Earlier this year, THE ABBEY marked their presence in the musical realm with the release of their debut album ‘Word of Sin’ on Season of Mist.

Today, the progressive doom metal band are unveiling a visually enthralling and intricately bound video from the album’s climactic closing track, “Old Ones”. This 12-minute atmospheric epic takes the listener on a mesmerizing journey through a sonic landscape filled with unexpected twists and turns, reflecting on the band’s penchant for crafting immersive musical narratives.

Directed by the creative prowess of Jesse Heikkinen and brought to life through the innovative use of kaiber.ai, the visualizer for “Old Ones” serves as a compelling visual companion to the band’s musical odyssey. It adds a layer of depth and complexity, further enchanting the experience of this expansive album closer.

Order ‘Word of Sin’: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/TheAbbeyWOS
Stream: https://linktr.ee/abbeyceremonial

The Abbey are joining Sólstafir on their ongoing tour across the European hinterlands. The label mates will play 12 shows together starting this Sunday. Don’t miss this chance to witness the majesty of ‘Word of Sin’ brought to life on stage.

Tour Dates
19 November: Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefährlich [TICKETS]
21 November: Aarkhus, DK @ Train [TICKETS]
22 November: Stavanger, NO @ Folken [TICKETS]
23 November: Bergen, NO @ Hulen [TICKETS]
24 November: Oslo, NO @ John Dee [TICKETS]
25 November: Gothenburg, SE @ Brewhouse [TICKETS]
26 November: Stockholm, SE @ Debaser Strand [TICKETS]
28 November: Jyväskylä, FI @ Lutakko [TICKETS]
29 November: Tampere, FI @ Tavara-asema [TICKETS]
30 November: Helsinki, FI @ Tavastia [TICKETS]
1 December: Riga, LV @ Melna Piektdiena [TICKETS]
2 December: Vilnius, LT @ Loftas [TICKETS]

Aleister Crowley’s Abbey of Thelema was located in Sicily, Italy, and functioned as ground zero for many of the occultist’s most complex and groundbreaking hedonistic pursuits. Here, Crowley codified his ritual practices and took his concept of “Magick” to new, unforeseen levels. He rebranded the temple as “Collegium ad Spiritum Sanctum,” translating to “A college towards the Holy Spirit.” But the Abbey of Thelema was not without its controversy: A young disciple died in 1922 after contracting typhoid fever from the drinking water. And a year later, Crowley was evicted by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini’s regime, yet the mystery and intrigue behind the Abbey of Thelema remain.

It was only appropriate, then, that Jesse Heikkinen, a veteran of the Finnish music scene and a solo artist under the Iterum Nata banner, branded his newest musical pursuit as The Abbey. Drawing lyrical inspiration from esoteric organizations, their beliefs and his own practices, Heikkinen and co-lead vocalist Natalie Koskinen (Shape of Despair) weaved ritualistic tales from the darkest corners of themselves to pair with music that is a provocative, alluring kaleidoscope of dark, heavy rock. The result is the mystical Word of Sin, The Abbey’s nine-song debut long-player.

The Abbey tale began when Heikkinen generated the sudden urge to try his hand at singing in a doom metal band after laying down guest vocals for fellow countrymen Fuzzifer. His idea was to form a doom metal band with “big vocals” — a project for fun’s sake that would thrive off writing from the heart and improvisation. Those plans involved former Sentenced and The Man-Eating Tree drummer Vesa Ranta — the first name that came to Heikkinen’s mind for the project.

Ranta, now a professional photographer and filmmaker, provided the steady backbone behind Sentenced’s groundbreaking career that was brought to its conclusion in 2005. According to Heikkinen, Ranta plays “like a battalion of marching giants,” a not-so-subtle nod to the drummer’s mastery of the quarter-note. Ranta quickly took to Heikkinen’s early demos and suggested they add a female singer. Enter Koskinen. Koskinen knew Ranta from a video shoot where she was serving as a makeup artist. Reluctant to try a new band considering her Shape of Despair and career obligations, Koskinen listened to Heikkinen’s first demo and decided to give the project a go. Janne Markus (guitar, also of The Man-Eating Tree) and Henri Arvola (bass) were soon tapped to complete the band’s lineup.

