HAUTAJAISYCÖ

“The main point is to make music stress-free and enjoy it.”

“We are like four brothers who work, fight and create together.”

“As I like to write about the things that keep me awake at night.”

“Death is a constant that is always waiting just behind the shadows.”

“If the songs are good and you give your all, then you don’t need gimmicks or costumes.”

“We were not trying to reinvent the wheel on this album, but add some flame stickers & spikes to it.”

“Hautajaisyö is what it is because we do things in Finnish.”

“We don’t reach for the stars. We go to work, live our lives, get older, and play death metal when we have time.”

Janne Partanen:
“life is much easier when you don’t care what other people think”

This is the second interview we are doing together and the truth is that I always enjoy it very much;
because at every step of their artistic path, they do significant things and we always have something creative and new to learn.
They always impress with their unique live shows and never forget to add ‘pepper’ to their musical recipe to make it even more delicious.
It is no coincidence that every album and song becomes a success;
it is because it is carved in a special, masterful way.
It is no coincidence that they receive rave reviews;
it is because they work hard for what they love, and this shows in the result.
Janne Partanen – vocals,
Sami Lustig – guitars,
Simo Pesonen – bass,
Teemu Roth – drums,
are the magic foursome of the most famous Finnish death metal group — yes, they are Hautajaisyö (Funeral Night).
Distinctive and well-known in their genre, steadfast ambassadors of death metal music.
Hautajaisyö are 10 years old this year — oh yes, you read that right — and they are re-releasing their first recordings with some bonus material through Inverse Records, of course.
Also, I forgot to mention their most striking album, which goes by the name ‘Surun Paino‘ (‘The Weight of Sorrow‘ or ‘The Weight of Mourning‘).
Janne Partanen opened his heart to us in an all-encompassing interview at radiohp.net and talked to us about the band, their new album, the music they praise, their relationship, the reviews they receive, and all the interesting things that surround them.
All you have to do is sit comfortably on your couch and read everything!!
‘Surun Paino‘ was released on March 20th, 2026.
How does it feel to finally have this new material out through Inverse Records?
“It was a long wait for the band and for the fans, but I think it was a wait worthwhile. We took our time making songs for this album, as the two previous albums were made back to back. Now we feel that this album has our best songs and best production ever. We’re super happy with how this album came out. Hautajaisyö is at its best. And we are always happy to work with Inverse Records. They have been with us from the start and our cooperation goes smoothly as always.”
In what ways do you believe that performing your diamond, ‘Surun Paino‘ live throughout the years of its development helped it evolve before taking its final shape?
“Funny fact: there are only two songs on the album we did not play live before the album release. They were ‘Surun Paino’ and ‘Kasvoton Kuljettaja’. They were made late in the writing process and we were still making changes to the songs when recording. All the other songs we have played live for a few years’ time. It makes the songs more tight and we learn what works and what does not. Like the song ‘Eloton’, it was faster at the start but as we played it more and more, we decided to slow it a bit to get more groove on it.”
Tell me a few words about your EP ‘En Murru En Taivu‘.
“It was released for a few reasons: we wanted to celebrate 10 years of Hautajaisyö and we needed more time to write ‘Surun Paino’. It has one pre-Hautajaisyö demo remade and new versions of 3 songs from our first album. On the EP recording, we tried a new way of recording where drums were recorded with live bass & guitar playing with them. Production was kept really raw and in a more live performance style. It worked great, so we used the same way of recording on ‘Surun Paino’.”
The current line-up (Janne, Sami, Simo, and Teemu) has been steady for years.
How did this internal chemistry influence the production and recording process of the new tracks?
“As we have been with this crew for almost 10 years, we have really clicked together. Everybody has his own role and all of us have similar ambitions about Hautajaisyö. We are like four brothers who work, fight and create together. Sometimes it is hard and we bang heads, but usually we are like one organism knowing what the others want and need.”
The lyrics of the band often revolve around themes of death, melancholy, and human suffering.
How do these themes manifest in the songs of the new album?
“This album has almost all lyrics focusing on death and loss. As I like to write about the things that keep me awake at night. My life has been in a good place for a few years now, but I tend to think about death too much. I don’t know if it is my age or that I have too much to lose now. Death is a constant that is always waiting just behind the shadows.”
The new live video features the tracks ‘Surun Paino‘ and ‘Hiljaisuuden Maa‘.
