What does the name “Turisas” mean?
Turisas is a war god worshipped especially in the Häme –region in Finland before christianity. The problem with Finnish mythology is that there are much less sources of written knowledge about it compared with other cultures, which results in dissenting information and uncertainty about facts. The name itself has several writing appearances depending on the source (Tursas, Turisas, Turilas and Turri) all meaning pretty much the same. The etymology of the word is somewhat complex: Tursas refers to mythological giants (as well as sea-creatures in modern Finnish language), Iku-Turso is some kind of a sea-monster according to folk poetry, while Meri-Tursas again appears in old spells as a breeder of disease. The name Turisas stands also pretty near to the Scandinavian, and better known, fellow-colleagues Týr and Thor. Also the þurs-giants in Edda poetry are remarkably close in pronounciation to Turisas.
[from old official Turisas homepage]
Who are the bandmembers?
Jukka-Pekka Miettinen - bass
Jussi Wickström – guitar
Mathias Nygård – vocals
Robert Engstrand – keyboard
Olli Vänskä - violin
Tude Lehtonen - drums
Do the bandmembers have myspace-pages?
Yes, they do.
Jussi:
http://www.myspace.com/188154596
Mathias:
http://www.myspace.com/turisaswarlord
Olli:
http://www.myspace.com/geigeistkrieg
Tude:
http://www.myspace.com/tude_lehtonen
Are the guys posting here as bandmembers really the bandmembers?
Yes, they are.
JW - Jussi Wickström
GeigeIstKrieg – Olli Vänskä
Tude – Tude Lehtonen
Nygård- Mathias Nygård
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Do you have any copies of the old EPs/demos for sale?
No. “Taiston Tie – The Battle Path” (1998) or “Promo 1999” have never even been released for sale. Less than ten copies of each have been shared out, so it’s practically impossible to get your hands on those. The 500 copies of “The Heart of Turisas” are sold out, but you might find a copy for sale through internet auctions or similar. The last five copies we have left might at some stage be put as prices in competitions on this site, but don’t count on it.
[from old official Turisas homepage]
The 98-demo was never released and so the only existing format is still a C-cassette pretty much only I have.
'99-promo: maybe 5-10 CD-R copies made and sent to a few Finnish (and Estonian) promoters. Never brought us any gigs actually
2001: The Heart of Turisas. 500 copies printed. Sold out since 2003. Most of them went to Finland, but maybe sometime you might find one on eBay. A few times I've seen some for sale at the Finnish metal portal imperiumi.net forums. "Sikaa Säkissä" is the Buy/Sell subforum, so maybe a post there might work if you're lucky.
They're all pretty crap, so believe me, you're not missing out on anything by not having them.
[Olli]
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Where can I find a full discography?
There:
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/turisas/461326-turisas-full-discography.html
What instruments are used in “Battle Metal”?
0:00 - Mostly trumpets, but I think there's some other horns underneath as well supporting it. These are "keyboard sounds" - more on this vs. samples below) - mostly from a really old EMU Proteus1 (1980's!!!). It's obviously a guitar lead that kicks in a bit later. [Mathias]
2:22 - A soprano recorder, not a flute. This is not keyboards, but a recorded instrument. [Mathias]
2:35 - it's a mix of a keyboard brass section (trumpets, horns, and trombones) together, but really sound like none of them There's also some strings and pads and all sorts of stuff... [Mathias]
What Instruments are used in “To Holmgard and Beyond”?
0:00 - It's a sampled brass section of trumpets, trombones, french horns and a string section of violins, violas, cellos. Probably also some wind instruments to add attack and timbre - can't remember fully. Mathias]
1:34 - String section as above, English Horn and flute Mathias]
During recordings, does Turisas use a keyboard to make all of the sounds besides Violin and Accordion, or do they have people who play the actual instruments in studio?
Most of it is sampled, so technically it's a bit different from what you'd understand by "keyboards". As a simple clarification you could say it's an actual instrument with each tone, articulation, note legth etc etc. recorded separately as a small soundclip which you then use to build up the line. It's a huge puzzle... and it gives me a headache thinking of it again So you basically use the real recorded instrument, but in very tiny clips. [Mathias]
What do the lyrics of “Sahti Waari “ mean in English?
original lyrics:
Nyt täyttyy mahlainen malja
Tuoppeihin virtaa sahti ja kalja
Uusi polvi kun päätänsä nostaa
Vanha tapa ei kuole koskaan
Murtumaan ei kristityn miekkakaan meitä saa
Käymme teistoa ainiaan
Nyt laulumme jumalille raikaa saa
Siis tuoppinne nostakaa!
Tummat pilvet, ilkeä taivas
On kaukana korpien kätköissä maa
Kyiset pellot, katajainen kansa
Luulivat voivansa sen alistaa
translated lyrics:
Now fills the tankard of sap
In the pints ale will flow
As the new generation raises it's head
The old habit never dies
We won't break even by the christian sword
We'll keep on fighting
Now let the songs sound to the Gods
So raise your pints!
Darkened clouds, sky of menace
Far in the woods there is a country
Fields of adders, people so persistent
Others thought they could bring them down
What do the lyrics of “Rex Regi Rebellis“ mean in English?
original lyrics:
Meill' äärillä Pohjolan on kotilies
Sen tuiskujen tuttu on Pohjolan mies
Käsivartemme karkaisi kalpojen työ
Sydän uskoa, uljuutta hehkuen lyö
Suur' ollut Neva uida raisun ratsumme ei
Kuin juhlaan se meit' yli Veikselin vei
Taa Reinin se tuomionmiekkamme tio
Se Tonavasta keisarin maljoja joi
Me riennämme, jää veritantereet taa
Tult' iskevi ratsujen raudoista maa
Ja säilämme leimuten lyö, salamoi
Käy Pohjolasta vapaiden korkea koi
Meill' äärillä Pohjolan on kotilies
Sen tuiskujen tuttu on Pohjolan mies
Käsivartemme karkaisi kalpojen työ
Sydän uskoa, uljuutta hehkuen lyö
Pääs nosta, yön vanki, vaikk' ylläs on ies!
