Finnish band VAAJA released their second single Abalon on July 17. The music video will follow on July 31. The song is an epic, atmospheric gothic metal track drawing from Finnish mythology and tied to an upcoming original VAAJA dark horror-fantasy novel series.
LISTEN to Abalon single on streaming services: https://push.fm/fl/vaaja-abalon
The single is an explosive track, taking its name from a central character in the upcoming first book: Abalon, the elven ancestor of foxes. The lyrics delve into how Abalon steps in as a surprise ally to turn the tide for the story’s main protagonist, a vulnerable young vampire, and his human friends.
“All songs of Vaaja are designed to carry Finnish mythology with a unique horror-fantasy twist beyond Finland’s borders”, says Malphas Miserable, the lead singer, songwriter and author of VAAJA.
VAAJA is a fully realised concept. Music is the first chapter of a larger dark fantasy universe that spans both the band’s work and forthcoming novels set in the same world. The band and the books are one universe. “I carried the idea of VAAJA for many years, but it was not until 2025 that I started to write the first book. After that, everything happened very fast and effortlessly.“, Malphas Miserable explains.
Sonically, Abalon occupies the space between the emotional depth of Sleep Token, the
atmospheric darkness of HIM, and the devotional, theatrical identity of Opeth and Ghost.
“We think the category of “Nordic gothic dark metal” fits us the best, but we are very flexible in a wide array of musical genres. However, with VAAJA, we don’t want to restrict ourselves too much musically. Instead, aiming to maintain a playful, even blasphemous spirit-just like the old gods. The old gods are dear to us, and we feel that Finnish mythology is one of the richest yet still most underrepresented mythologies in metal,” the band states.
“Vaaja is not Viking imagery borrowed from our neighbours. It is ours – ancient, magical, and largely unknown to the world – until now.“
The Band:
Vocals—Malphas Miserable
Guitar—Garn Eir (The Sorcerer)
Guitar—Fenris Fuzz (The Berserker)
Drums—Magni (The Seer)
Bass—Vor (The Warrior)
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