STAOTA INTERVIEW

Staota is a DSBM band from Tampere/Finland formed in 2020. Combining both the DSBM and traditional Finnish BM sound with melodic riffs and tortured screaming accompanied by a range from blast beats to somber parts of the songs creating a cold and dark atmosphere. Lyrical themes consist of nihilism ,sadness and death. Go check them out!

Welcome! To start things off, I'd like to know a little more about the origins of the band. How did STAOTA come to life, and what motivated it. Feel free to introduce the band and lineup to us! Just quickly touching on the basics here!

Greetings and thank you for the interview.

We're a 3-piece Black Metal band formed in 2020. We were formed by me, Riivattu, singer/guitarist/songwriter, along with Noita, our drummer. Hauta plays bass and provide backing vocals, and that's how we came to be. Where we come from is not important.

 

How did you choose the name STAOTA, and what significance does it hold for the band? And does it have a meaning and/or does the name mean something? I tried quickly looking it up but couldn't find anything.

The band's name has several meanings. What we represent by it is: a vibration of sound that can cause death or change, a sorcerous technique.

 

Before we go deeper on deeper subjects and before I bore you to death. What is your creative process when working on new material? Do you find inspiration in everyday life, or is it more of a cathartic, internal journey for you? Do these themes come from personal life at all or do you use these themes in a more of an” artistic” way?

The creative process for writing a song works pretty much the same for every song. I usually come up with the initial idea, create a demo, and bring it to the guys. Together, we arrange it into the final composition. Inspiration comes from our everyday lives, which we channel through notes, beats, and a story. It's much like any rock band, really; there's nothing particularly special about it.

Talking about catharsis and everyday life, you like to introduce you also as DSBM (Depressive Suicidal Black metal). Depressive suicidal black metal often involves raw and personal emotions. So my question is, what does depression mean to you, because it can be a very individual thing. And Do you see your music as a form of therapy, either for yourselves or for listeners who might resonate with the emotions in your lyrics?

 I experience emotions when listening to music and process things, and I hope others do the same when listening to our material. Whether it's anger, sadness, or anything else, sharing the mental state is the aim. Our songs aren't about healing from trauma, but about wallowing in it and experiencing it. The rest is up to the listener.

 

In the realm of black metal, there's often a celebration of rebellion and defiance against societal norms. Do you think that depression, and the struggle to confront it, can be a form of resistance or power in itself? Can art that deals with dark emotions challenge conventional power structures or help reclaim personal power? How?

Dealing with depression is difficult, and sadly, it has become an internet trend, with all sorts of mental challenges, which, in turn, detracts from the real struggles of people experiencing it. Of course, I can see that we might be labeled as marketing the same, but I firmly believe our material comes from a less trendy mindset. Music can help you through tough times.

 

This brings me to the theme of death and nihilism. What does death briefly mean to you, because death can be a scary thing for some people I guess.It can lead people to question their legacy, their actions, and their impact on the world.

The only thing that's left in the world is your impression of it, your "legacy." There's nothing more. Does it mean something to me? Of course, but does it matter in the end? Maybe to some people who are driven by it. I only hope friends and family remember me fondly. Is it a legacy? I guess. Nihilism, to me, means simply accepting reality and human nature.

More deeply about death. When contemplating death, do you focus more on the finality of life, or do you find yourself considering what might lie beyond it, whether spiritually, philosophically, or emotionally? Do you think there is anything after death?

We return to the earth and become part of the cycle. I've personally never believed there's anything beyond death. If someone finds strength in that thought, all the power to them, but the concept of heaven or life after death is just wishful thinking to me. Heaven and hell are states of mind. And yes; death is scary, as it should be.

 

Brings me up to the connection in death and nihilism. Nihilism can lead to a sense of despair, some philosophers argue it can also offer liberation—freeing us from expectations and fears. For me, nihilism has helped me in some things. But do you believe that accepting nihilism gives you a sense of liberation, or do you feel it makes life harder to navigate emotionally or existentially? Have nihilism helped you with these questions about death or something else. Briefly, how do you view nihilism?

