Armageddon Clock is from Kangasala. Now they are living around Finland. They play politically charged, fast, aggressive hardcore punk. I decided to interview the band's singer, Mikko, and ask what's up with Armageddon Clock and some other stuff. Thanks to Mikko for making time for the interview!
Tuomas: When was Armageddon Clock founded?
Mikko: 1996 or 97. Sometime after the mid-90's.
Tuomas: Who else plays in the band?
Mikko: I'm the singer, Matti plays guitar, Tuomas plays bass and Rauli plays drums. Last spring our old bass player left the band and went to Haapam�ki and started a farm where he uses natural methods.
Tuomas: Was or is anyone in any other band besides Armageddon Clock?
Mikko: No, expect Tuomas who used to play bass in 126 Days and United Blood. And today I will go practice with a band called Delta Force.
Tuomas: Is Delta Force the band that Ville Angervuori [you may know him from bands like Rebound and Braineaters and from a zine called Palokka] plays in too?
Mikko: Yes, and Tume (from On A Solid Rock, Rebound, and Palokka-zine) plays drums and Marko N��s�nen plays bass. It's such a project. Let's see what will come of it.
Tuomas: How did you get enthusiastic about this kind of music?
Mikko: Before I got into punk, I used to listen to a lot of heavy music. I don't remember it well, but I listened to old Bad Religion and that was where it started.
Tuomas: Who are your biggest influences?
Mikko: Everyone has a wide taste in music and our influences come from many other kinds of music other than punk. I can't say any specific bands. Everyone has own favorites.
Tuomas: How would you describe Armageddon Clock?
Mikko: Politically charged, fast and hopefully aggressive hardcore punk.
Tuomas: Who writes the lyrics?
Mikko: The last times: me. Earlier: me, Matti and Janne (ex-bass player) wrote and Matti is still writing. Everyone can write but I write majority of the lyrics.
Tuomas: How do you go about writing songs?
Mikko: I write lyrics about things that come to my mind and the rest of the boys do the music. Tuomas does some riffs and then we refine the song and when it's almost done I try to sing on it.
Tuomas: In Extinct Leaders (my band) it goes like; me or our bass player, Juhani, writes the lyrics and when our guitarist, Tatu, makes up a riff we just include the lyrics and the riff together.
Mikko: Simple ways of writing songs is fine. It's not worth doing it very complicated. The way it feels natural is good.
Tuomas: I think it's good if melody backs up the lyrics.
Mikko: It's always possible refine it and the sound of the vocals always changes the final version when you try it out.
Tuomas: Who is the guy who sings on Days of the Destruction (song on 7"-EP 2001/2002)?
Mikko: He is our guitar player, Matti. He is a really good singer and on our forthcoming split record there will be some more of Matti's vocals. We have different voices and it works great.
Tuomas: How was your gig in Korpilahti's Teuvorock?
Mikko: It wasn't the kind of audience who would really dig us. Our friends were there so it was cool to play. Those were a bit different kind of gigs.
Tuomas: Do your friends and parents like Armageddon Clock?
Mikko: Not especially. My parents are interested to hear our tapes when I play them. That's all I can say. I hope my friends like it. Almost all of my friends listen punk.
Tuomas: What are your opinions about political / anti-political stuff in punk and hardcore?
Mikko: Personally, I'm quite a political person. I think an anti-political aspect is a bad thing if it's being against every political aspect. Of course, music can be good without political lyrics. It's everyone�s personal choice.
Tuomas: How would you describe the scene in Finland?
Mikko: I think the scene in Finland is good because Finland is a small country so there's no different scenes, or maybe metal-hardcore scene. Full House Records and those others are maybe a little bit different, but actually it's not because everyone knows each other because Finland is a small country, but it can be a bad thing too.
Tuomas: I think it's a bad thing when you're doing a review of your friend's band�s record but the record is no good and you won't dare to write a bad review.
