Finnish melancholic melodeath band Beyond The Hate released their debut album ‘Darkest Times’

The Finnish melancholic melodic death metal band Beyond The Hate released their anticipated debut album Darkest Times on March 8th 2024 via Inverse Records. 

The band’s debut album contains even more atmospheric and melancholic songs compared to the band’s previous releases. More orchestral and choir elements, as well as acoustic guitars, were also added to the songs to create a more atmospheric feel. Album includes 12 tracks and has also feature guest vocalists Katri Hiovain-Asikainen of Numento on “Black Within” and Jaakko Mäntymaa of Marianas Rest on “In Memoriam”. 

LISTEN to Darkest Times on streaming services: https://push.fm/fl/bth-album 

The band comments:

“The process of creating Darkest Times -album has been a long one, with the very first demos for the album being completed in 2018 and the compositions were finished in spring 2021, then moving on to the actual pre-production phase. So the material has been carefully thought out and refined over time. The album mainly deals with the darkness and death that we have encountered around us over the years. The album is dedicated to all those we have lost along the way. You will be missed.”

WATCH the music video for Alone I Die:   https://youtu.be/ZAKMfyt-Zto  

Beyond The Hate‘s beginnings date back to the summer of 2016, when guitarist Kimmo Perälehto and bassist Mikko Monto started writing songs together. Second guitarist Jyrki Karhu joined in early autumn and singer Niko Kalinainen in late 2016. The band was officially founded in 2017, when Tommy Uhtio took over the drumming duties and the first practice sessions were held.

In the beginning, the band’s songs were more straightforward metal but in late 2018, the band started to find their musical direction in melodic death metal such, as a good example the single “This Cold Morning” was released in 2019. In 2018 and 2019, the band participated in the Emergenza Finland band competitions, reaching the finals at the both times.

The first taste of the new style came with the 2020 EP “Betrayal Of Time”, which received good reviews and created expectations for the band’s future. – Miika Manninen / Metalliluola 2020: “Beyond the Hate’s name is worth remembering for the future, because you can expect a lot from the next release.”. – The band also participated in the 2022 Tuska-Torstai competition, reaching the semi-finals.

After the songs on the EP, the band focused on writing even more atmospheric and melancholic songs. More orchestral and choir elements were added to the songs, as well as acoustic guitar playing to create a new melodic mood. From this creative process came the twelve-track debut album “Darkest Times”, which will be released in March 2024 via Inverse Records. The album will also feature guest vocalists Katri Hiovain-Asikainen from Numento on “Black Within” and Jaakko Mäntymaa from Marianas Rest on “In Memoriam”.

Beyond The Hate – Darkest Times (Album 2024)

Track list:
01. Sign Of Weakness
02. Alone I Die
03. The Lighthouse
04. Black Within (feat. Katri Hiovain-Asikainen)
05. The Plague Upon Us
06. Left Behind
07. Dark Is The Sky
08. Dead Ones
09. Stranger in Me
10. Times of Misery
11. The Last Moments
12. In Memoriam (feat. Jaakko Mäntymaa)

Artwork by Petri Lampela / petrilampela.com

Line-up:
Niko Kalinainen – vocals
Kimmo Perälehto – guitars
Jyrki Karhu – guitars
Mikko Monto – bass
Tommy Uhtio – drums