\nInterview response by Mika, vocals.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
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Section 1: The Origins of "Feeding the Worms"<\/em> Section 2: Sound & Influences The chord selection, the dissonances and harmonies \u2014 all of that is carefully chosen to Section 3: Songwriting & Creative Process Q13. Clear vision going in or songs evolve during recording? <\/p>\n Section 4: Themes, Darkness & Philosophy Section 5: Finland & The Underground Scene Q24. Have streaming platforms helped or hurt underground doom bands? Section 6: Live Performances & Audience Experience<\/p>\n We have not played live as a band yet. The original target, about two years ago when I Q27. What emotional reaction do you hope audiences leave with after hearing Section 7: The Future of Kalmo Q33. Themes or sonic territories you haven't explored yet but want to? Section 8: Fun \/ Personal Questions Q37. Which album changed your life as a musician? <\/p>\n
\nQ1. What was the emotional or philosophical spark behind this song?
\nA1: The song is already about three years old. Thinking back, I recall having the tagline
\n"In hell the worms don't die" in my lyrics notebook. The story started to evolve around that,
\nwith horror-like mental images. Condemnation \u2014 and all the varieties of horror that come
\nwith it \u2014 is one of Kalmo's core themes.
\nQ2. What does "Feeding the Worms" symbolize to you personally?
\nA2: Kalmo explores the horrors and humanity's darker side on Earth, and also in imagined
\nworlds like heaven and hell. It has also a dash of biblical tone to the lyrics. For me, this is
\none of the best songs I composed during the writing season a few years back.
\nQ3. Born from a riff, lyrical concept, or atmosphere first?
\nA3: It originated from a mental image of worms consuming humans. I had that as a set of
\nnotes, pieces of lines, in my lyrics notebook for some time. Then came the intro riff. I'd
\ndescribe it as a lazy, laid-back kind of riff \u2014 it has no hurry anywhere. From there it was a
\nbit of a wrestle, like always, to get the story into a condensed format with a solid storyline.
\nQ4. Films, books, or experiences influencing the mood?
\nA4: I can't name any specific films or books that influenced the mood right now \u2014 though
\nI\u2019m sure there are some Kalmo lyrics are quite often inspired by horror movies and visual
\nimages that I find on the Internet or see in other forms of art, and then, of course, the
\ngreat source of horrors that is the Big Book. Quite often I have some kind of visual image
\nor mood in mind for the song when writing.
\nQ5. How much does your environment \u2014 Finland \u2014 shape the sound of Kalmo?
\nA5: I think Finnish metal culture values authenticity and certain amount of rawness over
\nan overly polished style. I think Kalmo fits that ethos.<\/p>\n
\nQ6. What elements of Celtic Frost, Triptykon, and Death Breath resonate most with
\nKalmo?
\nA6: For me, Celtic Frost's early production and Hellhammer's Apocalyptic Raids are some
\nof the biggest influences. They have that raw, original energy that is hard for me to find in
\nmodern music. Well, yes \u2014 I was a teenager in that era, and I believe the musical
\nexperiences from that time are the ones that tend to stick.
\nDeath Breath have a very strong driving force in each of their songs. The horror in the
\nlyrics is great. From a tempo perspective, Kalmo songs are in a slightly different category.
\nI also need to mention King Diamond \u2014 especially from a storytelling point of view, he has
\nbeen a big influence in my writing style. Kalmo songs typically evolve into stories, with a
\nstarting point, a plot, and an end.
\nQ7. What attracts you to slower, heavier music?
\nA7: Part of it must be the time to breathe \u2014 the time to dwell in the emotions the music
\ninitiates. The other thing is my love of dissonant sounds. Long-held chords have room to
\nevolve from clean to dissonant when the tempo is slow and the notes are sustained.
\nQ8. How do you blend black metal and doom without losing identity?
\nA8: We use both death and black metal as spice in our own compositions. I think that
\ncomes somewhat naturally during the process. Using elements from death and black
\nmetal makes Kalmo songs even more evil, heavy, and unrelenting. In Kalmo we each
\nhave a very broad taste in music, and that is one of our strengths. It gives us more room
\nto explore and evolve compared to being locked into one specific thing.
