< PreviousI found my freedom in Germany Tarja Turunen: trained soprano and one of the greatest voices in heavy metal After twelve years, a stranger becomes a friend. Motherhood and a stroke focus her mind on the essentials. Following your own artistic heart costs and gives strength in equal measure ... Tarja Turunen has found herself - and continues to master the balancing act between the musical worlds of classical music and heavy metal with elegance and finesse. She returns to the W:O:A this summer and brings her former Nightwish colleague Marco Hietala with herBy Timon Menge ix times. That’s how of- ten the Finnish soprano Tarja Turunen has performed at Wacken Open Air already: three times with Nightwish, three times as a solo artist. In 2025, she will honor the Holy Ground once again, togeth- er with Marco Hietala, who played the bass in Nightwish during Tarjas time with the band. Tarja, from 2001 until your dismissal in 2005, you were on stage with Marco in Nightwish. After that, there was a long silence, but now you are working very closely together again. You recently said that you have gotten to know each other all over again and that the relationship between you is completely new. What do you mean by that? Tarja Turunen: Seriously, I didn’t know the guy! I was in a band with him, but he was not the same person. First of all, he was an alcoholic and we have talked about this a lot. He’s completely sober now and it’s like I met a new guy. I made friends with a person that I knew but didn’t. It’s a wonderful thing, actually. We really connected in a way we have never been able to do before. Marco feels free, I feel free. He’s happy, I’m happy. We have a lot in common. It’s a really nice thing that I can call him a friend now. Were the two of you even in contact after your dismissal? Tarja: 12 years had passed by, and then I took part in a heavy Christmas project in Finland called Raskasta Joulua and he was one of the original members of the project. So I knew that he was gonna be there because it’s not like there are many singers in the Rock meets Classic world. I was nervous about it. What is it going to be like? Is he going to be OK with me? So on the day of the first show, we were supposed to rehearse and do soundcheck and everything else together, and he didn’t appear. He was not there. Where is the guy? (laughs) And right before the intro, he appears backstage and knocks on my door. He goes: “I’m so sorry!” There had been some kind of problem with his train or the traffic. He gives me a hug, just like that – after 12 years – and says: “See you on stage!“ What did you sing together? Tarja:We sang Schubert’s “Ave Maria” in Finnish to a Finnish audience. It was so emotional. After all these years, singing with the guy, such a fragile song. Everyone in the audience was crying, and we stayed on stage for like five minutes after the song hugging each other, with people crying some more. It was very emotional for both of us. We did a couple of those shows, and during the last show, Marco came backstage and apologized to me in front of everybody. There were technicians, everybody. It made me cry. After that, I didn’t hear from him again until last year. We had been booked for the same festival in Switzerland, and I asked the promoter if I could please get in touch with Marco. I wanted the promoter to ask Marco whether he would do “Phantom Of The Opera” with me. His answer was yes! And when we met, he had a song with him. He had written it, thinking about doing it with me. And that song is “Left On Mars”, our first single together. We performed, we cried a bit, we talked a lot and ever since, it’s been nice. You have been working as a solo artist since 2005. You have not only been singing, but writing songs and producing. To what extent has that changed the way you work on music, compared to playing in a band? Tarja:It has changed it in every way (laughs). I’m doing everything, basically! It’s hard on me. I have to deal with everything, everything goes through my hands. Time is my enemy. Seriously, it is, because I also try to maintain the Classical music and other projects of my musical career, because they are as important as my Rock career is. There is so much that I am doing simultaneously, but I love the variety and the diversity of my work. It keeps me motivated “ ’. ’ , ” Together with her ex-Nightwish colleague Marco Hietala, she is coming to the Holy Ground in 2025and it keeps me going. After all, I have this incredible freedom to express myself with my art. Wasn’t that possible with Nightwish? Tarja:If you are in a band, you are not necessarily writing your music or writing your lyrics. It was a very different situation. The songs were there for me to interpret and for me to give my voice to. But it was not my creation. Now, it is all my creation. The beginning was really nerve-racking because I didn’t know whether I had that in me. But now, after all these years, and seriously doing things and being at the centre of my art, it’s incredible freedom. But it’s hard. I need to make deadlines, I need to be able to complete things. I’m a touring artist and I tour all the time. I’m also a mother. Being able to combine family life with being an artist on the road is a tough task sometimes. Do you still remember how you felt when you were on stage without Nightwish for the first time? Tarja:I played my first show in Berlin, in Germany. After releasing my first album “My Winter Storm”, it became a gold record in Germany, which was unbelievable for me. The support from the German audience was crazy. You kind of adopted me! So yeah, I do remember