Word of Sin was recorded between April and November 2021 in several locations across Finland. Drums, bass and Markus’s guitars were tracked at Kratio Studio in Oulu by Kyösti Rautio. Rautio also served as co-producer and mixed the album, becoming the unofficial sixth member of The Abbey. Heikkinen, who recorded most of his vocals and guitars in his stepdaughter’s room, surrounded by My Little Ponies, Disney figurines and a pile of esoteric literature, is careful to point out that The Abbey fails to drop into any neat, little subgenre.

“The album was made purely for self-expressive reasons,” he says. “My music is the channel where I can be as true and authentic as possible. It is also a somewhat safe way to explore and express the dark side of myself and the collective consciousness. Word of Sin may seem like a tremendously dark piece as a rock album, but it’s pretty lightweight for a doom metal album! The material proved so strong that it was obvious that it wasn’t going to be another side project. I think using the means of improvisation made the music sound more like its creator instead of it being forced to be this or that — and that seemed to work really well for us!”

Regardless of where Word of Sin falls between the vast channels of doom and heavy rock, the vocal interplay between Heikkinen and Koskinen is undeniable. Each has songs where they take the lead, but their harmonies and trade-offs carry songs like “Rat King” and “Desert Temple” to the fore, creating a restless, captivating atmosphere resembling vintage rock from the 1970s. And, for his first go at singing lead in a band, Heikkinen proves to be quite the capable vocalist, carrying a smooth, almost airy delivery on “Crystallion” and “Widow’s Will.”

“I didn’t think of it that much — my vocals all came naturally,” he says. “I still think I’m more of a guitarist than a vocalist, really. During the writing and recording, I listened to King Crimson’s Red quite a lot, so I’m sure I got some influences from John Wetton’s singing on that album. The vocal harmonies were heavily inspired by bands like E.L.O, Queen and Yes.”

Heikkinen and Koskinen didn’t know each other before the formation of The Abbey. Heikkinen met Koskinen for the first time when she tracked vocals at his home studio, but their partnership generated immediate results. “Nowadays, I usually record my vocals at home, but in this case, as I had yet to meet Jesse in person, I wanted to record my parts at his place,” says Koskinen. “It’s very important to see what kind of energy is between the musicians I’m going to work with in the long run. It turns out that we are a perfect match musically. Later on, I traveled to Oulu to meet the rest of the guys [Janne and Henri] and I must say that we had a very strong bond from the beginning. Sometimes things just happen even when you don’t plan them.”

“The right lines for each were found really easily,” adds Heikkinen. “There already were dozens of vocal tracks in some of my demos, but every time Natalie found her place in the song, she added something new into it.”

The creative process behind Word of Sin proved so fruitful that the members of The Abbey are already thinking about a follow-up. It’s a testament to the material’s inherent strength and the immediate bond between all five musicians.

“The Abbey will most definitely be an active and serious project for me – I do hope it will turn out fun as well,” wraps Heikkinen. And closes Koskinen: “I do have a feeling this band will make a long trip together.”

Lineup
Henri Arvola – Bass
Jesse Heikkinen – Guitar, keyboard, percussions, vocals
Natalie Koskinen – Vocals
Janne Markus – Guitar
Vesa Ranta – Drums

Guest Musicians
Jarmo Heikkinen – Lute (track 8)
Joonas Karjalainen – Additional keys (tracks 1, 4, 5, 7, 9)
Mikko Kiiveri – Additional percussions (track 4)
Ossi Oikari – SFX (track 9)
Kyösti Rautio – Additional guitars (tracks 1, 3, 9) and additional keys (tracks 1, 4, 6, 9)

