DISTRESSED

“It felt more liberating to follow the songs themselves.”

“If a good idea appeared, it would have been foolish not to use it just because it crossed some genre line.”

“When the groove hits hard and everything works, you can feel it in your body.”

“All of us carry a much wider emotional spectrum than what is usually shown outwardly.”

“I see music as images in my mind – usually a certain place and a specific season.”

“Dark and absurd things require humor in order to become more bearable.”

“Heavier and darker can become very restrictive.”

“We wanted to expand the palette and draw influences from a much wider spectrum.”

“Everything will continue to be rooted in classic heavy rock.”

“The cohesion is definitely thanks to Petri as the sole composer.”

“On the next album we will cross boundaries again.”

Some albums are built to follow genre traditions.
Others are created to challenge them without even trying.
Finland’s stoner metal force Distressed belong firmly to the second category.
With ‘Made of Stone‘, the band expands far beyond dusty riff worship, blending crushing groove, emotional depth, cinematic storytelling, dark humor and unexpected influences into something that feels both heavy and alive.
At the center of it all stands guitarist and songwriter Petri Lindström, whose instinctive songwriting approach allows the music to breathe naturally instead of forcing it into predefined boundaries.
In this interview with Radio Highway Pirates, Petri Lindström and Jarno Virtanen open up to Fok ’bs’ about atmosphere, groove, freedom, visual songwriting, masculinity, classic heavy rock, and why Distressed are only beginning to explore how far their sound can truly go.
‘Made of Stone‘ feels far broader than a typical stoner metal album.
Was your goal to break genre boundaries, or did the songs naturally refuse to stay inside one box?
Petri: “It was not a conscious decision, but when I started composing the album, I did think about whether I should stay strictly within genre boundaries or allow myself more freedom. In the end, it felt more liberating to follow the songs themselves. If a good and working idea appeared, it would have been foolish not to use it just because it crossed some genre line.”
Your music combines heavy groove-driven riffs with surprisingly atmospheric and emotional moments.
Do you see heaviness more as a physical force or an emotional one?
Petri: “In my opinion, both. Physically, especially in a live situation, when the groove hits hard and everything works, you can feel it in your body – it gives you a powerful feeling.”
Jarno: “From the lyrical side, I also wanted to bring out more sensitive aspects, because the image of masculinity is often too one-dimensional. All of us carry a much wider emotional spectrum than what is usually shown outwardly.”
Finland is often associated with melancholy in music, yet Distressed also carries a certain swagger and movement in its sound.
How much does your environment shape the band’s atmosphere?
Petri: “I am what you could call a visual listener, meaning I see music as images in my mind – usually a certain place and a specific season. It was the same while creating the ‘Made of Stone’ album. When certain images appeared while writing a song, I knew I was heading in the right direction.”
Jarno: “I often have a cinematic story in mind that I try to turn into lyrics. I really enjoy playing with roles, so there are often references pointing in many directions and to different stories from popular culture.”
‘Sungod‘ introduces ritualistic and almost spiritual elements into the album.
Was the song meant to create escapism or confront something primal?
Petri: “Musically and riff-wise, I can say it was about confronting something primal.”
Jarno: “Lyrically, definitely something primal. The story is about a Native American tribe living in harmony with nature for hundreds of years, until one day invaders arrive and permanently change the course of their history.”
There’s an interesting tension between doom-inspired riffs and almost danceable grooves in songs like ‘Agents of the Groove‘.
Do you consciously play with that contrast?
Petri: “Not consciously. It felt so natural that we did not even notice it ourselves.”
Your lyrics move between introspection, dark humor, and cinematic storytelling.
Are you more interested in personal truths or exaggerated myths?
Jarno: “As a storyteller, I am interested in combining personal stories with universal myths and perhaps even legends.”
‘You Haven’t Found It Yet‘ draws from unexpected influences like Depeche Mode.
Do you think stoner metal sometimes limits itself by being too stylistically conservative?
Petri: “In my opinion, yes, if you stay too strictly inside the genre boundaries. At least for me, when thinking about the direction of the new album, I realized that if I followed that path too closely, it would become a long and rocky road that only narrowed more and more toward the end, because I would eventually recycle all the old ideas. That is why it felt refreshing and liberating to let the songs occasionally move in surprising directions.”
Jarno: “Petri and I previously had an idea for some kind of project that would combine riff-based music with synth-driven elements, so with this song we drew inspiration from that concept.”
Many heavy bands aim to become ‘heavier and darker‘ with every release, but ‘Made of Stone‘ feels more colorful instead.
Was that a conscious direction?
Petri: “Yes, absolutely. Also as part of thinking ahead toward continuity and future albums.”
Jarno: “‘Heavier and darker’ can become very restrictive, so we wanted to expand the palette and draw influences from a much wider spectrum.”
‘Big Fat Lies‘ transforms something brutal into something almost absurd.
Does humor make dark themes more honest or more uncomfortable?
Jarno: “In Finland there was a serial killer who drowned people in a lake, and that idea probably inspired the lyrics in some way. In my opinion, dark and absurd things require humor in order to become more bearable, and then they are easier to process.”
Your sound is deeply rooted in classic heavy rock, yet it never feels nostalgic.
How do you honor old influences without becoming trapped by them?
Petri: “I think those old influences are always present, even if you are not consciously aware of them or intentionally searching for them. I have my own certain style as a composer that follows me subconsciously. I do not really think about it myself, but some friends have pointed it out, and when I reflected on it, I realized they were probably right.”
Jarno: “We inevitably listened to the classics of heavy metal when we were young, and they left a permanent mark on our souls. To keep music interesting for ourselves, it is important to occasionally widen the spectrum.”
The album constantly changes mood while still feeling cohesive.
What keeps Distressed’s creative core together when the influences pull in so many directions?
Petri: “I think it is exactly that natural foundation and core that appears while writing songs. And as I said, when the images and the seasons match during composition, everything falls into place.”
Jarno: “The cohesion is definitely thanks to Petri as the sole composer.”
Stoner metal is often associated with escapism, yet your lyrics feel very grounded in human tensions and uncertainty.
Do you see your music as an escape, a mirror, or a confrontation?
Jarno: “Personally, I find fantasy themes somewhat distant and try to aim for a certain realism in the lyrics. Escapism certainly has its place in the world, but perhaps the uncertain times we are currently living through also create a need for me to process these things through lyrics. It is probably a form of therapy as well.”
If ‘Made of Stone‘ represents where Distressed is right now, what is the one direction you still have not dared to explore?
Petri: “It is still difficult to say. One thing is certain: on the next album we will cross boundaries again, but how far we will go is still hard to tell. Still, everything will continue to be rooted in classic heavy rock.”
Distressed are not interested in standing still inside the comfort zone of stoner metal formulas.
‘Made of Stone‘ proves that heavy music can remain rooted in classic groove and riff-driven power while still embracing atmosphere, emotion, cinematic storytelling and fearless experimentation.
Guided by instinct rather than limitation, the band continues to shape a sound that feels organic, human and unpredictable at the same time.
If this album represents where Distressed are today, the next chapter may push those boundaries even further – without ever losing the soul of classic heavy rock that defines them.
by Fok ‘bs’