{"id":49,"date":"2023-07-31T18:33:15","date_gmt":"2023-07-31T16:33:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/darknessismycanvas.com\/?page_id=49"},"modified":"2026-07-06T09:46:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T07:46:14","slug":"darkness-is-my-canvas","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/darknessismycanvas.com\/","title":{"rendered":"Darkness Is My Canvas"},"content":{"rendered":"

We have finally released our first full-length album, The End of Times<\/em>. Published by the Italian label Rockshots Records, the record is available digitally worldwide and as a physical CD in dozens of countries. Vinyl versions are also on the way.<\/p>\n

Creating this album was a years-long journey for us\u2014producer and multi-instrumentalist Panu and vocalist Pete. When we first started, we had no clear blueprint for the final result; we simply created the music that felt right to us at the time. As months turned into years, we realized we had a collection of songs we genuinely loved, which deserved to be packaged together into one coherent release. Along the way, we released a couple of EPs that hinted at what was to come\u2014and now, that future is finally here.<\/p>\n

The End of Times \u2013 The Album Story<\/h2>\n

”Since 2017, we’ve been building this band piece by piece. Along the way, we’ve hit bumps in the road and gone through lineup changes, but we’ve always kept moving forward with determination. Our first EP, Monsters<\/em>, came out in 2022, but we eventually took it down from streaming platforms because it no longer felt on par with our newer material. Our second EP, White Noise<\/em>, was released in 2023 through Inverse Records and showed much more clearly where Darkness Is My Canvas was heading.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve never stuck to a single genre, and that\u2019s very evident on this debut album. Our philosophy has always been that, as musicians, our job is to serve the song. Yes, we can get quite progressive at times, but we also love writing shamelessly melodic pop-rock songs. The lyrical themes vary deeply, touching upon the treatment of minorities, mental health struggles, and the anguish caused by war. Releasing this album in collaboration with Rockshots Records and seeing the physical CD hit stores worldwide is both incredibly exciting and humbling.”
\n\u2013 Pete Erkintalo, vocals<\/em><\/p>\n

”We\u2019ve grown enormously in terms of production throughout this journey. Even though I\u2019ve produced hundreds of bands and worked on sound engineering professionally, you still learn a surprising amount when you approach your own music from an outside perspective. Our method is simple: the subject of each song gives us a vision, which Pete and I then develop together in the studio. We take most demos to a point where they can already be played live, and then we polish them through rehearsals and live shows\u2014sometimes making changes, sometimes even shelving a track. Since we both play multiple instruments, I performed almost everything on the album myself. Pete provides a lot of direction and insight. The only exception is the drums; we know our limits, so we used fantastic session drummers on the album, including Mikko Kaakkuriniemi, Kai Jokiahonen, and Juuso. Sometimes a song comes together in one evening, sometimes it takes years to finalize. We\u2019re never in a rush.”
\n\u2013 Panu, producer & guitarist<\/em><\/p>\n

”As a vocalist, I\u2019ve always focused on making sure the message of the song feels genuine\u2014whatever the topic. A more experienced singer once told me that a vocalist\u2019s most important skill isn\u2019t technique, it\u2019s making the listener believe every single word. That\u2019s probably where I\u2019ve grown the most as a singer.\u201d
\n\u2013 Pete<\/em><\/p>\n

”My principle has always been: if I don\u2019t believe what Pete is singing, we re-record it.\u201d
\n\u2013 Panu<\/em><\/p>\n

”Panu can be a bit of a taskmaster in the studio, but sometimes the first take ends up almost untouched on the record. We do small fixes, sure, but when a song starts to come together, it often just\u2026 works.\u201d
\n\u2013 Pete<\/em><\/p>\n

”This album was basically made twice. We had a few other songs included at first, but in the end, they didn\u2019t fit thematically with the core tracks. We tested them live, but they didn\u2019t work in the set\u2014they felt too detached. Even though we\u2019re not allergic to genres, those songs just weren\u2019t Darkness Is My Canvas. ’Kill your darlings’ is a harsh but important rule: if something doesn\u2019t serve the bigger picture, it has to go.”
\n\u2013 Panu<\/em><\/p>\n