those first concerts. It was overwhelmingly beautiful. Of course, I had doubts in myself, I was unsure because I’m a perfectionist, and I want to do things perfectly. I had those doubts. Who’s gonna be there, is anybody even gonna come? But they did. Do you remember your first appearance at Wacken Open Air in 2000? What went through your mind back then? Tarja:It was very exciting for me. It is always very exciting for me to play in Wacken! I think every metalhead kind of feels the same. It’s a privilege, it’s an honour. Back then, we hadn’t toured that much with Nightwish yet. So the big crowd was exciting, and I was nervous, obviously. But also very excited to be able to receive all that love from the audience. Even though people back then were fully aware of my background, not being a metalhead myself. In a way, that’s what made the welcome even more warm. But I do remember, I was nervous. When you think back to that time, what were the differences between Tarja back then and Tarja now? Tarja:I became a mother, and that changed me a lot. I have also lived in all these places. From 2001 onwards, I studied in Germany and those were some of the most beautiful years I’ve ever had. Studying and gaining independence and living in a different country rather than my own had a huge impact on me. I gained many new friends who I’m still in touch with today. And I found that freedom in Germany, because there I was never judged for never wanting to choose between Classical music and Metal. After that, I went back to Finland, and then I lived in Buenos Aires in Argentina for almost 10 years. Now, I’ve been living in Spain for eight years. So at this point, my home is where my heart is. And of course, I am stronger than when I was younger. The innocence is gone, and I don’t let people bully me. Bully? Tarja:I still struggle a lot with the fact that I am too sensitive and care too much. That’s always going to be part of me. But I am learning. That comes through therapy and a lot of other stuff. I have realized that it’s very important for you to understand yourself. I have been able to write about “ !” The singer loves to combine classical music and metalhave a very short memory. It happens and then you start repeating your old routines. I try not to get back to where I was. I have learned to say „No“ to many things. I have learned to take my time, take time with my family. I only have one daughter and she’s everything to me. I need to listen to myself. I don’t have any problems to ask for help if I feel like I need it. Now, you are working on a new album. What can you tell us about it? Tarja:We are trying to have a duet with Marco on the album, so hopefully we can get that done. When we recorded “Left On Mars“ back then, I was joking and I said to him: “Now you owe me a song!“ He’s always asking whether something’s ready. (laughs) But I am in the process of writing songs and gathering ideas in between the tours. Are you expecting the collaboration with Marco to last longer, or is this just a short- term project for you? Tarja:We are booking shows until 26, some European dates. So there will be a lot of touring to do! We like working together, but not more than that. What can we expect from your performance at W:O:A 2025? Tarja:Marco will be there with me, of course, and we will do a very special set for you guys. It will be a blast, as it has always been! You can expect lots of smiles. And happy times and power. Emotional roller coaster for everybody. everything that’s bothering me and that’s making me happy. Everything I can see, I have put into my art, and it has liberated me. And through my art, many people are receiving that. I meet a lot of people at my shows and talk to them. And they tell me about their problems. They are not necessarily similar to mine, but we all deal with things. And music is there to really help us feel and get rid of the bad feelings. It’s like therapy. Music has been that for me, so of course I have grown. But I am still the same person, that same crazy, lunatic person, me! In 2018, you suffered from a stroke. What has changed in your life since the stroke? Tarja:Before, trying to live in the moment was all talk. Trying to make every moment as good as possible. But it became so clear to me after that stroke, that I had to understand: Am I really happy? Am I really trying to make the best out of this? Unfortunately, we need to go through trouble before we really start fighting for our dreams or start fighting for our happiness. We also “ . ’” Since suffering a stroke in 2018, Tarja Turunen lives much more consciously and makes sure she doesn’t lose focus on the things that are important to her Credits: Promo, WOAMetal to the bone Peter “Peavy“ Wagner and his outfit Rage have been a pillar of the German heavy metal scene for decades. The band is one of Wacken’s regulars, having graced its main stage just last summer. Now, Peavy’s autobiography “Soundchaser” just hit the shelves, including a foreword by Holger Hübner. In his book, the singer and bassist goes into detail about his passion which is heavy, but not metal: Peavy collects and dissects bones by Andrea Leim age almost didn’t exist – at least not as long and as successful- ly as it does. Because band leader Peter ‘Peavy’ Wagner almost decided against music in favour of the second great Bones are Rage fronter Peavy’s second great passion Peavy Wagner co-wrote his biography ‘Soundchaser’ with journalist and The Bullhead editor Timon Menge. It will be published by SPV on December 6passion in his life. But thanks to the spirited words of his in- structor, the singer and bass- ist