Kamala, the thrash metal trio from Finland, has finally released Sota Sisällä after over a year of work. Translated as “The War Inside,” the song marches along beautifully as Minttu Minkkinen’s thunderous bass and Timo Ruunaniemi’s acidic, powerful drumming combine with the driving riffing of Karita Kivioja, who spits lyrics with sickening passion.

Yes, it’s in poor taste since the events of the Finnish Civil War inspired the song in 1918, but in the spring of 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine, it took on new meaning. “As a teenager in the 90s, I never thought I would see two European countries at war,” Karita Kivioja told us. “Less than 1000 km away, all the horrors of war are suddenly happening again. Horrors that should have been consigned to history.”

Sota Sisällä was recorded in 2023 at the SN audio studio in Jyväskylä, Finland. The lyrics and vocal style went through a number of cycles in the studio, including the appearance of Putin’s face in front of Karita’s face in the vocal booth. As the singer felt like the embodiment of the spirit of Rocky Balboa while screaming, the band began to move towards the final sound.

The song’s genesis dates back to a visit to the Dragsvik prison camp civil war memorial in Tammisaari during a summer vacation in 2018. “I stayed to read the names of the dead prisoners, the children, in the largest mass grave in Finland,” said Karita.

“The grave was the final resting place of 3,100 prisoners who had died of hunger and epidemics, near the barracks area. One story was particularly poignant. The parents of a 17-year-old boy from Ostrobothnia had come all the way to Tammisaari to bring him food. But the guards did not allow the war losers to feed their children, and so the boy died in the concentration camp. These names are clearly visible on the monument.

“The civil war has torn this country apart, turning ordinary Finns into victims as well as torturers and murderers.

“That left me standing there, shocked and disgusted. The song’s lyrics came from stories passed down in the family and the shock of prison camp hell. Experiences with hell in the head and hell in the modern society that is called “home” were also incorporated into the lyrics.

“Actions of the sick human mind against others, both due to the prevailing environment and due to a nervous breakdown.”

Kamala shot the music video with Jaakko Manninen on December 22, 2023. The choice of date was perfect as it was the darkest day of the year and director and cinematographer Manninen was supposed to film exclusively in natural light.

The final production took over a year, but you can’t argue with that if you take inspiration from Kamala and Sota Sisällä. This is a blistering, haunting anthem.