With Finland’s native scene awash with bands exemplifying modern plasticity or retro-worship, Freedomination retaliate against trends with honest, thrashing heavy metal!
Freedomination came to life in 2008 under the vision of creative mastermind Timo Ahlström (HORRORFEAST, KILJUVELKA-70, live: GANDALF, ARCHITORTURE, S.O.D. tribute SPERMTROOPERS OF DESTRUCTION). Ripened by these studio and live experiences, Timo is now placing his focus firmly on his own brainchild, predicating a boundless future for this young metal quartet. Rounded out by Jukka Ahlström and Mikko Turunen, and with the recent addition Otto Luotonen (of the legendary thrash/crossover band RYTMIHÄIRIÖ and a fistful of others) the result is the band’s most invigorated incarnation to date.
The Stand EP, released in January 2015, is a showcase of the band’s new direction and commitment, and the debut full-length is already composed and ready to be unleashed later in the year.
Taking influences primarily from heavy/thrash giants of the 80’s and adding a fuller, more modern production, The Stand offers a much-needed revitalization of pure metal to the Nordic underground. Not restricted to any stylistic limitations and possessing a keen sense of melody, the outcome is a varied and exhilarating journey – incorporating punk sentiments in the attitude, speed metal in the intensity, progressive heavy metal in the arrangements, and the all-too-elusive element of playfulness in the riffing and shredding. While some songs brashly gallop and others wistfully breach the territory of epicism, Freedomination’s compositions do as much storytelling as the lyrics, both being straight-forward and lacking in pretension. The vocal delivery is heavy yet melodic and versatile, occasionally spiced with old-school falsettos.
Freedomination earned early recognition already from their demos, including being chosen as “Band of the Month” in Finland’s premiere print metal publication, Inferno Magazine. They received further affirmation when ANNIHILATOR’s Jeff Waters contributed a solo for the Power of Nightmares track “Hide Your Self,“ which was later reciprocated at a 2013 gig where Timo joined Annihilator on stage as axeman during “King of the Kill.”
With dozens of gigs in southern Finland under their belts and many more in the pipeline, Freedomination are poised and ready to take their stand and disperse their energy on stages across the globe.