Why did you choose these two specific songs to represent the energy and atmosphere of your current live shows, and what was the inspiration behind creating this specific live visual experience for your fans?
“Heh, we didn’t really plan it. We had an album release gig in our hometown and decided to film it with a few cameras. After we checked the footage, we decided to make a video for the title track. Teemu made the video and it was his idea to use ‘Hiljaisuuden Maa’ in the video. It is our new live show intro, made by Sami and his wife Katja.
We don’t really have anything special in our live shows. If the songs are good and you give your all, then you don’t need gimmicks & costumes. We try to play every gig like it is our last show. No mercy for us or the people watching.”
The tracklist consists of 8 tracks, starting with ‘Surun Paino’ and ending with ‘Haaskalinnut Minut Muistaa‘.
Is there any specific narrative or concept that connects these songs from beginning to end?
“Well, no, in short. As we get songs written, some of them find their place better and some of them need some time to cook. ‘Haaskalinnut Minut Muistaa’ was an obvious choice to end the album because it has an epic ending. The album was first starting with ‘Eloton’ because it has great opening riffs, but when mixing, ‘Surun Paino’ was chosen to be the first song. Just because it’s so damn heavy and a great song. After that, the other songs just clicked into places.”
How have critics in Finland and internationally received your latest musical offering?
“As usual, the reviews have been good. It’s funny that we are a small ‘hobby’ band and get solid reviews on our albums. If you believe them. ‘Surun Paino’ is our best work and I agree with them. We were not trying to ‘reinvent the wheel’ on this album, but add some flame stickers & spikes to it. ‘Don’t fix what’s not broken’.”
What can you tell us about the magnificent artwork by Minttu Koskinen and in what way does her visual style complement the atmosphere of your music?
“For us, it is important that we use hand-drawn artwork. Not the A.I. bullshit many bands use nowadays. Minttu has drawn all our artwork. She has a style, we enjoy and it fits our band perfectly. On ‘Surun Paino’, I sent her the album name, lyrics, and demos, and what kind of stuff we would like to see on the album and singles. She then draws them, sends them to me and I edit them. Her artwork is just perfect for albums and merch.”
Your music is performed in the Finnish language.
Have you ever considered mixing Finnish with English to reach a broader international audience?
“Yes and no. I believe Hautajaisyö is what it is because we do things in Finnish. It is a beautiful language, even though you sing about death & decay. I think it makes us special in some way, as we do things in our native language. Some people have been criticizing that we need an easier name for international fans and English songs. And yes, they have a point, but as I always say: ‘life is much easier when you don’t care what other people think’.
I have done an English version of our song ‘Loppu On Lähellä’ and released it on my YouTube page, and it was fun to make. I might do some more from the ‘Surun Paino’ album. We have talked about if we should remake some older songs in English and release them on an EP. But that, will wait until we don’t have smarter ideas.”
Over the years, do you feel you have matured and evolved both musically and personally, or do you still expect more from yourselves as a band?
“Yeah, we are more focused now than when we started. We know what we want and what we don’t want to do. We choose what gigs to play, when to release new music, and how we interact with people. The main point is to make making music stress-free and enjoy it. Hautajaisyö, doesn’t reach for the stars. We go to work, live our lives, get older, and play death metal when we have time. I think we already have got a good career, being a small underground band with great fans all around the world. I hope we can keep doing this for many years and many albums more, and someday come to play to our international fans. But if it all ends here on this album, I am proud of what we have done.”
Is there any special message you would like to share with your fans and those who support your music?
“First, thanks for listening and sharing our music. We are a DIY-band from a small city in a small country, so every time you share our stuff, it helps us. Hope you enjoy our new album. Follow us on FB & IG for stupid memes and other nonsense. Send us messages if you want to ask us anything, or just want to say hi.”
To wrap things up, what are your immediate plans and upcoming tour dates?
“We are releasing one more video from the album. It will be a ‘karaoke’ version of one of the songs, so you all can practice your Finnish with us. We are also releasing a really long Making Of ‘Surun Paino’ video on YouTube.
Also, this year, we will release our short movie ‘En Murru En Taivu’, with super talented actors and filmmakers. It will be a story of a prisoner of war escaping captivity in the 1800s and our music playing in the background. More on that, when it is ready.”
by Maria Stella Tsatsi

track-list:
Surun Paino
Maan Nielemä
Kuusi Kantajaa
Kasvoton Kuljettaja
Hetki Viimeinen
Lyhyt Matka Hautaan
Eloton
Haaskalinnut Minut Muistaa