Mikko: You must be honest and should give constructive criticism. In 80% of the Finnish punk bands that play, someone is my friend and it's fucking great because when I go to a gig I�m supporting my friends and what they're doing. But there are negative things too.
Tuomas: Do you have any problems with rednecks etc.?
Mikko: I can't remember anything. Sometimes some drunken rednecks shout something but there are no big problems. Except when we had gig in Irmeli (a squatted house in a town called Tampere) some addicts came and we had to run them out.
Tuomas: Never had any problems with Nazis or something like that?
Mikko: No. I haven't seen any Nazis in our gigs.
Tuomas: What is your Favorite place to play?
Mikko: All places have good sides, but Berliini (a squatted house in Tampere) is a basement where some gigs are and the roof is so low that my head touches it when I stand. But Berliini still has it's own atmosphere because it's small and intimate. All places have their good and bad sides. Squats are funny places to play.
Tuomas: What else are you doing other than playing in Armageddon Clock?
Mikko: Everyone is studying except Rauli.
Tuomas: You said that you're quite political. Do you take part in any demonstrations etc.?
Mikko: Yeah, civil activities and stuff.
Tuomas: It's common to say that cops are violent. Have you had any problems with cops?
Mikko: I was in G�teborg where the big riot started and it was the cops' provocation. All the things I've seen has been the cops' provocation.
Tuomas: Usually anarcho kind of bands have songs like "cops are nazis" and stuff, but I think many of them don't even have any experiences about that kind of thing.
Mikko: No they don't. That's true. In any case the thing that pisses me off about some of punk bands is that they talk a lot about this kind of stuff, but actually they don't do anything. They just sit at home listening records and watching TV. Well, sitting home and listening records is quite cool, but if someone is singing about something, I think they should carry it out in their everyday life.
Tuomas: Any plans to release a full length?
Mikko: Probably a split 7" early in the next year and a longer record probably in the fallof next year.
Tuomas: Who is the other band on the split?
Mikko: Silent Majority which is an old reunited band and there's Jussi J�nis from The Stakeout and Janne Ruotsalainen who played before in 126 Days.
Tuomas: If you could choose 2 bands from the present or from the past who would play with Armageddon Clock, what bands they would be?
Mikko: If I could choose� That one is quite difficult� [short silence] Blackers ITA and Circle Jerks. Blackers ITA plays varying stuff, a lot of ska and reggae kind of stuff.
[We talked for a while about records; which ones should be bought and Finnish Distros. We mentioned Rebel Sound, P.Tuotanto, Combat Rock Industry and Circle Jerks albums Group Sex and Wild in the Street]
Tuomas: How does unity come true in the Finland scene?
Mikko: Hard to say. vI think it comes true quite well. Of course there's talking behind people�s backs and backstabbing but people can get along with each other.
Tuomas: I think what�s happening in Jyv�skyl� is damn good.
Mikko: That's the way generally.
Tuomas: Are there things like anarcho-punks versus metal-hardcore guys?
Mikko: Those scenes are quite separated. We have never played hardcore gigs in Helsinki, Lahti or anywhere else. There's probably differences in their ways of thinking. I�m definitely not saying they are some kind of poor guys or something. But maybe�
Tuomas: There are no common things?
Mikko: Yeah. And there are gigs where both types of bands are playing and those kind of things are really good.
Tuomas: Finland has a really good band situation, lots of good and different kind of bands.
Mikko: Yes, here there are many good bands. I would like to go to every gig because there are always good bands playing. That's a really positive thing. And from Finland has always come good bands.
Tuomas: I think bands like Hero Dishonest etc. can be compared to foreign bands and they still are favorite bands.
Mikko: Absolutely. Hero Dishonest is so damn good.
Tuomas: And Endstand and everything.
Mikko: All of them. All of the Combat Rock Industries bands are really good. Of all kinds.
Tuomas: Something else you wanna tell?
Mikko: No special comments.
For more information about Armageddon Clock, go to http://www.armageddonclock.cjb.net
Matti - Guitar
Rauli - Drums
Tuomas - Bass