With only a handful of singles released, Royal Sorrow have already positioned themselves as one of the most exciting new forces within the Progressive Metal landscape. Hailing from Finland, the band stormed onto the scene in late 2024 with their debut single “Metrograve,” immediately catching the attention of fans and media alike with their distinctive blend of razor-sharp technicality, cinematic soundscapes, and haunting melodies. This summer, Royal Sorrow confirmed their growing reputation with a striking performance at the renowned ArcTanGent Festival (UK), one of Europe’s leading gatherings for forward-thinking Progressive music. Together with their highly praised debut at Tuska Festival in Finland, these shows have proven that the band’s intensity and vision translate powerfully to the stage. Now, Royal Sorrow are ready to unleash their highly anticipated full-length debut “Innerdeeps,” out September 26th, 2025 via InsideOut Music. We sat down with the band to discuss the creative process, the dark lyrical concepts, their fast rise within the Progressive Metal community, and what lies ahead for this promising new act.
Let’s start from the beginning. When you released “Metrograve” last year, Royal Sorrow immediately caught the attention of the scene. Did you expect such an immediate impact with your very first single?
Janne: We did not! It was hard to set expectations for the first release – as you never know how a new project is going to be received. Everything was new and we started from a completely clean slate. Luckily for us, the immediate response was great and people seemed to love the music. An awesome start for sure!
Your debut album “Innerdeeps” arrives only a year later. How did the creative process evolve from those first singles into a fully fleshed-out record?
Janne: It was a bit unusual process, since the initial plan was to launch Royal Sorrow with three singles and see how it goes. So creating a full album was actually an afterthought; we did have plenty of demos but going for a full album was decided after Metrograve’s release. We had a really busy period earlier this year to finish the album in time and to everyone’s delight we managed to do that. The band is really proud about the outcome.
The album title itself, “Innerdeeps,” suggests an introspective and perhaps unsettling journey. What is the overall concept or emotional core behind this debut?
Janne: The overarching themes of the album revolve around facing your inner darkness and dealing with it. We all have doubts, fears and insecurities but often try to push them aside. With this album we are trying to put all of that to the forefront, hopefully to a therapeutic extent for the listener.
Each track seems to explore different psychological or existential themes – from “Samsara” to “Release Your Shadow.”How did you approach the lyrical side of the album, and is there a narrative thread connecting the songs?
Janne: For the first time all three of us wrote lyrics and we properly sat down together to go through them. It was interesting to see how most of the texts gravitated towards psychological themes, so that helped with song selection as well. It’s definitely not a concept album per se but introspective themes carry on through the record.
The new single “Bloodflower” is described as a meditation on lust, addiction, and consequence – “a bloom both beautiful and deadly.” How important is symbolism and metaphor in your songwriting?
Janne: Depends on the song, but generally we love to have a poetic angle to the lyrics as well. We feel like it makes them more mysterious and interesting. Bloodflower is definitely a prime example on this, with a lot of metaphors and references used. The song is about addiction to something you love that also causes you pain and you’re struggling to untether from. So having a flower, with visual beauty but deadly thorns is the perfect metaphor.
Musically, “Bloodflower” shows Royal Sorrow at your most versatile – balancing heaviness, groove, atmosphere, and catchy melodies. Would you say this track is a blueprint for what listeners can expect from the whole record?
Markus: That’s a very fitting way to look at it. Naturally, the aim of our debut album is to display the Royal Sorrow sound in its full spectrum. There’s a similar notion to Bloodflower – the feeling of a journey that takes the listener from one place to another, with an evolving storyline. Being the ”proggiest song” of the record, we allowed ourselves to embrace even more weird soundscapes and dynamic contrasts in Bloodflower. When it comes to the record,
we’ve meticulously planned for it to be coherent but also for each song to offer something unique.
One striking aspect of your music is the cinematic scope – there’s a sense of grandeur and immersion. What are some of the non-musical influences that inspire your soundscapes?
Markus: It’s nice to hear that, since we’re all big fans of building large cinematic pieces of art. I think we’re all ”dreamers” – we’ve always had big imaginations and certainly take a lot of inspiration from a lot of places. Over the years, it’s been an enjoyable process to learn the concrete ways to make those imaginary worlds come alive. First of all, we love movies, books and good stories. Both imaginary worlds and interesting real-life stories spark a lot of
musical ideas for us. We’re also passionate about traveling, and always approach new cultures and environments with great enthusiasm. There have been times when a single landscape has inspired an entire song. Often, just being on the move makes your brain start to bubble with new ideas.
Finland has a rich tradition of Metal and Prog in all its forms. How does your local scene shape your identity, and do you feel connected to any particular lineage within Finnish music?
Markus: We’re really proud of the Finnish heavy music scene and its accomplishments. On a global scale, Finland is a small country, and metal music has long been a driving force to ”get us out there” – it’s an honor to do our part in carrying that flame. We definitely feel a connection to ”the local scene” as well. Since our teenage years, we’ve poured our hearts into DIY shows at suburban youth centers and small venues, alongside tons of other cool bands. In a sense, we’ve worked our way up from there, having established a solid footing. I think being able to express yourself so freely at that critical age has greatly strengthened our very essence and self-confidence – now being on the stage is second nature to us. When it comes to specific lineages, it’s awesome to now be able to work with the same people that have helped some of the biggest Finnish acts reach the ends of the Earth. Another fun one is our (junior high) school in Tapiola, Espoo, that has ”produced” a ton of artists over the years. That’s also where I met Eero and Janne. We’re so proud seeing how many of our (then) classmates have been able to build awesome careers in music since.