Finnish death metal stalwarts Hautajaisyö return with their fifth full-length album ‘Surun Paino‘, released on March 20, 2026 via Inverse Records – a record that deepens the band’s long-standing exploration of sorrow, weight, and the darker edges of the genre.
Years in the making, the material for ‘Surun Paino‘ was written between 2023 and 2025 and road-tested on stage before finally taking its definitive shape in the studio.
That live-honed intensity is central to the album’s identity.
Rather than polishing away its edges, the band deliberately preserved a raw, in-the-room feel during production, allowing the songs to breathe with a sense of immediacy and emotional gravity.
Musically, ‘Surun Paino‘ finds Hautajaisyö refining their sound by bridging different phases of their career.
The crushing force of their more recent output collides with the melodic sensibilities that defined their earlier work, resulting in a record that feels both familiar and newly sharpened.
At its core lies a deeper dive into old-school death metal, but the band’s DNA remains intact – threads of thrash urgency and black metal bleakness run throughout, adding texture and tension.
Lyrically, the album stays true to its title – ‘the weight of sorrow‘ – unfolding themes steeped in loss, darkness, and existential heaviness.
Across its tightly packed runtime, ‘Surun Paino‘ delivers a concentrated dose of everything that defines Hautajaisyö:
uncompromising, somber, and steeped in atmosphere, yet driven by a visceral energy that refuses to fade.

track-list:
Loppu On Lähellä
Uneenkuiskaajat 2024
Minä Olen Vain Puu 2024
Mieleni Varjoissa 2024

Hautajaisyö (Funeral Night) celebrate their 10th anniversary with a new EP release, on which they have re-recorded three old songs.
The first promo song ‘Uneenkuiskaajat‘ (Dream Whisperers), ‘Minä Olen Vain Puu‘ (I’m Just a Tree), which had a cool video years ago, and the band’s first song composition ‘Mielenivarjoissa‘ (Shadows of my mind) have all got a fresh 2024 versions.
The band had also dug up their old demo era songs and recorded the song ‘Loppu On Lähellä‘ (End Is Near) for this EP.
“We chosed songs from our first album that mean a lot to us and that we play live. ‘Loppu On Lähellä’ is a classic hit from our demo days that many people ask us to play. Now it finally gets its official Hautajaisyö version.”
Hautajaisyö started their career in 2014 when they buried their old name and changed to singing in Finnish.
The band has released 4 albums, many singles, played gigs all over Finland and is working on its 5th album.

track-list:
Uneenkuiskaajat
Päänsärkijä
Kuiskaukset
Köysi (Tape edition)

recording & mixing by Sami Kettunen
drum recording: Studio 33 & Lassi Pitkänen
mastered by Janne Tuikkala & Sami Kettunen

Hautajaisyö 2015:
Janne Partanen – vocals
Sami Lustig – guitars
Sami Kettunen – bass
Sami Leinonen – drums
Tomas Ahlroos – ‘Päänsärkijä‘ clean vocals
Hautajaisyö 2024:
Janne Partanen – vocals
Sami Lustig – guitars
Simo Pesonen – bass
Teemu Roth – drums

Hautajaisyö (Funeral Night) are 10 years old this year.
To celebrate, they are re-releasing their first recordings with some bonus material through Inverse Records.
The re-release includes two songs ‘Uneenkuiskaajat‘ (Dreamwhisperer) and ‘Päänsärkijä‘ (Headbreaker) from the band’s debut album in an original promo mix.
As a bonus you get unreleased intro song ‘Kuiskaukset‘ (Whispers) and different version of the song ‘Köysi‘ (Rope), which was released on the 2016 ‘Three Screams of Insanity‘ split tape.
This is not the only release for 2024, as the new ‘EN MURRU EN TAIVU‘ EP will be released at the end of the year, on which the band will re-record three songs from the first album and one song from the demo sessions.
These releases should tide listeners over until the band’s forthcoming fifth album, which they are currently composing.

