When Children of Bodom played their final show at Helsinki Ice Hall on December 15, 2019, it quite possibly could have been the last time their brilliant keyboardist Janne Wirman ever played a single note of music he wrote. The last show came as a culmination of a tumultuous year that saw the band split ways with lead guitarist and vocalist Alexi Laiho after a series of disagreements, exacerbated by his increasingly erratic behavior due to alcohol abuse, which made it impossible for the legendary Finnish band to continue on as they were. Wirman and the remaining original members of the band each decided to start pursuing careers outside of the music industry afterwards, with Janne opting to enroll in architecture school. Laiho would carry on with a new group, Bodom After Midnight, but only briefly as Alexi would tragically pass away in December 2020, succumbing to the long term effects of alcoholism.
Between the hell the band went through in 2019 just trying to keep everything together, to the loss of his dear friend and bandmate, Janne became so disillusioned with music and the music industry that he considered never playing again. In fact, he went on for nearly four years without doing so, until he finally relented to the urging of his brother, Antti Wirman, a long time member of Janne’s Warmen side project and a ferocious guitarist in his own right, and bassist Jyri “Snake” Helko. The way Jyri and Antti tell the story, they basically refused to let Janne quit music, saying in interviews afterwards that he was simply too talented to be “just an architect,” which is quite a statement in and of itself. Once Janne gave in, the three of them went to a cabin outside of the Helsinki area and were able to come up with demos for new Warmen material on the very first weekend, which became the genesis of what would become 2023’s Here for None.
There was one slight issue, however: the band had no lead singer. Though Warmen had released five studio albums to that point, they never had a consistent lead singer, which also hampered their ability to play live shows, mostly resorting to festival shows when their guest vocalists would also be present. After briefly considering Bjorn "Speed" Strid from Soilwork, the members of the band decided that Petri Lindroos, formerly of Norther and currently of Ensiferum, would be the perfect addition to round out their lineup. Janne had known Petri since the late 1990s when Norther shared a rehearsal space with Children of Bodom, and with him on board, the group went on to record the album, and for the first time, were able to tour behind a record around Finland.
Now, Warmen are ready to release their follow up to Here for None, aptly titled Band of Brothers, which is due out on August 15th through Reaper Entertainment. The new album picks up where the previous record left off, but delves deeper into the new direction Warmen have set for themselves with a collection of heavier, angrier, and more brutal songs, with a level of cohesiveness that is no doubt the result of this being the first album they’ve truly written together as a band with this lineup.
Ahead of the release of Band of Brothers, I had a chance to speak with Antti and Janne about a number of topics, including:
- how Antti and Jyri convinced Janne to continue making music, how the band settled on Petri Lindroos as their frontman, the writing process for Band of Brothers, why they picked the eponymous title track as the first single, and a question about a certain sign from Antti's home studio.
- a discussion of the rest of the album’s tracks, the band's cover of “The Kiss of Judas” and the importance of Stratovarius to a young Janne and Alexi, how it feels to be playing gigs again, and Janne’s thoughts on Warmen playing Children of Bodom songs live.
- the experience of being interviewed for the Children of Bodom oral history due out in August, Antti’s stint playing as touring guitarist in the band in 2015, the brothers’ explanation of Antti only being listed as a guest musician on the first Warmen album, and Janne’s history of posting on heavy metal message boards.
- when Janne knew he was part of something special playing in Children of Bodom and reflections about being grateful to be able to play music again as a hobby as brothers as opposed to as a career.
You can view the entire interview HERE:
Antti and Janne were very gracious with their time and I thank them for the lively, enjoyable conversation we had regarding all things Warmen and Children of Bodom.
Though once just regarded as Janne’s side project, Warmen are quickly becoming a driving force in the world of melodic death metal. The band has plans to play festival dates throughout Europe this summer, including debut shows in Hungary and Switzerland, plus a headlining tour in Finland later this year. Speaking with Janne and Antti, it’s clear that they are having a blast creating music together and rediscovering the joy of playing live to crowds of adoring fans. It’s especially encouraging to hear Janne speak about music with such joy after the turbulent last year of Children of Bodom and the events that followed.
And to think, without a little nudging from his younger brother, it may have never happened.
Band of Brothers is due out on August 15th through Reaper Entertainment. The eponymous first single, “Band of Brothers,” is available now on all major streaming platforms. “Nine Lives,” the second single, will be released on July 4th. The album is available for pre-order at the link below:
Information about Warmen’s festival dates and other appearances can be found here:
