Finnish sludge metal barbarians Black Royal are sounding grittier than ever on their third full-length album, Earthbound, releasing October 21 on M-Theory Audio. They’re coupling their distinct, Entombed and Black Sabbath-inspired style with the forces of nature that surround them. Vocalist Riku Niemelä is both lyrically and vocally adamant about expressing concern over humanity’s disconnect from Mother Earth.
Although the four-piece’s new record isn’t a concept album, Niemelä rides the natural theme throughout, explaining, “The loose theme is about Finnish ancient myths and folklore, and the Scandinavian way of life—a Scandinavian aboriginal story. We try to concentrate on nature.”
When comparing it to past works, he claims, “Firebride was strictly about witch hunts. The first album (Lightbringer) was about the strength from (the) inner self—Satan from space,” he chuckles about his sarcastic afterthought, then continues, “(Earthbound its) not a ‘saving the planet’ kind of thing… it’s more about (the) old world… how we have forgotten all the ancient gods of nature and the way we used to live with nature. Now, people are just on the internet. Forget your wi-fi; this is the only connection you need.”
When speaking on the band’s innovative musical approach including the heavy use of blues components and scales, the hearty growler elaborates, “We call our style ‘Death Blues,’ so the blues is there.” As far as blues influences go, he pauses for a moment to think, then flippantly declares in his Finnish drawl, “I don’t know… ZZ Top. But of course, everything from New Orleans, it’s really close to our likings. We are a blues band, basically.”
Niemelä isn’t shy in explaining how Black Royal’s metal sausage is made, either. When it comes to their writing rituals, he admits, “The beer is always present. We have never been not drinking when practicing. The beer is our fuel.” He also touches on how their cultural background plays a part in the recording process as well: “Sometimes we have demo sessions in a forest cabin, and because we are Finns, we go into the sauna, and that helps when you are drunk.”
Plans to tour in support of Earthbound are in the works, but the vocalist puts attention to current difficulties in booking dates without an agent for the time being: “Everything is booked, like, a year in advance because every tour was halted because of the pandemic.” So, while Black Royal “waits their turn” to hit the road in early 2023, they’re taking advantage of the reopening of the metal scene in Finland by playing locally. Niemelä boasts, “This summer was awesome because of the festivals, and lots of metal-concentrated festivals, not the common (ones) where you have Korn and some pop bands, where you have Cannibal Corpse and fuckin’ Shania Twain or something,” as he laughs, then reinforces his main point, “Venues and bands have been active.”
Indeed, it will take some time for people to readjust to normal social activities and for bands to get back into rhythmic tour cycles post-pandemic. But what we can’t allow to be lost amidst all the logistical headache is the theme of Earthbound: our essential relationship to nature and its rich lessons taught throughout history.
Follow the band and get the album here.
Photo by Markus Vähäaho
