Infected Brain

Present yourself to the readers

My name's Janne Huusari. I'm the drummer, lyricist and one of the composers of Soulwound.

What’s the story for THE SUFFERING ?

Well, it's our third album. We wrote the songs gradually over a couple of years, began recording the album in June 2019 and finished sometime in early 2020. Yeah, it took a long time due to conflicting schedules and just life getting in the way. On top of that, we were originally supposed to release the album in May, but then the coronavirus pandemic happened and we postponed the release to September. Man, what a godddamn ordeal it all was.

Who composes ?...How does it work in the band ?(for this album)

My brothers Niko and Mikko (both guitarists) and I write the music. Typically, we each come up with rough demos and ideas that we present to each other, and then we work on and refine those ideas together. None of us are overly protective of our own ideas and we allow each other to change things around, the basic principle being that the best idea wins. That has basically always been the process, and this album was no different.

Who writes the texts ?..What are they talking about ?..How does inspiration come ?(for this album)

I'm the sole lyricist. We've asked our vocalist Ilkka if he'd like to write some lyrics as well, but he seems content with me writing it all. As for the subject matter, I'm basically writing about things that piss me off, ranging from societal issues and social phenomena to personal anxieties and problems. I have some strong and unapologetic opinions. So, inspiration comes mostly from anger, which is also part of what the title The Suffering refers to.

Why the name SOULWOUND ?

The name was established back in 2005, before our first demo released in 2006. We had a really difficult time trying to come up with a good name that wasn't already taken, and I was going through by album collection and looking at song titles that we could adopt as a band name. The name Soulwound comes from the title of a bonus track on the digipak version of the album Obsolete by Fear Factory. We decided to go with it because it's short and catchy, and it's also related to the anger that is present in our music and lyrics.

What's your best live memory ? And why ?

My personal favorite is probably a show we played in Slovenia back in 2014. We were on a short European tour, and this particular venue was a decommissioned mill in the Slovenian mountains that had been turned into a live venue and recording studio. We didn't know if any people would show up, but as the evening went on, people kept coming in to enjoy music and drink some beer, and maybe smoke some weed. Looking back to it still gives me a warm feeling and makes me smile.

In studio, what was the atmosphere for your new album ?...etc.…

The album was recorded in two places. The drums were tracked in two sessions at Deep Noise Studio here in Kouvola by Saku Moilanen, while the rest of the instruments and the vocals were recorded in Niko's basement, which we've dubbed Heavy Sauna Studio. As far as the atmosphere goes, there was definitely some frustration in the air because we simply had a really hard time scheduling recording sessions. We have three guys working shift jobs with different schedules, most of us have children and all kinds of other engagements kept getting in the way. That's why the recording process took such a long time.

How does it work for the design of the CD ? and why this title ?

The cover art was designed by a friend of ours who goes by the artist name Escileus. He also designed the cover art for our previous album No Peace, and we were so pleased with that one that we decided to hire him again for the job. The title of the album refers to several things. Part of it comes from the fact that all of the lyrics deal with suffering one way or another, but it also comes from the fact that art is often inspired by suffering. It also refers to my personal anger and predisposition toward negative emotions.

How was the shooting of the clip PLEASURES ? and why this choice ?

That video was another victim of the coronavirus outbreak. We were scheduled to shoot it in two sessions, first the band performances and then the story portion. We managed to get the first part done as scheduled, but the Finnish government put some restrictions in place just as we were supposed to shoot the second round, which prevented Ilkka from participating. So, we had to wait until the restrictions were lifted to finish the video. As for the choice, we had already put out a video for the song Waste of Life back in 2019 before we even knew which record label we were going to go with. That song is a very intense and fast thrasher, so we decided to go with a slower and heavier song for the sake of diversity and to present a different side of the album.

With Management and booking, how do you work ? And with whom ?

We've always been self-managed, with Niko being the "dad" of the band and the contact man who coordinates things. In terms of booking, we've had some plans and negotiations, but nothing concrete has yet come out of those. We're hoping to co-operate with a booking agency in the future, because trying to book shows is an incredibly frustrating pain in the ass.

What are your projects ?(for the band)

Ilkka is also the vocalist for the band 2 Wolves, but the rest of us don't have any other projects going on, or at least anything worth mentioning. Niko used to play guitar in Evil Drive, but he decided to quit after the first album due to not having enough time and energy for two bands and family life.

What's your motto ?

"Fuck what anyone else thinks." We write music for ourselves and ourselves only, in accordance with our personal tastes and preferences. If other people happen to like it as well, that's great, but we're not striving toward popularity or pandering to anyone.

Website to remember

www.facebook.com/soulwoundband. That's where we post all of our latest news and shenanigans, and it's also the easiest channel to get in touch with us.

What would you like to say to the readers ?

To anyone who made it this far, thanks for taking the time and having the interest. Please check out The Suffering, I can promise you that you're in for some intensely aggressive metal that comes straight from the heart. Thank you!