Tag: heavy-metal

Nebula Arcana: Unveiling Melancholic Metal Concepts

TL;DR: My new band Nebula Arcana blends progressive, cinematic elements with melancholic melodic death metal. Our debut concept, The Last Ember, follows different people through the final 12 months before the world ends. First teasers are coming soon at nebulaarcana.com.

Endings aren’t endings at all. They’re transitions.

Nebula Arcana is that transition: a new dawn after the dusk.

Why a New Band — and Why Now

When Eternal Tears of Sorrow closed its book, the silence left space for something bolder. I wanted freedom: heavier dynamics, wider emotions, and fewer rules. If you’ve read my earlier reflections on growth and practice, you’ll recognise the pattern: reinvention through deliberate work and patience.

(Internal link idea: link “reflections on growth and practice” to your post Practice in Music and Meditation.)

The Concept: 

The Last Ember

What if the world were ending in 12 months, and everyone knew?

Each song follows a different person’s response: denial, fury, bargaining, grief, grace… And sometimes love. It’s less about apocalypse-as-spectacle and more about the emotions that rise when time finally feels finite.

Musically, expect progressive structures, cinematic orchestrations, and a melancholic core, growls and cleans in dialogue rather than competition. There are glimmers of Opeth/Steven Wilson/OK Computer-era tension, filtered through the cold northern light that’s always been in my writing.

The Line-Up

  • Aso Brännkär — growl vocals
  • Jussi Matilainen — clean vocals
  • Harri Hytönen — guitar
  • Olli Hakala — bass
  • Ville Miinala — drums
  • Christian Pulkkinen — keyboards & orchestrations
  • Jarmo Puolakanaho — guitar, composition & production

What You’ll Hear (and When)

We’re deep into writing and pre-production. The album will be out next year.

Follow along at nebulaarcana.com and socials, the first embers are almost here.

Practice in Music and Meditation

A fellow goes to New York to attend a concert, but gets lost. 

He spots another fellow who’s carrying a violin case. 

“Sir, can you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?” 

The musician smiles and says, “Practice, practice, practice.”

If you’ve read my earlier posts, you already know I’m a believer in reinvention. I mentioned this in posts about saying goodbye to my former band. I also talked about it while starting a new band and the role of growth in both life and music. Reinvention not as a sudden shift, but as a slow, deliberate unfolding. Like songwriting. Like sitting in zazen meditation. Like playing guitar.

In a recent video, Brad Warner compared Zen practice to learning guitar. You can study theory, listen to great players, and understand it all intellectually. Still, unless you practice, none of it really becomes yours. That metaphor stuck with me, especially now.

Even though I’ve played guitar for over 35 years, I’ve never truly thought of it as a technical tool. It’s always been an extension of songwriting, a means of expressing emotion rather than showcasing skill. But this winter and spring, something changed. I started taking guitar lessons. It wasn’t to become a shredder. I wanted to push myself and my new band to a higher level. I want our music to evolve, and that means I have to evolve too.

Funny thing is, I practiced so much that I developed tendinitis in my left hand. So now I’m on a break. It’s frustrating, but also humbling. Because even in rest, there’s something to learn: about balance, moderation, and the limits of discipline.

That’s where the Zen metaphor comes full circle. Warner referenced a famous Zen story from Dōgen’s “Genjōkōan“. It is about how air is ever-existing. Yet, unless you use a fan, you don’t feel it. Liberation, like air, is all around us. But without practice, without the fan, you don’t experience it. That’s how I feel about both music and meditation.

You don’t become a better musician by watching others. You become one by playing, by discovering your unique voice through repetition, mistakes, breakthroughs, and quiet progress.

And the same goes for Zen. You don’t “get” it through clever quotes or YouTube videos. You get it by sitting. Over and over again. Sometimes it’s clear, sometimes it’s muddy. But over time, it reveals something real.

In past posts, I’ve talked about embracing feedback. I’ve also discussed breaking free from genre expectations. Welcoming discomfort is part of creative growth. This is just another chapter in that same story. Whether it’s navigating the end of a beloved band or picking up new skills at 50, the lesson stays the same:

Practice is the path

So yeah, here’s to sitting. To playing. To not knowing. And to finding something true in the middle of it all, one breath, one note at a time.

My Journey with the Kemper Profiler Player

Last Friday, my musical toolkit expanded with the arrival of the Kemper Profiler Player, a step that’s set to significantly influence my path toward crafting new, heavier, and more progressive melodic death metal albums. This addition isn’t just about acquiring another piece of equipment; it’s about embracing a tool that promises to deepen the sonic textures and complexities of my music, particularly when used alongside my Line 6 Helix.

The Kemper offers a fresh perspective, not by replacing my Helix but by augmenting it, providing a rich tapestry of tones that complement the Helix’s capabilities. Together, they form a powerful duo that supports my vision of pushing boundaries in the melodic death metal genre. The compact nature of the Kemper is particularly appealing, granting me the flexibility to create and record music in a variety of settings, from the comfort of my home studio to the most remote locations where inspiration strikes, powered by my small solar station or the trusty, battery-operated Boss GT-1 pedal when needed.

While the Boss GT-1 has its place in my rig, especially in situations where power is scarce, its sonic output simply can’t compare to the depth and authenticity that the Kemper brings to the table. The Kemper’s ability to accurately capture and replicate the essence of real amplifiers is nothing short of revolutionary for my music, providing a foundation upon which I can build more complex, rich, and aggressive tones that are essential for the new directions I’m exploring in my albums.

Reflecting on my initial experiences with the Kemper Profiler Player, I’m filled with optimism. This piece of gear exceeds my expectations by offering not just portability and quality but also by being a pivotal element in my journey towards creating more intricate and heavy music. As I delve deeper into integrating the Kemper with the Helix, my excitement for the sonic possibilities they will unlock for my upcoming projects continues to grow. This is not just another step in my musical journey; it’s a leap towards realizing the soundscapes I’ve always imagined for my future albums.

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