured a long track like "River Ounas," which is over ten minutes long. I'd like to know how these long and complex songs are created?

A: 谢谢！这两首歌都承载着强烈的叙事性和充满力量的情感，我觉得它们需要一个更长、更史诗般的音乐框架来承载。作为一名作曲家，创作长篇歌曲对我来说一直比创作短篇歌曲更得心应手。当然，对于这种长度的作品，挑战在于如何让它们从头到尾都引人入胜，同时又为听众留出解读空间和多层次的体验。对于这两首歌，我刻意将它们处理成风格对比鲜明的作品。我希望"River Ounas"听起来比"1473 Ounas"更阴郁。从歌词来看，"1473 Ounas"探讨的是那种无所不包的失落感。这种失落感及其相关的创伤，在许多不同情境下都可能惊人地相似。它通常与失去至亲有关，但也可能源于一种文化的消亡，或是心爱的当地森林遭到破坏。对我而言，这种失落感与我故乡的河流——正如我之前提到的凯米河和奥纳斯河——有着深厚的联系。这首歌的标题源自一颗名为“1473 Ounas”的小行星，它正是以奥纳斯河命名的。这个名字精准捕捉了歌曲中那份怅惘的氛围，将作品本身和听众一同带入心灵荒野的更深处。

Thank you! Both songs carry a strong narrative and powerful emotions and I felt they required a longer, more epic musical framework around them. As a composer, writing longer pieces has always come more naturally to me than writing shorter ones. Of course, with compositions of this length, the challenge is to make them remain engaging all the way through, while still leaving room for interpretation and different layers. With these two songs, I deliberately approached them as contrasting pieces. I wanted River Ounas to sound darker than 1473 Ounas. Lyrically 1473 Ounas deals with the experience of all-encompassing loss. The feeling of loss and the trauma connected to it can be remarkably similar in many different situations. It is often associated with losing a loved one, but it can also stem from the disappearance of a culture or the destruction of a beloved local forest. For me, this sense of loss is deeply connected to my home rivers, the Kemi River and the Ounas River, as I mentioned earlier. The song's title comes from the minor planet, an asteroid called 1473 Ounas, which was named after the Ounas River. The name captures the song’s wistful atmosphere and carries both the composition and the listener even deeper into the wilderness of the mind.

V: "Ounas I"和"Ounas II"两张专辑的最后一首曲子都是cover歌曲，在"Ounas II"里你们选择了来自Children of Bodom的经典歌曲"Hatebreeder"。可以说说为什么选择这首歌曲吗？

The final track on both “Ounas I” and “Ounas II” is a cover song. On “Ounas II”, you chose the classic Children of Bodom track “Hatebreeder.” Can you talk about why you chose this song?

A: Children of Bodom 对我们所有人以及Suotana的音乐都产生了重大影响。Alexi Laiho在我们开始录制"Ounas"系列专辑的鼓轨前几周突然离世。当时，我们决定翻唱一首Children of Bodom早期专辑中的歌曲，以此向他致敬。

Ville: Children of Bodom has had a major influence on all of us as well as on Suotana’s music. Alexi Laiho passed away only a few weeks before we began recording the drum tracks for the Ounas albums. At that point, we decided to record a cover song from one of Children of Bodom’s first albums as a tribute.

T: 对我们来说，"Hatebreeder"作为翻唱曲目，感觉是个略显非传统且不太显而易见的选择，这反而让它更有趣。而且这是我们每个人从十几岁起就耳熟能详的歌曲，有些人甚至从童年时代就听过。

Hatebreeder felt like a slightly unconventional and less obvious choice for a cover for us which made it all the more interesting. It was also a song that every one of us had known since our teenage years or, in some cases, even since childhood.

V: 在创作”Ounas“概念的歌曲之初，你们有想到过要把这个概念延续到下一张专辑甚至再下一张专辑吗？

When you first created the song with the concept of "Ounas", did you ever think about continuing this concept into the next album or even the album after that?

A: Ounas I和Ounas II的大部分歌曲都是同时创作的，但由于两张专辑加起来的总时长，我们决定将它们分成两张专辑。Ounas II的录制是在Ounas I完成后进行的，除了鼓以外，其他部分都是在Ounas I完成后才录制的，因此它自然而然地形成了自己独特的音色和氛围。我们讨论过未来制作Ounas III的可能性，但最终能否实现，以及何时实现，目前还不得而知。

Most of Ounas I and Ounas II were composed at the same time, but because of their combined length, we decided to split the material into two separate albums. Naturally, Ounas II developed its own distinct sound and atmosphere, as it was recorded, apart from the drums, after the completion of Ounas I. We have discussed the possibility of making Ounas III someday in the future, but whether that will happen, and when, remains to be seen.

V: 许多的乐评会将Suotana的风格归类为Melodic death/black metal，作为乐队本身，你认为对于Suotana来说，Black Metal的影响主要来自哪些乐队？在你们的音乐中又是如何呈现出这些影响的？

Many music critics classify Suotana’s style as melodic death/black metal. As the band itself, which black metal bands do you think have had the greatest influence on Suotana? How do these influences manifest in your music?

