INTERVIEW: Tuomas Saukkonen – Wolfheart

Tuomas Saukkonen is an under-appreciated genius. One of the most talented song-writers in metal with an unrivalled work ethic, Saukkonen wrote and released 14 albums and three EPs over 11 years across several bands, while also acting as the producer of many of these releases, touring regularly and holding down a day job. In 2013, he pulled the trigger on all his current bands, announcing a new project that would be his sole musical focus – WOLFHEART. Since forming, Saukkonen has released three critically acclaimed records, and, armed with a new deal with Napalm Records, is now gearing up for the release of their fourth opus, Constellation Of The Black Light (read our review here). We managed to catch Saukkonen prior to the release of the record to discuss the annual reunion shows with BEFORE THE DAWN, the Finnish metal scene and the new record!

Hey Tuomas, thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us today. We’re getting closer to the release of Constellation Of The Black Light, with that in mind how are things in the WOLFHEART camp at the moment?

Tuomas: Really busy but good! Good way of busy!

How have the fan reactions to the singles, Breakwater and The Saw, been so far?

Tuomas: So far the feedback has been 99% awesome. Which is extremely great since those songs are really far away from each other, but they still work this well for our fans. Also the Breakwater video has received really good feedback. The Saw video will be out tomorrow from this day I am writing this, so has been out for a while when this comes out. It will be a lot nastier – I hope our fans are not afraid of the dentist!

Constellation Of The Black Light opens with a 10 minute epic – that’s a pretty bold move for an opening song, what prompted the decision to have Everlasting Fall as the first track, as opposed to later in the album?

Tuomas: The three-minute intro part was originally suppose to an intro track for the album but as the recordings and mixing went ahead the more it started to be a part of the song. I started writing the song as a whole piece but with the idea that it will be divided into two separate tracks in the mastering. When it comes to Spotify and other streaming platforms it is not an ideal song with that length and reaching the first chorus at six-minutes in [is not ideal] but when I look the album as a whole, that song needs to start the album.

Can you tell us about the stories you wanted to tell and the ideas you wanted to explore through the lyrics in this new record?

Tuomas: This time the main theme was surprisingly warrior/battle style of lyrics. Not in a SABATON or MANOWAR type of battle but more focused on the eye of the storm moment where the courage and strength needs to be found before the next attack in five seconds. Not the movie style, with glory and heroism. The despair that is worked into a bravery and death, and the emptiness inside when it is all over and the possible death without a funeral with just a name tag with you six feet under.

You mentioned in an interview earlier this year that there will be a trilogy of music videos telling a story that’s a bit different to the lyrics Can you tell us about the story that runs through the videos for Breakwater, The Saw and the next video?

Tuomas: Not yet, or I’ll spoil the third video!

You only released your third full-length Tyhjyys last year – two albums in the space of 18 months is very impressive! What brought about the quick turn-around for the new record, and can fans expect WOLFHEART to maintain the album a year pace?

Tuomas: We will not have a new album out 2019, but there is a good chance that we will start working with the fifth album before end of 2019. I like to keep a pretty fast phase with albums in general and I haven’t had any solo projects since I founded WOLFHEART, so if you count all the albums I have written during the past ten years, this is the slowest time for me when it comes to releasing schedule. Once I got three separate albums out in one year so maybe I am getting old with this long 18 months between the albums. [laughs] Having a new label, booking agency and management has taken a big load from my shoulders and I can focus a lot more now on the music instead of things around the band/release.

Although you have played a handful of shows in London as a date on Europe-wide tours, and a fantastic set at Bloodstock last year, WOLFHEART is yet to do a full UK tour. Can we hope for a UK tour during this album cycle?

Tuomas: Hopefully a full UK tour takes place soon. We will play one show in London in November during a European tour with OMNIUM GATHERUM but I would like to tour in UK a lot more.

How many songs from the new record can fans expect to see live on the upcoming tours with OMNIUM GATHERUM and CARACH ANGREN?

Tuomas: Everlasting Fall is a bit of a challenge because of its length but we will play that for sure, plus a few others from the new album. But also want to have at least one song from each album on the set. We will see.

And which new tracks are you particularly excited to debut live?

Tuomas: Breakwater is awesome to play. We played that already at Party San and Summer Breeze festivals and I love the energy of that song. Also audience seemed to enjoy it so I believe that everybody at the venue will be excited. I definitely will have goosebumps each night behind the stage when Everlasting Fall‘s intro kicks in.

We recently spoke to Markus Vanhala and Jukka Pelkonen from OMNIUM GATHERUM about the Finnish metal scene, and we’d like to get your thoughts as well. Finnish melodic death metal has a very distinctive sound, similar to how Swedish death metal and German thrash have a distinctive sound. Is there something in the Finnish psyche that leads to that melancholic style, is it simply shared influences, or is it something else?

Tuomas: I think it is our DNA. Fins are very melancholic people who are surrounded by beautiful nature and spend a big part of the year in darkness during the winter so heavy and melancholic music comes pretty naturally.

Speaking of the Finnish metal scene, are there any bands in your local scene or elsewhere in Finland within the underground that you feel deserve more attention?

Tuomas: MORS SUBITA, RED MOON ARCHITECT and GLORIA MORTI are the first that come into my mind. This is a hard time for a new bands to grow bigger. All the smaller metal labels have died in Finland so moving forward is getting more and more challenging.

For the last couple of years, you have played one-off festival shows with BEFORE THE DAWN. How has it been playing with the BEFORE THE DAWN guys again?

Tuomas: I have missed those songs but can´t see any future for the band. Juho [Räihä, guitar] has actually played a lot of session gigs in WOLFHEART and will join us in the US tour as well so I never stopped playing with him.

Is there any desire to resurrect the BEFORE THE DAWN, or will WOLFHEART continue to be your sole focus for the foreseeable future?

Tuomas: WOLFHEART will lead and probably there will some new solo project at some point but BEFORE THE DAWN can rest peacefully in the grave

Thank you again for your time today Tuomas, we really appreciate it! Before you go, do you have any parting messages for our readers?

Tuomas: See you in November!

Constellation Of The Black Light is out now via Napalm Records. The band are featured in the latest issue of Distorted Sound, grab a copy here.

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