Finland has long been a breeding ground for some of the most intense and emotionally charged metal acts, and Progeny of Sun is no exception. Combining the relentless aggression of death metal with atmospheric and cinematic elements, the band has been steadily carving its place in the extreme metal scene. At the forefront of this sonic assault is Niko Aromaa, whose powerful vocal delivery brings both brutality and depth to the band's music. Beyond his work as a vocalist, Niko is also a passionate movie enthusiast, often drawing inspiration from the world of cinema to shape his artistic expression. In this interview, we explore the connection between music and film, the evolution of Progeny of Sun, and what fuels the fire behind Niko’s intense vocal performances.
INTERVIEW
OBNUBIL: Hey Niko! It’s great to have you with me—thank you for taking the time to chat! To kick things off, I’d love to hear more about your journey into music. How did your passion for music begin, and what was it that ultimately pushed you to pursue it professionally?
NIKO: First of all hi Jaqueline and all the readers, it's my pleasure to give this interview for such a genuine and nice person and your great readers! Hope you all are well.
And for the question, I was probably somewhere between 4-6 years old when I started sneaking and “stealing” from my stepdad’s music collection. Then I listened to those albums in my room with a cd player. I always loved things that were a bit disturbing musically, things that gave me either adrenaline or even a bit of fear as a kid. I have always had a great fascination with the unknown and about things I'm not too familiar with. Music itself gave me different feelings and I loved them, I still do. Music for me is a journey to myself, thoughts and imagination and some kind of social trip to other people’s minds and feelings as well. We express life through music. I don't view it as me being professional, I just do it because it's mandatory for my well being. I also have an ADHD diagnosis, so music and games have always been tools to give my brain a little bit of rest.
OBNUBIL: Progeny of Sun was formed in 2017 by you and Jaakko Hautamäki. Can you take us back to the moment when the idea for the band first emerged? Was there a specific event or inspiration that led to the decision to start this project, and how did you both envision the sound evolving?
NIKO: We met online on a Finnish musical site where people try to seek band members for projects, ready made bands or other collaborations. I was searching for band activities and Jaakko had some ideas he had been doing over the years. Then we chatted about those and came to the conclusion that we might be able to work together or at least try to. The songs were interesting to say the least and I thought that there was something in it for me. We didn't pay too much attention to sound or details at the time, we just wanted to express something. We mostly still do, even though we have found our style to do it. Jaakko is a very artsy person, he has tons of different projects and ideas, and is a bit of a prankster and “just do it and think later” type of person. Then I just flame it even more and give more ideas.
OBNUBIL: Being a band with a relatively recent history, you’re still carving out your space in the metal world. How did you feel about Progeny of Sun’s reception when you first started releasing material? Was there any feedback from fans or the press that helped you understand where the band’s sound fit in the wider scene?
NIKO: Well, we got positive feedback for sure, but of course some constructive or even dismissive feedback. And we totally understood it, because it was mostly just ideas upon ideas. It was far from the finished article. While we kinda were collecting all the feedback, we also realised that we just want to do what we do, because in the end it's just freedom of expression and we get so much from just being able to do what we love.
OBNUBIL: The band’s name, Progeny of Sun, conjures up images of celestial bodies and cosmic forces. If the band had the opportunity to perform on another planet, perhaps one that is entirely different from Earth, which planet would you choose and why? How do you think the alien audience would perceive your music, and what kind of intergalactic connection would you want to create with them through your performance?
NIKO: I have always been super fascinated about space and the unknown. Progeny of the sun itself is more or less about the unknown. Kinda like when someone in ancient times threw a stone for the first time without others noticing it, people didn't know what it meant, so it must have been a stone god or something. We explain things we don't understand as a supernatural sequence of events. Humans looked at the sun and praised it, because it gave light and warmth and was something they didn't understand.