Me saavumme, särjemme teljet sun ties
Vilu Puhja on urhoin, ei orjien maa
Sana Herran ne sankariretkelle saa
Sen Breitenfeldiss' ylväs Pappenheim koki kai
Ja Kronenberg halkeimen haarniskan sai
Tuli Tillyltä parran Lech-viralla söi
Veri kuninkaamme Lützenin työn sinetöi
Ja Pohjan jos äärilta rientomme tuo
Ja rypäle ja hurme sen hohotohon luo
Soi voittoa torvemme, Taiselohon!
Eespäin! Iske, lyö! Jumal' linnamme on
translated lyrics:
By the North we have our stoves
The man of blizzards is well known
Our hands are tempered by the night of the blades
Of faith and gallantry beats our glowing heart
The Neva wasn't wide for our steed
When to the feast over the Veiksel it us took
Behind the Rhein it brought our sword of doom
It drank the emperor's toast from the Danube
We rush, bloody fields are left behind
Steeds' hoofs spark fire from the ground
And our flaming sabre strikes, thunders
The sound of the free North sounds high
By the North we have our stoves
The man of blizzards is well known
Our hands are tempered by the night of the blades
Of faith and gallantry beats our glowing heart
Raise your head, oh prisoner of the night, though the yoke lies on you
We come, we break the bars on your way
The North is the land of braves, not slaves
The word of the Lord drives them to a heroic quest
It in Breitenfeld the noble Pappenheim underwent
And Kronenberg got a chink in his armor
Fire ate the Beard of Tilly at Lech
Blood sealed the work of our king Lützen
And from the edges of North our rush is brought
And the grape and the blood will make it glow
Our horns sound, To Battle!
Forward! Smite, strike! God's our fortress
What does “Hakkaa päälle Pohjan Poika!” from Rex Regi Rebellis“ mean in English?
It means “Strike on, Son of the North!”
Have you ever played "Midnight Sunrise live"?
Midnight Sunrise has been performed live only once: W:O:A 2005, Party Stage, some time between 02 and 03 in the morning.
Why? We could not have reproduced the female vocals on the track (which we actually had the same singer as on the album flown in from France for the Wacken show...)
[Mathias]
What´s it all about with this bonus-live-track of "Midnight Sunrise" on the Japan-version of "Battle Metal" ?
Back when we were recording BM in 2003, we all of a sudden were told to come up with a bunch of bonuses for different purposes, for which there had been no time nor budget whatsoever. So we took a very old crappy rehearsal room tape from year god-knows-when and dubbed it "live" because it sounds so crap. (Mind you, it's still a live recording straight on C-cassette, but not in front of an audience) As far as I recall, it's even really hard to tell it's Midnight Sunrise at all. And even if it is, it would have been some sort of an early pre-version, most likely even without lyrics. That is the level of shiteness of this awesome bonus track!
[Mathias]
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Who makes the furry clothes?
Emmi Vainio (in cooperation with the band)
Are the furs real or artificial ones?
Real ones which were sold after some water-damage of a fur-factory
Which paint do they use?
The red colour is artificial blood.
The black colour is either acryl-paint and/or professional theatre-paint.
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What violin equipment does Olli use?
Violin: Yamaha SV-200 Silent Violin, Yamaha EV-204 and Yamaha SV-120
Pedals/effects: BOSS GT-6 multifx
Strings: D'Addario Helicore
What drum equipment does Tude use?
He is using the Evans new prototype of EC2 on toms.
Earlier he used the normal EC2. (EC resonant on the bottom side.)
EQ2 Clear on the kickdrum and G2 Coated on the snaredrum. (Hazy 300 on resonant side.)
Sometimes he changes the Snare skin to the G1 but usually plays with G2.
His favorite sticks are Vic firth´s American classic 5B.
He´s been using those for many years. Earlier he used 2B but it was too thick and heavy for him and he broke too many cymbals - so he changed to a lighter model.
He´s used different cymbal brands but I prefer the "big names" like Zildjian, Paiste and Sabian.
Sizes are:
Hi-hat 14"
Ride 20"
splash 8"
China 20"
Crashes 14",16",18" Sometimes he likes to use 17" crash too..
How are bass and guitar tuned?
guitar : D G C F A D
bass : D G C F
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Are there any official tabs of Turisas´ songs?
No, there aren´t, and nothing is planned yet to make those coming up.
BUT: there is a thread where you might find something:
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/turisas/526191-turisas-sheet-music.html
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When are you coming to….?
When time is ready for it – just keep an eye on the tour-section
What songs do you usually play on a show?
Check the gig-threads, there are quite a few setlists wandering around…
How does Turisas replicate all of these instruments/sounds live? Do they make do with Violin and Accordion, or do they have click tracks with the extra instruments added in?
It's a combination of everything. Re-arranged lines, more weight on accordion and violin live, smaller choirs as we're only a few singing on stage, some compromises here and there, and backing tracks - especially after we lost the keyboard player.[Mathias]
Turisas did once a studio-diary, where can I find it?
There:
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/turisas/265404-turisas-studio-diary.html