• Recording Studio: Kratio Studios / Studio Beyond North Star
• Producer / Sound Engineer: Produced by The Abbey & Kyösti Rautio. Recorded by Jesse Heikkinen & Kyösti Rautio
• Mixing Studio & Engineer: Mixed in Kratio Studios by Kyösti Rautio except track 8 mixed by Jesse Heikkinen
• Mastering Studio & Engineer: Mastered in Orgone Studios by Jaime Gomez Arellano
• Cover Artwork Artist: Alexander Reisfar

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abbeyceremonial/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theabbeyceremonial/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/26x372PAVYvx68XalCRPp4
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPevbPFLgsO6Dvk4Pz0BFFA
Amazon Music: https://www.amazon.com/music/player/artists/B00P1C54C6/the-abbey
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-abbey/938182846
Bandcamp: https://theabbey.bandcamp.com/album/word-of-sin

Progressive doom rock new-comers THE ABBEY, ft. Natalie Koskinen (SHAPE OF DESPAIR), Jesse Heikkinen (HENGET, ITERUM NATA, etc), Vesa Ranta (ex-SENTENCED, ex-THE MAN-EATING TREE), and Janne Markus (THE MAN-EATING TREE) launches a new live video in honour of the long-awaited sales start of the vinyl release for “Word of Sin”.

The video was recorded during the very first live show in Oulu, Finland on February 22nd of 2023. The video can be viewed HERE

THE ABBEY comments: ”We are glad to finally have our debut album ’Word of Sin’ out on vinyl! The amazing cover art by Alexander Reisfar and world-class mastering by Jaime Gomez Arellano makes this the best possible format for this album. To celebrate this special day we will also release a live video of the track ’Starless’, filmed during the first ever The Abbey show in Oulu, Finland on February 2023.”

The LP is due on July 7, 2023 via Season of Mist and can be pre-ordered at THIS LOCATION.

The CD and digital formats for ‘Word of Sin’ were previously releases on February 17 and can be found HERE.

The artwork for ‘Word of Sin’ was created by Alexander Reisfar.

Tracklist:
1. Rat King (4:43)
2. A Thousand Dead Witches (04:35) [WATCH]
3. Crystallion (06:16)
4. Starless (07:53) [WATCH]
5. Desert Temple (04:31)
6. Widow’s Will (04:23) [WATCH]
7. Queen of Pain (05:22)
8. Old Ones (Prequel) (02:35)
9. Old Ones (12:48)
Total: 53:06

Aleister Crowley’s Abbey of Thelema was located in Sicily, Italy, and functioned as ground zero for many of the occultist’s most complex and groundbreaking hedonistic pursuits. Here, Crowley codified his ritual practices and took his concept of “Magick” to new, unforeseen levels. He rebranded the temple as “Collegium ad Spiritum Sanctum,” translating to “A college towards the Holy Spirit.” But the Abbey of Thelema was not without its controversy: A young disciple died in 1922 after contracting typhoid fever from the drinking water. And a year later, Crowley was evicted by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini’s regime, yet the mystery and intrigue behind the Abbey of Thelema remain. 

It was only appropriate, then, that Jesse Heikkinen, a veteran of the Finnish music scene and a solo artist under the Iterum Nata banner, branded his newest musical pursuit as The Abbey. Drawing lyrical inspiration from esoteric organizations, their beliefs and his own practices, Heikkinen and co-lead vocalist Natalie Koskinen (Shape of Despair) weaved ritualistic tales from the darkest corners of themselves to pair with music that is a provocative, alluring kaleidoscope of dark, heavy rock. The result is the mystical Word of Sin, The Abbey’s nine-song debut long-player. 

The Abbey tale began when Heikkinen generated the sudden urge to try his hand at singing in a doom metal band after laying down guest vocals for fellow countrymen Fuzzifer. His idea was to form a doom metal band with “big vocals” — a project for fun’s sake that would thrive off writing from the heart and improvisation. Those plans involved former Sentenced and The Man-Eating Tree drummer Vesa Ranta — the first name that came to Heikkinen’s mind for the project. 

