“KASPERI MERILAINEN”
OK my HeadBangers before we start with the questions I just have to say PERKELE look at those Tatts!!! Kasperi looks like a man that is really into his music and you can tell it just by listening. I want to say it was great working with him. He always sent me any info I needed and pics, not to mention letting me hear the music before it came out. Ok let’s get to the talk, I’m the Green and he’s the Black.
Kasperi, I’m dying to ask this question. Who came up with the intro to the EP, “Dead Man’s Pass?” I love it.
That’s 100% Vesku’s (guitar) composition. I loved it immediately especially since one of my all time favorite albums has very similar “Ennio Morricone (R.I.P.)” style intro.
How long did the band work on this EP before it was ready?
I think that spring 2020 is close to the truth. Since our gigs got cancelled because of COVID-19 pandemic, we started to work really hard with the EP. Even tho some of the riffs and ideas might go a bit beyond that, we composed the songs together at our rehearsal place. EP was ready in June and now it feels really good to finally release that beast!
Are your songs a calibration, or does one person write more than the rest?
Well most definitely Vesku (guitar), Otto (guitar) and Dimi (bass) writes most of the riffs and that stuff, but then again I write the lyrics and work with the vocals. And like I said earlier, we compose it all together in the end. Nowadays our new drummer Jari is writing riffs as well!
What drew you to Thrash Metal?
Well this I can answer only one way! It’s f*cking good music. I think that the whole band agrees with this one!
I agree with you on that 100%. I know because of COVID a lot of gigs and festivals have been canceled. Do you have anything coming up that you can mention?
Our EP release gig 13.08. at On the Rocks, Helsinki! Feels good to finally get back on stage, even thou the gig has some restrictions due the pandemic. But still! First gig of 2020, first gig with new drummer and it’s an EP release gig. Can’t get better that that!
I always ask the vocalist if they have anything special they do to keep their throat intact, do you have any secrets?
Nothing too special, bit of a vocal therapy, practice and of course rest. There are lots of good advice’s on the internet. The most important thing is to have the right technique. With the wrong technique you will destroy your voice for good especially with growls and screams.
Are all the band members from Helsinki?
We are all living in Helsinki (and have lived the most of our lives), but some of us have origins in different cities.
Are you already working on anything new?
We work all the time with some new riffs and ideas, but we’re not releasing anything new for a while since the EP just came out.
What do you all do to unwind after a gig or festival?
Have a little quiet time at the backstage and chilling for a while! Nothing too special. After that we might have couple of drinks or something like that, haha!
How far would you like to see WuF go? International touring??
Well of course as far as it can get! International touring, releasing bunch of kickass records etc. etc. This list would go on and on forever but I guess you catch the point.
What is the number one band that has influenced WuF the most?
This is always the impossible question to answer… We all have our own favorites, but I could mention 3 bands that definitely has influenced us all! Pantera, Lamb of God & Children of Bodom… And Slipknot!!! Ok that was fourth, but that had to be said, haha!
I always ask a band if they have any words for their fans, it means a lot to all us.
Yes!!! I’m really grateful for all the support you’ve shown. That means the world to me & us. Without fans we would have not even got to the point where we are now, so thank you and we love you!
And all my HeadBangers, myself included love you and the band. Your music has a strength and power to it that draws us in like the Raven to a shiny object.
Last question lol, do you have any advise to give bands that are just starting out and trying to make it?
This is the secret information that costs. Haha, just kidding. All I can say is that find the right group around you, practice and don’t give up. It’s not easy, but speaking out loud in a bar table about “how you’re gonna make it”, wont make it. It takes 110% of effort and you gotta give all you got! Once I was a child with a dream that someday I wanna play a sold out gig at Tuska festival & release some badass metal music. I think that ended up well even thou I still think that Wake up Frankie’s story is just getting started!
I will agree with you on that one. We all look forward to hearing more great music from you and the band, and wish you nothing but the best. It has been a pleasure working with you and look forward to seeing you at a gig, maybe even Tuska again.
“The Outlaw”
To hear the new EP go to Spotify. For some reason I cannot copy the link for you guys. But I’m sure you all know how to get there. Once again thanks to K for his time and help. I have listened to a lot of Thrash Bands during my 3 years of doing this blog, and I will say WuF is in the top 3 of my favs.
Here’s some back ground on Thrash:
Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme sub genre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo. The songs usually use fast percussive beats and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead guitar work. The lyrical subject matter often deals with criticisms of The Establishment and concern over the destruction of the environment, and at times shares a disdain for Christian dogma resembling that of their black metal counterparts. The language is typically quite direct and denunciatory , an approach borrowed from hardcore punk.
The genre emerged in the early 1980s as musicians began fusing the double bass drumming and complex guitar stylings of the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) with the speed and aggression of hardcore punk. Philosophically, thrash metal developed as a backlash against both the conservatism of the Reagan era and the much more moderate, pop-influenced and widely accessible heavy metal sub genre of glam metal which also developed concurrently in the 1980s.
Well my HeadBangers all I can say about “Wake Up Frankie” is they are on fire
Like!! Thank you for publishing this awesome article.