"In October-November 1997 we said goodbye to the world of raw Metal and began our search for Gold. The concept known as Pathways (418) & The Flowery March drew its first breath. Crowley's 777 and other works had their share in all of this, as well as Richard Wagner's Parsifal. I am talking about lyrical concepts here, but music was also influenced by the classical vein of gold, and has been ever since.
The anonymous band had practised like maniacs, we had been whipping ourselves into higher and higher Nietzschean furor teutonicus, through all the seasons of mist and darkness, with summers chilling out near my parents' house in a lovely and cozy old barn full of shit and cool but hot atmosphere, if you (don't) know what I mean. The band had no bass(ist), only two guitars, drums and sometimes vocals. The stylus of the music had changed a lot during the years, and seemed to be constantly moving. We were out to set the world on fire, but as for me, I had already burned more than just my fingers, and only as if by a miracle avoided the fate of breaking down completely.
Pathways was recorded in July 1999 (music), with a weekend in mid-October for the vocals. It lasts half an hour and contains only one song. Musically it has been compared to Bathory, Arcturus, Ved Buens Ende and distorted Pink Floyd. These analogies have been drawn both in good and in bad, by other people, not band members. I don't want to take part in defining the stylus. Pathvvays was composed and performed by teenagers, but its content is not suitable for all. It resonates with many kinds of things within the Western occult tradition." From a note originally written in 2006
Vehkalahti, June 1999
(from left to right):
Tomi Pekkola, Antti Filppu
Tomi Pekkola, Antti Filppu
and Jussi Matikainen
Band photos taken by Panu Huikko
Band photos taken by Panu Huikko
The Musicians:
Tomi Pekkola
Guitars, Vocals, Bass, Keys
Jussi Matikainen
Drums and Percussion
Antti Filppu
Numbers, Rhythm Guitar and Vocals
I ALKUSOITTO:
RIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE
II TEARS OF THE LOST ONE
III CIRCLE / STRINGS:
BRUNHILD AND THE DREAMLESS
IV AMOR FATI:
IHMISKOHTALO
V A NUMBER FOR THE POET:
AMFORTAS, THE FOURTH NOVEMBER
VI INTERLUDE:
"There's a pure heart..."
VII TRAUERMARSCH: PURPLE,
THE HORIZON'S CELESTIAL
The lustre which the French call 'fleur' entered his complexion
-Wolfram von Eschenbach / Parzival
The little world my sister
My heart & my tongue
Unto whom I send this kiss
-Aleister Crowley / Book of the Law
Recorded at Alfa-Laval and Vehkalahtisali studios in Vehkalahti by Matikainen / Music in July 1999 / while the sun was shining / Vocals required a weekend in mid October 1999, and a lot of Wagnerian angst with kebab / Mixed and mastered by Matikainen sometime later / somewhere between the recording sessions and the Spring of 2000 / Pathvvays saw the light of day in October 2000 / All music was composed by Pekkola (between October 1997 – August 1998, and The Flowery March in February 1999) / The lyrical themes came to see the poet in November 1997 / Their meetings were held between the math exams and homework during the following months / with the exception of Trauermarsch / which came to be heard in February – March 1999 / So, all otherWORDs by Filppu / except the cover text / it was randomly chosen from Parzival’s English translation / Wolfram von Eschenbach being the long gone author of this Middle-High German poem / Arthur Thomas Hatto mediating its modern prose version / A few quotes were also taken / from Aleister Crowley's Legis / All we want to say is / the little thing here shows many kinds of paths to walk / and it literally tracks down a certain dead end
right through the middle: fire's a wound / the sacred lance enshrined in admire / i'm always cured, with my red flood and its grace / carried to a warlike heaven / i have the will, to me you're a valkyrie / yes, to me you're a valkyrie / the most beloved / straight line forms a gateway / i'm drawing down the greatest force / a character doesn't change, my darling already had her wings / "half of me is wicked and worthless, but in the other half the value lieth"
brunhild and the dreamless: the useless grievance has found its place from an evening song, the strings are divine / the play sounds unreal around a funeral pyre / scarlet, flecked gold / the source is still there / but i'm afraid to go outside / brunhild / it's their fault i'm growing hollow / catch the spheres in motion, the thousand young calling / "wrapped in a tension that's wrong kind, for the tears of our lost one a wreath of faded flowers" / i know you'd strike me down at once / the worst is shown here, everything i wanted / tragedies to come closer / the spirit and a circle
amfortas, the fourth november: writhen lines are beautiful, the faithless in their hour / my blood to fill a twofold sigil / numb instincts led the way / here's the chair i'm used to sit on / strangled in despise, i'll write "i'd better crush the blackness, crawl towards the flow" / with the same last warming tongues / there came an ending to yesterday / and the grail is uncovered / it's twilight, it's twilight / a request for the saviour / i face the floor, through november's loneliness
trauermarsch / purple, the horizon's celestial: and if you don't understand this, you have probably lost your mind / venetian blinds cut the sight / i don't have much to mimic / i can take all the losses / there's a holy wine / i grabbed his hand firmly and then swayed mine / more honesty / the overflowing chagrin offered from a silver plate / the cajoler's view is sullen / the end is vested while i'm wearing his suit / there's no feeling anywhere else / the pieces cry / i put a paper in the sepulcher / it's like a painting / "come closer me to my arms" is what i've written (in summer, 1995) / älä sie ihmislapsi hättäile, kyllä se siitä (“don't you worry, human child, it'll be alright”)
The chair photo was taken by Antti Filppu. The last words of that quote were X.X.X.X. It was a mistake, not a conscious decision.
Lyrics, references and more photos at
All records are available at