Ranta, now a professional photographer and filmmaker, provided the steady backbone behind Sentenced’s groundbreaking career that was brought to its conclusion in 2005. According to Heikkinen, Ranta plays “like a battalion of marching giants,” a not-so-subtle nod to the drummer’s mastery of the quarter-note. Ranta quickly took to Heikkinen’s early demos and suggested they add a female singer. Enter Koskinen. Koskinen knew Ranta from a video shoot where she was serving as a makeup artist. Reluctant to try a new band considering her Shape of Despair and career obligations, Koskinen listened to Heikkinen’s first demo and decided to give the project a go. Janne Markus (guitar, also of The Man-Eating Tree) and Henri Arvola (bass) were soon tapped to complete the band’s lineup. 

Word of Sin was recorded between April and November 2021 in several locations across Finland. Drums, bass and Markus’s guitars were tracked at Kratio Studio in Oulu by Kyösti Rautio. Rautio also served as co-producer and mixed the album, becoming the unofficial sixth member of The Abbey. Heikkinen, who recorded most of his vocals and guitars in his stepdaughter’s room, surrounded by My Little Ponies, Disney figurines and a pile of esoteric literature, is careful to point out that The Abbey fails to drop into any neat, little subgenre. 

“The album was made purely for self-expressive reasons,” he says. “My music is the channel where I can be as true and authentic as possible. It is also a somewhat safe way to explore and express the dark side of myself and the collective consciousness. Word of Sin may seem like a tremendously dark piece as a rock album, but it’s pretty lightweight for a doom metal album! The material proved so strong that it was obvious that it wasn’t going to be another side project. I think using the means of improvisation made the music sound more like its creator instead of it being forced to be this or that — and that seemed to work really well for us!” 

Regardless of where Word of Sin falls between the vast channels of doom and heavy rock, the vocal interplay between Heikkinen and Koskinen is undeniable. Each has songs where they take the lead, but their harmonies and trade-offs carry songs like “Rat King” and “Desert Temple” to the fore, creating a restless, captivating atmosphere resembling vintage rock from the 1970s. And, for his first go at singing lead in a band, Heikkinen proves to be quite the capable vocalist, carrying a smooth, almost airy delivery on “Crystallion” and “Widow’s Will.” 

“I didn’t think of it that much — my vocals all came naturally,” he says. “I still think I’m more of a guitarist than a vocalist, really. During the writing and recording, I listened to King Crimson’s Red quite a lot, so I’m sure I got some influences from John Wetton’s singing on that album. The vocal harmonies were heavily inspired by bands like E.L.O, Queen and Yes.” 

Heikkinen and Koskinen didn’t know each other before the formation of The Abbey. Heikkinen met Koskinen for the first time when she tracked vocals at his home studio, but their partnership generated immediate results. “Nowadays, I usually record my vocals at home, but in this case, as I had yet to meet Jesse in person, I wanted to record my parts at his place,” says Koskinen. “It’s very important to see what kind of energy is between the musicians I’m going to work with in the long run. It turns out that we are a perfect match musically. Later on, I traveled to Oulu to meet the rest of the guys [Janne and Henri] and I must say that we had a very strong bond from the beginning. Sometimes things just happen even when you don’t plan them.” 

“The right lines for each were found really easily,” adds Heikkinen. “There already were dozens of vocal tracks in some of my demos, but every time Natalie found her place in the song, she added something new into it.” 

The creative process behind Word of Sin proved so fruitful that the members of The Abbey are already thinking about a follow-up. It’s a testament to the material’s inherent strength and the immediate bond between all five musicians. 

“The Abbey will most definitely be an active and serious project for me – I do hope it will turn out fun as well,” wraps Heikkinen. And closes Koskinen: “I do have a feeling this band will make a long trip together.” 

Lineup:
Jesse Heikkinen – Guitar, keyboard, percussions, vocals
Natalie Koskinen – Vocals
Janne Markus – Guitar
Vesa Ranta – Drums
Henri Arvola – Bass

More info at

• https://www.facebook.com/abbeyceremonial
• https://www.instagram.com/theabbeyceremonial/
• https://theabbey.bandcamp.com

Progressive doom rock new-comers THE ABBEY, ft. Natalie Koskinen (SHAPE OF DESPAIR), Jesse Heikkinen (HENGET, ITERUM NATA, etc), Vesa Ranta (SENTENCED, THE MAN-EATING TREE), and Janne Markus (THE MAN-EATING TREE), are now launching the long-awaited sales start for the vinyl format of their debut album, ‘Word of Sin.’ The LP is due on July 7, 2023 via Season of Mist and can be pre-ordered at THIS LOCATION.