HAUTAJAISYO are:
Janne Partanen – vocals
Sami Lustig – guitar
Simo Pesonen – bass
Teemu Roth – drums

discography:
Uneenkuiskaajat Promo 2015 – Single 2015
Hautajaisyö – Full-length 2015
Three Screams of Insanity – Split 2016
Unohdetut – Single 2017
Vain tuhkasi sinusta muistuttaa – Single 2017
Matkalla kohti hautaa – Full-length 2018
Sinä olet helvetti – Single 2018
Ennen kuolemaa – Single 2019
Uhraus – Single 2020
Kuolonkantaja – Single 2020
On vain pimeys – Full-length 2020
Kuuleeko kukaan – Single 2022
Harhaluulo – Single 2022
Ei hauta kysy lupaa – Full-length 2022

playlist:
01 Tämän Vainajan Tähde
02 Lähdön Hetki
03 Kärsimys
04 Unohdetut
05 Uneenkuiskaaja
06 Jokainen Kuolee Vuorollaan
07 Väsynyt Kuolemaan
08 Minä Olen Vain Puu
09 Ympärilläsi Pelkkää Tyhjää
10 Harhaluulo
11 Elämä Lakkaa
12 Uhraus
13 Kuolonkantaja
14 Tulen Keskellä
15 Muistojuhla