\nQ9. What did you want listeners to feel sonically?
\nA9: We want listeners to hear a raw but massive sound, but with dynamics. The wall of
\nguitars with crushing riffs, perhaps even a bit overwhelming. The other aspect we work on
\nwhen writing is finding a good balance of dissonance against the harmonies. What the
\nright amount of dissonance is for a specific song is a tricky thing to define. The aim is to
\nfind the amount that serves the song \u2014 creates just enough unsettling feeling and
\nemphasizes the story.
\nQ10. Is discomfort intentional in your music?
\nA10: Yes, that is very intentional. For 'Feeding the Worms' specifically, one of our non-
\nmetal test listeners commented: "This feels really unsettling." Getting that kind of
\ncomment means we nailed it.<\/p>\n
\nfind that anxiety. The goal isn't to punish the listener. It's to not let them escape the feeling
\nof the song.<\/p>\n
\nQ11. How hands-on is Kalmo in shaping every detail?
\nA11: We are a fully do-it-yourself band in almost every aspect. Our promo pictures have
\nbeen set up, shot, and post-produced by us, and we produce the music videos ourselves.
\nWhen Kalmo was my solo project, I wrote all the songs and played all the instruments.
\nOver the past year or so we have been learning how to work on songs together. There are
\nalready co-written songs waiting to be rehearsed and released. The way of processing
\nideas varies. It can start, for example, with Pekka sharing a bag of guitar riffs, which I then
\ntake and build into a skeleton of a song. Piece by piece that skeleton gets flesh on its
\nbones.
\nI'm really happy we have been able to get that co-writing process going, and I'm looking
\nforward to bringing Kalmo's new drummer and 2nd guitarist into that process as well.
\nQ12. Working with Roland of Cavern of Echoes \u2014 what was that process like?
\nA12: The collaboration with Roland started during the EP Dominus Meus. I had about a
\ndozen songs ready then and wanted to get to the next level with Kalmo \u2014 this was when
\nKalmo was still my solo project. The next level for me meant getting the sound better,
\nlearning more about the production process, and finding a mixing and mastering
\nprofessional to work with beyond just one release. I did Dominus Meus as a learning
\nplatform for all of that.
\nThe working process with Roland has been smooth from the start. Right from the
\nbeginning I felt that he is a true metalhead and very good at what he does. The way he
\nasks questions, proposes ideas, and genuinely engages with the songs impressed me.
\nStarting from Dominus Meus, he has been an integral part of Kalmo's sound development.
\nWe look forward to working with him in the future. Actually, while responding to these
\nquestions in early July, we have just delivered our next single material to him for mixing
\nand mastering, with a preliminary target to release in September 2026.<\/p>\n
\nA13: Our way of working on songs is a structured process where each band member can
\ncontribute at the level that feels right for them. At the composing stage, the target is to get
\nthe song to the point where it has all the elements \u2014 instrumentation and lyrics ready.
\nFrom there it goes into a list of draft songs, waiting to be picked up for rehearsals. Once
\npicked, the next stage is band arrangement. During the early stages of rehearsing, we
\nstudy the song and make changes if something needs fixing. The idea at this stage is to
\nget the song finalized so that we have a locked version for everyone to practice toward.
\nOnce we are happy, we finalize the documentation and start practicing full speed ahead.
\nAt the moment, the next step has been recording the songs as a single for release. The
\nideal is that we don't need to make many changes during the recording stage. Naturally,
\nthe process is not carved in stone \u2014 if we figure something needs changing at a later
\nstage, we do that.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/unnamed-1-300x300.png\")
\nQ14. What's harder to capture \u2014 heaviness or atmosphere?
\nA14: Tricky question… I think it is atmosphere. You can get heaviness with tones and
\npiling up the wall of sound, but atmosphere is a more sensitive thing to capture.
\nAtmosphere is not only heaviness. It can live also in silence.
\nQ15. How long did "Feeding the Worms" take from idea to final master?
