The demise of Reverend Bizarre was indeed a sad day in the history of Doom but like the proverbial phoenix Peter Vicar has arisen to spawn Lord Vicar, the new word in true Doom! All hail the Vicar.

Could not be better, we have some very interesting shows coming up throughout this year, and the debut album has been received very well by people and reviewers. We are right now excited to play a show with Circle at the end of Feb, and in April we will have a tour in Central Europe with Revelation, Mirror of Deception and Lord of the Grave, ending to Doom Shall Rise festival, perhaps my favourite fest.

Well, we are raw old school doom metal down to the bone, following in the footsteps of mighty Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Pentagram, Trouble, Witchfinder General, etc. We have an international lineup, with Chritus coming from Sweden, Milly from England, and Jussi and me from Finland. I decided to form another band after Reverend Bizarre fell apart, and am really glad how things have started to progress.

The band is made up of members & ex-members of some of the most renowned names in Doom metal (Count Raven, Saint Vitus, Terra Firma, Reverend Bizarre, Orne, Centurions Ghost). How did the line up come about?

I almost right from the start thought about Chritus for vocalist of this new band, and started to look for him. It took perhaps some weeks to get hold of him, and thanks to Count Raven’s former drummer Renfield I got an easy access to my dear brother Chritus, who had pretty much disappeared from the scene becoming a single parent. Milly I knew from our tour together (Blood March Through Europa, 2006, with RB, The Gates of Slumber and Centurions Ghost), and he was interested when I searched for a drummer. Could not have wished a nicer man and greater powerhouse to the cans, he brings the thunder! After recording the 7” EP with Jim Hunter (of Revelation, While Heaven Wept, Twisted Tower Dire & October 31 fame) in bass, I knew I needed someone living in Finland to make the logistics work. Jussi, who used to be doing driving for RB and many other bands, and who also now sings for Umbra Nihil, took the bass duties, and thus this lead heavy lineup was born.

As I said, he was pretty much my first option, and I am totally glad things worked out easily. He is a great man, both as a person and as a vocalist. So, very important… Had he said no, I would have continued searching, but I am fucking glad that I didn’t have to! Things are indeed perfect as they are.

How do the logistic work within Lord Vicar given members have to travel from Finland, Sweden and UK to rehearse? Do you find the distance is a disadvantage to the band in any way?

It is a logistical challenge, but we are starting to be in the point where we are able to finance things so that people don’t have to travel by paying from their own pockets. The advantage is that it is always great and fresh to meet, and we work hard to make things work.

I have known Oli for many years and collaborated with him earlier with Reverend Bizarre. He had the best deal offer with best schedule and readiness to put effort to right things. What can I say, he is trustworthy and easy to deal with. The vinyl version of the album should be our for the April tour.

I wrote the album, and made really rough “kitchen table” demos for everyone, hah. Then each member thought about his part in each songs, and the arrangements were build from that feedback. We never jammed any parts, everything was pretty much solid when we met to rehearse.

Where was the album recorded and how long were you guys in the studio? Is the studio environment somewhere you enjoy?

The drums were recorded in Wrexham, Wales, Autumn Road Studios, and the rest in Turku either in Red House or in my home studio. I do enjoy being in the studio and building the cathedral of doom. And now that I have quite proper means to work in home, it also allows me to do some things in a more relaxed way, which is definitely an asset.

November 2008 saw the band head out on the first leg of a European tour in support of ‘Fear No Pain’. How did this tour work out, how were the crowds, reception to the material?

The very first gig we played was in Halle in front of 200 people, who went insane with the raw and wild performance we gave, could not have wished more… There were of course some dates with modest crowds, like playing in Osnabrück for about 20 people in a Sunday evening, but we enjoyed most gigs very much. The last two gigs were hard, we had technical problems in Nuremberg, and the last gig in Switzerland we had some crazy man in LSD (un)doing the lights, which pretty much ruined it for me. I guess Vienna gig was the personal highlight, really nice sound, crowd, and hotel.

Nothing is confirmed yet, but I guess with will be in Germany, France and Benelux countries perhaps. Really looking forward sharing a stage with legends that are Revelation, and having a family reunion with the great MoD people.

The tour will also include a performance at the Doom Shall Rise Festival in April. This has to be a show you are all really looking forward to playing, a real honour to be on the bill alongside the likes of Wino and Revelation?

Indeed. RB played the first edition of the fest, and despite it being the weakest gig on that 2003 tour, we were really happy to share the van with Revelation’s Cornelius-Hunter-Branagan lineup. To do this with the original Brenner-Hall Jr-Branagan lineup feels like closing a great circle. And am definitely looking forward to meet Wino, he is a living legend for sure, his work with The Obsessed must be my favourite of all he has done. So, looking forward immensely!

‘Fear No Pain’ isn’t of course the bands first realse, the three track 7" ‘The Demon Of Freedom’ of course was. Based on the legend of the werewolf that roamed Hiiumaa Island. What made this legend appeal to you so much to want to put it to music?

The novel The Wolf’s Bride, in Finnish Sudenmorsian, by Finnish author Aino Kallas, is one of my favourite texts of all time, filled with arcane feel and having a really strong narrative. I just wanted to pay homage to this story, which is mostly about sexuality and destructive aspects of total freedom.

Did you feel it was time for Reverend Bizarre to come to an end, or did you think the band had more to give? Was Lord Vicar in existence during the Bizarre days?

I think it is healthy and quite supportive scene. There are of course always exceptions to the rule, but bands like The Gates of Slumber, Orodruin, Revelation, Spiritus Mortis, Mirror of Deception, Voodooshock, The Lamp of Thoth, Witchsorrow, Wizar’d, Procession, Garden of Worm, Fall of the Idols, The Wandering Midget, etc., carry the old doom flag onward and deliver some truly heavy performances. We also got for example Witchfinder General, Count Raven, Pagan Altar and Candlemass back in slightly new lineups as well, still doing inspired stuff… And I think The Puritan is very much a doom metal band in extremis, despite Albert reaching for something else.

Next is the Psychotrophic Caravan Festival in Nosturi, Helsinki, 28 Feb, with Circle, Vibravoid and Dark Buddha Rising. Love playing in that venue, always very professional and heavy sounds, and good crowds – I am sure to see the crazy Hellsinki headbangers out there, shouting for Saxon, hah hah!!! Fiat Ars, Pereat Mundus