Blackment, the Finnish masters of diverse melodic metal, have released more new material from their upcoming second studio album. Along with the release of the “Afterlife” single, the band unfortunately also has to announce that the album’s release has been delayed from the originally planned date in June.
“The production of the last five tracks took a bit longer than expected, so we’re way behind schedule. In a situation like this, it’s better to take some extra time so we can polish the album to sound exactly the way it’s supposed to,” the band says.
The newly released “Afterlife” offers a great preview of what’s to come on the upcoming album.
Listen to the single on music services (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal, YouTube Music etc.): https://push.fm/fl/blackment-afterlife
“Afterlife is a really dynamic song, and I think it really highlights the strengths of every member of Blackment. The song showcases our lighter, more atmospheric side,” says Sebastian Nyandoto.
Guitarist-composer Saalas Ruokangas set himself the challenge on “Afterlife” of creating a song built around a single chord progression without trying to make it so-called “radio-friendly” music.
“You can only find that out by trying, and Afterlife’s initial ideas seemed to have the makings of such an experiment. Personally, I’m very happy with the end result. The song’s most essential elements are exceptionally simple compared to our other material, which allowed for a structure where those elements are introduced one by one, and as the song builds to a climax, they all come together at the same time,” says Saalas Ruokangas.
Sami Vuorenheimo, who wrote the lyrics, mulled over the song’s themes several times last fall.
“The theme emerged—loneliness and the desire to protect one’s loved ones to the very end—or beyond. This formed a cryptic story in which the anxiety is palpable. It may be that the next album will feature a continuation of the story with a twist, which can be inferred from the message at the end of the song,” Vuorenheimo adds.
The duo Allan Välimaa and Hille Sadehelmi, who also directed the previous “In Motion” video, are behind the “Afterlife” music video as well, though the concept was developed by the entire team. Preparations for the shoot included blindfolds, spray paint, and roses, the station master’s desk, as well as an old-school scouting expedition in the woods to find good filming locations.
“We decided to go with symbolism that complements the song’s narrative perfectly. The identity of the man in the cloak in the video is crystal clear to everyone! Allan handled the filming and the water bowl shaking flawlessly, not to mention Akseli’s spotlight effect. There’s also an Easter egg hidden in the classic style—comment and report this on YouTube to claim your parrot sticker!” Sami Vuorenheimo hints.
Blackment are:
Sami Vuorenheimo – vocals
Saalas Ruokangas – guitar & backing vocals
Allan Välimaa – guitar
Väinö Huhtanen – bass & backing vocals
Sebastian Nyandoto – keyboards & backing vocals
Akseli Aalto – drums
The single also features: Hille Sadehelmi – backing vocals
Blackment is a melodic metal band that was founded in 2014 at Hyvinkää, Finland. Their debut album “Plains of Oblivion” was released in autumn 2022. The album has gotten airplay in various European countries. In addition, the band was nominated for the newcomer of the year 2022 by Kaaoszine (a Finnish music news website). In 2023-2024 Blackment released three singles “Pariah”, “Ghost in the Machine” and “Freedom Fall”. The band also competed as a semifinalist in the Wacken Metal Battle Finland competition.
Over the years Blackment has developed a recognizable sound and style including catchy melodies, tricky yet punchy guitars, groovy drums and bass, atmospheric synths and a wide range of vocals with unique voice. The six-piece band has been praised for their energetic live shows and they have performed for example at Heavy Metal Heart Festival and at Semifinal club in Helsinki.
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Afterlife
Composition & arrangement: Saalas Ruokangas
Lyrics: Sami Vuorenheimo
Recording engineer: Harri Petjakko
Mixer: Matias Kupiainen
Mastering Engineer: Mika Jussila
Cover artwork: Akseli Aalto
Blackment-logo: Ania Bodziarczyk
