Doomed Confessionary: The Fërtility Cült
Photo by A. Solismaa
The Fërtility Cült is a progressive psychedelic/stoner/doom band based out of Tampere, Finland.
A band of astral travellers and planewalkers fulfilling pledges to preternatural cosmic cow deities and hypersensual fertility priestesses channeling from time immemorial through subterranean cults of clandestine rites taking place in ancient isthmic necropolises inhabited by keepers of arcane legacies practicing idolatry of lascivious demiurge vixens while listening to Black Sabbath.
The Fërtility Cült’s fifth full-length »A Song Of Anger« is a concept album, a thematic prequel to »Kosmodysseia«. »A Song Of Anger« was released on October 11th, 2024 through Black Widow Records.
Can you say a few words about your band?
We’re from Tampere, Finland. You’ve never heard of it but it’s the biggest inland city in Finland (and in the Nordic countries). We’ve been flying under the radar calmly since releasing our debut full length in 2010, doing our thing, asymptotically pushing Black Sabbath towards King Crimson and occasionally back.
We’re a quintet, with Heinous Heinonen on guitar, Kailasha on bass and lead vocals, Magic Mäkinen on drums, Rocking Ryhänen on sax and backing vocals and Sizzling Solismaa on keyboards. Some questions are answered as a group and some individually, signified by initials.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Trying to write a song under 10 minutes in length? Lately, as we’ve mastered that, it’s just the usual juggling of various other exploits of five not-so-young-anymore dudes.
What can you be most proud of so far?
The latest album! And working with Black Widow Records!
What was your biggest regret?
K: No regrets.
H: Going out with an ex-colleague…
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
M: A show we did in Helsinki, Finland in a joint called Andorra. Small crowd because there was no alcohol served on the premises, but we had had some perhaps, and it got slightly out of hand with ex tempore extended jams featuring switching of instruments etc…
K: The show we played in London, at a classic venue called The Half Moon, with Sendelica and Fuchsia. The place looked like the dream sequences in Twin Peaks and the audience was great
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Perhaps one is the lack of solidarity. Lots of bands in a small market in Finland so there’s a sense of competition pervading the scene which isn’t nice. But gladly there are also a ton of great people who don’t get into that.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
H: Tragedy and Emmylou Harris.
K: The new The Flight of Sleipnir, John Abercrombie’s Timeless and Acid Bath (please come to Europe with the reunion!!!).
M: Aerosmith and Hypocrisy.
R: Joni Mitchell, Type O Negative and Dax Riggs.
S: Darkthrone, Bruce Springsteen, Litku Klemetti.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Don’t quit your dayjob.
What are your guilty pleasures?
H: Cheesy 80s country.
K: Obscure and esoteric nerd memes.
M: Texas Hippie Coalition, sleazy 90s/00s R’n’B.
R: Crabcore.
S: Injecting jazz into heavy metal.
Can you say something more about current music scene in Tampere?
The scene in Tampere is doing good, we’re lucky to have several venues dedicated to giving undiscovered and small bands easy opportunities to get shows (shout-out Maanalainen, Varjobaari, Vastavirta!). And it’s great that despite rock being perennially pronounced dead, every new generation has kids picking up instruments and turning it up to eleven!
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
Next up we have our album release party at Maanalainen in Tampere on the 16th of November with StoneGazer and Princeton, then on the 17th of January we’re returning to Helsinki to Playhouse with Swarm and Alinen.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Now that the new album is out we’re going to focus on the upcoming shows and probably organize some more for 2025. We’ve also always got new riffs brewing…
How can people best support your band?
Spread the word! We’ve also got some fabulous shirts on Bandcamp if you’re not the vocal word-spreading type. And soon you can get physical copies of »A Song Of Anger« as well!
Do you have any message for your listeners?
We appreciate you! To have something we’ve poured our love and toil unto resonate with even a singular person out there, to have that person get something out of it, is a wonderful thing!
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well