How did Deathropy come together, and what inspired Tuomas to establish a melodic death metal band?
Tuomas T. always wanted to play music like this. He wanted to draw influence from his old favourite bands but create a sound of his own. In 2020 Tuomas T. met with Harri and showed him a few demos. Harri found the demos very inspirational and they joined forces. After a few twists and turns the band was pulled together and off to the studio we went.
How can the Gothenburg sound, old school metal music and classical music influences be heard in Deathropy's sound, and are there other musical inspirations?
Petri Koski-Vähälä, who was the guitar player in the old Finnish thrash metal band called "Pathetic", was the person who taught Tuomas T. to play guitar and sparked his passion for music. The inspiration comes from old school metal and from classical music, too; therefore good melodies, strong harmonies and great rhythm are highly valued in our music. We each have our own idols and sources of inspiration (some the same and some not so much) and try to pick the best traits into use in our music.
Can you share insights into the band's collaborative songwriting process and how you create the catchy riffs and melodies?
We mostly create song demos at our homes and then present them to the others of the band. Tuomas T. has somewhat of a golden ear for creating strong, captivating melodies and his vision is like no other. He really seems to have an inexhaustible feed of songs coming out from his brain and also has a real talent for delivering the ideas into the form of notes and music. Then everyone gives their own sound to the songs composing their own parts to the song.
How does Harri approach writing lyrics, and what themes does Deathropy aim to convey?
Usually for me there's always a raw demo song first. On very rare occasions I have made a lyric structure first without any demos, but that's rare for me. Depending on the demo there's usually some mood or theme picked to play with. Then a kind of a raw sketch is made based on the ideas and phrases. Usually the lyrics begin to take shape chorus first and then the verses to support it and to tell the whole story.
If possible, I try to include some sort of twist or different approach to the story; for example Regret's lyrics are about feelings and questions person is left with when the significant other has taken their own life. That being said, the themes the songs have dealt with have been (at least for now) of the darker side of life and things. Maybe I can find something a bit less gruesome to write about some day, but at least for now it has been about the darker themes in general.
With everyone having 10+ years of experience, how is creative input balanced within the band, and are there specific roles during the process?
So far, Tuomas T. has written all of our songs, but maybe Tuomas K. and Ville will bring in their own contributions to the next album. Tuomas T. has an unmatched flow of new songs and they are all hits, so we go with the best songs. Joni takes care of drums and percussion and even thought the demos usually always have a drum track included, Joni has complete freedom to test and experiment with the drum track. Harri delivers the lyrics and song composition.
What was the recording process like for "Serenity," "Regret," and "Enslaved," and what challenges did you face in the studio?
In hindsight, we maybe went to the studio a little too quickly, and the songs were not quite ready. This caused a little bit of headache, at least when we thought we're ready to begin the mixing phase. There was also a learning curve in communications within the band and we had to lay some ground rules for next recordings. As we tried to get the job done with both - tight schedule and low budget - we rushed a little too much with things and did a bit sloppy job - we had to redo some parts of the recordings. For example, the lyrics needed more love and had to be re-recorded. But with hard work and with some help from Mikko Herranen (Noise Floor Studios, Helsinki) the songs turned out great.
How do you capture the energy of your recorded music in live performances, and what can fans expect from a Deathropy show?
We deliver each and every time 100%. No matter if there are 10 or 100 or more people. Of course it is easier to amass the energy when there are more people, but as I said - we are there to give all of our energy to each and every one checking out our show!!! At Deathropy shows you will see us playing the music we so deeply love to the people who love music.
Can you share memorable experiences or reactions from fans during your first gigs?
It has to be the crowd's reaction from our first gig in Mikkeli market square last September. The tent was full of people and they were chanting for us even before we hit the stage! We didn't even have to try to hype ourselves up; it was unbelievable, amazing and super intense from the start. The first row of people were really in your face; only a line of floor monitors were between the crowds and us, the band.
What can fans anticipate from the upcoming releases, and any hints about the musical direction or themes?
We are staying loyal to our sound and we deliver our music with the same passion. The fans will receive more hard hitting riffs accompanied by beautiful harmonies and lyrics with a story - no nonsense coming from us!!!
What are Deathropy's plans for the future, and how do you see your sound evolving in the metal scene?
We are aiming for bigger stages and growing our fan base in order to reach even more people. We believe we have already found our sound, but maybe creating a bigger wall of sound - maybe with more backing synths is coming to our live sound...
Any hints or details about the big news for next summer?
At the moment we cannot give any information about that, but we can tell news are coming and we promise it will be something amazing.
How do you approach creating the visual identity for Deathropy, such as album artwork?
Tuomas K. is the person creating our visuals. We wanted to use images from local areas and give credit for our home town. We are from Mikkeli, Finland, and we like to show it.
Are there any dream collaborations or projects Deathropy hopes to achieve in your musical journey?
Hard question, but maybe getting to play on the same stage that our idols have played - or maybe even to be able to share the stage with them... And of course if we can get someone we have huge respect for to feature in our song... That'd be something wild!