ultimately chose the right path, the one with a lot more life to it. In this interview, he tells us why he has been so fascinat- ed with bones since he was a child and how he still pursues his hobby today. Peavy, you grew up with a very strict father. But there was one thing that particularly connected the two of you... Peavy: Exactly. My father was a scientist and teacher. He often explained his work to us children, which I found very interesting. I have such fond memories of that. In particular, he prepared small animals for lessons and showed me everything about the process. I found that fascinating. There was a dead hedgehog that you found when you were a small child. Peavy: I used a stick to move it into our garden and buried it in the sandpit because my father had told me that after a while there would be nothing left but bones. My siblings obviously didn’t like that at all. Later, my father gave me a book that explained how taxidermy works. He got me the chemicals I needed from his school. And how did you manage to obtain the animals as a child? Peavy: I asked our butcher whether he could give me parts that he wasn’t using, for example. Other children get a slice of ham at the counter, but I got a rabbit’s head if I was lucky. Word of my interest also spread among my relatives, so for Christmas, my aunts and Peavy and Rage on the main stage in the summer Ever since his childhood, Peavy Wagner has been interested in taxidermy, and his hobby was even featured in the youth magazine “Treff” A fawn surrounded by replicas of prehistoric human skulls The replica of the polar bear skull was made by Peavyuncles put sheep’s heads under the tree for me. What was the hobby about for you? Peavy: I had a purely scientific interest. I was fascinated by skeletons and everything you can learn from them. That still applies today. How does the human skeleton differ from that of a cat, for example? Peavy: Basically, the blueprint of all vertebrates is the same. Of course, the number of bones varies, but it does so even in humans, depending on how old they are. Children have far more bones than adults. In addition, different creatures vary in their bone structure due to adaptations to their habitat. Some have developed fins, others a long tail. Basically, however, all vertebrates can be compared to one another, which I find very intriguing. As a teenager, you even ended up in a youth magazine with your preparations. How did that happen? Peavy: The magazine was called Treff and was aimed at children and teenagers. In each issue, a child presented their hobby. I think my brother suggested that I submit my unusual hobby. The editors then called me, interviewed me and wanted a photo. That ended up in the paper. What did your friends think of your pastime? Peavy: It elicits mixed reactions, then and now. Some are totally fascinated and want to know everything, while others are somewhat repulsed by it. There used to be a girl in our neighbourhood who always ran away screaming. But anyone who looks into it further soon realises that there’s nothing disgusting about it. After school, you started training as a taxidermist in Bochum. Peavy: That was around the time that Rage really took off. We had just released our first album and were given the opportunity to tour with Destruction and Kreator. I was in a pickle because I was already training at the taxidermy school in Bochum and in the workshop of renowned taxidermist Ute Ledebohr. The confirmation of my application had taken ages. So the decision to abandon this in favour of music was very difficult. Did that cause you sleepless nights? Peavy: Definitely. I also knew that my father would totally freak out if I quit. But at some point, Ute Ledebohr said to me: “Do the tour! You can reapply to school and finish your “, ’ ” He holds the silicone mould of a wombat skull in his handstraining later. But you won’t get another shot at music.” Music became your life’s work. However, you have also remained loyal to taxidermy. Peavy: I spend all my free time on my hobby. I am very well integrated into a small but excellent community and maintain a dialogue with other enthusiasts, experts and scientists. And I still do some taxidermy. What kind of projects do you work on, and for whom? Peavy: Mostly it’s my hobby, I do it for myself. But for many years I collaborated with Ute, with whom I was also in a relationship for several years. She was a teacher at the University of Applied Sciences in Bochum and knew a lot of people from the taxidermy and academic scene. I took on jobs with her or for her on the side, making skeleton mounts and casts, for example. One particular item even got you on television... Peavy: I worked closely with an anthropologist who ran the Anthropological Institute at the University of Thübingen for a long time. He studied fossilised bones of prehistoric humans, which I had the privilege of replicating for him using casting techniques. At some point, this involved the skeleton of a 3.2 million-year-old pre-human called ‘Lucy’. The bones were found in Ethiopia in the early seventies, but a lot of them were missing. I modelled the missing parts and it turned into a real complete reconstruction, which the TV programme Terra X eventually reported on. Do you play heavy metal when you reconstruct or prepare bones or is it completely silent? Peavy: I like to work alone and in peace and find it almost meditative. I am very lucky to own a reasonably large house in Herne, where I have set up a workshop. A classic skeleton assembly takes a few months because there’s so much work involved. Is it possible to see your works