To celebrate, the band is now sharing the live version of the song, “Old Ones,” which was filmed during THE ABBEY‘s first ever gig in Kantakrouvi, Oulu (FI) on February 22, 2023. Watch at THIS LOCATION.

The CD and digital formats for ‘Word of Sin’ were previously releases on February 17 and can be found HERE.

The artwork for ‘Word of Sin’ was created by Alexander Reisfar.

Tracklist:
1. Rat King (4:43)
2. A Thousand Dead Witches (04:35) [WATCH]
3. Crystallion (06:16)
4. Starless (07:53) [WATCH]
5. Desert Temple (04:31)
6. Widow’s Will (04:23) [WATCH]
7. Queen of Pain (05:22)
8. Old Ones (Prequel) (02:35)
9. Old Ones (12:48) [WATCH]
Total: 53:06

Lineup:
Jesse Heikkinen – Guitar, keyboard, percussions, vocals
Natalie Koskinen – Vocals
Janne Markus – Guitar
Vesa Ranta – Drums
Henri Arvola – Bass

Progressive doom rock new-comers THE ABBEY, ft. Natalie Koskinen (SHAPE OF DESPAIR), Jesse Heikkinen (HENGET, ITERUM NATA, etc), Vesa Ranta (SENTENCED, THE MAN-EATING TREE), and Janne Markus (THE MAN-EATING TREE), are now revealing another haunting song, “Starless,” along with a music video! The song is the latest single from the band’s forthcoming debut full-length, ‘Word of Sin,’ in which Koskinen’s bone-chilling powerhouse vocals are front and center! The song and video can be found at THIS LOCATION.

THE ABBEY comments on the offering: “It’s the darkest song in the album, both musically and lyric-wise. Composed by guitarist Janne Markus, ‘Starless’ shows the heavier side of the band. The lyrics by singer Natalie Koskinen contemplate the inner emptiness and the loss of will to live.”

In conjunction, THE ABBEY is now launching pre-sales for the CD and digital formats of ‘Word of Sin,’ which are due on February 17, 2023! The vinyl counterpart will be released on July 7 and pre-sales will be revealed at a later date.

Pre-order ‘Word of Sin’ on CD + digital HERE.
Pre-save ‘Word of Sin’ on streaming services HERE.

The artwork for ‘Word of Sin’ was created by Alexander Reisfar.

Tracklist:
1. Rat King (4:43)
2. A Thousand Dead Witches (04:35) [WATCH]
3. Crystallion (06:16)
4. Starless (07:53) [WATCH]
5. Desert Temple (04:31)
6. Widow’s Will (04:23) [WATCH]
7. Queen of Pain (05:22)
8. Old Ones (Prequel) (02:35)
9. Old Ones (12:48)
Total: 53:06

Lineup:
Jesse Heikkinen – Guitar, keyboard, percussions, vocals
Natalie Koskinen – Vocals
Janne Markus – Guitar
Vesa Ranta – Drums
Henri Arvola – Bass

Progressive doom rock new-comers THE ABBEY, ft. Natalie Koskinen (SHAPE OF DESPAIR), Jesse Heikkinen (HENGET, ITERUM NATA, etc),  Vesa Ranta (SENTENCED, THE MAN-EATING TREE), and Janne Markus (THE MAN-EATING TREE), are now revealing a brand new song, “Widow’s Will,” along with a dark and beautiful music video! The song is the second single from the band’s forthcoming debut full-length, ‘Word of Sin,’ and can be found at THIS LOCATION.

THE ABBEY comments on the offering: “This is the first song that guitarist-vocalist Jesse Heikkinen wrote for The Abbey. ‘Widow’s Will’ is maybe the most straightforward track of the album. It is a love song for Death, dedicated to our late loved ones.”

