Interview mit Matias Knuuttila und Toke Gerdts von Gladenfold

With „Soulbound“, you have noticeably changed your style compared to „Nemesis“. The Melodic Death Metal elements have almost completely disappeared, while you are now fully embracing a Power/Symphonic Metal direction. Was this a conscious artistic decision, or did it develop organically during the songwriting process?
Matias: What was clear after releasing „Nemesis“ was that we wanted to do something different. We had in mind to write a straight-forward album with songs that are easily translatable to live performances, and obviously challenging ourselves as songwriters. Esko, who is our main songwriter, presented new ideas that were more melodic and power-metal oriented, and it felt natural that the next album would then head towards this direction. So yes, the process was organic, but at a later point we preferred to pick up ideas that were in line with the first songs that showed us the way.

„Nemesis“ was significantly darker and more aggressive. After that album, did you feel the need to realign yourselves musically, or is „Soulbound“ rather a logical continuation of your musical journey?
Toke: Both and neither, I would have to say. In some regards, the albums are a snapshot of the time they were made in, so even though we are not a very autobiographical band, per se, it still comes across that the „Nemesis“ was made in a darker period of our lives than „Soulbound“. However, it also came down to more practical frustrations with the making of the record, where the complicated song structures etc. proved difficult to record and perform live. That experience pushed us to want to do something lighter in terms of complexity, but perhaps also just different than „Nemesis“. I therefore do not know if I would call it a logical continuation of our musical journey, but it came very naturally to us, at least. I think that is how it should be – we will have to see in which direction it takes us on the next record.

The stylistic shift away from your former „Epic Melodic Death Power“ mix and from Melodic Death Metal in general could also involve a certain risk. Are you concerned that you might lose parts of your existing fanbase because of this change?
Matias: I mean, there is always a risk that some fans don’t like your new album. I think „Nemesis“ was our best work by then, it turned out great. But for aforementioned reasons we felt we had to write something different this time. The obvious difference is the almost complete lack of growls, and we also felt that acoustic songs were not fit for „Soulbound“, we wanted to keep it streamlined. That being said, I don’t think the identity of the band has actually changed that much. We ignored many great song ideas as we felt they were not meant for this album. So, those elements not present on „Soulbound“ are likely to reappear in the future to some extent. But you never know for sure (laughs)

You recorded and produced the album entirely on your own. Did this independence help you to realize the concept without compromise, especially in terms of sound, dynamics, and overall dramaturgy?
Toke: Most of all, I think we have realised that we are a difficult band to work with. We are six people in the band, everybody is very opinionated and wants to be heard – both in the discussion and on the record. In that sense, it was a very practical decision, which afforded us a lot of flexibility in terms of the working process itself. However, as you mention, it also allowed us complete creative control, which can be good and bad – I think it turned out for the better, in this case.

A song like „Anthem Of The Broken“ feels as if it contains three or more songs within one, and in general your tracks are packed with ideas. How do you decide which parts belong in which song – and which ideas ultimately have to be left out?
Matias: „Anthem Of The Broken“ was one of the last songs we finalized. With that one, we didn’t hold back at all, the song was all about twists and turns from the very beginning. When it comes to arranging songs, everyone can throw in ideas and whatever feels right and works at that point will do. The best idea wins. Sometimes it is „first come, first served“. When someone gives a suggestion and brings in a new idea, it very often sparks new ideas from others, and the songwriting and arranging happens organically and unpredictably. Not surprising, usually the case is that there are way too many tracks and ideas and the hardest part is to decide what should be left out.

„Soulbound“ reminded me in parts of bands like SONATA ARCTICA and KAMELOT. Which artists or specific albums inspired and influenced you the most while working on this record?
Toke: Those two bands have definitely been a central influence for (at least) all the songwriters of the band, and remain so on this record. Speaking for myself, I really tapped into my love of DRAGONLAND and the first two AMARANTHE albums, where Olof Mörck’s lead playing was a huge influence in my teenage years. Actually, in our group chat, we were joking about that we, maybe uncharacteristically for a Finnish band, were very influenced by Swedish bands on this record – SCAR SYMMETRY and SEVENTH WONDER were other bands that were mentioned in this regard. Even as a Dane, I am not ashamed to admit it, at least – the Swedes make great stuff.

