Welcome, StoneGazer! It’s a genuine pleasure to speak with you on the occasion of Threshold‘s release—an album that marks a profound artistic evolution for your band. This sophomore full-length demonstrates remarkable compositional maturity, solidifying your place in the contemporary Heavy landscape with a distinctive fusion of Stoner Metal, Grunge, and Heavy Blues that sets you apart in both the Finnish and international scenes.
Let’s start at the beginning: how did StoneGazer form in Tampere, and what was the creative spark that brought you together as a musical force? What drew you toward this particular sonic fusion?
StoneGazer/Jussi:
I think the spark was a result of coincidence and things falling into place. Jallu and Juho were playing together in a death metal band Vulvarine, and had been talking about starting a stoner band, and I just had happened to recently moved to Tampere. I grew up in the same municipality as Jallu, so we were well acquinted. Jallu suggested that I would join the band as a singer/bass player, and I was interested as I was not that familiar with stoner rock, being from a more traditional metal band background with gothic and thrash metal bands. Lauri joined at the same time as me, he and Juho knew each other from before as well. The music that we made was quite straight-forward compared to what we do now, and we did not do many gigs as a quartet but that was the spark that made us soon grow into a quintet. Tomas (who played bass for Vulvarine at the time) expressed his desire to join StoneGazer, and after receiving one drunken phonecall from Juho and Tomas, the new reality was enthusiatically jumped upon. This also made more complex song creation possible as I could fully focus on singing, and Tomas could bring a whole lot more to the table than me in the lower frequences. I believe this was the moment when we really started to come together both musically and bandwise. It all flew naturally after that. The next years went by rehearsing and playing gigs and refining our craft along with our pitch-black sense of humor. I don’t think there was anything particular driving us toward the kind of music that we did other than the music that we ourselves liked. We never tried to make anything other than we ourselves would like to play. We made our first EP in 2016, and our first album 2020 and when it just had came out, COVID-19 followed with it. We played a livestream gig with Sapata in Virta.live during that time as a album release gig, which was fun, you can still watch it on Youtube. We parted ways with Tomas at the beginning of this year, as he wanted to focus on other things in his life. He will always be a friend and an integral part of building what StoneGazer is. Our new bassplayer Toni joined us in April 2025, and we are having our first gig at the end of this month.
From your 2020 debut “The End of Our World” to “Threshold,” there’s been a notable artistic evolution. How would you describe this journey of musical and compositional growth?
StoneGazer/Jussi:
We had the songs for Threshold ready in part while already recording the first album, and we had the time to refine them in many gigs and rehearsals. We also made the choice to record the entire album in our rehearsal room, providing us an unhurried space needed for the recording and fine-tuning the pieces and sound. The album was also mixed by Jallu, and I think this is the best representation of our music so far. As for the elements like a bit of grunge and blues, I think their addition as a natural progression of what we are as a band, we like to include parts that we have grown fond of in music that we like to listen. Everyone of us listens to a whole lot of different kind of music and we all bring a little bit of something that we love with us to the rehearsals, and eventually those bits form what is us.
Your sound blends Stoner Metal, Grunge, and Heavy Blues in a deeply personal way. Which influences have shaped this unique sonic identity, and how do you maintain authenticity while avoiding the risk of falling into formulaic territory?
StoneGazer/Jussi:
There is a plethora of influences to be mentioned, but in order for this not turn into a list, one band that you can mention from all of us is definitely Alice in Chains. We each bring a part to the table and if we succeed, the result is greater than the sum of its’ part. Overall we do not tend to overthink, if the song works for us, then it works. We have made plenty
of material to be cast into the bin as well, but that’s just how it is.
“Threshold” feels more than just an album—it seems like a sonic manifesto reflecting on humanity’s precarious position between progress and destruction. Could you elaborate on the concept behind it?
StoneGazer/Jussi:
Manifesto is a strong word, though the album does have lyrical themes that coincide with each other that discuss the conditions of the capitalist status quo, the woes it inflicts upon us and what is to be done. From a more personal perspective, the lyrics manifest from the mix of frustration, anger, sorrow and hope that I feel. With the exacerbation of
climate and other biosphere related crises that this system is driving forward, it unfortunately does not leave much for imagination where we are heading at the moment. We are at the Threshold, keep walking and you know where we will end up. Turning back is always an option, even if some like to pretend it is not. It is easier to keep walking, and so that is what we do at the moment.
