Insania interview (Mikko Korsbäck)

After 14 years of silence, we have the return of Insania with “V (Praeparatus Survivet)” (2021). A Power Metal album packed in the band's career and the best influences of the style, therefore, Metallerium had the pleasure of talking with one of its founders Mikko Korsbäck, drummer of this legendary band.

Para leer la entrevista en español: Entrevista a Insania

Metallerium: Welcome Mikko to Metallerium pages. It’s a great pleasure to talk with you about Insania, this new album, and more things related to the metal world. Starting this interview with a classic question. Why are you delaying 14 years to release a new album? Did the pandemic have to do with anything to create this new album?  

Insania: Thank you, it’s my pleasure to get to talk to the press and journalists again, after such a long time.

Well, we tried to get back together already in 2011-2013, and we also made a teaser video about it on YouTube. Writing songs and producing music was never the problem. But Insania-members had kids, and that takes a lot of time. So when many members get kids in the same period of time, it gets a little bit difficult to get together and produce an album. Some other of us got really busy with other music projects, and that stole a lot of time from Insania as well - maybe even more than the family part.

I’ve said it before, and I will do it over and over again:

I know that some fans got irritated and angry, but it was never our intention not to release any music, it just went a bit wrong back then, and we do apologize for that. But maybe some people can forgive us now, with the new album coming out, and even a contract to release more albums within a few years. Yeah, now you know…

We Will Rise Again!

Metallerium: After 14 years of silence with Insania. How do you see the Power Metal movement nowadays? And what are you think about the new bands are mixing pop style with Power Metal elements? Especially in Japan.

Insania: I´m not sure of what to think about that. I prefer to listen to an older kind and more melodic kind of Power Metal, and if people want to mix that with pop music, or maybe only have very pop-like-melodies, then Why not? You should play the music you want to play, and if you are able to release the music you create, then go for it. At the end of the day, it’s all about the people out there paying for it, and streaming it, maybe even buying CDs, which will show if you are good enough at what you do. And if you are - Fucking Great!

Metallerium: Insania was born in 1992 but you released your first album in 1999. And for a band in Sweden is weird to see that. So, why was the first album delayed 7 years to release? Did it have something to do with Death Metal and Black Metal having more promotion?  

Insania: Insania was not really Insania as it is today, back in 1992.

I met Henrik Juhano in 1992, and we decided to form a band together, and that we would play Heavy Metal. We had several formations and Line-Ups until 1997 when we found David Henriksson hiding out there in the woods, just waiting to reveal himself as a fantastic vocalist. ;-)

But I, Henrik, and Niklas Dahlin were the early members, with Niklas coming in, in 1993 - and at that time the Insania-story started to write itself. But with David as frontman, we recorded a demo tape in 1998 I think, and we got signed by Swedish House Of Kicks right away. And House of Kicks released a lot of Black- and Death Metal, so No- this had nothing to do with it. We were their first Power Metal-band, and this - our history - would not be written without the bosses Johan Hargeby and Carl Von Schewen. And basically - The rea Insania as you know it, was born in 1997, and with that in mind it took only a year and a half before the debut album was out.

Metallerium: A detail that I saw in all your albums is the first two have been Part I and II into the title and cover art. But with your third and fourth album, you related with others things. But now you continue the numbers with this new one called “V (Praeparatus Supervivet)”. What is the general lyrical line of the entire Insania saga from 1999 to 2021?  and What are the main characters that we can find in the 5 albums?

Insania: Interesting Question! I like that!

One thing that always comes back with Insanias lyrics is history. Some songs are about mankind, and how we have changed during the years of evolution, both good and bad. But history has always been involved. Like ”Land of the Wintersun”, about the Winter War between Russia and Finland during World War II. Or ”Beware of the Dragons” which is fantasy, but at the same time describes how humans have always tried to rule the earth, not giving a shit about other living creatures.

”Paradisia” is about how mankind spreads out in the universe, and even destroys other planets with wars and stuff. So, history itself could be the character so to speak.

Metallerium: Talking a little more about this new “V (Praeparatus Supervivet)”. For you, what are the greatest strengths that this new one has? And with this new one, do you close the saga?  

