Mathias Lillmåns, known for his work with Finntroll and numerous other projects, celebrates 30 years in metal with The Degenerate Years. LISTEN HERE. The 3-track EP, released September 26 under his solo monicker Lillmåns via Finnish independent label Stormbound Records, follows last month’s Twilight Moon – The Forgotten Recordings and continues an ongoing series of archival releases.

Degenerate represented a shift in intensity and ambition from Lillmåns’ earlier bands. “Degenerate is where it all got real,” he recalls. “The band had fast picking, progressive rhythms, elaborate guitar solos and melodies, and a groove and drive I had never experienced before first hand.” Recorded in 2002 during his first year studying sound engineering, the tracks capture both a young band pushing boundaries and Lillmåns’ earliest attempts at working in a recording studio environment. “The songs Blinded and Displacement are from that session, my first ever recording of a full band in a professional studio,” he explains. Aside from handling the recording duties, Lillmåns played the bass and sang backing vocals, while lead vocals were taken care of by Jakob Ericsson.

With The Degenerate Years and Twilight Moon – The Forgotten Recordings, Lillmåns lays the groundwork for a full-length retrospective album, bringing together rare and previously unheard material spanning three decades of metal history.

Remixed and remastered by Owe Inborr at Wolfthrone Studios, The Degenerate Years was released on September 26 on all major streaming platforms via Stormbound Records.