Loits is a long-standing Estonian black metal band led by Ahto Lembetu from Tallinn. Today, we will speak with him about their music, the Baltic scene, and broader aspects of life and the current situation in the region.
Hello Ahto! It will be your first time playing live in Slovakia. How do you feel about that? I know there are not many connections between our countries, but what comes to mind first when you think about Slovakia?
Loits performs rarely and therefore every ascent to the stage is a special event for us. We are ready and I hope that so are you. It will be a proper ruckus. Estonia and Slovakia don’t have strong ties indeed, and somehow your country has been off our radar, but due to your invitation we had a chance to visit Slovakia with the family a few years ago, and our impressions were the best possible. By the way, when I announced on the Estonianmetal.com page that Loits will be performing in Slovakia, it came as a surprise that quite a few Estonian metal bands had given concerts there, like Metsatöll, Intrepid, Manatark, Goresoerd, Pedigree, Thou Shell of Death, Estoner, Kannabinõid… Manatark (a band closely affiliated with Loits) has even been under a Slovakian label, Metal Age Productions. When I think of Slovakia, the first bands to come to mind are Malokarpatan / Krolok and Cult Of Fire. Already enough to be proud of. Oh right, to finish this topis properly, a big FUCK OFF to all pro-Russian Slovakian politicians.
Loits has been around for nearly 30 years, and in my opinion, it is one of the most distinctive black metal bands, not only in the Baltic region. Some label your music as “flak’n’roll,” while others say it has avant-garde elements. Could you tell us about how Loits was formed and your songwriting process?
Huh, I had been tinkering with my own project already since the early nineties when I was still playing in a bunch of other bands like Decay, Decease, Discrucior, Tharaphita. Finally we had our first recording down in 1996 and we needed a permanent name, so Loits was born. In 1999, some close friends joined the band and the war machine got going. “Militant flak n’ roll” slogan emerged during the Vere kutse kohustab album and was primarily meant to describe that record. Loits is in a constant change. When you listen to the EP released in the end of 2024, the influence of rock n’ roll is exactly zero, It is the dullest thing to describe the song writing process, especially in the context of Loits, and especially now when we haven’t really been that keen to present any new material to the audience…
You have a relatively new lineup now, and many members are significantly younger than you, Ahto. How do you get along with such young people? I hope they show you the respect you deserve! (Haha)
Yes, the average age off Loits members is currently lower than the age of the band itself and that sounds a bit weird but it became clear at one point that the old way doesn’t take us any further anymore. We had to draw the line and start anew with a new group of people. There is some connection to the previous Loits: our new drummer is the son of our old drummer and keyboard player. A young man whom I know practically since his first breath. A guy who makes a name himself now with his death metal band Intrepid, touring all over Europe with the big names of the genre. In general, it’s easy with the young, for several reasons. Loits has a strong reputation here and it’s important for them to be part of the legacy. They are also much better at their instruments than we ever were. And certainly they’re better people as far as characters go (hahaha). We’ll see what will happen when we start hatching some new material, but currently they have taken to the band really well.
There have been some rumors about Loits, particularly from people who misunderstand Estonian history and have tried to associate your lyrics with extreme ideologies. I know you’ve addressed this many times, but once and for all, could you clarify this for our website?
In case you are interested in rumours, you have no place in the black metal scene. I like to discover the world and hence I rule out following any ideology blindly (like people who have a fixed answer for everything). Any form of socialism is totally unacceptable for me as well, so believe what you want but leave me and Loits out of these games! Loits is purely based on history and also mythology at the early stages. That’s it.
Speaking of lyrical themes, Estonian history is truly tragic, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries. In your opinion, what were the most challenging events in your country’s history?
Estonia has suffered so many wars that it would take a long time to list them all. When it comes to the survival of the nation, the low point must have been the Livonian War in 1558-1583. In addition to the military activity, looting and pillaging the country was ravaged by the small ice age, famine and plague. Only about 120 000 Estonians were left. 75% of rural households remained empty. After the Livonian war, the population grew rapidly to almost 400 000 and then we were hit by The Northern War 1700-1710 that brought back all the destructive factors of the Livonian War (except for the small ice age) and the population fell to about 150 000 again.
Two population catastrophies in a short time, after another. In Northern Estonia, there were completely desolate areas. Two thirds of our population vanished. And our Eastern neighbour showed extraordinary cruelty then, as they do now. And back then, Estonians were also forced to fight in foreign armies against our neighbour in the East. Nothing has changed since the day when the Eastern tribes started to raise their heads in the 9th Century. But here we still are, and as long as we have our own language and culture, there is a lot to protect.
Current events, particularly Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have raised concerns about the security of the Baltic countries. What is Estonia’s position? You are a small nation but have shown immense support for Ukraine.
Estonia stood out with its substantial support to Ukraine in the beginning on the Ukraine War. At the time when bigger forces were still indecisive or acted like total jerks. Estonians simply know what to expect from the East (and also the West, unfortunately). We have to stay vigilant all the time here. No matter what ideology runs the country in the East. Things seem to go the same way there. And we help the one in need as much as we can, because when the eye of Sauron stops on Estonia one day, we will need a lot of outside help as well. By then, we have to be so tightly connected to the West that there would be no temptation to sell us out in the bigger game again…
Unfortunately, many Slovak black metal fans, as well as people in general, hold pro-Russian views. What would you say to them to help open their eyes? I often use the Baltic countries as an example, as all three suffered under Russian occupation for decades. I shudder to think what would have happened if you weren’t now part of NATO, given the constant Russian threats to the Baltic republics.
Pro-Russian black-metal fans FUCK OFF! You cannot open the eyes of the stupid people. When you have a gun held to the back of your head, it’s too late to regret. Russia won’t stop before it’s stopped by force. There is no word for “home” in the Russian language. It’s not a fixed territory. Russia is wherever the Russians are.
