WOUNDED IN FOREST

“From the very beginning, it was clear that the story had to take place during the Great Wrath. That era is dark and desperate enough to fully serve the narrative we wanted to tell.”

“Each song is a chapter of the same story. Sometimes we needed a war song, sometimes a chase, sometimes an execution – and the music followed that need.”

“The story is morally unclear. It contains grotesque, almost comical violence, but also shows how violence is inherited and reinforced by society itself.”

“I prefer realism over fantasy. History, war, and real social extremes interest me far more than mythological escapism.”

“The dual vocals are very intentional: one voice represents the protagonist’s inner demons, the other his own thoughts.”

“Death metal shouldn’t be beautiful. Writing music this un-melodic was actually difficult, but the story demanded it.”

“Art loses credibility when it becomes too careful. Extreme metal needs to be built on extreme emotion.”

“The story is the core of this band. We are not about technical perfection – harsh story, harsh music.”

“Violence in our lyrics has elements of shock humor, but I can’t completely turn my brain off. That tension gives the material its character.”

“For us, a harsh story demands harsh music.”

Finnish death metal project Wounded In Forest does not use history as decoration, but as a weapon.
With their debut EP ‘Antihuman Artist‘, the band plunges into the darkness of the Great Wrath (Isoviha), one of the bleakest chapters in Finnish history, crafting a brutal, morally ambiguous narrative where violence breeds violence and no character is innocent.
In this in-depth interview, drummer and mastermind Jussi Tuomisto speaks to Fok ‘bs‘ about historical storytelling, dual vocal psychology, restraint in brutality, and why extreme metal must be rooted in extreme emotion to remain truthful.
‘Antihuman Artist‘ is based on an extremely dark period in Finnish history.
What drew you specifically to the era of the Great Wrath (Isoviha) as the foundation for your debut release?
“Good question. As far as I remember, we didn’t really consider any alternative periods at all. From a very early stage it was clear that the story would be set during the Great Wrath. I had been interested in the events of that era for years before the EP – or even the band – existed. I even visited the memorial sites of the Battle of Kostianvirta some years ago. The artillery pits and tar-scented, log-reinforced battle positions really fired up my imagination, and the place left a strong impression on me. Perhaps that period is simply dark and desperate enough to fit perfectly with the story of ‘Antihuman Artist’.”
The EP tells one continuous story rather than separate, standalone songs.
Did you approach the writing process more like authors than traditional songwriters?
“Let’s say at least more like authors. At a very early stage of the project, I wrote a framework for the entire story, which I then shared with the rest of the band and used as the basis for the lyrics. If I remember correctly, the lyrics for the first song (‘Altar of Needles’) were written at the same time. Each song is essentially one chapter of the story, and it was interesting to work on tracks with a specific narrative function in mind – first a war song, then a chase, then an execution, and so on. The story also influenced the music itself, like the tom hits in ‘Virent Carnes’, which I wanted to sound like synchronized cannon fire.”
The antihero you portray is both a victim of violence and its perpetrator.
Was it important for you to avoid clear moral judgments in the story?
“Yes and no. On one hand, the story includes traditional death metal–style violent excess that borders on the macabre and the comical. On the other hand, it also tells how violence can be inherited and even reinforced by society itself. I would say the story of the EP is morally ambiguous.”
Finnish history is explored far less often in extreme metal than mythology or fantasy.
Do you see historical storytelling as a counterpoint to escapism?
“Personally, I’m not very fond of fantasy as a genre. Mythology is also a subject I don’t necessarily feel connected to, even though it can be interesting. I’ve always liked writing about real things, and I value realism in almost everything. I’m into history and military history, as well as true stories about extreme social injustices and dark phenomena within society.”
The dual-vocal approach feels central to the EP’s psychological tension.
How consciously did you assign emotional states or narrative roles to each vocal style?
“Very consciously. For example, in the verses of ‘Godspeed Filthy Warrior’, the higher vocals represent the protagonist’s inner demons speaking, while the lower vocals are the protagonist’s own thoughts. Similar role divisions appear in other songs as well.”