TRACK BY TRACK<\/h3>\n

1. Wash<\/b>
\n”The lyrics reflect my concern over the current state of nature. Having spent time traveling around the world, I\u2019ve noticed these changes everywhere. This song is a way to express that anxiety\u2014without preaching or pointing fingers, even though the track is quite direct.\u201d
\n\u2013 Pete<\/em>
\n”Melodically straightforward and easy to grasp. It’s the perfect opener: short, uptempo, and catchy. We often open our live sets with this one.\u201d
\n\u2013 Panu<\/em><\/p>\n

2. Rejected<\/b>
\n”A punch to the face from start to finish, made even heavier by Juuso\u2019s driving drums. The melodic chorus adds great contrast, and the number of hooks in this one is just ridiculous. Live, it usually works perfectly as the second-to-last track.”
\n\u2013 Panu<\/em>
\n”One of our more abstract lyrics, meaning it can represent different things to different listeners. It turned out surprisingly heavy, and our love for Muse and Nightwish definitely shines through here.”
\n\u2013 Pete<\/em><\/p>\n

3. Bleed<\/b>
\n”One of the most personal songs for me. I\u2019ve long been deeply concerned about self-harm among young people. I spoke with many who have lived through it because I wanted to give them a voice. This track has been with us since the very beginning.”
\n\u2013 Pete<\/em>
\n”Bleed sounds almost like a James Bond theme\u2014the strings, the melodies, and the dramatic atmosphere make it one of my absolute favorites. I even slipped in a couple of odd time signatures just to entertain myself.”
\n\u2013 Panu<\/em><\/p>\n

4. Ink in the Water<\/b>
\n”This one started from a pure pop-punk jam, and the core of the song came together in minutes. Pete sang \u2018Like ink in the water the colors fade away\u2019, which immediately inspired the background response: \u2018don\u2019t go, don\u2019t go!\u2019 That combination gave us a ridiculously catchy chorus. It\u2019s fast\u2014like Green Day\u2019s Basket Case<\/em> fast. We usually write slower songs, maybe because playing fast is tough if your fingers are cold before a show! Slower songs hide the fact I haven’t practiced technical drills in a while… Anyway, I love this track because it turned out to be a perfect example of its genre.\u201d
\n\u2013 Panu<\/em>
\n”The lyrics were already floating in my head, and they just poured out during the demo recording. We captured them exactly as they were.\u201d
\n\u2013 Pete<\/em>
\n\u201cI can confirm that. Pete just sang them on the spot. I later asked if he could copy-paste the lyrics for me, and he replied, \u2018I actually need to listen back to the track to figure out what I even sang!\u2019\u201d
\n\u2013 Panu<\/em><\/p>\n

5. The Maze<\/b>
\n”This track deals with the early days of Russia\u2019s war of aggression and the atrocities committed in Bucha. Midway through, the lyrics switch from English to Finnish\u2014English simply wasn\u2019t enough to express the weight of what we wanted to say. Musically, it\u2019s a full-on progressive track with strong Kingston Wall vibes. It is packed with guitar solos; there\u2019s maybe a minute and a half of vocals, and the rest of this 9-minute piece is me soloing. I actually recorded one of those solos to a click track while running a 39.6\u00b0C fever with pneumonia, just before collapsing. When I recovered and listened back, I sent it to Pete, who replied: \u2018Holy s**t, this is epic!!!\u2019 That\u2019s when I knew this track was turning into something much bigger. It’s one of our most ambitious pieces ever, and I love improvising the solos live based on the mood.”
\n\u2013 Panu<\/em>
\n”The suffering of Ukrainians makes me so angry and sad that I don’t even want to say anything more.\u201d
\n\u2013 Pete<\/em><\/p>\n