In conjunction, THE ABBEY is now launching pre-sales for the CD and digital formats of ‘Word of Sin,’ which are due on February 17, 2023! The vinyl counterpart will be released on July 7 and pre-sales will be revealed at a later date.

Pre-order ‘Word of Sin’ on CD + digital HERE.
Pre-save ‘Word of Sin’ on streaming services HERE.

The artwork for ‘Word of Sin’ was created by Alexander Reisfar.

Tracklist:
1. Rat King (4:43)
2. A Thousand Dead Witches (04:35) [WATCH]
3. Crystallion (06:16)
4. Starless (07:53)
5. Desert Temple (04:31)
6. Widow’s Will (04:23) [WATCH]
7. Queen of Pain (05:22)
8. Old Ones (Prequel) (02:35)
9. Old Ones (12:48)
Total: 53:06

Season of Mist is proud to announce the signing of THE ABBEY, the emerging progressive doom metal band ft. Natalie Koskinen (SHAPE OF DESPAIR), Jesse Heikkinen (HENGET, ITERUM NATA, etc),  Vesa Ranta (SENTENCED, THE MAN-EATING TREE), and Janne Markus (THE MAN-EATING TREE)! In conjunction with the announcement, the band is now revealing their bewitching first single, “A Thousand Dead Witches,” along with a chilling music video that will certainly get you in the spirit of Samhain! The clip, which was directed by Ranta, can be seen at THIS LOCATION.

THE ABBEY comments on the signing, ” We feel honored and privileged to get to write a new chapter in the history of Season of Mist – a distinguished label that has the courage and vision to do something extraordinary. We do believe that the collaboration between Season of Mist and The Abbey is going to lead us to great things.”

Regarding the single, the band adds, “Our first single has all the basic The Abbey elements: big vocals, dissonant harmonies, hauntingly beautiful melodies and tempo changes. This is The Abbey’s ode against oppression and tyranny.”

“A Thousand Dead Witches” is taken from THE ABBEY‘s upcoming debut album, ‘Word of Sin,’ which will be released next year via Season of Mist! The cover artwork can be found below while more information will be revealed soon!

In the meantime, pre-save the album across all streaming services HERE.

The artwork for ‘Word of Sin’ was created by Alexander Reisfar and can be found below! The tracklisting and additional info will be revealed at a later date!

Aleister Crowley’s Abbey of Thelema was located in Sicily, Italy, and functioned as ground zero for many of the occultist’s most complex and groundbreaking hedonistic pursuits. Here, Crowley codified his ritual practices and took his concept of “Magick” to new, unforeseen levels. He rebranded the temple as “Collegium ad Spiritum Sanctum,” translating to “A college towards the Holy Spirit.” But the Abbey of Thelema was not without its controversy: A young disciple died in 1922 after contracting typhoid fever from the drinking water. And a year later, Crowley was evicted by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini’s regime, yet the mystery and intrigue behind the Abbey of Thelema remain. 

It was only appropriate, then, that Jesse Heikkinen, a veteran of the Finnish music scene and a solo artist under the Iterum Nata banner, branded his newest musical pursuit as The Abbey. Drawing lyrical inspiration from esoteric organizations, their beliefs and his own practices, Heikkinen and co-lead vocalist Natalie Koskinen (Shape of Despair) weaved ritualistic tales from the darkest corners of themselves to pair with music that is a provocative, alluring kaleidoscope of dark, heavy rock. The result is the mystical Word of Sin, The Abbey’s nine-song debut long-player. 

The Abbey tale began when Heikkinen generated the sudden urge to try his hand at singing in a doom metal band after laying down guest vocals for fellow countrymen Fuzzifer. His idea was to form a doom metal band with “big vocals” — a project for fun’s sake that would thrive off writing from the heart and improvisation. Those plans involved former Sentenced and The Man-Eating Tree drummer Vesa Ranta — the first name that came to Heikkinen’s mind for the project. 

