Fantasy stories are full of resurrections. Just when you think your favorite wizard is gone for good, he’s back and better than ever. That villain you thought was long gone and dead in the grave? Well, you’re fucked now because turns out he’s alive and he’s pissed. It’d be nice to have some of that resurrection magic lying around the real world to get us a fiery Hunter S. Thompson piece about the state of the world or a nice new Goya painting but unfortunately, fantasy ain’t life. Thankfully for metalheads, fantasy and metal have always been closely linked and resurrections are one thing they share in common.
Formed in 1999, mighty Finnish metallers Battlelore took a long hiatus between albums before roaring back to life in 2022 with the epic The Return of the Shadow. The latest record was a smashing success with the legions of Battlelore diehards and one that put the band back on the map. With so long between releases, Battlelore made damn sure to let everyone know they hadn’t lost a step in their absence. Metal Plague got a hold of founding guitarist Jyri Vahvanen to get the story on bringing the band back and what they’re doing with their second wind.
First off, how did Battlelore get formed? What led to you guys starting the band in the first place?
Jyri: It was near [the] millenium, when I used to play in some Finnish black metal bands like Horna and Vornat, but my role as a songwriter was quite small. So, I decided to found my own band and I wanted it to sound symphonic and epic and mixed with female and male vocals. I also loved [J.R.R.] Tolkien’s books of Middle-earth a lot, so the plan was to add this theme into my music. I knew many metal musicians from my hometown, so it was easy to put the band together. We made our first demo quite quickly as I heard that some label was looking for bands to sign. The first demo didn’t make much impression, so we raised our standards and made the second demo in a professional studio with a good producer and got ourselves a deal from Napalm records.
For you, how did you get into extreme metal? Who were some of the big early influences on you and then the influences on the sound and style of Battlelore?
Jyri: As a teenager I found bands like Kiss, Metallica, Sepultura… all the classic ones. So, it was like a gateway to the next level of extreme metal. It all clicked when I met Shatraug, the lead member of Finnish black metal band Horna, and he introduced me to the whole black metal and death metal scene and my soul was sold. Personally, the bands which have mostly influenced Battlelore’s sound are Manowar, Dissection, Theatre of Tragedy, and so on. It is hard to name just one or two and you have to remember that we have seven members in our band, all with their own taste of music so it is more like a big soup of influences.
What is the writing process like for songs in Battlelore? How much has that changed over the years?
Jyri: Back in the days we used to play and [practice] in our rehearsal room many times a week. Nowadays, it is more like sending files via the web. Usually, we get together if we must rehearse for the tour/gigs. We used to live in the same town, but not anymore, so the distances and our hectic everyday life with day jobs, kids, and mortgages has made us work like this as a band. It is not ideal, but it is what it is. When it comes to songwriting, practically we all do it. You write and record a rough demo with a drum machine and share it to others. Then we bounce it back and forth until everyone’s happy. That’s about it. I guess it is quite a common way for bands nowadays.
How did you get into Tolkien’s writing and fantasy in general? What is it that appeals to you? Are you still an avid fantasy fan or has that changed over the years?
Jyri: It all opened to me as I bought a Middle-earth roleplaying game book from the local bookstore. It was probably 1991 or ’92. After that I read all Tolkien’s books right away and started to study his writings. The whole fantasy genre came along, and I read everything which included swords, magic, or dragons. I still love fantasy literature, but it is not that fanatic anymore.
What was it like to record that first album, Where the Shadows Lie, and what did you learn from the process that you used on future releases? Looking back on it now, are you still happy with the debut?
Jyri: Well, recording an album for the first time is really like a dive into the deep end. Especially back then when it was all about track recorders and we didn’t have any digital recording equipment at home. So, you learned a lot when you worked in a professional recording studio, and I still do. We spent a lot of time testing different kinds of compositions and rearrangements during the studio sessions and we went far over our budget. But I can still remember the eagerness we had back then. Everything was new and exciting, and we were actually recording an album which would be released by a big metal label! We were practically living a dream! It was a great time. When I look at it now, there were some bad decisions and questionable arrangements for sure, but it was all meant to be like that back then. It is always easy to say with hindsight.
The latest album, The Return of the Shadow, was an awesome return for you guys and a killer record. What was the recording/writing process like for that one? Was it hard to get back into it after such a long break from Battlelore?
Jyri: We had demoed some of the songs for that album long ago before our hiatus, but mainly the songs were quite new. Anyway, we wanted to make a difference between the newer and older songs and decided to split the album in two. The main album is The Return… with the new material and the set of the older tracks are kind of a bonus EP called Lost Lands. That comes out if you got the CD version of the album. Unfortunately, those aren’t separated or marked in streaming services like Spotify or Deezer, but that is our label’s mistake. The actual writing process was quite easy and joyful. We really wanted to wait for the right kind of moment for the comeback and tried to avoid all excess stress and pushing and that is probably the main reason why our break took over ten years. Finally, when the stars were aligned and everything seemed right, the [COVID-19] pandemic struck and ruined our plans. But, after a while we continued, and things went very smoothly. Of course, there was some excitement that there is an audience for us anymore, but that fear was unnecessary.