I agree with you, it's a duality in a sense. It depends on the person. I'm sure it has helped some people find a mental space to deal with their struggles. It can be a tool if you look for it, or it can be an overdose, or whatever's in between. We never consider ourselves a therapy session, but perhaps some listeners can process their emotions while listening to our music or just have fun with it. Throwing aside moral values can be liberating to some people but It is not a code to us. It's an expression of a range of subjects we write about. We're more about finding godliness in the gutter.

 

Allright, moving on to some lighter topics. Talking about black metal, you have also taken lots of inspiration from Finnish Black metal. Are there any specific bands  in Finland that inspire you a lot!

Definitely. We've taken a lot of inspiration from traditional Finnish Black Metal. Just to name a few: Horna, Sargeist, and Kalmankantaja. To add a few European bands: Asagraum and Sarkrista. There are many great bands that have influenced us, but I'd be here all day talking about it.

 

Many Black metal bands, and definitely Finnish ones, take lots of inspiration from nature and forest. I also see some themes and pictures of nature here and there in your stuff. Is nature something you take inspiration from too? And how, what does forest and nature represent to you? solace, mystery, balance, raw power or something else entirely?

There's something in us Finns that draws us to sitting on a cabin pier in a forest or just taking a walk in one. We love our forests, and I think it's reflected in the lyrics and imagery. It's a feeling we don't really think about, and yet it's constantly there, and we appreciate it.

It would be a nightmare to live in a concrete hellhole.

 

How do you view the relationship between human existence and nature—are we separate, or are we an extension of it?

We're the same. Humans just won the coin toss and evolved. A bug has no idea what's going on outside of its life, and we humans are the same. Not to get into tin foil hat territory, but there's always more than what we see.

 

Well now that we have talked about themes, to sum it up a little, what is the one thing that you would love the listener to take out from your art.

 I like the idea of leaving the experience to the listener to make their own mind up about how to view our material. Sure, we go for the sadness aesthetic, so I don't think anyone listens to it from a happy place. Take it as you will.

 

You are a pretty new band, formed in 2020, you have released a total of 4 releases. Looking back on your newest release “Demo 2023” what are your own feelings about it? And well.. this is like asking a mom what is your favorite children, but what is your favorite release so far. Or what is the release where people should start when getting into staota

We're happy with it. We've always played some covers and included them. We do as much DIY as possible, and we're getting better at it, which shows, in my opinion. 

I guess my personal favourite would be Unihauta. I think listening to one of the demos is a good appetizer if you're interested. The latest one, I suppose.

 

Staota has done a couple of shows too! Have you found it hard as a newcomer to come into the BM scene? Any tips for new bands who are trying to get recognition?

I haven't really found it hard to navigate the scene. The scene is surprisingly friendly, from our experience. Black Metal is a bit of a different beast compared to most genres. There are many opinions on what is good and what is not. Focus on networking. Make connections. Be friendly and don't drink too much. LPs and cassettes sell. The underground is your friend.

To start to wrap up this interview a little bit, couple of funny questions, pretty cheap stuff once again from me…. answer the first thing that comes to mind

- If you could collaborate with any artist dead or alive, who would it be?

Sir Christopher Lee

-  Best drink before a show

Rum

- Darkness

Cant see shit captain

- Ananas on pizza?

Nope. Pepperoni nduja

I think that's enough, sorry. To actually end this. Looking ahead, are there any upcoming projects, collaborations, new music, that you can share with your fans? And thank you once again, it has been amazing to work with you guys. And big thank you for taking the time to answer my questions! We appreciate this a lot, everyone go check out STAOTA and if you have any last words, thank yous, feel free to pour them here

Thank you for the interview. Stay tuned for upcoming material. We're about halfway in the writing process and it's going to be the best one yet.