„Who would have wanted us to put together a new extreme metal band? Well, maybe someone indeed, but that is not the case this time, because there is something a little different on the plate…“

The contemplative voice belongs to guitarist extraordinaire Markus Vanhala, who you may know from Finnish heavy metal magnitudes Insomnium and Omnium Gatherum.

In the new somber group called CEMETERY SKYLINE, Vanhala is joined by keyboardist Santeri Kallio, drummer Vesa Ranta, bassist Victor Brandt and singer Mikael Stanne. You are indeed right: these gents play – or have played – in celebrated bands such as Sentenced, Amorphis, Dimmu Borgir and Dark Tranquillity – just to name a few.

„In the past, my bands have often toured with Amorphis and Dark Tranquility, so I’ve gotten to know Santeri and Mikael well – and of course vice versa. And if you’re going to start a goth-influenced band, it’s not a long way to Vesa or Victor – and they’re long-time friends too!“ says Vanhala.

How did Cemetery Skyline’s dark track open up?

„Perhaps four or five years ago, one of the musicians started strangling me – only gently, of course – and insisted: ‚It’s time… for a new band!‘ The situation came a bit out of the blue, but as soon as it became clear to me where this melancholic path was leading, I nodded in agreement.“

„With CEMETERY SKYLINE, we’re stepping into previously untrodden musical directions – those darker alleys that we hold dear in our hearts, but haven’t really wandered before. And we’re collectively very excited!“

One of the key words – goth – was already mentioned.

„We all share a deep love for goth rock from the 80s and 90s – whether it’s more synth-driven or heavier guitar-dominated stuff. You know the deal with the best bands from The Sisters of Mercy to Type O Negative“, Santeri Kallio, who shares songwriting duties with Vanhala, describes.

„But is CEMETERY SKYLINE a goth band? Maybe to an extent, but that’s certainly not the whole story. If you have to describe CEMETERY SKYLINE’s diverse music somehow, do us a favor and call us ambassadors of melodic, melancholic and dark rock. Thank you.“

„Think about a band like Faith No More… CEMETERY SKYLINE doesn’t sound like them at all, but you couldn’t exactly categorize them. I’d like to think the same about us“, adds Vanhala.

There is no need to argue about one thing: the content of the band’s lyrics is excavated deep into the dark gothic atmosphere. The lyrical concept written by Stanne – for the first time in his distinguished career Mikael uses a clean and elegant singing style throughout the album – dives irresistibly into the paradoxical world of „northern solitude“.

„The lyrics are deeply rooted in the self-chosen solitary life of the Nordic people, their anti-social behavior and bleak sense of humor… When writing the lyrics, I took advantage of this feature of ours, which you could call the Scandinavian gothic lifestyle“, says Stanne.

“Nordic Gothic”, the first full-length CEMETERY SKYLINE studio recording will see the fading light of day in the fall of 2024. Here’s a promise: It’s worth the wait. It’s just as awesome as you think it is. And more.

„Now let’s underline this: The album was assembled with special care – over the course of almost four years. Do I need to say more?“, utters Kallio.

What does the overall future of Cemetery Skyline look like?

„There will be more albums and there will be shows“, insists Vanhala.

„In other words, CEMETERY SKYLINE is not a short-lived and slowly withering project. In fact, this is not a project at all, but a new stable band. So, darkened souls and other shadowy wanderers, you have been warned…“

Written by Timo Isoaho