Ranta, now a professional photographer and filmmaker, provided the steady backbone behind Sentenced’s groundbreaking career that was brought to its conclusion in 2005. According to Heikkinen, Ranta plays “like a battalion of marching giants,” a not-so-subtle nod to the drummer’s mastery of the quarter-note. Ranta quickly took to Heikkinen’s early demos and suggested they add a female singer. Enter Koskinen. Koskinen knew Ranta from a video shoot where she was serving as a makeup artist. Reluctant to try a new band considering her Shape of Despair and career obligations, Koskinen listened to Heikkinen’s first demo and decided to give the project a go. Janne Markus (guitar, also of The Man-Eating Tree) and Henri Arvola (bass) were soon tapped to complete the band’s lineup. 

Word of Sin was recorded between April and November 2021 in several locations across Finland. Drums, bass and Markus’s guitars were tracked at Kratio Studio in Oulu by Kyösti Rautio. Rautio also served as co-producer and mixed the album, becoming the unofficial sixth member of The Abbey. Heikkinen, who recorded most of his vocals and guitars in his stepdaughter’s room, surrounded by My Little Ponies, Disney figurines and a pile of esoteric literature, is careful to point out that The Abbey fails to drop into any neat, little subgenre. 

“The album was made purely for self-expressive reasons,” he says. “My music is the channel where I can be as true and authentic as possible. It is also a somewhat safe way to explore and express the dark side of myself and the collective consciousness. Word of Sin may seem like a tremendously dark piece as a rock album, but it’s pretty lightweight for a doom metal album! The material proved so strong that it was obvious that it wasn’t going to be another side project. I think using the means of improvisation made the music sound more like its creator instead of it being forced to be this or that — and that seemed to work really well for us!” 

Regardless of where Word of Sin falls between the vast channels of doom and heavy rock, the vocal interplay between Heikkinen and Koskinen is undeniable. Each has songs where they take the lead, but their harmonies and trade-offs carry songs like “Rat King” and “Desert Temple” to the fore, creating a restless, captivating atmosphere resembling vintage rock from the 1970s. And, for his first go at singing lead in a band, Heikkinen proves to be quite the capable vocalist, carrying a smooth, almost airy delivery on “Crystallion” and “Widow’s Will.” 

“I didn’t think of it that much — my vocals all came naturally,” he says. “I still think I’m more of a guitarist than a vocalist, really. During the writing and recording, I listened to King Crimson’s Red quite a lot, so I’m sure I got some influences from John Wetton’s singing on that album. The vocal harmonies were heavily inspired by bands like E.L.O, Queen and Yes.” 

Heikkinen and Koskinen didn’t know each other before the formation of The Abbey. Heikkinen met Koskinen for the first time when she tracked vocals at his home studio, but their partnership generated immediate results. “Nowadays, I usually record my vocals at home, but in this case, as I had yet to meet Jesse in person, I wanted to record my parts at his place,” says Koskinen. “It’s very important to see what kind of energy is between the musicians I’m going to work with in the long run. It turns out that we are a perfect match musically. Later on, I traveled to Oulu to meet the rest of the guys [Janne and Henri] and I must say that we had a very strong bond from the beginning. Sometimes things just happen even when you don’t plan them.” 

“The right lines for each were found really easily,” adds Heikkinen. “There already were dozens of vocal tracks in some of my demos, but every time Natalie found her place in the song, she added something new into it.” 

The creative process behind Word of Sin proved so fruitful that the members of The Abbey are already thinking about a follow-up. It’s a testament to the material’s inherent strength and the immediate bond between all five musicians. 

“The Abbey will most definitely be an active and serious project for me – I do hope it will turn out fun as well,” wraps Heikkinen. And closes Koskinen: “I do have a feeling this band will make a long trip together.” 

Lineup:
Jesse Heikkinen – Guitar, keyboard, percussions, vocals
Natalie Koskinen – Vocals
Janne Markus – Guitar
Vesa Ranta – Drums
Henri Arvola – Bass

Cover Art: Alexander Reisfar

Bio: David E. Gehlke