Question required a bit of a backstory of the name, but now I can answer the question itself. I wouldn’t choose the sun, because I want it to remain as something too powerful to reach. I would choose Mercurius, because it's the closest and first “outpost” from the sun and named after ancient Roman god Mercurius, the messenger of gods. I would see us draining the heat and knowledge from the sun and past it to all colonies in the solar system. I would love them to perceive it as a message or information. As I would love people to perceive our music, it is something I wanna say or express, so I hope people find time to listen, as I listen and learn from others, it's all communication, evolving and learning.
OBNUBIL: You began recording the next album in October. What can you share about the overall direction of this new material? How does it compare to your previous releases, both musically and thematically? Is there a specific concept or story you're exploring on this album?
NIKO: Mostly it is more intense, the songs are way more straightforward and in your face. I think it’s also a bit more brutal in many ways. We have kept the same recognizable shape but made it much stronger and meaner.
Earlier album was more progressive and experimental. It was way more lingering and unruly in a way. I think this new album is much more receptive and powerful, songs are better structured and they are way more catchy now.
Album itself contains way less created concepts. It's more about natural concepts. I'll explain. I'm somewhat a dreamwalker, I have seen dreams that become reality. Sounds silly to some, but for me it's more frightening than funny. For example, I have seen my friend’s car crash in my dreams at the same time it happened for real. I have been in various situations in real time when I'm sleeping, mostly about people I know and have connections with.
I have always been fascinated by the fact that there is something hidden in our dreams and we don't hold the abilities to understand them better, or the capabilities that they might contain. That's why I wanted to use my own nightmares as lyrics since I have the ability to at least remember what I see or feel in them.
Many songs are images of my dreams united with other interesting phenomenons or subjects in our civilization, history or whole cosmos.
OBNUBIL: Recording an album is a long and intense process. How do you stay focused and motivated during the studio sessions, especially when working on new material that is still taking shape? Are there any rituals or habits you’ve developed to keep your energy up and your creativity flowing?
NIKO: I'm always motivated, I don't have to feed it in any particular way. As I said earlier, music is a more mandatory basic need, rather than something I have to prepare myself for. I mostly work in adhd hyperfocus when i work with something i truly love or want. My bandmates hate it when they compose a song that might take months to finish and I will finish my parts in one day mostly. I have written down my dreams and I remember them well, so turning them into lyrics is kinda easy way to create stories and turn them into meaningful form. Even though I said we don't know how to use our dreams and their powerful knowledge yet, I can safely say that I have found at least one way to use them in my lyrics, and it feels meaningful and real for me.
OBNUBIL: Since you’re passionate about movies, I'm curious—are there any specific films or soundtracks that you think have had a significant impact on your work with Progeny of Sun? Do you ever find yourself using cinematic techniques or ideas when composing music? Are there particular directors or genres that inspire the atmosphere or themes in your songs?
NIKO: I can't answer on behalf of my fellow band members who are in charge of the instrumental content of our music. But my mental landscape for lyrics is full of visual influence, not only movies but also video games. For example Fallout series and games like Diablo, Starcraft and Darkest Dungeon just to name a few come to mind. Same influences also visit in the dreams as well, so they kinda influence the lyrics at the same time. Some more directly and some more thematically. My movie studies were more about script writing rather than directing or other stages of creating movies. But many script writers are also directors, so i love the work of Christopher Nolan, Charlie Kaufman, David Lynch and Ari Aster, just to mention few.
OBNUBIL: Every film lover has a set of movies that they would consider to be their all-time favorites—those films that have shaped their view of cinema in one way or another. If you had to name three films that fit this description for you, which ones would you choose, and how have they influenced you as a musician and artist?
NIKO: When I'm on the stage I feel possessed, something related to the movie Gladiator:
“My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the armies of the north, general of the felix legions. Loyal servant of the true emperor Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son. Husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.“
My lyrical mind is somewhat close to the 1408 movie from Stephen King’s novel. I'm trapped somewhere and I'm circling those same dreams and the same images that I “nurture” or deal with in song lyrics.