Hautajaisyö – Janne Partanen:
“Hautajaisyö is like best way to spend time with your brothers”
We have been their long-time fans and follow them at every opportunity.
They come from Finland.
Their songs and music are capable of melting icebergs.
‘Hautajaisyö‘ in Finish means, funeral, deadly nights, black and as wild as ever.
Each of their songs sends us messages of anguish and despair, as ‘weird‘ as that sounds.
Hautajaisyö is a extreme death metal band.
Janne Partanen is the vocalist, Sami Lustig the guitarist, Simo Pesonen at the bass and Teemu Roth the drummer are Hautajaisyö.
The voice of Janne, is harsh, rough and worthily represents the band.
‘Hautajaisyö‘, ‘Matkalla Kohti Hautaa‘, ‘On Vain Primeys‘, and ‘Ei Hauta Kysy Lupaa‘ are some of their treasures, that have been hugely successful so far.
We’re thrilled to present an exclusive interview to radio highway pirates with the talented vocalist Janne Partanen, as we have the opportunity to explore Hautajaisyö΄s journey in music, cooperations, fame and success.
So sit back and buckle up well, because the journey is just to begin.
What does the name of the band mean and what does it express through it?
“Hautajaisyö means Funeral Night in English. Its taken from a song from black metal legend Horna. I wanted that the name is something unique and fits for our lyrical themes and music. Our songs have lots of death, despair, depression and mental problems in our lyrics. Songs are rooted in death metal. For me Hautajaisyö (Funeral Night) is the night when you deside to end your life.”
Why did you made the decision to rewrite the lyrics of your songs and to sing in Finnish?
“Me and Sami (guitarist) played together on a black metal band called Uhriristi. I really enjoyed writing in Finnish on that project and i realise i was so much better writing on my native language. Before Hautajaisyö we also had a band called REDEYE. It was mostly similar style, but more chaotic and lyrics were in English. So we deside i need to start writing in Finnish for that band also. With The change on laguage we also wanted to make less chaotic stuff and more death metal style music. So we killed of REDEYE and started Hautajaisyö with the same grew. That’s the story of Hautajaisyö. We think REDEYE as our demo era and have made few old songs to Hautajaisyö. Long story short: We wanted a change.”
Could you talk to us, about the song ‘Sinä Olet Helvetti‘ (You are Hell) and the history it carries?
“The song was made by our old second guitarist Ville Moisanen. It was a good mix of our second albums melodic stuff and third albums aggression. Songs lyrics tell about being on a relationship with a narcissist person. Story is true and written from my life and one of my friends life. Kimmo Jalkanen made a awesome video for the song where we turned the idea to a domestic violence where the mother and wife is alcoholic and breaks her family with violence and fear.”
What kind of messages do you want to convey to the audience with your fourth album ‘Ei Hauta Kysy Lupaa‘?
“The album is called ‘grave won’t ask’ permission and it tells about death. How we cant avoid it and how it will get us all. Songs are filled with despair, fears and suicidal thoughts. Lots of the song were made when i was having really bad medical problems so you can hear my true thoughs on this album. It also also has really deep melancholic tone that mix well with our aggressive songs. This is pure Hautajaisyö album and our best album. It has everything our music has and nothing more. If this had been our last album i would have been proud. The ending of albums first song tells perfectly what this album is trying to say ‘i am not ready to die. I just cant take this life. Grave won’t ask permission. It will wait us all’.” 
What makes the album ‘On Vain Pimeys‘ so special and why?
“Its our third album where we turned back to play with one guitarist after one album & single. With this album we found our sound and this is first album where Simo (bass) and Teemu (drums) were in the writing prosess. With this one we show our true potential. Songs are fast, aggresive and simple. With this album we tryed to harness our love for black metal to fit to our death metal & deathrash style. My best lyrics are found on this album and we play live almost every song from this album.”
How did your chemistry tie up, did you ever feel the germ of competition among you?
“We have been like four brothers from the start. Our humor is dark and twisted and we like to spend time together. All of us has this burning to make music we want to listen and it has glued us to a beast of a band. Everybody knows what to do and everybody does their part. Hautajaisyö is like best way to spend time with your brothers.”
Who are the real Hautajaisyö, when the microphones are turned off and the lights go out?
“We dont like to pretend to be anything. We are our true self all the time. I dont really care about bands that has to put on a mask to play shows or be on a band. We are four normal dudes with normal jobs and have passion to play extreme metal. Our songs have so much our personality on them so it would be stupid try to act something we are not.”
Do you believe that as artists you have fulfilled and actualized all of your dreams?
“Hautajaisyö, was made because we wanted to play music we want to listen. We love to play gigs and make new songs. Our career has been ascending from the first release. Next step is trying to get more festival gigs and it is a goal we are heading. Many ways we are living our dreams. We never wanted to be a professional band that tours all the time. 5 to 10 good gigs a year and we are super happy. Hope we can do this until our bodys are too broken to play so aggressive & extreme music.”
Where would you classify death metal as a musical genre, nowadays?
“Death metal is going strong. Old bands are making albums that fight with old classics. New bands are coming that keeps the genre alive (heh). Many bands mix old skool stuff with different genres and you get great new albums almost every week. What a time to be a death metalhead!”
How could you characterize Finland in relation to the music industry, especially the kind of music you represent?
“Finland is s big metal country and we have lots and lots of great bands here. Its not so mainstream here now days, so most extreme stuff like ours have hard time to get gigs. But more melodic stuff gets plays on radio, lots of festival on summer and you can go see a metal show almost every week. Metal music dont bring so much money so ticket prices are cheap and genres DIY mentality keeps new bands coming.”
What is your opinion about Eurovision contest, would you participate if you were offered a proposal?
“Fun fact! Some of our fans keep asking us to try to get our songs there. I do not think the contest would be really our thing and with our ‘we do what we want’ mentality would be too much there. It is a fun show but i dont really listen to that style of music. Lordi winning was great because i like Lordi’s music and last year’s Käärijä song was a banger of a song. Käärijä is like one of the few that type of artist i listen and enjoy. Even before the contest i liked his stuff because he has lots of energy and its so different than many modern lazy rap artists in Finland.” 
What are your next steps and plans? 
“Well Hautajaisyö is turning 10-years this December so we might do some special release then. We are also writing our 5th album and its about 50% ready. New songs have bit more old skool vibe so look out for a heavy album. We have 3 gigs coming this spring and few on summer. We keep doing stuff we love and want to do. I think that is a perfect plan for the future…”
by Maria Stella Tsatsi

HAUTAJAISYO are:
Janne Partanen – vocals
Sami Lustig – guitar
Simo Pesonen – bass
Teemu Roth – drums

Finnish Death metal band Hautajaisyö is set to release their fourth studio album ‘Ei Hauta Kysy Lupaa‘ later in 2022 via Inverse Records.
The first single ‘Kuuleeko kukaan’ is released.
The band comments:
“Hautajaisyö (Funeral Night) puts the cement shoes on and takes a dive deep into death metal. With this this new song the band shows its heaviest side and tells a story about forgetting yourself for others. ‘Kuuleeko Kukaan’ (Does Anybody Hear) is the first single from the upcoming ‘Ei Hauta Kysy Lupaa’ (Grave Wont Ask Permission) album that is coming in 2022.”
“Does anybody hear the final scream?”