The music balances old-school death metal aggression with structural and melodic moments.
How do you decide when brutality should dominate and when restraint serves the story better?
“I don’t think about it in a very deliberate way – it feels somewhat self-evident. In general, one challenge of the project has been keeping excessive melody in check. Writing music this un-melodic was actually very difficult, but there was always the idea in the back of my mind that death metal shouldn’t be too melodic, and the story itself isn’t beautiful or harmonious either. Some songs were even dropped entirely once we realized they didn’t fit the overall picture.”
Forming a band after the loss of a long-time bandmate is a heavy starting point.
How did grief shape Wounded In Forest’s identity and sense of urgency?
“We were a bit lost with everything, and the idea of bringing in a new drummer to the old band just felt wrong. The original idea behind Wounded In Forest was to create a simpler, more straightforward version of the previous band so we could continue with the same people. The goal was to create something more traditional, with a clear template to work within. Each of us had to learn something new to make it work. Speaking for myself, the first shows as a drummer after more than 20 years of playing guitar were definitely nerve-racking. That said, being behind the drums on stage feels like the right place for me, since I don’t enjoy being in the spotlight.”
Your songs are violent, but they don’t glorify violence.
Where do you personally draw the line between depicting violence and aestheticizing it?
“I think our depictions of violence have comedic elements, similar to bands like Cannibal Corpse. They’re partly shock humor. Initially, the idea may have been to focus entirely on that style, but more serious elements emerged through the historical narrative. Much like with melody in the music, it seems I can’t fully switch my brain off – and I can’t completely abandon melody either. Hopefully, this gives the material a unique substance.”
The EP title ‘Antihuman Artist‘ suggests creation through destruction.
How does this idea reflect your broader view of art, especially extreme metal?
“Art can’t be too careful – that kills its credibility, in my opinion. Art is at its best when it’s rooted in extreme emotion. Especially in extreme metal, it’s crucial that the material is grounded in something truly intense.”
Many death metal bands focus primarily on atmosphere or technicality.
How important is it to you that listeners actually follow and understand the story you’re telling?
“It’s very important – that’s the core of our material. It’s obvious that we don’t represent the cutting edge of technical ability, and we’ve consciously kept melodic atmospheres to a minimum. The story and the ideas beneath it are what we’re about. For us, story and music support each other: a harsh story demands harsh music.”
Oulu has a strong metal heritage.
How has the local scene influenced your sound or discipline as a band?
“It has definitely influenced all of us, since we grew up listening to albums by Sentenced, Catamenia, and Kalmah. Especially Sentenced is a kind of sacred institution for metalheads in this town. Personally, I don’t feel any pressure from the success of those bands – we’re purely doing our own thing. I don’t think our production or songwriting needs to be as ‘good’ as our influences. But overall, it’s great that our city has this legacy, and at its best it brings a certain dark energy to metal coming out of here.”
Each of your releases is built as its own historical narrative.
Does this format give you creative freedom, or does it create new pressure every time?
“Personally, I’ve enjoyed having this more defined framework as a guide for creation. It sharpens the focus and keeps the material more coherent as a whole. Of course, it also brings challenges – right now, for example, I can’t write any new lyrics at all until the entire story has a structure and a historical period has been chosen.”
When a listener experiences the ‘Antihuman Artist‘ EP as a whole, which reaction feels most honest to you:
discomfort, reflection, or emotional exhaustion?
“All reactions are valid. Everyone responds in their own way, based on their personal experiences. I don’t want to impose any predefined way of experiencing the EP. Personally, I’m a reflective person, so I would probably respond to the material in a contemplative way.”
With ‘Antihuman Artist‘, Wounded In Forest strip death metal down to its emotional core, rejecting escapism in favor of historical confrontation and moral ambiguity.
As Jussi Tuomisto makes clear, this is not violence for spectacle’s sake, but a reminder that the darkest stories are often the most real – and the most necessary to tell.
by Fok ‘bs‘