Hails Sunken, welcome on the pages of Svbterranean Tenebris. As I know, your musical career was started back in 1999 with Catherine La Voisin. It's still exist? Did you played anywhere else before?
I left Catherine La Voisin 2004 and the band continued as a solo project of the main member. I have no further information of the present state of that band. Before that I didn’t have any serious band projects.
359 was born in 2006 but you play in other bands too parallel. Can you tell me a bit more about your other bands, like Goatsignal or Inverted Virtue. Are there any other projects?
Inverted virtue was a band formed by myself and JM around the year 2004 as I couldn’t play anymore in Catherine La Voisin. It has been a long time, though, since I’ve been a part of Inverted virtue. Goatsignal was a short experiment and it was not meant for it to have a long lifetime. It filled its own purpose, though, as for me it was a certain type of resettling element to proceed from making black metal to making noise. For the other member of the band (Null), however, it was something else. Contortus is another of my main bands, which moves on its own accord with me at the helm, even though it sometimes presents an odd session member.
359 is a one -man band or do you have mates in this war? 359 is a project or a full time band? What we need to know about the name itself? It is an occult/satanic number like 666 or 93?
During the time of the demo, 359 was a one man band. On the EP I did vocals and played the drums. At this stage, however, also guitarist PmH and bass player Aichon were involved. On the coming album we have a new drummer, Risen, in addition to the aforementioned personnel. 359 is a full time band and the themes for albums are already known for years to come. The number 359 is a gematric value for the name Satan.
Your first release was a demo called “Denied Virginity Of Mary” in 2008 at Wolfsvuur Records, that has been released again in 2012 as a CD-R version at Slava Satan Records. What we needs to know about this demo? How much copies has been sold out through the underground? What was the feedback?
160 copies of the cassette were pressed and it is now sold out. The cd-r was an amount of 30 copies, so it is definitely sold out. I haven’t gotten any feedback from the demo, so I don’t know what people think of it. I had been playing the riffs for the songs of the demo for a long time and I wanted to record them. The lyrics were formed from the contemplation of virginity of Mary. The idea that god would (in theological thought laboratories) impregnate a woman without asking permission contradicts, obviously, with the idea that the same god would have given Man the freedom of choice. If not considered directly as rape, this could be viewed as a sort of violation of privacy of one’s own body. The god of the old testament is a despot – which obviously is known by all, but this kind of thoughts were going around in my head at that time. A part of the lyrics of the song that carries the title of the recording can be seen as a certain type of satanic mantra. It’s a pity I decided not to release the lyrics on the booklet of the cassette, since I couldn’t remember them anymore and my notebook has been misplaced in the upheavals of life. Wolfsvuus records wanted to release the material as a cassette after hearing it from the internet.
Your second release “The Path Of Ayin” just released 8 years later by Schattenkult Produktionen. What was the cause that you waited eight years for a newer release, that contains only 3 songs again? Did you haven't new ideas or there was any other problem?
I was doing Contortus and 2013 was the right time to continue with 359. At that time also PmH and Aichon joined the band.
There is no doubt that 359 is a satanic band. What means Satanism for you?
For me, Satanism represents freedom.
Satanism is very important in some Finnish bands, just to mention Impaled Nazarene, Beherit, Behexen...etc. Finland is occupied by judeo-christianity? How do you think about Christianity today, when Islam become a bigger trend?
Fanaticism or being religious for the habit of it are not the right ways to find oneself. It does not require a flock around you. Nor the external rituals religions offer. I’m not fond of religions as organized societies, when, at the same time, the texts those religions are based on offer the means for the possibility of mental activity of the left hand path.
From where do you get your inspirations for lyrics?
As I read books, some text influence my thoughts and naturally develop them further. Theology, wretchedness of the world, injustice. As I move in nature, the thoughts become whole.
359 is raw as hell. A bit reminds me to Transilvanian era Darkthrone. Are you agree? By what feelings are you possessed when you start to write a song? What kinds of music do you listen to?
I am not much of a writer. In my case lyrics are not created under vast inspiration and vast emotions don’t hold a part in the process. I deal with writing as an annoying task that just has to be done. I have developed different kinds of methods for this task, so I would get some kind of hold of what I am actually doing. The singing itself the more creative part, which I enjoy truly.
Nowadays I listen to much of noise and power electronics. Interesting black metal bands seem to arise now and again, but I don’t really follow that stream anymore.
Do you plan to find members in the near future and play a few killer live shows?
Our intention is not to play live at this point, even though all the members would be fit for it.
How do you see the scene in Finland nowadays? Which bands would you like to recommend to the readers?
The Finnish black metal scene seems to be vital and going strong. I like it that Finland nurtures also more provocative black metal bands and not just the same old yapping about Satan we have already heard hundred times over. Clandestine blaze, Behexen, Grunt, Bizarre uproar etc. could be ones recommended.
Do you know anything about Hungary? Have you ever listened our bands?
Tormentor and Plasma pool are some bands from Hungary we know.
Death is the unknown way that bear fear in human. How do you think about death? What do you think what will be wait for you when death comes?
Fish eats worm, man eats fish, worm eats man. There are lots of theories. Energy is transferred to a different kind of energy. I am unable to say, however, does consciousness survive this process. I find reincarnation a repugnant idea. Metempsychosis is not that revolting, but it would be best if karma would not reach to the other side of death, but that all would end as the functions of the body cease.
There was a news in December last year, that did you entered the studio to record a full length. Can you tell me a bit more about this new material? When will be out? How much songs will contains? Will be there any changes in the music? New album will be released by Schattenkult again?
The new album will feature 7 songs. The recording of the album is still a work in progress, so it is hard to say what would be the precise release date. Original idea was, however, to get the album out in the course of this year. The new songs have more variations if compared to the old releases, but the material is still recognizable.
As I know do you use corpse paint. What means it for you?
In photoshoots that is a visual aid. It does not, at that point, hold any relevance in relation to spirituality. It is, in a sense, related to a kind of a play, which is aesthetic in a crude kind of way, the core of which is non-humane.
Which releases are still available? How can the fans get them? Do you have any other merch stuff too? (I mean shirts, pins..etc.)
The EP can still be bought from distros. We have been planning on printing some t-shirts, but right now that is not our priority number one.
What is your future plans?
To finish the new 359 album. There are still some lyrics to be done and some guitar recordings. New album for Contortus is almost ready also.
OK Sunken, thank you for your answers. If I forget something, just feel free to mention here.
News about the coming album can be found at the band's official site at: www.facebook.com/359band
Band contact & interviews: 359band@gmail.com
The interview supposed to published on Svbterranean Tenebris fanzine, but remained unrelased 'till TOTMB #6
