Interviews

Interview with Pete Ahonen / Ghost Machinery, October 2004

Ghost Machinery – you should notice this name and most of all listen to their music ! The Finnish trio has a lot of real good songs to offer.

On the occasion of the publication of their first album  Haunting remains at the 11^th of October I could make the following interview with Pete Ahonen - singer, songwriter and guitarist of the band.  

Pete, your album Haunting remains is standing in the stores now. How does a musician feel if the first CD from a new band-project goes at the start ?First of all I have to say that this is not a “project” anymore, I’m glad to say that this is a band : )
And yes, we are very excited now when it’s finally hit the stores. It is always a relief when things come to this point but there is so much work ahead and we’re ready to rock !

May you please introduce the band-members and describe your music-style.Tapsa Pelkonen (Bass) and Jussi Ontero (Drums & Keyboards). There is so many different styles on the album that I think that it’s very hard to say exactly what is our style. There are fast tracks that pleases the powermetal fan and there are very melodic songs, kind of a 80`s vibe in them and there are epic, midtempo tracks also and very beautiful ballad : ).
Personally I think that we’re not typical powermetal band, I think that we have more variety in our songs. And it always limits the people who wants to buy the CD if you say that we’re that metal or that metal, you know ? I think that it is best that listeners decide what kind of music we’re playing. My job is just try to write good metal songs : )

Will there be a videoclip to one of the album-songs   ?We’ve been talking about that but nothing is decided yet. It would be cool, though

You covered the Gary Moore classic Out in the fields. Ville Laihiala ( Sentenced / Poisonblack ) sings this song with you. How did it come to this co-operation and why did you choose especially this song ?Well, we did a version of this song with Burning Point ( in Salvation by Fire sessions) but I wasn’t happy with that at the time and we decided to drop it off from the album.
I just thought that it would be cool to try it now with Ville doing the Lynott part and he truly showed that he’s professional, amazing singing : )

Do you plan to go on tour now ? Please don’t forget Germany on the tour-plan !!  :-)We have to wait and see what is the response towards the album. Germany is definitively in our tour plan, GERMANY ROCKS !! 

You are a trio. Will there be guest-musicians with you on stage at concerts ?Yes, I don’t want to name any names yet but there will be a another guitar player and maybe a keyboardist but let’s wait and see

How do you write your lyrics - do you take in your own life-experiences or are they just fictions ?Names have been change to protect the innocent, heh heh. Let’s just say that there are pieces of my life mixed with fiction.

Would you change your music-style - just for the reason to sell more CDs ? No, I wouldn’t change the Ghost Machinery’s or Burning Point’s style but maybe I could put together a group that plays some kind of Gothic rock or whatever sells like hell :) I love writing songs...

You are Finns, but you are having a deal with the Portuguese label Sound Riot Records . This label is only working with rockbands. Is it easier to work with people which occupy with just one music-style as with a label who has several music-styles in the program ??I think that it is, because they can concentrate on one area or type of music instead they try to do a little bit of that and little bit that

You are a member of the band Burning Point too. How do you manage to work with two bands at the same time ? If there will be scheduling conflicts, which band would get the priority ? At the moment it’s not a problem to be in both bands. The priority question is much more complicated to answer... it depends on so many things, I mean that if have a gig with GM in somewhere like in Germany and with BP here in Finland so I guess in that case GM would be  priority number one but we have to plan our touring so that there not going to be gigs at the same time : )

Please tell us more about this band. What are your plans with Burning Point, will there be a new CD in the stores very soon ?We have released two albums, Salvation By Fire and Feeding The Flames through Limb Music in Germany. We released a single, To Hell and Back, here in Finland (and Sweden) only just to please the fans here : )
Right now we have 12 new songs ready ( maybe little lyrics here and there). The release date is not confirmed yet but I guess Spring 2005 is close enough  : )

How many guitars do you own ?I have 3 electric guitars and a couple of acoustics.

Which one is your favourite model ?I like my custom made Stratocaster model very much and of course my old warhorse, Rg 550 Ibanez : )

Do you play other instruments too ?No, not really... Maybe a little bit of drums

Is there a guitarist you adore or one you see as an idol ?This is easiest one to answer, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN !!!

Which CD runs in your player at the moment ?The new CDs from Saxon, Dream Evil, Nocturnal Rites, Europe and hundreds of others : )

Which bands, singers and music-styles do you like ?Band list would go forever... But here’s something for the 80`s, Accept, Judas Priest, Queensryche, Helloween, Iron Maiden, WASP, Metallica, Bon Jovi, Foreigner etc. And here’s some of the newer bands, Symphony X, At Vance, Edguy, Elegy, Hammerfall and almost anything that Richard Andersson guy does : ) and of course Yngwie Malmsteen.

If I ask you to sing a song out of the current charts – what would I hear ??If you’re asking German charts, Were all living in a America, America, Coca Cola wunderbar, Rammstein ??? Maybe :)
I’m not sure are the 69 eyes rulers of the Finnish charts, Lost Boys

Which concert was the last one you have seen ? Which was the concert-highlight in your life until yet ?Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to go concerts lately Whitesnake were just here but I missed them : (
In a few years time I have seen couple of great acts, Dio, Megadeth, Alice Cooper, Manowar etc.
I have seen Yngwie 3 times and they all ROCKED !! And I saw Accept 93`in their “Greatest Hits” tour and that was fucking awesome!!

In the age of 8 you started to make music – very early... Were there never other occupation on your mind ? Actually I was something like 11 or 12 when the music world took me : ) I can’t recall any other options, no.

Which hobbies do you have except the music ?We have 2 dogs, Roosa and Veera, so going out with them is one of my hobbies. I read lots of books and watch movies.

Please tell me your meaning about :

Friendship - Important thing to meLove - Also very importantHonesty - I try to be and I expect that from the others tooFamily - I `m not the typical “family man” Rock´n´Roll - Metal Forever!!!Finland - Nice place to liveMystic- Fascinates meFans - I love them!!!

What are your favourites in :

Books - S. King, Dean Koontz, James Pattersson, Michael Palmer etc.Sport - Not much of a sports fan, maybe a little hockey and formula 1 Films - I like those psychological thrillers and action moviesAnimals - I like all kinds of animals but dogs above all : ) Cars - I don’t know nothing about cars

Pete, thank you for this interview and I wish Ghost Machinery the success they earn.Thank you for the interview :)