Band: Cleave
From: Helsinki, Finland
Their formation story:
(Johannes Körkkö, vocals and lead guitar): "Cleave formed in 2023, originally out of a project called Muted Sunlight, a short-lived beatdown band I started with my good friend and co-writer Roope, along with a bunch of our friends. That project didn’t go anywhere, so I formed a new band around the general feeling/ vibe of that project in 2024.
"Roope and I wrote a 3-song demo and initially called the project Mortal Coils, but we ended up changing the name to Cleave. Eventually, Roope didn’t have time to continue, so I recruited our drummer Järlström, and we hammered the songs out with our producer and friend Simo Perkiömäki (from bands like Dome Runner, Bolt Cross, Fools Die, etc.)."
Their sound in their own words:
"Since we’re both originally from Finnish Lapland, I’d say our sound carries some of that Lapland darkness. We pull bits and pieces from late '90s beatdown and '00s metallic hardcore, bands like Disembodied, Kickback, Nails (or Todd Jones and most of the bands he’s been involved in), and classic '90s heavy hardcore/beatdown like One Second Thought and Denied.
"As a lyricist, my biggest influence is The Acacia Strain’s Vincent Bennett. I’ve loved his brutally blunt writing since I was a snot-nosed teenager."
Latest release info:
"It's the culmination of about 2 years of searching for a heavy hitting sound, both instrumentally and lyrically. The general themes that the EP touches on are the banality of modern life, darker side of humanity, the disappointment of politics and politicians. Some of the songs have some obvious nods to classic American counterculture literature, which heavily inspired my writing and the general mood of the EP."
"The title, This Mirror Flatters Not, is about confronting the unfiltered truth - both about yourself and the world around you. It’s a refusal to sugarcoat things up or make them comfortable. We present the things we witness daily as ugly as they are."
Future plans:
"We are currently writing songs for the second release. I’m also hoping to play some local shows with a full live lineup - hit us up!"
What other bands from their region should we check out?
"Unlike Järlström, I’m pretty new to the Helsinki scene since I just moved here, but shoutout to: Dead At Birth, Killing Frost, Fools Die, and maybe the gnarliest band in our scene right now: Blind Eye.
"I can’t end this without showing some love to my former home scene in Tampere and the whole 931-Crew: Dome Runner, Gray State, Cold Hearted, Forced Humility, Bolt Cross, etc. etc. Finland’s scene is alive and well."
Cleave on social media: Instagram
Tagged: cleave