What led to the hiatus before The Return of the Shadow and what led to the decision to bring the band back? The response to Battlelore coming back has seemed pretty strong so it must be nice to know how much the fans missed you guys!
Jyri: We burned out. The music business smothered our flame and personally I was totally tired of the grievance of the business. Playing, songwriting, gigs, and being on stage was still fun, but the shitload which came from the non-musical stuff was too big and we lived with that way too long. During our hiatus we got enough distance for all of that and made a new plan for Battlelore and agreed that if/when we do the comeback, we will do it in our own terms and yes, it was a really nice feeling when we saw that we were missed and our music makes a difference for some people.
I wanted to ask about the musical/lyrical inspiration for a few songs on that latest record. What’s the story behind that killer opener, “Minas Morgul?” Was that always intended to be the opener? I thought it set the tone for the album really well.
Jyri: When the album was done I realized that this must be the opening track. It has a very strong and epic intro part and from this track you got the idea what Battledore is about. It leads you perfectly into the mood of this album. Lyrically, “Minas Morgul” tells you a story of this old great tower which reflects the light of the moon, but later it is taken and decayed by the dark forces. Basic Tolkien stuff.
How about the inspiration for ”Homecoming?”
Jyri: This one is about the homecoming of our brave Hobbits as they return to the Shire from their long journey. You do not have to be a genius to notice that it also describes Battlelore’s comeback. It is a very easy going and poppish metal song
What about the story behind “True Dragons?”
Jyri: Our bass player Mr. Honkman [Timo Honkanen] writes songs for Battlelore quite rarely, but when he does he really nails it! A bit of a more heavier song with some black metal elements in its riffs. This track gives nice dynamics for the album. And as the title says, it is about the dragons [laughs]! Introduction of the five great dragons who spread fear and destruction in Middle-earth.
I really dug the music video for “Elvenking” from that album too. What was it like to shoot that home and how did the idea for it come about?
Jyri: This one is from our guitarist, Jussi [Rautio]’s pen. He is a wizard with melodic and wistful riffs. I am a huge fan of Tolkien’s character, elven king Thranduil, and really wanted to write a song about him. Our good friend Markku Kirves shot the video and it was tough, but satisfying to work with his ultra-professional team. Markku has also made videos for our songs “House Of Heroes” and “Storm of The Blades.” The idea for the video came mainly from Markku.
You guys always have really memorable album covers that both fit the themes of the album and that are memorable pieces on their own. Who did the latest album cover and how much direction did you give them beforehand?
Jyri: The latest album cover is made by Kirsi Salonen, a Finnish fantasy artist. I found her art from the web and asked if she wanted to make an album cover for us. She mentioned that she had been listening to our music for years so the cooperation started nicely. I gave her some rough instructions with the theme and color map. She made some sketches for us and the process was on. The result was amazing and we have had a lot of great feedback about the cover art.
What has it been like playing new material out live? How have fans reacted to the new material and how tough is it for you guys to decide on a setlist these days?
Jyri: It has been very nice to play new songs live, but it is also great to play our oldies as it has been a while. It is always a bit of a struggle when we plan our set list. It also depends on the length of the gig. In festivals, it is quite compact with 45-60min stage time so you really have to put a lot of effort into the set list to make it work. For longer club gigs, it is easier.
Lastly, what’s next for Battlelore? What are your plans for 2024 and beyond?
Jyri: As I mentioned, we are doing this on our own terms now. Our deal with Napalm Records has ended and at the moment we are kind of a free agent. We’ve played some gigs and that’s the plan for the future too, but we do not have to travel to every corner of the world, and we may choose when and where to play as Battlelore is not our day job. The music business has changed a lot from our early days and for example it is more common to release a lot of singles than full albums and you need to be very active in social media also, which kind of annoys me a lot as I am kind of an old school guy. I do not want to make daily videos from my daily life or show where and how I live. Back in the nineties, I was shocked when I saw a video clip of the guys of my favourite band, Immortal, wearing baseball caps in a pub! For me they presented mighty black metal warriors from the fjords of Norway wearing corpse paint, leather, and steel, not everyday guys drinking beer. There needs to be a shroud of mysticism around the band. But, back to your questions, we have made a bunch of new demos and written some new stuff, but I really can’t say any timeline for the new releases. Maybe it won’t take 11 years this time [laughs]!
Photo at top: The Return of the Shadow album cover as discussed in the article above.
Follow Battlelore on Bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, and Facebook.