VHB SPREAD PEACE ON LATEST ALBUM
Finnish brothers team up with Approach drummer Sami Kuoppamäki on their most ambitious work to date.
Von Hertzen Brothers’ latest album, war Is over – out via Mascot on november 3 – takes them back to their roots with a title track that’s 12-and-a-half minutes long.
“we’ve had the song, war Is over, in our drawer for a while,” admits singer Mikko von Hertzen. “we knew it would be a huge amount of work. when we found out that [Finnish jazz drummer] sami Kuoppamäki would be able to play with us again, we realised it was now or never. He’s such a great drummer and the right person to play the song.”
the 10-track was recorded in Finland and sees the band move away from 2015’s rockier new Day rising and towards a sound much closer to 2006’s approach.
“we wanted to make an american rock album and we achieved that, but I’m not sure it was really us,” the singer admits. “we learned so much from our trip to Vancouver [where new Day rising was recorded], but I think we get the best out of ourselves with the people we know and the language we use in our daily lives… we come from a background of Queen, Pink Floyd and emerson Lake & Palmer – those bands are more important to us than american rock – so we’ve taken a few steps back to a proggier sound.”
the fraternal group will showcase the album on tour this winter, where they’ll be joined not only by Kuoppamäki, but also by live keyboardist robert engstrand (the Flower Kings/turisas). For the full list of shows, visit www.vonhertzenbrothers.com.