\nA15: This is a good example of the band working process that I really value. As
\nmentioned, the song is about three years old, written by me in my own way of thinking.
\nWhen we took it to the rehearsal list, the guitars were a bit harsher and very, very
\ndissonant \u2014 way more than would actually work. The chords were also complex to get
\nthat overly dissonant sound out. Pekka reworked the guitars and made a new
\narrangement while still maintaining the key idea.
\nWe had been practicing this song as a trio for a couple of months before recording. Anu
\nrecorded her bass at home. I have built a portable vocal booth and recorded the vocals at
\nhome. For guitars, we recorded the baritone guitars with Pekka at our rehearsal studio,
\nand Pekka then recorded the D-tuned tracks at home. Drums were done with Superior
\nDrummer, as we didn't have a drummer of flesh and bone yet at the time.
\nOnce all the material was recorded, we sent the package to Roland with some guiding
\nnotes for mixing. We got the mixing done in two rounds of iteration, and mastering I think
\nwas also two rounds. The cover, music video, and marketing material were done during
\nthe spring while we were working on the recording and mix. We have had MD\/PR
\nhandling the PR side for our songs, like this, for some time now.<\/p>\n
\nQ16. What draws you toward darker subject matter?
\nA16: We could make songs about things on the brighter side of the street as well. But
\nthose don't bring us the thrill we get from the stories of the shadows. It might be the
\nmystery we find in stories that are more twisted, odder, and darker.
\nQ17. Is Kalmo meant to be an escape or a confrontation?
\nA17: Confrontation \u2014 "doom for the damned" is not comfort music. That said, processing
\nthe idea of death in the lyrics may help someone work through fear, grief, or anxiety in a
\nhealthy way.
\nQ18. "Doom for the damned" \u2014 nihilistic, cathartic, spiritual, or something else?
\nA18: Not purely nihilistic \u2014 the craft and intention behind the music mean something. If
\nour songs serve a cathartic purpose for someone \u2014 release some emotional pressure \u2014
\nwe are deeply moved by that.
\nQ19. What role does death play in your lyrical worldview?
\nA19: Death is quite a central element \u2014 it is already built into the band's name: Kalmo is a
\nFinnish word for "corpse". Not all our songs are directly about death, but they are
\nsomehow always linked to that realm. In "Feeding the Worms," for example, the character
\nexperiences hell in the realm between life and death.
\nQ20. Was the menace and evil intentional from the beginning \u2014 rather than leaning
\ninto sorrow?
\nA20: Yes, it was intentional \u2014 Kalmo was never "sad doom" or purely funeral doom.
\nThere is a dash of sadness between the lines in some of our lyrics, but that has never
\nbeen the key element. In our recipe, the death and black metal influences inject a hostility
\nthat pure may doom lack.<\/p>\n
\nQ21. What's unique about the Finnish underground metal scene right now?
\nA21: To be frank, I'm not the best person to map the whole scene \u2014 I'm more focused on
\nwhat Kalmo is doing than keeping tabs on what is going on outside. Kalmo has been
\nbuilding in relative isolation for years. That's not a complaint. It just means I haven't had
\nmy finger on the scene's pulse. What I know is that when we put music out, it finds
\npeople.
\nHowever, Finland has always produced heavy music that sounds like it comes from
\nsomewhere real. That ethos of rawness over polish is still present. Kalmo is part of that
\nlineage, even if we don't wave the flag loudly. What I can say is that when our music
\nreaches people in Finland, the response feels like recognition. Something in it lands. That
\ntells me there's an audience here that values what we value.
\nQ22. Is blackened doom underrated compared to other extreme metal subgenres?
\nA22: Well, this is difficult to say. From my personal perspective I'd say yes. It seems that
\nmodern metalcore is getting more airtime and media attention right now. Not saying that's
\nbad \u2014 times change, and different genres get more or less focus. I don't see this as a
\ncompetition where someone's gain is someone's loss. As long as there are people who
\nfind your music meaningful in their lives, in the underground scene that is enough.
\nQ23. How important are underground labels, podcasts, and independent stations?