on display somewhere? Peavy: I used to receive enquiries from zoos in the Ruhr region when an animal had died there. I once prepared an orangutan for the zoo school in Gelsenkirchen, for example, which is still shown to visitors. For Duisburg Zoo, I made a cast of half a tiger skull, which is displayed in a cabinet at the tiger pen. Visitors can touch it and feel what the animal’s teeth feel like, for example. How many items make up your collection and which is the largest? Peavy: I can’t say for sure. There are thousands because I’ve been collecting things since I was four years old. The biggest thing I have is a moose skeleton from an eight-year-old bull moose. It’s about three metres high and almost touches the ceiling. “ ” A reconstructed human skull from the 7th century. The injury was caused by a sword blow Work commissioned by Gelsenkirchen Zoo: the skeleton of an orangutan Peavy ended up on TV programme “Terra X” with the fully reconstructed skeleton of pre-human Lucy Credits: Privat, WOABy Celia Woitas “ou’ll hear from Rek- tum again” – this promising line was delivered by Jukka Vidgren and Juu- so Laatio at the end of their 2018 film “Heavy Trip”. With this chaotic and amusing story about the adven- tures of the metal band Impaled Rek- tum, the two Finns had achieved a surprising hit. And when Finns make a promise, they keep it! By late 2019, the two directors had be- gun working on the script for the sequel to the story of the “most dangerous heavy metal band in the world.” This time, it was clear that the world’s best metal festival also had to play a major role. The 35-day shoot took the team from Finland through Lith- uania to Rostock, culminating both the story and the production in the wild, muddy chaos of the Wacken Open Air. Like its pre- decessor, this film thrives on its unpredictable humor, sparking laughter during its premiere at this year’s Filmfest Hamburg and in select cinemas across Germany and Austria. Jukka and Juuso, humor is clearly an important tool for both of you. What makes you laugh? Juuso Laatio: You have to be able to laugh at yourself to stay sane. I’ve always enjoyed good visual comedies, like the classic Pink Panther series with Peter Sellers, The Naked Gun with Leslie Nielsen, or Will Ferrell’s movies. Jukka Vidgren: I’m generally not a very funny guy. It’s more about how I perceive the world around me. Many things seem The Finnish Promise For their film ‘Heavier Trip - Road To Wacken’, directors Jukka Vidgren and Juuso Laatio took on the masses of water at W:O:A 2023. The second part of the cult comedy about the Finnish band Impaled Rektum has now been released. We spoke with the two filmmakers about healing humor, actors in the mud, and Babymetal Impaled Rektum in the mud of the W:O:A amidst the metal fans The directors Jukka Vidgren (left) and Juuso Laatiohumorous to me, even when they’re darker. That’s my way of coping with life. Some of my family members had tough lives, and humor was a coping mechanism that helped them keep going. So I believe comedy can be healing. My biggest inspirations for comedy are The Blues Brothers, Groundhog Day, A Fish Called Wanda, and anything by Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker, the creators of The Naked Gun. You filmed “Heavier Trip – Road to Wacken” during a very turbulent Open Air in 2023. What was that like? Jukka Vidgren: Interesting! It rained for the entire week before the festival, and during all of our on-site filming as well. The grounds were extremely muddy, and the festival was in crisis mode. Many metal heads had to be turned away because their cars got stuck in the mud and needed tractors to pull them out. But in the end, we managed to shoot everything we needed. It was an unforgettable – albeit very wet – experience. Juuso Laatio: It reminded me a lot of my time in the military: spending days outdoors in horrible weather, not knowing what would happen next, wading through knee-deep mud, sleeping in a box, and putting on wet clothes again the next day. Not my ideal Wacken experience, but definitely a legendary one! I survived Wacken 2023 and even managed to capture some great footage! What kind of music do you personally enjoy? Juuso Laatio: I’ve played instruments all my life. I started learning the violin at age three, moved on to acoustic and later electric guitar, and eventually took up drumming. Music is my lifeblood. I enjoy all styles, but metal has been a big part of my life since my teenage years. Right now, I’m really into chaotic, distorted vocals – the kind that almost sound like they were poorly recorded. Jukka Vidgren: I’m not as much of a hardcore metalhead as “, ’ ” Impaled Rektum finds itself in a tough spot – or more pre- cisely, in a Norwegian prison! As a result, the band is forced to decline an offer to perform at the world’s biggest metal open-air festival in Wacken. But when the guitarist’s fa- ther falls gravely ill and the family’s home and slaugh- terhouse face ruin, the band decides it’s time to act. The four friends break out of prison and set off on a road trip to Wacken, determined to solve their financial trou- bles with a performance at W:O:A. Along the way, they encounter their idols (the ag- ing metal band Bloodmotor), clash with the diabolical re- cord label boss Fisto (Anatole Taubman), and are pursued by a dangerously ruthless prison warden. But their big- gest challenge is to stick to- gether amidst all the chaos... Wild chase through the streets of Lithuania Thomas Jensen with actor Anatole Taubman, who plays the diabolical record label boss Fisto Pasi (left) and Turo with a burning guitarNext >