A: 就我个人而言，我认为Catamenia早期的专辑在Melodic Black Metal方面对我们的音乐产生了巨大影响，你也能在Suotana的音乐中听到这种影响。Thyrane也让我联想到，尤其是他们那张带有强烈Melodic Death Metal元素的专辑"Travesty of Heavenly Essence"。此外我还想提一下Old Man’s Child和Satyricon。在Melodic Death Metal方面，Kalmah、Eternal Tears of Sorrow和Children of Bodom等乐队在Suotana早期也产生了重大影响并对我们后来的音乐发展方向产生了显著影响。

Personally, I’d say early Catamenia albums has been the big influence musically in terms of melodic black metal and you can hear that influence in Suotana’s music as well. Thyrane also comes to mind, especially Travesty of Heavenly Essence album with strong melodic death metal elements. I’d also give mentions to Old Man’s Child and Satyricon. On the melodic death metal side, bands such as Kalmah, Eternal Tears of Sorrow, and Children of Bodom were also major influences during Suotana’s early years and had a significant effect on our musical direction.

V: 芬兰有大量优秀的Melodic Death Metal乐队。从Children of Bodom到Amorphis，许多中国乐迷的Melodic Death Metal歌单一半以上都是来自芬兰的金属乐队（包括我）。作为金属杂志的编辑，我也采访过许多来自芬兰的乐队。作为在音乐界从业超过十年的资深音乐家，你认为为何芬兰会拥有如此多闻名世界的金属乐队？

Finland is home to a wealth of outstanding melodic death metal bands. From Children of Bodom to Amorphis, more than half of the melodic death metal playlists of many Chinese fans—myself included—consist of Finnish metal bands. As an editor for a metal magazine, I’ve also interviewed numerous bands from Finland. As a seasoned musician with over a decade of experience in the industry, why do you think Finland has produced so many world-renowned metal bands?

A: 我认为这源于我们周围大自然那份苍凉之美，以及经历四季分明、各具特色的季节，尤其是漫长、黑暗而寒冷的冬季，以及熬过冬天的挑战。此外，我们从小就接触芬兰音乐，这种音乐往往以忧郁和降调旋律为特征，这些元素与金属音乐极为契合。

I would say it stems from the stark beauty of the nature that surrounds us and from experiencing four very distinct seasons, especially the long, dark, and cold winter and the challenge of enduring it. From an early age we are also exposed to Finnish music which is often characterized by melancholy and minor-key melodies, elements that fit exceptionally well with metal music.

T: 我认为另一个重要因素是那些多年来崭露头角的先驱芬兰金属乐队所带来的影响。金属音乐在芬兰的音乐歌单里一直占据重要地位，而非被边缘化或视为小众音乐。它与其他类型的音乐并存，既让广大听众耳熟能详，又因其独特的风格和强烈的冲击力而脱颖而出。因此，金属音乐已成为芬兰音乐文化中自然而然且极具辨识度的一份子。

I’d say another major factor is the influence of the pioneering Finnish metal bands that rose to prominence over the years. Metal has been widely present on Finnish playlists rather than being pushed aside or treated as something niche. It has existed alongside other genres, making it familiar to a broad audience while at the same time standing out because of its unique character and heaviness. As a result metal has become a natural and recognizable part of Finland’s musical culture.

V: 今年下半年Suotana还有哪些演出计划？对于之后的创作，你们还会继续“Ounas”这个概念创作"Ounas III"吗？

What other performances does Suotana have planned for the second half of this year? As for future projects, will you continue the “Ounas” concept with “Ounas III”?

A: 继我们最近的2026亚洲巡演之后，今年剩下的唯一一场演出就是芬兰的Nummirock金属音乐节了。如果没有特别的安排，演出结束后，我们会专注于未来的规划，并在今年余下的时间里创作新歌。我非常期待接下来的工作。

Ville: Following our recent 2026 Asian tour dates our only remaining show this year will be at Nummirock Metal Festival in Finland. If anything special doesn’t appear, after that show we’ll be focusing on planning for the future and working on new material for the rest of the year. I'm really looking forward to that.

V: 非常感谢你们抽出时间回答我们的问题！希望以后还能在中国看到Suotana，我真的非常希望以后有机会在中国看到你们表演Suotana的长篇曲目。最后，请对中国的乐迷们说点什么吧。

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions! We hope to see Suotana again in China in the future, and I really hope to have the opportunity to see you perform Suotana's long pieces in China next time. At the end of this interview, please say a few words to your fans in China:)

A: 非常感谢这次采访。我们非常期待，也盼望着能尽快重返中国，并带来更长的演出曲目！

Ville: Thank you very much for the interview. We’re looking forward to, and waiting for the opportunity to return to China as soon as possible and with an even longer set!

T: 很高兴能见到所有前来观看我们2026年巡演的观众。对于这次没能到现场的各位，希望下次能见到你们！

Tuomo: It was great to meet all of you who came to our 2026 tour shows. And to those who couldn’t make it this time, we hope to see you next time!