How does your creative process develop? Do you usually start from individual riffs, or do you follow a more structured approach in constructing these intricate and dynamic compositions?
StoneGazer/Jussi:
Usually it starts from a single riff, then we figure out the rest by jamming. Dynamics is handled on the go, like “this would probably sound cool”. We don’t put anything on paper, we might record a pre-demo, and work something new in the next rehearsals based on it.
Tracks like “The Feed” and “Unity” immediately set the album’s tone with contemplative yet crushing riffs. How did you approach crafting such an impactful opening?
StoneGazer/Jussi
It all begins with a riff, I think these two tracks were songs that reached their complete form pretty quickly, sometimes things just click, and that’s when you know it is good.
“The Machine” introduces intricate rhythmic elements and shifting tempos. What inspired this compositional complexity, and how do you balance technicality with emotional resonance?
StoneGazer/Jussi
The main riff came first, the first “part” of the song and the chorus was build around that. The C-part came from the thought to lighten the mood for a spell and then come back with full force. The lyrics describe the alienation and turning/schooled into another cog in the machine, with the chorus inspired by the R. Luxemburg quote: “Those who do not
move, do not notice their chains.
“Kairos” and “The Weight of the World” represent the album’s most epic moments. How do you approach creating extended pieces without losing narrative focus or momentum?
StoneGazer/Jussi
A lot of our composition relies on feeling and vibes, how the song feels or what do we think it should feel like next. It is a collective effort, and sometimes we arrive at a synthesis of opinions and other times the song just kind of writes itself during jamming.
Threshold’s production beautifully balances retro and modern elements. How did you work to achieve this rich, layered sound?
StoneGazer/Jussi:
I think Jallu might be the best person to comment on this as I have no business behind the mixing desk. All I can say, I think the sound Jallu has created is a very accurate representation of what we sound in our gigs and rehearsal space. Awesome mix, great job, Jallu!
StoneGazer/Jallu
Yeah, that describes my main goal perfectly. I have never tried to achieve a retro or modern or any specific sound when recording. I just try to capture the band as I think it sounds live and emphasize the elements I like the most. Usually the result ends up being more retro than modern. The live feel is also one important aspect and the reason to not playing to a click track or trying to get that perfect take. Also huge thanks to Janne Hakanen and Tony Reed for the mastering that really made the end result!
How did your collaboration with Kozmik Artifactz Records for this release come about, and what does this partnership mean for the band?
StoneGazer/Jussi:
Kozmik Artifactz has been a great partner for us and we corresponded with them immediately after finishing production for the album. The label has great artists and we are glad to be amongst those publications.
Have you planned live dates to support “Threshold”? How do you translate the complexity and intensity of these compositions to the stage?
StoneGazer/Jussi:
We have some gigs lined up for the fall and more in the horizon. Mostly around Finland, but let’s see if we would be able to do our first foreign shows as well some time inthe near future.
Looking back, what have been your most significant live experiences so far, and how has your stage presence evolved since your debut?
StoneGazer/Jussi:
For me it is probably sharing the stage with Demonic Death Judge and Rytmihäiriö in Tampere. That was a blast. Regarding stage presence, I never have been much of a running around kind of singer. I think that would not even suit our music. I has been my blessing that you can do more with less, especially in this genre. I usually switch between calm and deliberate to angry and menacing.
How do you perceive the current Finnish Heavy scene? Where does StoneGazer fit within it, and how do you see the evolution of the metal and rock landscape in your country?
StoneGazer/Jussi:
There is a lot of good stoner bands to share the stage with in Finland. I think there is real interest in this country for stoner rock and metal and a lot of the bands have also young players. I think it is safe to say, we won’t be running out of quality metal or stoner rock anytime soon.
Following the release of “Threshold,” what’s next for StoneGazer? Do you already have ideas for the next chapter of your artistic journey?
StoneGazer/Jussi:
We already have some new songs ready for the next one, and even one with complete lyrics. Let’s see what we come up with, nothing is set in stone.
Thank you so much for sharing these insights into your creative process. “Threshold” is not only a testament to your technical mastery but also a remarkable achievement in translating existential weight into emotionally resonant Heavy Rock. For readers who haven’t discovered StoneGazer yet, this is essential listening for anyone who appreciates cross-genre depth, powerful riffs, and truly immersive music.
Purchase “Threshold” on Bandcamp: https://stonegazer.bandcamp.com/album/threshold
Read our Review of the album here: [Review] StoneGazer – Threshold