Band: FRAGILE HOLLOW (ex-PROPHET)
Country of origin: Finland
Style: dark / doom / goth
Questions by: Kai Mathias Stalhammar
Answers supplied by: Aleksi Ahokas (vocals, bass)

As "Broken Promise" shouldn't be considered a brand new work anymore, let's start with the latest news concerning PROPHET / FRAGILEHOLLOW. What are you up to these days?

- Well, last November - December have been the most promising time for us. We were finally aproached with two recording deals. We were just going to sign to My Kingdom Music but I got a mail from Avantgarde Music that they would be interested too. It's big for us as we wanted there when we started the band... Also we got lisenced to Russia + ex-USSR countries. Irond is going to release CD that has "Death Becomes You", "Miles Away" and "Broken Promise", possibly with bonus track. Also we played our biggest gigs here and Estonia.

You have released one promo CD ("Gone"), one single CD ("Miles Away"), two demo tapes ("The Sky Takes You Away", "Death Becomes You") and finally a mini-CD ("Broken Promise") thus far, - all of them independently! Something hard to believe in, frankly speaking... Where the hell did you contrive to find a necessary budget in order to cover all the expenses?? I mean, you guys still are pretty young, also seeming to have no job whatsoever to gain money from.

- I really don't know... I spend all my money to band and alcohol. Last time we had to take a loan cause the whole thing cost about 3400 Euros / 20000 Marks. The demos cost only 700 Marks to record in two days. So that's not much. But if we decide to make a real cd it costs 1000 a day. The next one we'll do costs 2000 a day...

Don't you think that putting out five works in a less than three years is just too much? At least, if I was you, I'd better come up with a full-length CD featuring all of the tunes "The Sky Takes You Away", "Gone", "Miles Away", "Death Becomes You" and "Broken Promises" are comprised of.

- It's less that we have wanted (whew!!! - ED). We have heaps of unreleased songs. We just havent had money to record em. And as we have made all the arrangements (duplication, artwork, distribution) by ourselves it's not a small project to start.

Was any of your offerings successful enough in terms of sales?

- It depends. We have sold almost all copies. About 20 copies of "Miles Away" & "Broken Promise" are left. So I think we have sold fine. We have never asked bigger prize than expences. As some bands sell shit wrapped with shit and ask about 10$... The first 500 "Broken Promise" cost more
that we got from it.

By the way, is there any distro / record company f.ex. "Broken Promise" is available from? Or do you prefer to take care of everything yourselves?

- No distro, only this licence deal with Irond. It's nice to do things by ourselves but it's not nice to pay.

How did you manage to make Henri (a.k.a. Trollhorn) play keyboards for "Broken Promise"? Is he going to stay a part of the band? Generally speaking, are you friends with MOONSORROW chaps?

- We knew that Henri is amazing keyboard player. Sami has known him longer as he was friend with his younger brother or something. Yeah sure he's our friend. Tea will play in the new record. We got her back to the band as session musician.

Judging by the fact you had to issue all the PROPHET releases on your own, I assume the band you seem to be a mastermind behind, isn't that lucky...

- Unlucky... correct, but there're many great bands in same situation. But we really HAD to do these things. We did not choose to do so, I think we were born to do so. And some great bands have done 10 years of work before getting noticed. Still their first works are as good as the new ones. It seems that it's always about the mainstream. Of course it's easier to get noticed stealing someone's best ideas, not making your own music..

Taking the situation described above into consideration, did you ever think of giving up?

- Never, only giving up with some members. But never music.

You and Sami are the only ones left of the original lineup. Didn't others believe in the band as much as you do?

- Correct. Thats why we kicked 'em out of the band. Also we had some disagreements with the metal music.

What if I'd name PROPHET a "love metal" band, just like I use to do in case with labeling all the CDs by HIM and ENTWINE?

- Go ahead. You have to label something, right? HIM is great, ENTWINE is not.

Would you say, there's a certain number of people / maga(zines) / whoever else, which keep on supporting PROPHET from the very beginning?

- You ;). And some bands like DENIGRATE.

If you once think it's time to stop pushing PROPHET further and part ways with music, what would you name most principal reasons making you do it?

- I can't think of any. I am pushing other things away because of music.

I guess I won't be mistaken stating you're in love with alcohol (just like all Finns, actually ;) ). What do you prefer, and is there anything you'd suggest to escape hangover?

- Hmmm, maybe sex. Try to drink much water before you go to bed.

As Finland's neighboring Russia, let me wonder if you ever considered coming over here and performing live?

- Yeah, sure if someone arranges everything.

Thanks and good luck with the band! In fact, I guess "luck" is what you need most at the moment...

- Thanks man!

... just as always: final words please.

- "Prophet" is "FragileHollow" = www.brokenpromise.cjb.net

FRAGILE HOLLOW contact -
Email: fragilehollow@rock.com