Finnish Blackment released their debut album ‘Plains of Oblivion‘ in 2022. The excitement, momentum, and pressure surrounding the new album were intense after the debut, and fans had to wait four years for the ‘Pandemonium Portrait‘ album, which is finally out today. Originally planned for the spring, the release was also pushed back to Autumn for entirely self-serving reasons—after all, you have to live with the album for the rest of your life.

“From the very beginning of the project, it felt like this album was going to be a really significant step forward for Blackment. The songs and sounds on this second album have been polished with great care, and I’m really happy with what we’ve accomplished together. Some aspects of the songs have become more straightforward compared to the vibe of the first album, but at the same time, some of the tracks on the album are quite complex and massive,” says the keyboardist Sebastian Nyandoto.

Listen to the album on music services (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal, YouTube Music etc.) –  here

Looking back, there were also some rather bizarre moments during the recording sessions; the best of these was when the stairs leading to Harri Petjakko’s Studio UG—which the band had used for the recordings—were unexpectedly dismantled as part of a renovation.

“For my last recording sessions at Studio UG, we actually had to carry my full-size digital piano into the studio along some icy scaffoldings. Anyway, it’s amazing that ‘Pandemonium Portrait‘ is finally finished!” Sebastian continues.

Vocalist Sami Vuorenheimo explains that, in the end, they had to take a break specifically to refine the final picture of the whole from different perspectives. The time spent polishing the result was definitely worth it.

“Eventually, along the way, things slowly began to come into focus, and the pieces just fell into place beautifully. We also included some fanservice for older fans on the album, which has been given a fresh new twist,” Vuorenheimo says of a fun detail to be found on the album.

The album’s standout track, ‘Ground Zero‘, traces its roots back ten years, when the band’s former keyboardist, Riku Mälkiä, was working on the synth riffs for the song.

“Well, it took a while to come up with a good melody, and we even had a change in keyboardists along the way. But the song turned out to be quite a hit, so better late than never,” guitarist Saalas Ruokangas smiles.

A music video for the song was filmed and edited by Petri Sara, and it takes us right to the heart of metal video history.

“Our vision was to create every band’s milestone: a music video shot in the gravel pits. Luckily, I remembered a suitable spot with good transportation access, where we could easily haul our gear. The owner gave us the go-ahead, and we were able to go wild with it. Petri Sara came by to make sure the video didn’t turn out like crap, and the rest is history,” says Sami Vuorenheimo.

Line-up:

Sami Vuorenheimo – vocals

Saalas Ruokangas – guitar & backing vocals

Allan Välimaa – guitar

Väinö Huhtanen – bass & backing vocals

Sebastian Nyandoto – keyboards & backing vocals

Akseli Aalto – drums

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