The Finnish metal band Progeny of Sun has released ‘Forsaken Brigade,’ the final single and music video from its forthcoming album, ‘Prophets of the Void,’ which is scheduled for release on September 5 through Inverse Records. The video, which debuted on July 22, presents a stark, black-and-white visual of the quintet performing in a desolate landscape. Shot and edited by two of the band’s members — the guitarist Joni Kiviniemi and the vocalist Niko Aromaa — during the album’s studio sessions, the video highlights the group’s hands-on creative process.

The track is the last of three previews of the new album, following the singles ‘Penance’ and ‘Decimation.’ The name ‘Forsaken Brigade,’ along with the album’s title, acts as a thematic primer for a record that appears to explore narratives of struggle and desolation, concepts that have long been hallmarks of the extreme metal genre.

Progeny of Sun: From Duo to Quintet

The artistic ambition of ‘Prophets of the Void’ is the result of a methodical evolution. Progeny of Sun was formed in 2017 as a studio project by Jaakko Hautamäki, who wrote and recorded the instrumentation, and Niko Aromaa, who handled vocals and lyrics. This early incarnation produced a single, ‘Futile Conversion,’ and a six-song EP in 2019, which were well-received and established the viability of their sound.

Driven by a desire to perform live, Hautamäki expanded the lineup by recruiting musicians from the local scene in Seinäjoki, Finland: the guitarist Joni Kiviniemi, the drummer Juha Peura, and the bassist Tuomo Tolkki. The band did not rush into recording a full album, instead entering what its members have called an “experimental phase” to develop their chemistry. This period produced the 2021 EP ‘Dark Wanderer’ and two singles in 2022, ‘Worthless’ and ‘Anguish.’

After this period of consolidation, the band released its debut album, ‘Throne of Desolation,’ in late 2023, following a promotional cycle of three singles. The album was met with critical acclaim, with reviewers praising its dynamic sound, which blended styles from melodic death metal to doom.

Aromaa’s versatile vocal performance, which ranged from deep growls to clean, gothic-style singing, was also singled out for praise. The album marked the successful transition of the band from a studio project to a fully formed group, setting the stage for the more expansive sound of ‘Prophets of the Void.’

The Anatomy of ‘Prophets of the Void’

The new album, featuring 12 tracks, is described by the band as a more “aggressive, darker, and more beautiful” work than its 2023 debut. The album’s production was handled internally, with mixing by Jaakko Hautamäki, a founding guitarist, and mastering by Jonathan Mazzeo, suggesting a balance between the group’s insular vision and external professional standards.

Hautamäki offered a candid anecdote about the creation of ‘Forsaken Brigade’ that contrasts with the track’s grim tone. He described a casual studio moment when the guitarist Joni Kiviniemi considered adding a new melody. The drummer, Juha Peura, offered no objection, being too comfortable in a new armchair. A key guitar section was used only once at the song’s conclusion, a decision Hautamäki jokingly called “sadistic fashion.”

When an early mix was deemed “too soft and honeyed” by the bassist, Tuomo Tolkki, it was promptly reworked with “icy echoes and scooped frequency curves.” The story suggests the band’s dark aesthetic is a product of practical craftsmanship as much as artistic torment.

This detailed approach to sound serves as a foundation for the album’s lyrical concepts, which are drawn from the personal experiences of Niko Aromaa, the vocalist and lyricist. Aromaa has said he uses his own nightmares as source material, describing himself as a “dreamwalker” whose visions can feel real.

This connection between the music and the artist’s subconscious is reinforced by the album’s cover art, also created by Aromaa. The artwork, a stark black-and-white composition, features a central, shadowy figure from which three skulls emerge, entangled in a chaotic web of thorny branches. The piece visually echoes the lyrical themes of nightmares and the abyss, solidifying the album as a cohesive artistic statement where the sonic and visual elements originate from the same dark, personal source.

For him, the band’s name relates to the human impulse to create deities out of the unknown, like the sun. The album’s title, ‘Prophets of the Void,’ positions the band not as messengers for a god, but as interpreters of a metaphysical abyss. This framing, according to the band, moves its work beyond typical anti-religious themes in the genre toward a more philosophical exploration of existential dread. The tracklist, which includes titles like ‘Lifeless Light’ and ‘Circle of Keres,’ suggests a narrative arc of conflict, judgment, and eventual surrender.

The Melancholy of the North

Progeny of Sun’s music is rooted in a distinct Finnish metal tradition that has gained global recognition. The country has the highest number of metal bands per capita in the world. But beyond the sheer volume of acts, the Finnish scene is known for a particular sound, often characterized by a distinct melancholy and a focus on doom-laden melodies, which distinguishes it from the metal scenes of neighboring Sweden and Norway. The band’s music, with its “melancholic dance macabre passages,” as one review described it, aligns with this tradition.

This places them in a lineage that includes foundational acts like Amorphis, who famously integrated Finnish folklore into their progressive sound, and contemporaries such as Insomnium, who are standard-bearers for the country’s melodic and sorrowful style of death metal. While distinct in their blackened approach, Progeny of Sun shares that national sonic signature of introspective gloom, continuing a tradition of metal that is as much about atmosphere as it is about aggression.

The reasons for the genre’s cultural prominence in Finland are complex. While often attributed to the country’s long, dark winters, a more practical explanation may lie in its economic and social history. Metal was one of the first Finnish musical genres to find significant international success, which helped establish it as a major cultural export.

This success has led to a level of mainstream acceptance uncommon in other countries; the genre is a celebrated part of the national identity, with themes from the national epic, the Kalevala, often appearing in lyrics. Progeny of Sun operates within this tradition by exploring themes of existentialism and the subconscious. The band applies the nation’s ancient preoccupations with mythology and nature to more modern, internal realms.

Conclusion

The band’s methodical evolution has culminated in a sound that is both rooted in the Finnish metal tradition and distinctly its own. With ‘Prophets of the Void,’ Progeny of Sun is set to release what it considers its most definitive work. The album, arriving September 5, is presented as a complete artistic package, from its self-produced visuals to its lyrics drawn from the vocalist’s nightmares.

The band’s expansion into a five-piece group was driven by the goal of performing live. That goal will be realized at an official album release show in Seinäjoki, Finland, on September 26. The performance will mark the live debut of the material from ‘Prophets of the Void’ and the beginning of a new chapter for the band.

For the band, this performance is the realization of a goal set in motion eight years ago, marking the final step in their evolution from a two-man studio project into a fully realized live entity. For their listeners, it represents the first opportunity to witness the material from ‘Prophets of the Void’ in a live setting, where the aggression and atmosphere crafted in the studio can be experienced with the visceral energy of a live performance. It is the moment the prophecy is not just told, but fulfilled.