Finnish metallers BATTLE BEAST will release their seventh studio album, “Steelbound”, in October via Nuclear Blast. The official music video for the LP’s third single, “Here We Are”, can be seen below.
“Here We Are” is described in a press release as “a bold, unapologetic anthem of resilience and unity. Armed with thunderous riffs, powerful vocals, and infectious hooks, the song captures the spirit of overcoming adversity and standing strong together.”
BATTLE BEAST guitarist Joona Björkroth comments: “‘Here We Are’ captures that moment after the storm has passed — you’ve faced challenges, been tested, and somehow come through the other side a little stronger, a bit wiser, and perhaps a bit more grounded. Things might not have gone perfectly, but you’ve endured. The song is a tribute to perseverance and resilience — to standing tall just the way you are, nothing more, nothing less.”
BATTLE BEAST singer Noora Louhimo adds: “We’ve all been down in the depths — each of us and all of us together. Still we’ve always gotten back up, even if bruised and bloodied. And here we are still, stronger than ever. No matter how tough the journey, we’re always stronger when we face it together.”
In May, BATTLE BEAST released the first single from “Steelbound”, a song called “Last Goodbye”. At the time, BATTLE BEAST bassist Eero Sipilä commented: “The spark for ‘Last Goodbye’ was lit in the least rock and roll place imaginable: a hospital. In 2020, I spent a few weeks there and met an older woman battling cancer — a fight she’d been waging on and off since 1985. It made me wonder: how much can a person take before they give up? But she never did. She kept showing up, kept pushing through the treatments, kept being around. ‘Last Goodbye’ is a tribute to that human fighting spirit — the will to rise every time life knocks you down. As long as you’re breathing, you’re still in the game.”
The album’s second single, the “Steelbound” title track, followed in June. BATTLE BEAST keyboardist, producer and “Steelbound” title track composer Janne Björkroth stated: “‘Steelbound’ is a song that is both heavy and light at the same time. It goes through the walls with a bang, both in terms of composition and lyrics, without forgetting the groove and the little twinkle in the eye.”
A thunderous anthem of defiance and resilience, “Steelbound” is a power-charged battle cry for all who have ever been dismissed, diminished, or silenced.
“‘Steelbound’ is a song about all of us,” Janne reflected. “About the power to resist injustice and the respect that belongs to everyone. Sometimes the settings can be a little off, but you can, and should, constantly adjust your attitudes.”
Louhimo added: “As a child, I was bullied at school, and as an adult, I’ve experienced misogyny and sexism in my professional and private life. Through all these experiences, I’ve become a person who always fights against injustice. ‘Steelbound’ is a power song for all of us trying to navigate difficult life situations and relationships. The song deals with painful things, but at the same time, it gives us strength to keep fighting against the world’s injustices. Let’s rise together, because we are ‘Steelbound!'”
“Steelbound” track listing:
01. The Burning Within
02. Here We Are
03. Steelbound
04. Twilight Cabaret
05. Last Goodbye
06. The Long Road
07. Blood Of Heroes
08. Angel Of Midnight
09. Riders Of The Storm
10. Watch The Sky Fall
BATTLE BEAST‘s European tour starts with a bang on October 17 with the band’s biggest German headline show to date at Hamburg’s Inselpark Arena. The trek, with DOMINUM as the special guest and Sweden’s rising power metal force MAJESTICA as the opening act, will keep BATTLE BEAST on the road until mid-December.
BATTLE BEAST released its first live album, “Circus Of Doom – Live in Helsinki 2023”, on April 11 via Nuclear Blast Records. The album is available on all DSPs and as a limited-edition CD plus Blu-ray digipak. Recorded at the Helsinki Ice Hall on January 27, 2023, mixed by the band’s “keytarist” Janne Björkroth and mastered at the legendary Finnvox by Mika Jussila, this massive live package is a highlight for every dedicated fan out there and perfectly captures the ambitious dystopian carnival show BATTLE BEAST put up during their past touring cycle.
Louhimo revealed in November 2023 that she had been diagnosed with a ruptured left carotid artery, causing the postponement the band’s tour.
Louhimo joined BATTLE BEAST in 2012 with no previous experience as a metal vocalist but quickly acclimated herself as the replacement for Nitte Valo (a.k.a. Nitte Vänskä).
Three years ago, Noora, who in 2021 released her debut solo album, “Eternal Wheel Of Time And Space”, under the NOORA LOUHIMO EXPERIENCE banner, admitted publicly that she had been struggling with eating disorders and her weight since she was “a little child” and said that she was “still trying to find a balance.” She added that she had “been depressed and anxious sometimes ‘without a reason’.”
In an interview with Metal Divas, Noora explained how she ended up fronting BATTLE BEAST: “[In] September [2012], I got a call from [then-BATTLE BEAST guitarist] Anton [Kabanen] that they want me to join BATTLE BEAST. I had heard their music and loved the sound and the vocals, so the next day I called Anton and said I’m in.
“Anton found me by accident on YouTube when he was searching for the new vocalist,” she continued. “He had been looking for a vocalist — male or female; [it did not] matter. The only thing that mattered was can that [he or she could] sing his songs without compromises.
“I’ve been singing since I was four years old,” Noora added. “While being a huge fan of heavy metal of ’80s and a teenager, I had some classical singing lessons when I was 16 years old. Then at the age of 19, I started studying music in pop/jazz line. At the same time, I started doing some jam sessions at bars. There I found my first band (ADMIRAL OCTOPUS) in the blues bar. We used to play rock and blues music from ’60s-’70s and Janis Joplin was the reason I got the rasp in my voice. After ADMIRAL OCTOPUS, in 2011, I took part in a singing competition (‘Wanna Be A Rock ‘N’ Roll Star’) at Henry’s Pub of Tampere and won it with Janis Joplin‘s ‘Piece Of My Heart’. That’s how my single ‘Relax’ was born.”
BATTLE BEAST is:
Noora Louhimo – vocals
Eero Sipilä – bass
Joona Björkroth – guitars
Juuso Soinio – guitars
Janne Björkroth – keyboards
Pyry Vikki – drums
Photo credit: Marek Sabogal
