Metal Mayhem: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and the rest of the band, and how Omnium Gatherum formed?
Janne Markkanen: I’m Janne Markkanen, I play the bass guitar. I’ve been in OG since 1998. Band was formed by Markus and Ex-vocalist Olli in 1996. Markus is the only original member who’s left. This line-up (without keyboard player) has been together since 2001.
Markus Vanhala: Markus Vanhala, guitar and dictatorism. We just wanted to play some growling metal in the vein of Swedish death metal scene and old Amorphis and so on with our friend circle and we before we got good rehearsal place we rehearsed years in our parents boiler room sniffing oil many hours a day, guess that´s why I cannot smell almost anything anymore and I´m little weird.. heh!

MM: Where did the name Omnium Gatherum originate, and is there any meaning behind it?
JM: It means something like "Motley Crew", and it was the first OG keyboard player who came up with that. I guess the band thought it sounded good and kept it. There’s no any secret meaning behind it.
MV: We recorded our first demo tape in 1997 and of course we had to put some name into the cover of the tape, so that was it. Even though I hated the name back then but I have got to used to it..hehe! It describes also well our whole thing, you can translate the name for example freak circus or miscellaneous collection or fruit salad. Hell yeah! The name was found from the medical Latin dictionary when we were translating some Carcass bands' lyrics at the time.

MM: It’s been a few months now since the release of your latest album "Years In Waste" what has the feedback been like so far? JM: Mostly positive, but there has been some negative comments too. I guess some people waited for "Spirits and August Light" Part II. There’s as many opinions as there is people so it’s natural that everybody don’t like it. MV: The album is much more complex than our first album so you had to listen it many times before it really opens. Most of the journalists have also said that who have gave great ratings to it. Maybe if you listen it one time and write a review then it might be that bad one… The first album got words of praise everywhere but I still think that "Years in Waste" is much better! Still it´s great to hear such comments widely that OG is one of the best and individual new Scandinavian death metal bands.

MM: Other than "Years in Waste", I haven’t heard any thing by O.G. before, can you give us a bit of history regarding your discography?
JM: First OG demo was shitty cassette called "Forbidden Decay" in 1997. Next one was self-titled demo-CD in 1998. It was almost as shitty. The third one, "Gardens, Temples..." was much better, and it got much positive feedback. After this demo, OG line-up took some changes, and it was this current line-up which made the "Wastrel" demo in 2001. With that we got the record deal from Rage of Achilles. Our first MCD “Steal the Light” was basically re-recorded "Wastrel" –demo. Our first full-length, "Spirits and August Light" came out in 2003, also by RoA. It got much positive feedback from the press and media. In 2004 we signed deal with Nuclear Blast, and "Years in Waste" was released in autumn 2004.
MV: ..as also those earlier recordings "Spirits and August Light/Steal the Light" were re-released same time by Nuclear Blast. About the styles of the album; "Steal The Light" ep delivered more of that basic melodeath in the vein of CoB/In Flames, "Spirits and August Light" was more rougher stuff a la Swedish metal feeling with Finnish rage and this new "Years In Waste" delivers the most individual style of OG so far. It´s the most "progressive" album we have done, however it´s not so technical proge stuff after all… There´s much different elements and aspects mixed in this new one.

MM: How would you describe the sound of OG, and how would you categorize yourselves?
JM: I really can’t categorize us, some say we have technical and progressive approach to metal, but I don’t know, Everyone interested should check us out, and draw their own conclusions.
MV: Some say it´s melodic death metal but that term is really shitty and stereotypical nowadays and it really won´t give a right picture of OG. It´s like meeting of At The Gates, Death, Judas Priest, Opeth and Finnish stubborness or something…

MM: What are the main influences of the band?
JM: We listen to stuff from pop to grindcore, so I guess it’s hard to name any main influences. Well, I guess we all like Carcass.
MV: And Jeff Walker, vocalist of Carcass, drew a Carcass logo and his autograph to my guitar!! ..it´s now the influence of the band, hehe! I guess the band was really formed because of the bands Death, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity and Carcass. There´s so many great bands and influences on the world that the list would be sooo long, at the time I write this interview I have listened such bands like Killswitch Engage, Andrew WK, Massive Attack, Strapping Yound Lad, Europe, Thin Lizzy, Clutch and Emperor, so my taste varies quite.

MM: Will you be touring in support of the album this year?
JM: We have done quite lot of Finnish gigs, but there’s no tour planned into Europe or anything. Guess we haven’t sold enough albums.
MV: We did a tour with Dismember in Finland and lots of own gigs, there haven´t really been any serious talk to do European Tour as everything depends from somebody else than us. We would definitely go to world tour tomorrow if it would depend on us! Some day, somewhere hopefully.

MM: Are there any notable festivals that you’ll be appearing at this year?
JM: Party-San Festival in Germany is the only one abroad. We also play in Tuska and Jalo-Metalli festivals in Finland.
MV: Not to forget mighty Dark River Festival in Finland. Those are confirmed so far.

MM: What do you think is the bands greatest and worst moment so far?
JM: It’s really hard to say. I guess we see this whole thing like "We just want to play, everything else is just bonus".
MV: I could say that one of the best moments have been to play in "Green Christmas Festival" in Estonia year ago, that was awesome trip and the crowd was insane! ..and the trip was insane! That´s also one top moment when after our gig in Finland this above mentioned Jeff Walker from Carcass praised us after our gig - He´s one of my goddamn heroes from the youth! At the beginning of our career there´s so many worst moments that there´s not enough space to tell here

MM: What are your main aims now for the rest of 2005?
JM: We are starting to write new material, and maybe we’ll do some gigs after the summer. Personally, I’m trying to find a job.
MV: To have a great summer, play my guitar, drink beer, grill some HK-blue sausage on campfire and "meet" millions of new wonderful girls as my own girlfriend left two weeks ago, hehe! =)

MM: Are there any funny/crazy things that have happened to Omnium Gatherum that you’d like to share with us?
JM: I’m not sure what is funny or crazy anymore. I think we find some things totally normal which others might find disgusting. Well, i.e. Antti has formed a habit to show his genitals to Jarmo during our set. The audience hasn’t noticed anything yet I hope.
MV: Finnish metal musicians drink usually large overdoses of alcohol so that causes lots of strange kind of situations and odd activities…

MM: Thanks for your time and good luck with the rest of the year, any last words?
JM: Buy our albums so we can get bloody rich!
MV: Press the pedal to the metal, on your mark, set, go! I don't need a reason to get crazy, I'm gettin' crazy and that's enough.

And take a look http://www.omniumgatherum.org