Due to the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Helsinki-based heavy metal band Oceanhoarse's plans about live shows and studio sessions for their debut album were forced to be cancelled. But no rest for the wicked, as they say: the band decided to make up for the loss by compiling a live album from their recordings on their recent European tour with Marko Hietala. Now, the first single called "The Damage (Live)" is dropped – a dynamic, previously unreleased song, that is now heard as an in-your-face live version.

Vocalist Joonas Kosonen: "The sheer energy of the band and the audiences in every city were unbelievable night after night, and I truly believe we managed to capture this feeling also on the albumm." 

"The Damage (Live)" captures the essence of the band’s approach of raw power at its purest: 100% live. Highly suitable for a group that has the slogan "Fuck Your Backing Tracks" printed on the backs of their best-selling T-shirts.

Drummer Oskari Niemi: "I was really happy with 'The Damage' to begin with, but it's only now that I realize that the way we did it on stage took the song to the next level. I think recording this way feels very natural to us: it’s just easier to push it to the limit in a live situation!"

The new album, The Damage Is Done - LIVE!, will be released on June 5th, containing live versions of songs from the Voluntary Bends EP as well as the previous single releases, and the icing on the cake: additional bass and guitar solo spots. The album was recorded by Kimmo Ahola, the acclaimed FOH engineer for bands such as Nightwish and Beast In Black, and mixed by Tuomas Wäinölä, who also handled the mixing and guitar duties on Marko Hietala’s solo album.

Oceanhoarse are about to release their first full-length album on June 5th. But here's the twist: instead of locking themselves into a sterile studio to polish up the material, the upcoming album was recorded onstage, all over Europe, in front of an audience.

“Our tour supporting Marko Hietala this past February went better than we could've ever hope for,” says guitarist Ben Varon. “The response was overwhelming, and we won the crowds over every night before our set was over. Judging by the feedback we got after the shows, as well as by the amount of merch we sold, we were definitely doing something right. Luckily for us Kimmo Ahola, the sound engineer on that tour, records all the shows, which means we also ended up in his archives.”

Once the band got to hear some of the recorded material and was impressed by the sound quality, performances as well as the overall vibe, the idea of releasing a proper live album arose. But it was the recent coronavirus pandemic and the tidal wave of gig and tour cancellations that helped make the decision that the live album is a go, and its time was now.

“Since day one, we've been very vocal about our passion for honest and raw live sound. We believe that there must be tons of metalheads out there who, like us, have grown tired of seeing bands perform with click tracks, laptops, and walls of orchestras and synthesizers running on backing tapes. There's something very special about the energy of a live show where all the necessary information is being delivered by just the few musicians onstage, at full volume, right in your face. The Damage Is Done – LIVE! is a good example of that: 100% live, no touch-ups, an honest documentary of what Oceanhoarse sounded like on our first tour in February of 2020!”

Oceanhoarse bassist Jyri Helko continues: “The response on that tour surpassed every expectation! People in Central Europe tend to arrive early for the shows, curious to see the support acts as well, which of course was great for us. Originally we were supposed to be in the studio right now to record new material, but the situation being what it is, all studio and touring plans had to be postponed. So why not put out a live album instead!”

While waiting for The Damage is Done -LIVE! to drop, check out the live video for “The Intruder”, filmed during the same European tour at Z7 in Pratteln, Switzerland.

Live photo: Arto Lindén