Interview with HATEFUL CHAINS (2/2)

Before the Finnish goth rockers from Hateful Chains play at the annual Wave-Gotik-Treffen on May 23, 2026 at 20:00 in de Moritzbastei, we talk to singer Flora in our two-part interview about her current album “Lambs and Goats”, ask ourselves critical questions of faith, ponder about the devil, life in Finland and the near future. Missed the first part? No problem, you can read it here .

Orkus: “Lucifer” is very thought-provoking. Was there a particular inspiration for this song?
Flora Kok: The song is about questioning things and getting to the point where lying to yourself is no longer an option. I was taught that Lucifer is the same as Satan and that he is the “father of lies”. I really felt strongly that I had been taught lies when I was raised Christian, so deconstruction meant that the lies, his children, had to die. The figure of Lucifer became a symbol of questioning for me, especially since I’ve always had a curiosity about occult knowledge, which of course was forbidden in my environment. It’s as if this figure has always had this dual nature: on the one hand, it stood for the lies I had been taught and that I told myself, but on the other hand, it also stood for the other option, the knowledge that there is something other than submitting one’s will to a belief determined by humans.

O: In your opinion, is there a difference between Lucifer and Satan?
FK: I think so. I don’t think they were originally one and the same figure, if you look at history. These two have different origins, and the connection came later in church history. I’m not a theist, so I don’t believe either character actually exists. But figures can be a great way to symbolize and give shape to concepts that are hard to put into words.

O: When did you realize that “Lambs and Goats” would be the title track and that it represented the album perfectly?

FK: We had initially considered “Outside” as the title, but then I had an idea for the cover image that I couldn’t get past, so we decided on “Lambs and Goats”. And I think it fits well. The song is about realizing that a cult is a mindset, regardless of what the doctrine is. I kind of realized that during the pandemic when both Christians and new age followers were very critical of vaccination and followed their leaders down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, which was a big issue at the time. Even if you think you’re one of the “goats” rebelling against the system and going your own way, you may still be going with the flow and not realize it.

O: Would you say that living in Finland has also shaped you as a musician in some way? In what way?
FK: Oh, Finland has influenced me in many ways: without the Finnish system of free education, I might not have been able to study music at all, let alone two degree courses. Music education starts in elementary school and there is also a good system for further musical education. I didn’t start as a child, but I was still able to catch up and make a career out of it. Another point is my family background: since both parents were classically trained, I have many siblings and we went to church every week, music was always present. Also, there are pretty good opportunities for bands in Finland, at least if you are willing to organize events yourself. Maybe there is something that makes this DIY attitude possible.

O: What do you particularly like about Finland? – And what do you think could be improved?
FK: I love nature, especially summer, the endless light and the birds. I know most people hate this time of year, but somehow I really enjoy the time from October to November when it gets really dark. It’s like you can actually feel the veil thinning.

I also very much appreciate a society based on trust and honesty. But as in any society, there are flaws and lately the direction things are heading seems to be pretty bleak. The good things that have been built up over generations are now being dismantled and this is slowly eroding trust. Improvement would mean taking a few steps back and rethinking the policy decisions currently being made.

O: What are Hateful Chains ‘ plans for the near future?
FK: We are currently recording and producing a new song, which will hopefully be released shortly after the WTG. It will be called “Entities”. We’re also working on new songs that will probably make up the third Hateful Chains album. My recent lyrics have been more about strange phenomena, ghosts and things from the spirit world, but also about events in our actual reality. So maybe a theme is taking shape, but I can’t say anything definite about it yet. We are also planning some concerts for the fall in Finland.

Claudia Zinn-Zinnenburg

Line-up:
Flora Kok – vocals, keyboards, acoustic guitar
Kimmo Laaksonen – guitar
Jani Ilande – bass
Jani Vilhunen – drums

Watch the video for “Lucifer”: