Nordic Gothic (Ger)

"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 (Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum). In the new somber group, CEMETERY SKYLINE, Vanhala is joined by keyboardist Santeri Kallio (Amorphis), drummer Vesa Ranta (Sentenced, The Abbey), bassist Victor Brandt (Dimmu Borgir and many more) and singer Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity, The Halo Effect). "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", says Santeri Kallio, who shares songwriting duties with Vanhala. "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." The content of the band's lyrics is deeply buried in the dark gothic atmosphere. The concept written by Stanne – for the first time in his distinguished career Mikael uses clean vocals 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.