Von Hertzen Brothers stream new single ‘The Relapse’ ahead of album release

22nd October 2024 0 By Jon Deaux

Finland’s celebrated Von Hertzen Brothers have unveiled ‘The Relapse’ along with an uplifting music video. This is the third single from their highly anticipated ninth studio album, In Murmuration, due for release this Friday 25th October.

Stream ‘The Relapse’ here: https://vonhertzenbrothers.ffm.to/oweyqjr.OPR

Pre-order In Murmuration here: https://linktr.ee/VonHertzenBrothers

Guitarist Kie von Hertzen comments on ‘The Relapse’: “When we began thinking about the overall approach for this album, we wanted to write songs that were simple in structure (for a change), punchy in performance, and rocky enough to have fun with on stage. ‘The Relapse’ was the first song to come from that mindset. To us, it’s a mix of AC/DC, Queens of the Stone Age, Phil Collins, and maybe a bit of U2. All of this is of course served to you with familiar von Hertzen-ian seasoning and a bit of Krautrock sprinkled on top.”

Guitarist/vocalist Mikko continues: “I’ve been waiting to get this song out so badly it has hurt. It’s so much fun to dive back into the pool of riff rock and just let it all out. Don’t get me wrong, the proggier VHB is essentially THE driving force behind everything we do, but to have a new banger like this to play live feels fresh and fun. I wanna see those hands up in the air!”

New album In Murmuration follows the profound and epic journey of their acclaimed, pandemic-era masterpiece Red Alert in the Blue Forest (2022).

In Murmuration will be released on Von Hertzen Brothers’ own label, DoingBeingMusic, on limited-edition crystal-clear vinyl gatefold LP, CD and digital. Merch bundles will be available from the band’s website. Pre-orders are available now.

Von Hertzen Brothers will play album launch shows in Finland and the UK at the end of 2024 before returning to the UK, Europe and the US, including Cruise to the Edge in spring 2025.

Confirmed dates are as follows:
Nov 09: Helsink (FI) Tavastia (album release show)
Nov 16: Tampere (FI) Olympia (album release show)
Nov 28: Troon (UK) Winter Storm Festival
Nov 29: Buckley (UK) The Tivoli
Nov 30: Trecco (UK) Bay Planet Rockstock
Dec 02: London (UK) The Garage

In true Von Hertzen Brothers style, In Murmuration creatively juxtaposes the band’s previous release. Whilst their imaginative, multi-genre hard rock and harmonies remain, the band’s artistic pendulum has swung more towards an air of optimism and renewal. The result is a work filled with big choruses, stadium rock anthems, art-rock with 90s vibes and catchy power-pop.

Whilst the themes within the album may not be as deliberately opinionated as on previous releases Red Alert in the Blue Forest and War is Over, there is a naturally occurring sense of constant change throughout. Precise and intriguing observations on the global political landscape, the tricky human relationships of this age, resilience and personal growth all provide lyrical subject matter. The first half of the album embodies a transformation of mood, bringing forth some positivity and love, and the second half journeys through challenging relationships, a literal call for change, separation, loss, longing and a final resolution.

Vocalist/guitarist Mikko von Hertzen says: “The shapes and the overall tone of the musical content on this album could be a bit surprising to some of our newer followers, but not to those who have been listening to us from the beginning. Musically speaking, we have proudly carried the cloaks of ‘prog-wizards’ for the last two albums, but what has not been so widely discussed lately is our ability to write good pop choruses and great catchy rock anthems with good vibes. We felt like it was now time to bring forth that side of us once again. The lyrical themes still deal with the everyday struggles of being humans in this f*cked up world, it’s a source that keeps on giving, but we wanted to step out of the forest and into the sunlight to mingle, discuss and celebrate. We live in an age of constant change where everyone is trying to find a secure footing in life, sometimes full of joy and sometimes filled with utter disappointment. Amid all that, the trick is to stay alert and lean to one another. Like starlings in murmuration. After the pandemic, and now as the world has once again opened, we have somehow felt lighter in our everyday lives. We acknowledge the contradiction of course, since the world with its horrors hasn’t changed much… It would have been easy to drown in those doomsday moods, but writing these songs we felt the need to tackle these problems from a more forgiving and positive standpoint.”

From the anthemic opener to the reflective closer, In Murmuration ebbs and flows much like the starlings after which it is named.

The instrumentation on this album has also evolved. The three brothers Mikko, Kie and Jonne, with drummer Sami Kuoppamäki, are joined by multi-instrumentalist Markus Pajakkala, who performed with the brothers on their acoustic tour in 2023. Notable for his saxophone solo on 2022’s ‘Peace Patrol’, Markus brings a new dynamic to the album. Guests on the album include a gospel ensemble and the Budapest Art Orchestra.
Now in their 23rd year, Von Hertzen Brothers have consistently delivered music on their own terms and In Murmuration is no exception. This is their third self-produced album, the others being the award-winning Approach (2006) and War is Over (2017).

Von Hertzen Brothers are:
Mikko von Hertzen – vocals, guitars
Kie von Hertzen – guitars, vocals
Jonne von Hertzen – bass, keyboards, vocals
Sami Kuoppamäki – drums
Markus Pajakkala – keyboards, woodwind