Interview: Gothony: Drama Metal Track by Track!

Giving Guns n’ Roses a run for their money in the longest awaited new album of all time steaks are Helsinki Finland based Gothony who specialise in what they call Drama Metal, a blend of Death and Melodic Death with all that melancholy we know and love. They were founded way back in 1993 and their debut self titled album has finally seen release on 12th January 2024 via Inverse Records. Good things come to those who wait or so they say. The band have given us a track by track breakdown of the album…

“HOLOGRAM is slower and maybe even moves somewhat in the pop world, but contains lots of melody. The song starts and ends with the seagulls of Helsinki market square. What is the meaning of seagulls?: is the past also present in the present, i.e. part of causality chains continuum or is this all just an illusion, maybe we live in a hologram…”

“PATIENT 2442 is a masterpiece of drama metal composed by [Guitarist] Mika Uusitalo. When perfect drama and metal combine, the result is this. Beautiful melancholic and melodic riffs that create a soundscape of sorrow supported by drums that push the momentum forward. Vocals reflect the eternal struggle between the light and the Dark. Guest vocalist Kata Samula’s beautiful and powerful voice crowns the song. A journey into a mind that has lost its integrity…”

“ANTS is mainly composed by [drummer] M. Toivonen, but Mika Uusitalo has also added his vision to it. The song is on the rougher side of Gothony’s production and is full of drama in every aspect. Although individual people – especially warlike dictators – sometimes feel that they are part of a great divine plan, on a cosmic scale we are just ants on top of each other”

“IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON is the latest creation of drama metal. When the three heroes (M.Toivonen, Mika Uusitalo and [bassist] Väiski Syväoja) put their heads together for the composition, you can hear a return to the atmosphere of the 90s and the rustling of wings from metal classics. The song is crowned by Wuohi’s lyrics about the search for meaning and the disappointment when the search does not yield results… A drama metal classic has been born…”

“MY PAIN is the first song composed after the reunion. It is composed around the riff of the song Unknown world of my Dreams, which is on the 1995 demo. Mika Uusitalo is mainly responsible for the composition, but there is couple drama riffs from Väiski Syväoja. It was an honor to have Jasmin Anglén (Ratbreed, Möckingbird) as a guest vocalist for the song. She if anyone sheds new light on this riff from the 1995 demo. It’s pointless to look for light in Wuohi lyrics, they tell a tale about the pain that overwhelms a person, leaving behind only agony and anguish.”

“CRYSTAL DREAM APOPHIS has been re-recorded in its almost original form from the 1997 “Hidden thoughts” demo. This drama metal classic was created by M.Toivonen, both in terms of composition and lyrics, at the age of 17 in 1997. The song was updated to a slightly more modern 2023 version, but its basic structure and riffs are allmost the same. Quoting Jouko Piho, “I believe that it is about something mentioned in Revelations chapter 8, verses 8-11, about something plunging into the sea, which is as big as a mountain, and about a big star falling from the sky and burning like a torch called Wormwood.”

“DISARM THE GODS started with Väiski Syväoja’s bass riff, around which Mika Uusitalo created a chorus and a melancholic frame. In the song, you can even sense Finnish schlager / instrumental rock : that’s why the working name was Sorsakoski”. Wuohi lyrics are not related to the Finnish schlager, but deal with how religion is weaponized to achieve one’s own goals.

“RAPACITY Took quite a while until it found its way into a finished drama metal product. M. Toivonen, Mika Uusitalo and [Guitarist] Miika Peräkangas are responsible for the composition of the song. The melodic and harsh riffs of the song reflect images of climate change and the destructive chaos caused by greed”

“Self Titled” by Gothony is out now via Inverse Records and available over at bandcamp