1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
(Santtu) Well, there’s a ton of work to put out an album after things are recorded. We tracked guitars in the Spring of 2023, drums and vocals in July, and then mixed and mastered from August through November. After that we sent the album out to a bunch of labels but we decided to self-release (more on that in the question below). In parallel we were working on the album artwork, doing tryouts for a new bassist (and we also considered adding a keyboardist but decided not to), and organizing our Pacific Northwest US tour with Finnish band Event Relentless. We’ve been super busy!
2.You have a new album coming out in March, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
(Santtu) We’ll release two singles in March, and the full album will be released in April. The Dark Horizon really leans in on our old school melodic death metal roots, and as a result has a more blackened melodic death metal sound compared to our previous release, Shadow of Death. There's more tremelo picking, more blast beats, but still holding on to a very melodic core. We're very happy with how the album ended up, and we grew a ton through the process. The song writing is more mature, the lyrics are stronger because Sean wrote them all instead of me, the musicianship is better, and the mix is fantastic. We're all super excited to be sharing this album with the world, and hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it!
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?
(Sean) The primary lyrical theme on this album is the tension between hope and hopelessness as felt through the human experience: war, politics, creation, destruction, faith, and doubt. The lyrics are reflections on these contrasts, zooming in on personal conflict, and zooming out on civilizational conflict. The backdrop for all of this is the vastness of the universe and how it evokes a sense of existential dread or crisis; in the midst of finding meaning in our struggles, there's an incomprehensible and unknowable nature of existence beyond the horizon.
(Santtu) I think one of the ways that this album is better than our prior efforts is with the songwriting - it’s more mature and developed. As with just about everything, with more practice and experience we get better at things. Having put out 2 EPs and a full length album we’ve learned a lot about songwriting, and are able to apply lessons learned and new techniques. But even so, the core of our songwriting remains - very melodic riffs in a framework of death metal.
(Jason) Adding to Santtu's comments about songwriting, I think we've grown quite a bit simply in becoming more aware and responsive to what each other needs musically. Like for me, I feel that I have a better awareness of what the guys need from a structural standpoint. For example, how I might make a transition easier to follow or when to keep a part locked in vs. when I can open up and experiment with different drum parts that may add some variety to a song. Though I'm sure this is probably a common experience with any band that grows together, it certainly is a factor in our case.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name "Veriteras"?
(Santtu) It’s the combination of the Finnish words “veri”, which means “blood”, and “teräs”, which means “steel”. “Blood steel” would be the literal translation, although we picked that as a name because it harkens to our Scandinavian musical roots (plus Santtu is Finnish) and we thought it sounded cool. My cousin in Finland pointed out that he interpreted the name as being translated to be “bloody blade”, which is kind of cool. Maybe we should rename ourselves to be Battle Sword.
5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
(Sean) The core concept of the artwork is found in the lyrics of "Celestial Darkness," which explores hope and despair when thinking about the cosmos and our place in it. I envisioned and started with a sketch of a mysterious nebula that gives life to new creation on other worlds. To me, it evokes the wonder of what other consciousness exists in the universe, and whether they look to the skies and ask themselves the same profound questions about the nature of existence. In many ways, this is a general theme across the album and the other lyrics.
6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
(Santtu) One in particular stands out for me, which was playing at Varjobaari in Tampere, Finland during our tour in FInland in 2022. It was the last show of our tour, and a lot of people turned out for it. It just felt like we were in sync with the crowd, feeding off each other’s energy. One of the other bands we were touring with, Hagalas, was selling buckets at their merch table. We came to learn that when a new grocery store opens they give out buckets. People apparently show up early to wait in line, sort of like Black Friday in the US. So they applied the concept as merch for their band. Maybe we should try that too!
7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
(Santtu) Indeed we do! We’ll be hitting the road a week after the album is released in the Pacific Northwest corner of the US. We’ll be joined by Finnish metal band Event Relentless for the tour, and we’re super excited to play a bunch of cities we’ve never been to before. The tour is funded in part through the generosity of the Finlandia Foundation, who provided a grant to help make the tour a reality. We’ll be playing Bellingham, Bremerton, Spokane, Richland, Boise, Bend, Portland, Olympia, and Seattle.
8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
(Santtu) Yup, at the moment we’re contentedly independent. We shopped The Dark Horizon around a bit with some labels, but there was limited interest. We also realized that what we were really looking for was the PR aspect. A label would have many advantages, but we felt we could get most of the benefit by working with a PR firm. We ended up partnering with Clawhammer PR, and they are absolutely fantastic to work with. Highly recommended!
9.On a worldwide level, how has the reaction been to your music by fans of melodic black and death metal?
(Santtu) Well, keep in mind that we’re a super small amateur metal band doing this out of passion. Of the entire world of people who are melodic black or death metal fans, only a small percentage has heard our music. Of those people, an even smaller percentage has found it notable enough to respond to it. That said, we’ve been extremely humbled by the response from metal fans across the world. They’ve been tremendously supportive and encouraging, and it’s really cool to see people enjoying the music. We’ll see how folks like the new album - we had a lot of fun making it, and really like the way it sounds, hopefully others do as well (but it’s ok if they don’t…).
10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
(Santtu) We’ve been super thankful for everything we’ve had the opportunity to accomplish thus far. We’re trying not to take anything for granted - who knows what the future holds. We’re certainly having a lot of fun in Veriteras, and I’m pretty sure we’ve got at least another album in us, probably more. Maybe add a bit more dashes of folk into the next album? Revisit Europe? Become a cover band that plays exclusively Veriteras songs?
11.What are some of the bands or musical styles the band members are currently listening to nowadays?
(Santtu) For me, lately, it’s been folk metal - Grymheart, early-era Ensiferum, and Verikalpa. Also listening to a bunch of our fellow bands like Inpathos, Vesuvian, and Xoth. We’re blessed to have an awesome and vibrant local music scene - tons of bands to listen to.
(Jason) My interests have always leaned more toward straight-ahead American death metal, but some of the melodic influences of the other guys have affected my listening over the last few years as well. For example, Arch Enemy, Ensiferum, Omnium Gatherum, Lutharo, Eluveitie. Santtu mentioned folk metal and some of that's rather new to me, but I'm really enjoying what I'm hearing. Not to mention folk metal shows are different than regular death metal shows, they're some of the funnest I've ever been to.
In addition, I've been listening to Ne Obliviscaris for a while now, and I love how they integrate the violin with such heavy and pleasing melodies. Also of note is this band White Ward that I stumbled across a few months back, the first death metal band I've ever heard with a saxaphone. Maybe you could call it sexy death metal, haha. Perhaps they invented a new genre, but admittedly it's new and novel and I keep going back to it.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
(Santtu) Thanks so much for the chance to share about our album and band!
https://veriteras.bandcamp.com/album/the-dark-horizon
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