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 the fall 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.): https://push.fm/fl/blackment-pandemoniumportrait

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.

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

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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.

Watch the music video: https://youtu.be/ZhG22CJ_Wvk

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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Blackment, originally founded in 2014 but really becoming known with their debut album Plains of Oblivion in 2022, will soon release their second studio album. The new – again dramatic – album, which will be released on June 12th, will be preceded by two more singles, of which In Motion, released today, is quite a blast.

“In Motion is a tightly packed energy in under three minutes – just enough to make you want to listen to it again. Sometimes we cool things down, sometimes we blow them up with jokes,” summarizes the band’s guitarist Allan Välimaa.

The melody rug, originally found in the depths of Allan’s desk drawer, was given completely new clothes, practically a new song, which after the band’s approval was also shaped into a music video.

During the filming of the video, Allan fell ill with exhaustion, which he only discovered afterwards, but for that reason, finishing the video was in many ways a memorable event. Although Allan was also the director of the video, the performance in the video was handled by recording, while the brilliant Hille Sadehelmi, who is also the backing singer of the song, took care of the camera. So it was a real multi-talented session.

“Of course, we forgot a bunch of stands in the parking lot of the filming location, luckily they were found the next morning. I also got my new beloved instrument from Raato Custom Guitars in the video,” Allan recalls, and with a twinkle in the corner of his eye, notes that such things are always important for guitar nerds.

Blackment will be celebrating their upcoming studio album live on the first day of the Hyvinkää Rock 2026 festival, which was born in the gap left by Rockfest, on June 12th.

Blackment is:
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 featured:
Hille Sadehelmi – Backing vocals

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