On a technical level, the album is incredibly dynamic, moving seamlessly between crushing riffs and delicate atmospheres. How do you balance precision and emotion in your songwriting process?
Markus: A very interesting thought exercise! I totally get where the juxtaposition comes from, but I wouldn’t necessarily say they cancel each other out – sometimes it’s even the opposite. Sometimes being technical and precise means that you have better control over the exact colors and emotions you’re trying to convey. For example, I consider the clean guitar solo in Bloodflower quite emotional, but at the same time, managing the intricacies requires a lot of technical skill. Without the precision, I wouldn’t get the emotion out. Overall, I would like to think that over the years we’ve grown very good in ”serving the song”. We don’t need to prove anything – e.g. mindlessly showcasing how fast we can play – instead, we’re more interested in making the right choices in order to convey a specific atmosphere. I think today we see so much incredible talent in social media etc. that, at least in our case, ”self-serving” technicality has lost its interest.
The visual side of Royal Sorrow is equally striking – from the artwork by Markus Hentunen to the videos you’ve released. How important is the visual dimension in conveying your message?
Markus: The visual dimension has always been very important to us. I think as soon as there is a new song idea, we’re starting to see visuals in our head. Surprisingly often, those visions align too – like imagining the same color schemes or motives for a music video. To me, personally, I’ve been passionate about both music and visual arts from a really young age, and self-expression through both is a natural part for me. While I love ”being in control” of the visuals,
nowadays, it’s amazing to have the choice between doing some of the artwork ourselves and hiring professionals, who share the same vision with us. I hope that the further we go, the better we’re able to bring our crazy ideas to life, on the visual front too.
Your debut at Tuska Festival earlier this summer received strong reactions from the audience, and just weeks later you performed at ArcTanGent in the UK – one of Europe’s most influential festivals for forward-thinking Progressive music. How did these first major live appearances shape your confidence as a band, and what did you take away from those experiences?
Eero: It was really meaningful to play our first show in Tuska – the festival that we’ve all went in our teens to see our favorite bands. We were nervous too: first show, live debuts for every single song, hometown festival and a lot friends in the audience… But I’m so glad to say that it went really well. The room was almost full of people and we felt such a positive vibe from all of them. ArcTanGent was our first show abroad ever which was nerve-wracking in a different way with all the logistics of flying to a different country. Luckily the same thing happened here as well, the audience was so warm & welcoming! This was our third show and we felt really comfortable with our set and could just enjoy the performing. It absolutely left us hungry for more.
Looking ahead, you will return to Germany for Euroblast and then hit the road with Leprous and Gåte for the Melodies of Atonement tour. After the impact of Tuska and ArcTanGent, what can audiences expect from a full Royal Sorrow live show in the months to come?
Eero: An experience with the full range of emotions. We want to give the audience a thought-out show ranging from the heaviest breakdowns to the fragile thoughts you only whisper to your partner late at night. We wan’t keep you on your toes (and ourselves as well) and we’ll always keep our show full of surprises.
InsideOut Music is home to some of the most iconic names in Progressive Rock and Metal. How has it been working with the label, and what does it mean for you to release your debut with them?
Eero: It’s sometimes quite absurd to be on the same label as some of our biggest influences. We’ve heard so many negative things on working with labels and I’m happy to say that we haven’t experienced any of those. I think our team at the label is fantastic, everyone is so hard-working and professional at what they do. They clearly have a big passion for the music and art. We couldn’t ask for a better label to work with.
Many debut albums serve as a statement of intent. Looking back, what do you hope listeners will take away from “Innerdeeps” once they’ve experienced it in full?
Eero: That we are here to stay. That we will always keep you guessing on where our songwriting takes you next. And that we’ll always be honest, sharing our lived experiences, hoping that our art resonates in your heart as well.
Finally, Royal Sorrow have arrived with remarkable force in such a short time. Where do you see the band going next – both artistically and in terms of your long-term vision?
Eero: We are steadfast on treading our own path and we want to invite everyone to hop onboard. We have big dreams and if we could financially achieve everything we vision for the band and it’s live shows that would be fantastic and a dream come true. No matter how big we get the end goal remains the same: connecting with people through our songs. It’s all about seeing that one person in the audience emotionally singing the lyrics we wrote back to us.
Nothing tops that.
Royal Sorrow’s “Innerdeeps” is more than just a debut – it is a bold statement of artistry, ambition, and emotional depth that places the Finnish collective firmly among the most promising newcomers in the Progressive Metal scene. With their fusion of heaviness, atmosphere, and cinematic storytelling, the band are poised to leave a lasting mark, both on record and on stage. Innerdeeps will be released September 26th, 2025 via InsideOut Music.
Lineup:
Markus Hentunen / Vocals, guitars
Eero Maijala / Bass
Janne Mieskonen / Drums