In life all in all, I think Rachel from Blade Runner is a character that I can relate to in a mental perspective. I sometimes feel like I'm not a human at all. Like I'm some kind of experiment with limited and diminished time here. I feel like I have so much to accomplish, but mostly it's just my own delusional thoughts and I'm way too harsh on myself. Sometimes i doubt the memories, sometimes i doubt the life, but still i love to feel, even i don't feel that i'm entitled to.
OBNUBIL: If Progeny of Sun were a movie, what genre would it be? Imagine that each band member gets cast as a character in the film. What role would you play, and who would you choose to portray each band member based on their personalities or the energy they bring to the band? Would your movie be a psychological thriller, a sci-fi adventure, or something else entirely?
NIKO: Sci-fi most definitely. Something that has some musical religious spices on it.
I would probably be some “heretic” outcast leader that keeps resistance against the holy union. I Want everything in the universe to be in HYPERSPEED, but my space shuttle is broken and I need the Gene Hoglan stick from Holy Union to replace my gear shift with.
Jaakko (guitar player, composer) would be some side character who loves to eat marshmallows, farts a lot and is a pain in everybody's asses with annoying gimmicks.
Joni (guitar player, composer) would be the fleet commander of the holy union, mostly just operating the fleet the wrong way because his hair is constantly in the way of sight.
Pepe (drummer). He would be the main villain of the story. Dude who has some twisted religious antics against anyone who doesn't preach in the name of Gene Hoglan. He possesses the last remaining drum stick of legendary drummer Hoglan from a few thousand years ago.
Töle (bassist) is some weird businessman selling dreams and black market venues to hold concerts that are abandoned in this universe. Only music that is accepted in this universe is from a source who controls the only remote controller left in the world. (Pepe has it).
OBNUBIL: You’ve probably heard that dreams often hold key inspiration for artists. If you could have dinner with a mythical creature, a historical figure, or even a being from another dimension to gain insight into your lyrics, who would it be, and what deep, intriguing conversation would you hope to have with them? How would their influence show up in the next Progeny of Sun album.
NIKO: Probably i mumbled quite a lot about the dreams in earlier questions haha.
I love listening to e-books about philosophy, so I would most definitely have dinner with Aristoteles, Socrates and Platon. I don't know how it would influence our next album tho… probably i would argue with myself that if it even exists at all.
OBNUBIL: If your voice could summon or control something in nature during a live performance, whether it’s thunder, wind, or something else entirely, what would you choose to bring to life? What kind of dramatic effect would you want to enhance the experience for the audience? Imagine the perfect setting—what would it look like, and how would it feel to perform with the elements at your command?
NIKO: I’d be some conjuring summoning necromancer that could raise past legendary musicians like Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Keith Moon, Freddie Mercury, Elvis Presley and others as some spectral figures just to keep the most memorable human voices alive even for a short period of time again for everyone to enjoy.
OBNUBIL: If one morning you woke up and found that you had swapped voices with a famous actor or singer, who would it be, and what would you do with your new vocal power for the day? Would you use it to write something totally out of your usual style, or maybe perform in a way that no one expected? Imagine the media reaction—how would you handle it?
NIKO: Well, I don't want to “mimic” anyone else, so I would probably just steal the voice of Eric Cartman and make an epic record covering all the greatest hits in the world with his voice. Just to create havoc and laughter, because why not?
OBNUBIL: Every band has its bizarre moments, especially during live shows or recording sessions. What’s the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to you, either on stage or while recording, that you’ve had to laugh about afterward? Has anything totally unexpected turned into a story that you now tell fans during shows?
NIKO: Okay this is hard, well we have had a bizarre moment in one gig, where the venue had a mix engineer who went to collect some gear from a few kilometers away, but he never came back. It was something weird, because many of the equipment there was broken and we had to improvise a lot. One of the other band members had to mix the whole night. It was chaos. Nobody still knows what happened to that original mix engineer.