\nA23: I think they are a very critical and integral part of the underground and in keeping the
\nmusic scene alive and breathing \u2014 away from the mainstream's polished streamlining.
\nFrom an idealistic perspective, these are people who, like the rest of us, do it for the love
\nof music more than anything else. Where the big players operate on Excel math, market
\nvalue, and algorithms, the people working on underground labels, podcasts, and
\nindependent stations can talk about why this band, why now, what it connects to \u2014 and
\nreflect a band's music from their own perspective and taste, without being driven by the
\nbottom line.<\/p>\n
\nA24: My understanding is that they hurt more than they help. The discoverability is there,
\nof course, but the algorithms favour the material that gets more listens, views, shares, and
\nlikes. By definition, streaming platforms built on algorithms are designed for the
\nmainstream, not underground.
\nThat said, if an underground band gets attention through a recommendation or is
\ndiscovered through an underground podcast, the songs need to be on streaming
\nplatforms for someone to listen to them.
\nMoney-making machines they are not. If an underground band is going to make money, it
\ncomes from gigs and merch.
\nQ25. Biggest misconception about doom metal musicians?
\nA25: Heh, good question. Perhaps the most stereotypical misconception is that they're all
\nmiserable, angry, or depressed all the time. Or that they only listen to the music they play.
\nFrom the music point of view perhaps one misconception could be that playing slow music
\nis easy. Speaking from my blues background \u2014 playing slow music is not easy.<\/p>\n
\nstarted inviting more members (kalmos) to the band, was that we would play our first gig
\nwithin the first year with the line-up we had during the time. Well, life has its twists and
\nturns. For us that meant Kalmo was a trio \u2014 Pekka, Anu, and me \u2014 for about a year.
\nEarlier this spring we were planning a gig without a 2nd guitarist or a drummer, with those
\nparts played as backing tracks. Then another twist late this spring we got a real drummer
\nand a 2nd guitarist. If everything goes as planned, the first Kalmo live gig is late August
\nthis year.
\nQ26. How do you recreate such a dense, crushing atmosphere in a live setting?
\nA26: As we are in the early stages as a full lineup band, this is something we will need to
\nexperiment with and learn as we go. But there are some visual ideas already.
\nThe key idea is simplicity: only the band, the gear, and letting the music work its magic.
\nThe setup preferably dark, the color scheme leaning more black than bright. Later,
\nperhaps some very simple visual props created by the lighting.<\/p>\n
\nKalmo live?
\nA27: The intention is not to be popcorn-and-coke entertainment \u2014 instead, weight,
\nconfrontation, and a heaviness that remains after the music stops. Something should be
\nleft unsettled; the subject matter shouldn't be easy to shake off. And of course, we hope it
\nleaves them wanting more.
\nQ28. Dream venue or festival?
\nA28: The wet dream \u2014 Wacken. \ufffd\ufffd However, as a listener, small club gigs are something
\nI enjoy more than big festivals. Reality will most likely be in the club scene.
\nQ29. Have you experienced trance-like audiences locking in during a performance?
\nA29: Kalmo hasn't performed live yet \u2014 the first gig is planned for August. But trance-like
\nlocking among the audience would be phenomenal, as it would mean Kalmo's music is
\nreaching and touching their core.
\nQ30. Concert or ritual?
\nA30: Heavy metal live shows have a ceremonial quality that pop may not have in the
\nsame way. From a doom perspective, the repetition of riffs, volume, darkness, slow tempo
\n\u2014 these elements likely create altered states in the audience. So it is a ritual.<\/p>\n
\nQ31. Is "Feeding the Worms" part of a larger upcoming release or concept?
\nA31: As Kalmo has been growing into a full band setup, releasing singles has been an
\nintentional goal. The songs released so far were originally planned to be part of a full
\nrelease. Getting Kalmo to a real band has been the priority over the past two years \u2014
\nother goals have been secondary. Kalmo has three main goals: release music, write new
\nsongs, and get to the stage. We have been talking about making an EP, but for now we
\nneed to see which gets more of our focus: an EP release or getting some gigs under our
\nbelt.
\nQ32. What direction do you see Kalmo evolving toward musically?