The new album is described as a concept album. When did the idea of telling a cohesive story emerge? Was the concept there from the beginning, or did it gradually take shape during the songwriting process?
Matias: Most of the music was already composed when we decided that the album will be a concept album. „Ghostlike“ was one of the first songs finished, and we felt there was something magical. Its lyrics were the inspiration to come up with the idea of creating a story about two souls that are bound to interact with each other over multiple lifetimes. Then, I and Esko started brainstorming what kind of story and events would support the songs we had at that point. Then final arrangements and tweaks to the songs were obviously then done with the story in mind.

At the center of the story are two characters trapped in a cycle of rebirth and fate. How detailed is this narrative? Is there a clearly defined storyline, or do you see the concept more as a thematic framework with deliberate room for interpretation?
Matias: The concept is definitely more thematic than a clearly defined story. It was actually built to be a framework that would guide us to write the lyrics, but eventually it became much more than that. We are setting the scene with „Fire Wind“ and „Wardens Of Time“, and then the rest of the story is more open for interpretation. The CD booklet and vinyl sleeve contain these kinds of „short ancient scripts“ for each song that give more hints to those who want to delve into the story. But the actual story is not the beef here, it is the connection of these two characters. The songs are about that. The cover art itself is worth a thousand words and should give the listeners somewhat a starting point of what this album is about.

How did the guest contribution by Micha on „Mercy“ come about? Does she represent a specific role within the story?
Matias: As the album story is based on two characters, a male and a female to be specific, having a guest female vocalist on this album felt natural. It must have been that when Esko got most of the lyrics on „Mercy“ written, I felt this song is a perfect one for guest female vocals. I happened to know Micha, and she was interested in contributing to this song. All happened rather fast and with an easy flow, we didn’t have much time either before handing out the finished album to the label. Guess we are a bit lucky, because her voice and phrasing were a spot on for this song.

In what ways does working on a concept album influence your compositional approach? Do you write songs differently when they are part of a larger narrative, for example regarding tension arcs, recurring motifs, or atmospheric leitmotifs?
Matias: I guess usually bands come up with the story first and then start composing music. We did vice versa. In a way, we didn’t want the album concept to take too much focus out of music. We aimed at keeping the album straight-forward, no transition tracks or interludes or such, just songs that work on their own. In fact, our music usually has so much going on that we didn’t really have to add „more color“ to build the story. We actually streamlined some of the songs. All in all, we did our best to find a suitable lyrical approach for each song that would support the concept. But I must say it was a challenge to have a narrative that covers the whole album.

If you compare your own musical development to the concept of „Soulbound“: would you say that this stylistic reinvention and the consistent move towards Power Metal represent a break from your own creative cycle?
Matias: Hmmm… I see your point. Rather than creating a vastly experimenting album without any kind of artistic boundaries, we wanted to make our most cohesive album and curate our ideas into a certain direction. With this album, we have found new ways of making music together, and it is partly why „Soulbound“ turned out like this. It would say that the next challenge would be to stick to these new methods, and get more experimental with songwriting again. The change is the consistent thing for us, we get easily bored. But yes, there has never been such a big difference between the current album and the previous one, and it was a bold move for sure.

You have announced several Finnish shows and a performance in Japan. Are there already plans for the rest of Europe, possibly including Germany?
Matias: Playing in Germany and central Europe in general is one of our priorities when it comes to touring. Fingers crossed we can make it happen with this album cycle.

Let’s close the interview with our traditional brainstorming session. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the following terms?
AI: No place in art
The state of the world: Sad
Nature: Sacred
Change: Inevitable
„Soulbound“ in three words: Epic, energetic, melancholic
GLADENFOLD in ten years: Friends still sticking together

Thank you very much for your time and best of luck with „Soulbound“! The final words are yours.
Cheers from Finland. „Soulbound“ is out now, do yourself a favor and take a listen. Fans of melodic metal and power metal should definitely find something to like about it.

Publiziert am 12. März 2026 von Stefan Popp