And at the last gig we had, I started to talk to the audience, just to notice a few seconds ago that I was talking to a water bottle instead of a mic. Well the audience got their laughs.
OBNUBIL: Artistic collaborations often yield unexpected results. If Progeny of Sun could collaborate with an entity outside of music—someone like a painter, a philosopher, or even a time traveler—who would it be, and how would you envision the creative process? Would it be a visual art project, a conceptual collaboration, or perhaps a philosophical debate that influences your next album?
NIKO: Well I already ate dinner with the biggest philosophers of humankind, so I would choose to collaborate with Bob Ross. He could paint the cover photo of our album while explaining the techniques and mindset behind the picture. I would fall asleep and when I woke up, it was just a dream, but a damn good one.
OBNUBIL: If you could pick one ancient myth or story from Finnish folklore to turn into a Progeny of Sun song, which one would it be? How would you approach turning the epic scale of a myth into music, and what kind of themes or emotions would you want to explore through it?
NIKO: Finnish Folklore is very nature bound. We have stories like Kalevala and many different god figures. I like Kiputyttö which means “paingirl”. That name is found in many ancient spells. Seers cure people from pain and send their pains to pain mountains where Kiputyttö receives them and boils them in an iron pot and pours them into the core of the mountain. Also the Finnish national animal bear contains a lot of ancient mythical history.
If I would turn Kiputyttö into a song it would probably be about myself and the pain I have handled in life. It's much easier to deal with the pain you are familiar with.
OBNUBIL: With the shift from traditional media like radio and TV to the dominance of social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, how do you feel about this change in how musicians connect with their audience? Given the fast-paced nature of content creation on these platforms, how do you manage to stay engaged without sacrificing the authenticity or quality of your music? Does it feel like an additional task outside of your creative process, or is it something that flows naturally alongside your music?
NIKO: Well we just have to adjust with it. I don't necessarily say I like it, but that's just the way it is. I love creating music and performing. I don't love the media work, but it's something that is mandatory to get your art to people. But I don't like whining and complaining, that's why I try to make social media and all other stuff as pleasing as possible. I don't take myself too seriously so I can be as free as I can publicly. People just like me or they don't. Even though I appreciate good and clean media, I still like being honest and being me.
I don't plan it too much, I try to make some videos now and then, but it's only when I feel like it. I don't pressure myself too much and when the time is right, I can probably get some help with social media so I can focus on doing what I love to do and that's the music itself.
OBNUBIL: To finish off, what’s next for you and Progeny of Sun? Can you share any exciting plans or projects you have in the works, and when can followers expect the release of the new album?
NIKO: Well now we focus on finishing the album, we have 6 songs already mixed and are going to mastering them as we speak. Last 6 songs are composed and ready to be recorded. We had our first single music video done last week and now we just wait for it to be released next month. We release 3 singles all in all and the full length album in autumn 2025. At Least one other single song also has a music video incoming.
OBNUBIL: It’s been an absolute pleasure getting to learn more about you, Niko! Thank you so much for sharing your time and thoughts. Before we wrap up, is there anything you'd like to share with the readers or a message for your followers?
NIKO: It’s been very nice talking to you and i appreciate the background work you have done for the interview, very professional approach and i love it. You have been very nice towards me and that is much appreciated as well. So thank you Jaqueline for having me.
For the readers and people who follow us as a band, I would love to say that we all appreciate your support so much. We are working very much for this band and its growth. We are super passionate about the art we create and hope you like it as well. We would like to see everyone of you in future in gigs or just reacting to our music online, whatever works best for you. I hope all the best for you all, stay safe and keep enjoying your music!
Big thanks to our super nice community of other Finnish bands who we tour with.
Interview done March 2025. Promo photos by Kai Lukander and Pete Hossa.