\nA32: The intention is to go deeper, heavier, more oppressive. As we learn more about our
\nprocess as a band, I believe the songs will have more nuances and sonic layers in them.
\nThe rawness and a certain simplicity are things I would like to keep.<\/p>\n
\nA33: I see this as a process of evolving as a band. The longer we write and play together,
\nthe more influences we will bring from our backgrounds and musical preferences into
\nKalmo's world. The style is not stable \u2014 it will evolve whether we want it or not, and in
\nKalmo's case that is something we want, as long as the established core remains
\nsomewhat the same.
\nSome of the things I'd like to experiment with are vocal harmonies and how dissonances
\ncould be built into them. There is already one song composed where I have written vocal
\nharmonies for the choruses. Now that we have two guitarists, another area to explore is
\ndifferent ways to build up the heaviness of the guitar wall. From a lyrical point of view, one
\ninteresting theme to dig into is the inside of a human's head \u2014 what is going on in there
\nthat no one else can see.
\nQ34. What song should a new listener start with and why?
\nA34: The latest three released singles are where we are at now \u2014 those would be a good
\nstarting point. Out of those three, 'Feeding the Worms' is a good pick to start with.
\nQ35. What does success mean to Kalmo in today's underground metal landscape?
\nA35: For Kalmo, success in today's underground metal landscape means our songs
\nfinding a real connection with a dedicated group of listeners, and through that building the
\nKalmo Cult community \u2014 a real bond with people who genuinely resonate with what we
\ndo. I'm happy to say that we already have people from different parts of the world in the
\ncommunity. Regards to all of you \u2014 you know who you are.<\/p>\n
\nQ36. What's the heaviest album ever made?
\nA36: For me, it is Hellhammer\u2019s Apocalyptic Raids. I think I\u2019ve already shared this story
\nbefore, but it goes back to the early 80s. I knew the EP existed, but I had never managed
\nto get my hands on it despite endless record-store hunting. One weekend, a friend and I
\nwent on a trip to visit record stores in a nearby city. Apocalyptic Raids was at the very top
\nof my wanted list, but I had almost given up on finding it.
\nWe stopped at one more shop \u2014 a place that mainly focused on blues and rock \u2019n\u2019 roll,
\nbut also had a section for heavy metal vinyl. After looking through some other records, I
\nchecked the metal section too. I thought the record was gone forever, and lo and behold,
\nthere it was: a plastic-wrapped, never-played, pristine copy of Apocalyptic Raids.
\nA couple of weeks later, I was playing it so loudly that I blew up my cheap stereo amp.<\/p>\n
\nA37: As a listener, in the heavy metal context, it was Celtic Frost's "Morbid Tales" \u2014 and
\nthrough that, finding the Apocalyptic Raids. From Morbid Tales it was 'The Circle of the
\nTyrants' when I saw the music video on MTV.
\nFrom a non-metal context, one very important album for me is The Cramps' "Bad Music
\nfor Bad People".
\nQ38. If you could collaborate with any artist living or dead, who would it be?
\nA38: Oh, a difficult one. Among the living, I'd love to work with Mr. Tom G. Fischer.
\nAmong the dead ones \u2014 thinking between Lux Interior and Link Wray. This time, I'll go
\nwith Lux.
\nQ39. What's something fans would be surprised to learn about Kalmo?
\nA39: Perhaps one surprise for fans would be a band that has influenced Kalmo's musical
\nstyle. The Cramps have been an important band for me for decades. The elements I've
\ntaken from them into Kalmo songs are the simplicity in music and the way to condense
\nstories in lyrics.
\nQ40. What do you hope lingers in listeners' minds long after "Feeding the Worms"
\nends?
\nA40: A weight of black soil on their chest, a physical feeling that doesn't lift immediately
\nwhen the music stops. Visceral, specific images in their head \u2014 black soil swarming with
\nworms, a landscape of hundreds of people buried up to their heads, consumed forever by
\nthe worms that, like themselves, do not die. The psychological feeling of anxiety and the
\nenjoyment of horrors.<\/p>\n