The Metal Crypt - Mutant Blast Interview

Interviews

Interview with guitarist Toni Huhtiniemi
Interview conducted by Luxi Lahtinen

Date online: September 22, 2024

Mutant Blast, formed in 2020, is a Finnish thrash 'n roll band that released their debut album, Soulsteeler, through the Italian label Rockshots Records in September 2024. The band had a 6-song EP (called Detonation) prior to their full-length studio album, which showed a lot of potential. It was just a matter of time until one label or another snapped them up for their roster.

Mutant Blast impressed the staff of The Metal Crypt with their music, so much so that we decided to contact the band's guitarist Toni Huhtiniemi, to learn more about them, and the band's shameless strategy for thrashing and rolling over all of us.

Hey, how's life, Toni? Busy or maybe not due to your smart habit of taking things nice and easy, eh?

Toni: Hi Luxi! Life is pretty good. I have been busy with the album release, but I had one-week holiday left from my day job, so it was OK. Summer was really nice in Finland this year.

THE MAKING OF SOULSTEELER

My sincere congrats on getting your debut album released, titled Soulsteeler. Would you mind telling us about the process, from the songwriting to the recording, to get to having a finished product in your hands? I mean, getting your "first baby" out of the oven must feel special, right?

Toni: Thanks! We have both new songs and older rearranged material on the album. We recorded the album in two parts at D-studio, Klaukkala. Everything was done in the studio, with the first session consisting of five songs and the second consisting of four. The guitar amps were miked old-school style, and no home recordings were made. The mixing was done at Music Bros., Imatra, and mastering in Virtalähde Mastering, Kuhmoinen. We are really satisfied with the final results! It feels really good because the whole process was long, heavy and sometimes stressful.

When you were composing songs for the album, would you say the album was - more or less - a team effort in which each of you in the band had a say?

Toni: Some of the songs and riffs are really old, as far back as 2008. They have been partially rearranged and, for example, the drum stuff was often changed for the final version. Our lead vocalist/guitarist Tomi Malinen composed most of the album's material and I participated somewhat in the composition and then a lot in the arrangement. The idea was that the arrangements would be as good as possible, and there wouldn't be anything unnecessary in the songs.

Did you reject some material on this journey that kind of didn't fit the band's concept of what Mutant Blast is all about music-wise?

Toni: Yes, some things. Tomi has hundreds of songs on his computer and from there he might suggest something to Mutant Blast. Often the suggestions are accepted, because Tomi knows that the bar is high, and the song has to be really good before we start to learn it and arrange it for the band. I had to think about "Final Day" because the song was really different from the others with low tempo, melodic chorus and even some keyboards but in the end, it became a great, melodic but heavy song for the middle of the album.

Which of you usually makes the last call for what can be used for the band, and which gets rejected?

Toni: I can easily say that it is usually me, at least at this point, haha!

OF INSPIRATIONS AND INFLUENCES

What could you tell about some of Mutant Blast's inspirations and influences, both musical and non-musical, and do you think each of you in the band kind of compliments each other with your different tastes in music?

Toni: Musical influences are old metal bands like Exodus, Metallica, Entombed, Anthrax, Kreator, Annihilator, Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. Influences on the lyrics can vary from world events, movies, dreams, imagination to real events. We all have relatively broad tastes in music, but also some similar tastes as well.

What does a properly made song consist of, from your point of view, besides a catchy chorus line that could be related to a singalong quality?

Toni: Good and catchy riffs are the most important! The structure of a song must be tight enough and natural at the same time and melodies must also be good.

METAL THRASHING DEATH 'N' ROLL

Many people use the term "death 'n' roll' when they mention Mutant Blast. Is that a fitting term that can be used to describe what the band is musically about, or do you think it probably is a limiting term as far as the band's style of metal music is concerned?

Toni: We started as a death 'n' roll band and the first EP, Detonation, had more of that genre's sound, but also other tones.

Since then, with newer songs, we have taken a big leap towards thrash metal, and the proportion of heavy metal in our sound has also increased. We sometimes call our music style "metal thrashing death 'n' roll" but people can just call it thrash metal, death 'n' roll or just METAL. I think our sound is fresh and unique now.

Soulsteeler was officially released just a little while ago. How pleased are you with the feedback so far regarding the album?

Toni: Really pleased! Only about five reviews have appeared so far, and all have been very good and what we have created has been well understood.

How did you end up signing a deal with Rockshots Records? Was it a result of an intense promotional campaign to find a label to release the album?

Toni: After the first studio session, we finished five songs and went to shoot a music video for the song "Into the Night." Then I sent a promo package to a few record companies with the idea that the first single and music video should be released in good time. Rockshots offered a deal that was slightly reviewed with minor changes and agreed to fulfill the band's demands. At that point, there were no serious discussions with other record companies.

Did you have other labels that were keen on releasing your debut album?

Toni: No, because very few labels even knew we had great material ready, haha! We practically had half of the record ready when we signed the contract with Rockshots. Then we just composed and rehearsed the rest of the songs and booked the same studio for a new session.

Gigging is very important because it also allows you to sell some vital merch to the fans, which seems to be the main source of financial support for many bands these days. How much do you put emphasis on a proper merch selection at your gigs because, as said, so many bands suffer from poor music sales as the music markets have changed a lot in this digital era?

Toni: We have both the first EP and this latest Soulsteeler album for sale in CD format. There is a T-shirt with a large Mutant Blast logo and then a Soulsteeler album cover image.

I think it is important to sell T-shirts and CDs, but at this point I don't see the need to expand the selection much. The shirts have gone well, but, unfortunately, record sales have been small and what I've talked about with other bands, it's the same for everyone in Finland.

Give us three well-grounded reasons why people should show up to see you guys performing live?

Toni: 1. The music is great and energetic. 2. The show is going to be good and entertaining 3. We are nice people, and you are going home with a smile on your face.

THE FUTURE AND GIGGING PLANS

How is the fall looking for Mutant Blast gigging-wise?

Toni: We have something coming ("See You in Hell Club" at Bar Loose, Hellsinki, this November) and there has been a little talk about other gigs, but they haven't been confirmed yet.

Do you book all your gigs by yourself, or do you have a booking agency doing all this hard groundwork for the band so you can concentrate on other band-related matters?

Toni: Yes, and sometimes we've been asked to play. We don't have a booking agency yet. So please contact the band or me directly for gig matters. We'd love to do more gigs than we have so far.

What personal hopes do you have regarding the future of Mutant Blast? Lots of gigging, getting more albums released, becoming rich and famous, having fancy cars and hot chicks, etc., eh? ;o)

Toni: More gigs in Finland and hope to outside Finland also. It would be nice to play some festivals also. The next album could be possible maybe in 2026 if everything goes well.

That's it for my part, so thank you, Toni, for taking your time with my questions, and wishing you all the best in the future with Mutant's Blast wild insanity.

Any closing comments to wrap up this conversation properly enough perhaps?

Toni: Thanks, man! It was my pleasure. Thanks for supporting us! Please check our new album Soulsteeler and follow us in social media also. You can support us by going to our gigs and buying CDs and T-shirt or you can do it in here also: https://mutantblastband.bandcamp.com. See you soon, STAY METAL!

Other information about Mutant Blast on this site

Review: Detonation

Review: Soulsteeler