Good day guys! So finally, we managed to find some time and talk about good noise! So how are you doing, how is the mood?

Jussi: Pretty good: I was bedridden for over a week because of the flu, but I’m feeling a lot better now. One day, an insignificant cough will take out half of the population since our meds just won’t work on them.

Niko: Much of the same. My voice still hasn’t fully come back after suffering influenza I got from the Baltics mini tour with my other band Scumripper and Sadistic Drive a month ago.

Sonic Poison are active for more than 10 years! But still, I know people who never heard about you (which is strange). Could you tell us a bit about the band’s history, main points, and best moments, we need to fill this info gap.

Jussi: The band was formed around 2012-2013 when I began learning to play and experimenting with composing fast death metal songs. At first, I collaborated with a few friends to explore my ideas, but it didn’t quite click. In 2014, I connected with Eetu through Niko, and we started jamming together. Initially, it was just the two of us, but as we geared up for recording our first demo, we brought Niko in to handle bass duties. We have witnessed a lot of great moment with the band. Some sick shows here in Finland, especially at the Hässäkkäpäivät festival. Playing our first show abroad in Gothenburg Sweden opening for Agathocles. Doing a small weekend tour in Sweden and Denmark with Galvanizer.

Niko: I think the band was really formed in 2016, but yeah, it’s still good 8 years of history for us already. We played a good hunk of shows in the Harsh Demonstration/Combat Grind era and they were surprisingly mental from the start, taking into account we were such a new act. Both metal and punk people were drawn to us the same. People loved grindcore and there were a good number of bands, but from the start we seemed to stand out. It’s not like we were doing something super original, but I think it was just the combination and emphasis of influences that made us sound different and fill an empty space in the scene.
The reception of the full-length has been overwhelming. Best reward for the years of hard work – especially for Jussi, for making his well thought-out vision come to life, but also for Eetu and me, staying on the rails on the crazy train, haha!

The main news is that you finally finished working on a new EP. Let’s talk about it. What is the main difference between this and the debut EP? And what should we expect from it in general?

Jussi: Music-wise it’s bit more experimental compared to our previous releases. Using a different tuning, playing with effects, exploring slower tempos, and even including a cover song. Even though it might sound different to the listener we still sound as obnoxious and loud as before.

Niko: Except for the noisy experimental bits and vocals, the EP songs were cut in the same sessions as Eruption. Album is always a complete beast from head to toe and you must see if some songs – as great they are – don’t work with the album as a whole. For me it has been a tough break sometimes. I think we left some of the best stuff from Combat Grind sessions for the Axeslaughter split and with Eruption sessions we left some of the best stuff for the new EP. At the time you’re thinking “shouldn’t we just put all the best tracks together and make the best album possible”, but it always doesn’t work that way.

Fast and moderately raw sound on your “Axesolution” single, is it what you wanted and looked for? Or do you plan to experiment further?

Jussi: Yeah, it’s something we aimed for, and we’re quite happy with how the song turned out. I’m not sure if we will explore more with lower tunings since I’m using a Floyd Rose on my guitar, which is quite impossible to detune during live shows, and I don’t plan to have two guitars at every show.

Niko: Tuning lower would not serve us in the long run. It’d probably make us more generic. But there are other ways of experimenting…

For this point, that material will be released only on cassettes. What labels are involved, and is there any chance to see 7″ re-issue?

Jussi: it will be released on cassette with Iron Corpse doing the European release and Headsplit Records doing the US release. Not sure if a 7 inch is done since lines for vinyl factories are so long. But will see if someone is interested in releasing it on vinyl.

Niko: Wouldn’t mind a 7 inch, but I’ve understood that it’s the least cost-effective format at the moment. Like you can as well make a 12” MLP or even leave the other side of it uncarved. People will gladly play say 10-15 euros for a MLP, but for a 7 inch it’s a bit steep.

For me, your full album was a blast. I think after a year after releasing it, we can finally get a full and honest view of the people’s reaction. How’s the feedback been so far? Are you proud of this record?

Jussi: The feedback has been pretty good so far. Many people have been liking it because they say it sounds so much different compared to the grind that has been made during the past decade or two. Even the guy from Volbeat praised it as the album of the year, which was odd, but much appreciated. It turned out to be pretty good; there were some things I might do differently, but all in all, I’m fine with it.

Niko: I wouldn’t have re-recorded any old songs for it, but for many listeners it has been first time hearing us, so I guess it’s ok. It’s not that the old songs aren’t good – we still play many of them live – but we have clearly evolved into more technical and intricate direction since the first EP, so for me it didn’t make sense to look back. Of course, the re-recordings have increased tempo and such that make them somewhat more convincing, but it doesn’t make them the same.
But as I said earlier, the reception really couldn’t have been much better.

We’re surrounded by advertisements, media, news, and tons of information noise. How much it affects you? Do you feel like you live in a “global village” when you watch news about something that took place on the other side of the globe?

Jussi: The world sure has become much louder with the technological progression of cell phones and computers. While they have their advantages in communication and sharing information, we should reevaluate how we use them in everyday life. Regarding the concept of living in a global village, it’s true that the world we live in isn’t as vast as it used to be. However, I still feel that somehow, we are able to distance ourselves from events happening around the world, thinking they don’t have an effect on our lives.

Niko: I think my attention span has decreased a bit. Checking my phone more eagerly when watching movies, reading books etc. But it is something you can work on if you acknowledge it. I have no problem concentrating on something for long periods of time if it’s actually interesting and there’s motivation. But if you’re not really engaged with it, you get bored much faster than before. Moments of boredom are essential for our well-being and creativity so you must not try to fill every moment of it with music, podcast, tv-series, or whatever noise.

What Sonic Poison is planning right now? Maybe some world tour? Any plans for 2024? Maybe shows outside the country? I think it will be a good way to promote your new noise 😉

Jussi: Currently we have some shows booked here in Finland. Would be great to play outside of Finland once again. If there are people looking to book us, then you know where to find us.

One of the more important questions that people might be wondering about is – How much can a regular Finnish grinder drink during a gig?)

Jussi: Haha! That’s a good question. Probably a lot more than I ever could, and I really don’t drink that much.

Niko: A lot, considering there really isn’t much time…

Do you like to collect vinyl, cassettes, CDs? How big is your shelf full of music releases of all kinds?

Jussi: Yeah, I still collect records, although not as frequently as before. I think I have over 100 LPs, 100 tapes, and 200 CDs.
Niko: I love buying records, but I don’t see it as collecting since I have no determined goal or yearning to buy a physical copy of every album I like. For me it is more about excitement. I’ll rather buy something I’ve never heard instead of something I’m already very familiar with. Just buying stuff so I always have something new to listen to. That said… I have some bands (Megadeth, Paradise Lost, Sigh and TOTO…) from which I’ll pretty much pick everything up I don’t already have, if it’s not a ridiculous price.
I think it’s just fun to have that kind of SUPERFAN-level appreciation even towards one band. You realise they’re not perfect, not all their albums or musical directions are perfect, but you just love them so much that time after time you are intrigued to revisit even their most unpopular work in hopes that you’d find one good new song etc. It’s like you have chosen your team and you don’t leave them once they release a bad album or say something stupid on social media. I’d compare it to sports team fans almost, but sports must be a tougher for a fan. Your local team has always sucked, yet you cheer them on for a lifetime. And for millions of people that has made perfect sense.
I have probably 300-400 LPs, +500 CDs & 100-200 cassettes.

I have always wondered, why the Finnish scene is so big, there are so many good grind, punk, and metal bands… that is simply insane! Could you name your favourite local bands?

Jussi: Here is a few bands from Tampere that are worth mentioning. Warfare Noise, Dome Runner, Generals (RIP), Vitriolic, Ghastly, Necrolepsy, Snuff Rider, Poison Church, Gray State.
Niko: Because every dedicated Finnish underground musician plays in at least 3-5 bands…
Cool Finnish bands that are active at the moment: Axeslaughter, Hoc Est Bellum, Malicious, Malformed, Morbific, Sickness…

It’s hard to go wrong, but the influence of Repulsion in your music is gigantic, Am I right? So, which 10 bands inspired you to start this band, and how/why?

Jussi: I probably won’t be able give 10 bands since there aren’t that many that had an influence in forming this band.
Repulsion: Just love the punk/death driven attitude of the band, especially the vocals. They are one of the few grind bands that uses guitar solos which we incorporated in our sound. If grindcore is based on the elements of noise and chaos, then a shitty guitar solo is something that adds up to this what grind is all about.
Napalm Death: The masters of grind. Haven’t really paid much attention to the Barney era ND stuff, but there are some good releases I listen to now and then. But early era is something that had a big influence. Especially the A side of the Scum records bleak hateful sound that still gives me the chills. And without relying on lower tunings, just the standard E flat tuning which we also use, they manage the create this incredibly heavy sound.
Terrorizer: Super-fast blast beats and double bass drums with metal elements is something that inspired us. “World Downfall” was really pushing the boundaries of extreme music in the early days of the genre.
Siege: Drop dead is possibly my favourite punk release. A lot of the hardcore elements comes from these guys.
Cryptic Slaughter: “Convicted” is a proof that you don’t need to have the skills to play extreme music if you have the heart and will power. Something we can all relate to.
Slayer/Morbid Angel: When it comes to writing actual riffs these two masters of evil riffs have had a huge influence.
Niko: Repulsion obviously. I hear Terrorizer, Napalm Death, Slayer…

Okay, this is a serious one. The USA big 4 (Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Slayer) or the German big 4 (Sodom, Destruction, Kreator, Tankard)?

Jussi: All the glory to the Yanks! When I was growing up, they were the first ones to introduce me to the world of metal and have been a great influence in my life ever since. Later in life, I discovered German thrash and enjoyed every bit of it, but your first love is always the most special.

Niko: Love em’ all to some extent but briefly: Slayer perfected evil metal music and their influence will always be heard on good extreme metal, Sodom would be a European underground version of that. A band that would always keep metal underground and “true” in a good sense. For Megadeth I have an unhealthy fetish, so we’ll just leave it at that. Destruction in my opinion is the most underrated and musically ambitious of the teutonic big four (they were probably heavily influenced by Megadeth, hehe…)
US big four is in my DNA but looking at the live condition and vitality and uncompromising nature of the newer releases, in 2024 I’ll have to give this one to Germans.

Thank you very much for this small talk, remember to keep your beer cold! Stay grind and keep blasting!

Jussi: Thanks for the interview, Alexander. Keep on grinding friend.
Niko: Keep on keeping on… grinding.

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