From the cold Finnish shores, Wolfheart’s seventh album will be out in September 2024.
Filled with melodious fast-paced tempos and aggressive blast-beats, the winter and Mother Nature themes are, once again, prominent in the melodic death metal band.
Tuomas Saukkonen shared with us a few insights of the upcoming album, what led the wolfpack to create a darker and raw metal album, and upcoming concerts for this year. Plus, the lead-singer also cites his favorite bands, if there were a Finnish Big Four of Death Metal, where Wolfheart would be part of the roster.
M.I. - First album via Reigning Phoenix Music. Why choosing this new label instead of keeping with Napalm Records?
We already had 3 albums with Napalm Records and no complaints about anything. It’s a marvelous record company, everyone’s great. I still have my other band (Before the Dawn) where I’m still continuing working with Napalm Records, but for Wolfheart we only a contract for 3 albums.
We were free to choose other options, different labels and Reigning Phoenix was very appealing, it’s a new label, they also have a huge bands roster, such as Kerry King, Meshuggah, Opeth and Amorphis. It's our seventh album also. We needed fresh ideas, new ways of doing things and it’s a new opportunity not to be missed.
M.I. - Comparing with King of the North (2022), what can we expect from Draconian Darkness (2024)?
It is darker and more aggressive. There’s a huge number of melodies, but it’s definitely darker, heavier and the tempos go a lot higher. King of the North was our most mid-tempo. It’s closer to our debut album, Winterborn (2013), and I played drums on that album, but this new one has more blast-beats. It’s a bit similar to Tyhjyys (2017) and Constellation of the Black Light (2020).
M.I. - Was the single “Grave” filmed in Finnish shores?
It was filmed in Iceland. Finland has a lot of beautiful nature, but it’s too nice for filming. It’s the second time we went to Iceland, and a few times in Norway too. Finland is too much nice, in a way. We don’t have mountains and Fjords, and for certain music I think that sometimes we need something quite majestic and roughness for this type of music. Again, Finland is way too green, a lot of lakes and forests and a nice play for a cozy vacation.
M.I. - Again, the theme of nature quite prominent in Wolfheart’s discography. Is this related to climate change or nothing at all?
It’s more like Mother Nature and our relationship with nature. I try to keep all the environmental stuff out, because this leads into a political stand, and I’d like to avoid from this.
Our relationship with nature, whereas history or future it’s an important connection.
M.I. - It’s not the first time you collaborated with Saku Moilanen, both in music sessions and with Deep Noise Studios.
We’ve known him for about 15 years. I’ve also worked with him in my other band Dawn of Solace, where he’s recording right a new album right now and in Before the Dawn as well. He’s done previous Wolfheart’s albums.
He’s not simply an engineer. He’s part of the core, a team member and might even say part of the wolfpack. I don’t see him only as a person to hire for working, but someone very special for us. His studio is half an hour from our hometown.
M.I. - The artwork is amazing. Who came up with the album’s title, as well as artwork design?I came up with the title and with a few guidelines too. We’ve been using the same guy, Nikos Stavidrakis from VisionBlack and he’s been doing all our covers, as well as Dawn of Solace and Before the Dawn.
Once I find a good person to work with, I usually want to stick with him. Why changing the winning team? I guess it’s good for me and him, and we’ve only met twice years ago. We don’t spend time together, we live in different countries, but his imagination completely adds up a new layer to my own. Especially this winter themes, which for me there’s not special about winter, it comes every year, but to Nikos there’s no winter and he’s able to add new elements and visions on top of my guidelines. He’s an artist.
M.I. - You will be touring around Europe, and Portugal too!
Every summer we come to Portugal. This year we’ve been in Laurus Nobilis metal festival. We’re also doing a lot of shows in Spain, especially with Moonspell and Dark Tranquillity that will be headlining. We love Portugal, we love playing there.
M.I. - If you had to choose a Big Four of Finnish death metal bands, and Wolfheart was included too, which were the other three?
Insomnium, especially the original lineup. That’s a band that I fell in love years ago with the guitars, but it won’t anymore because one of them is working right as a doctor in the university.
There’s another Finnish band that doesn’t anymore, called Sodan Jumala, translated to English means War. They only sing in Finnish, and it’s a lot like Bathory, war history and it’s the best death metal band for me. A phenomenal band, but it kind of narrows down the audience just singing in Finnish. The third one is Moonsorrow.
M.I. - Thank you for speaking with us! Would you like to share any last message with our readers?
Check out the new single! It’s going to be out for a while.
For Portuguese version, click here
Listen to Wolfheart, on Spotify
Questions by André Neves