Insania: The strength would be the sound, and the thin red line that you can follow through all Insania-albums, and even in this one. Ok, World of ice was recorded in a Death Metal studio, and being that young and releasing your first album, you really don’t know how your sound should be… But anyway - the rest of the albums have that thin red line. Niklas has been a massive part when it comes to keeping the real Insania sound and making it come through on this album. Ola halén did the mixing part, and since he has been with us for so long, he was totally perfect for the job. He knows the members, what they want, and how the band should really sound. So Niklas and Ola have made the sound itself become the strength of Insania V.

About closing the Saga… We’re not there yet. We will release at least 2 more albums, and we are really hungry for the music since we’ve been starving for 14 years.

Metallerium: Listening to this new album songs Like “Like Rising Star, “Blood, Tears and Agony” and “Entering Paradise” is sung by Dimitri Keiski. How did you motivate him to sing these songs on the new album? How will these songs be organized for the live performances?

Insania: Dimitri Keiski joined the band in 2003-2004, as a good friend to Ola Halén.

He joined in as a keyboardist, but we also realized that he’s an excellent singer as well. On the Agony album, I wrote some special lines for him to sing in the song Gift of Life, and as everyone can hear - he sings like a God. Ola has this pure and clean voice, whilst Dimitri can be really raw and husky but still reach the same high pitch notes. When we were on this short 14 years-brake, Ola decided to place all his energy on his solo project called Shadows Past. During that time, Dimitri offered himself to do the Lead Vocals on the few shows that we played, and when Ola wanted back in - we just decided to use both singers, since we are all friends, have been all the time, and to get an opportunity to use two great vocalists upfront does not come very often so the decision was pretty easy. These songs and other parts on this new album where Dimitri sings were written especially for him and his voice.

When it comes to the Live-part, it’s perfect to have 2 front men, since they can both keep up the energy and be supportive to one another if needed. And with two different voices like Ola and Dimitri, I think it’s absolutely fantastic.

Metallerium: Talking about other matters into Power Metal world. Why this style is very attached to speaking about fantasy, medieval, epic battles, heroes, dragons?  Is it possible to talk about other matters?

Insania: I think so, yes! If you have great lyrics, anything will go. But I also think that the people that listen to Heavy Metal, or Power Metal, are all more interested in these kinds of themes, just like people who listen to glam-rock or just Rock’n’ Roll will find the lyrics being more about pretty girls, fast cars and standing up against the society. Ballads in all genres tend to be about love or broken hearts, so I think it’s just something that goes well with the special kind of music.

Generally, I don’t give a shit - If the music and the lyrics both deliver something that catches me, it could be about anything.

Metallerium: Into the matter of how an underground band and a mainstream band was should be considered, there are patterns that more vinyl or cassette productions stick to the underground concept, and the CD only expanded the collections of the fans. What do you think are the factors for fans to stick to this underground metal concept? And where are located the digital platforms?

Insania: Oh, this is a tough one. Maybe it’s because ”smaller” and unknown bands never get the budget to release their stuff on CDs in the beginning. Then somehow, when the bands get bigger, they release everything they got on all the platforms available -  but the hardcore fans still want the cassette tapes and the vinyls.

There are many bands that have gone famous, and still release their stuff on CD, but also on cassette for the hardcore fans. I could be way out wrong here - it’s just my own thoughts.

Metallerium: Another detail is about the listening methods of the fans, coz this new generation prefers to hear one or two songs on the digital platforms. What are you think about the albums doesn’t have the same impact in comparison to the 80s or 90s? And what do bands need to do to improve the listening of all songs in albums? 

Insania: So true! Well - You have to make sure that the one or two best songs are placed as track 1 or 2, or you’ll lose listeners, new potential fans, and even money. Years back, you could release a single - maybe your best song from the album, and people would buy the whole album because of that one song - even if the rest of the album was totally shit. How could they know? This is not the option today. People listen to the first track, maybe even only 30 seconds or so, and if you make them click to the next song because they’re losing focus when the song doesn’t give them what they want…

-Well, then you lose them, listeners, as well. You have to keep them interested from the start, just like with an action movie.

Metallerium: Well Mikko, the sad time arrives at this interview. I hope you enjoyed this interview as I did and thank you very much for your time. The new album is a great comeback!

Insania: As I said- all my pleasure.

Yes! To the fans in Latin America, we want to say that - We have never played there yet, but if we get the chance to do…

We will give you our hearts, our souls, and all our energy, ’cause we get so much love from you guys on social media, that we feel that we just have to repay you somehow. We surely hope to get in on some festivals in the future!

We hope you’ll like the album, and that we will meet you guys in the near future!

-Respect!!!