- Interviews -

Celesty are: Kimmo Perämäki - Vocals J.-P Alanen - Guitar Tapani Kangas- Guitar Ari Katajamäki - Bass Jere Luokkamäki - Drums Juha Mäenpää - Keyboards

We interviewed Jere Luokkamäki from Celesty, one of today's new finnish bands who recently released their debut album entitled "Reign of Elements" through Arise Records. It's a young band who will show their value in the future to come. Here's what Jere (their drummer) answered to our questions.

-When and Where did Celesty begin?
We started in year 1998 in a little town called Seinäjoki which locates in the west part of Finland. Our line-up was totally different in those days. Only Ari Katajamäki (bass) and I (Jere Luokkamäki (Drums) are the original members. In year 1999 Tapani Kangas (Guitar) joined our band and we made one demo to our own use only. After that demo, we had to fire few members and find new to replace them. In year 2000 J-P Alanen (Lead Guitar) and Kimmo Perämäki (Vocals) joined in Celesty and our band started to sound good. In year 2001 we made our first real demo "Warrior od ice" and after the recordings Juha Mäenpää (Keyboards) joined in Celesty. Few labels interested our music too but we wanted to record new demo because we knew that we can do better music than "Warrior of ice" was. In the spring 2002 we made second demo "Times before the ice" and we
all were very satisfied to it. Soon after the demo Arise Records contacted us and offered good deal. We signed with Arise Records and headed to studio in July 2002 to record our first Album "Reign of elements"

-Which are your main influences?
We all have our own influences and you can find those from our website www.celesty.net. I like powermetal bands like (Rhapsody, Helloween, Kamelot, Stratovarius,Sonata Arctica etc.) I like to listen very different metalmusic too like (Cradle of filth, The Kovenant, Rammstein, Paradise Lost, Faith no more, Finntroll etc) I also like to listen classical, pop and rock music.

-The previous name of the band was "Celestial". Why did you change it to Celesty?
When we change our line-up we decided to change the name also and Celesty sounded good. Celesty means something like marble blue sky. After we change the name we heard that Celestial name was used so it was good that we change the name.

-In your debut album "Reign of Elements" Jani Liimatainen from Sonata Arctica made a guest solo in the track "Revenge".How did you contact him?
We have played together with Sonata Arctica few gigs so we know the guys. Arise Record asked if someone could come to play our album as guestmusician and we asked if Jani would come and he said yes. Mikko Härkin also promised to compose the intro in our album but we had to compose it ourselves becouse Mikko left from Sonata Arctica.

-You are very young (I realize it from the promo photos of the band).Since when do you play your instruments? and How old are you now?
I and Ari are 23 years old, Tapani is 22 years old, Juha is 21 years old, Kimmo is 20 years old and J-P is youngest member in our band. He is only 18 years old. We all have played our instrumenst for many years and in many different bands

-Which is the biggest or greatest concert you´re ever played?
I think biggest and greates gig was in Nummirock 2002. It was very important gig to all of us and it went great! We all like to play live and many had said that we are very energy and full of power in the stage.

-Nowadays a lot of power metal bands are coming out.What does Celesty has that makes it diferent from the others?
I think our Powermetal is fast, powerful and melodic at the same time. When you listen our music and compare it to some other powermetal band, you cannot say only one band. I think we sound Rhapsody, Manowar, Sonata Arctica, Helloween and Gammaray at the same time

-Are you planning any tour to promote your debut album?
Of course we have planned tour but it is so hard when you are new band in this scene. I hope that we could get European, South American or Japanese tour as support with some famous band.

-What represents for the band to take part of the 2nd Volume of the tribute to Helloween?
To us it´s very important thing to be on that tribute. When I was a child, I dreamed that I could play Helloween in stage and now we managed to be on their tribute. I think it´s great.

-Why did you choose "The Chance " ?
We all like that song very much. I think that "Pink Bubbles Go Ape" album is Helloween's last good album with Michael Kiske. After that came Chameleon witch is totally different that any other Helloween album. I like very much "new" Helloween too "Master of the rings", "The Time Of The Oath", "Better than Raw", and "The Dark Ride" are great albums also. But I think that Kimmo's voice fits better in old Helloween.

-Thanks for the interview. Any final words to our readers?
Thank you very much. Hello to all readers and I hope that we could come in Peru soon. I have heard that powermetal fans are great there. Check Celesty?s Debut album ?Reign of elements- and STAY METAL

www.celesty.net
Interviewed by : Bossk