6. The End of Times<\/b>
\n”A direct tribute to the 70s prog tradition. We actually played this live for a couple of years before recording it. The opening chord progression\u2014Gm, F, Eb, Dsus, D\u2014has that classic descending bass movement that allows for rich melodic layering. Pete nailed the mood perfectly. The song splits into two parts: halfway through, it shifts into a heavy blend of Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep (think July Morning<\/em>), and Kingston Wall influences, without copying any of them. As an easter egg, there\u2019s even a little Iron Maiden moment in there.”
\n\u2013 Panu<\/em>
\n”There\u2019s a clear dramatic arc\u2014first the story, then the full-out jam. It’s a perfect title track complete with horns, layered guitars, and a slide solo. We love to challenge each other musically, and this track is full of little secrets.\u201d
\n\u2013 Pete<\/em><\/p>\n

7. Day Zero<\/b>
\n”A love song, plain and simple.\u201d
\n\u2013 Pete<\/em>
\n”For the guitar solos, I focused on whistle-able melodies\u2014sometimes what you don\u2019t play is more important. The synth textures were inspired by HIM\u2019s Join Me<\/em>, but the defining sound became the ethereal Oberheim pad in the verses. And, just for fun, I added a 15\/16 guitar solo in the bridge\u2014because life shouldn\u2019t be too easy.\u201d
\n\u2013 Panu<\/em><\/p>\n

8. Subliminal<\/b>
\n”This serves as an instrumental prelude to the final tracks. It\u2019s been with us a long time, and at one point it actually had vocals, but we decided it worked best as an instrumental piece. I thought about making it longer, but Pete and I felt one minute was just right. If you want to hear more, there\u2019s always the repeat button.\u201d
\n\u2013 Panu<\/em><\/p>\n

9. These Times<\/b>
\n”Pete sees it as a love song\u2014though, as with many of his lyrics, the love here feels lost, unreachable, or broken. Live, this song stands out because the arrangement differs quite a bit from our usual style. On the album, it works as a seamless transition into the grand finale.\u201d
\n\u2013 Panu<\/em><\/p>\n

10. Skin & Bones<\/b>
\n”I\u2019ve been writing a conceptual story about a future world, and this is the first chapter of that narrative. By the time this album drops, we\u2019ll already be deep into pre-production for the next record, and these lyrics hint at what\u2019s to come. It’s one of my favorites.\u201d
\n\u2013 Pete<\/em>
\n”Pete\u2019s absolutely manic about this storyline, in the best possible way. The first time I heard the chorus lyric \u2018it wasn\u2019t sudden\u2019, I yelled \u2018NO! IT WAS GRADUAL!!!\u2019\u2014and of course, that\u2019s exactly what Pete sings. It’s one of the coolest, most unique chorus lines I’ve heard in a long time. Those kinds of organic, artistic thoughts are something generative AI could never write.\u201d
\n\u2013 Panu<\/em><\/p>\n

The Origins of the Band<\/h2>\n

Once upon a time, there was Panu\u2014guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and music producer. He ran his own studio in Helsinki, recording and producing rock, heavy, and metal music\u2014the kinds of rich, gritty sounds that have always been strong in Finland.<\/p>\n

In the early 2010s, a singer-songwriter named Pete appeared, looking for the right producer and studio to record a solo project. Around that time, Pete had just heard a record by a band called Die Schwarzen Ladas<\/em> and thought, \u201cThis is some wild stuff\u2014wait, is that a Jump<\/em> riff? No way, this was produced by Panu!\u201d Recognizing the distinct production style, Pete called Panu up:<\/p>\n

\u2013 \u201cHey! I want to make a solo record and I want you to produce it!\u201d
\n\u2013 \u201cWhat time do we start?\u201d
\n\u2013 \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

And so the journey began. Initially, it was about re-recording Pete\u2019s acoustic demos, but it soon became clear that the creative chemistry between them demanded something more:<\/p>\n

\u2013 \u201cLook Pete, doing this as a solo client project is going to get too expensive. Let\u2019s just start a real band. I\u2019ll produce the music.\u201d
\n\u2013 Pete: *laughs* \u201cLet\u2019s do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

And thus, the foundation of Darkness Is My Canvas<\/em> was laid. From the very beginning, their core principle has been clear: ”in the studio, the band is the two of us\u2014the live lineup is a separate entity.”<\/p>\n

While they use talented session musicians for studio drums, the core division of labor remains simple: Pete commands the lead vocals, and Panu handles nearly all the instrumentation and production. This tight-knit collaboration forms the core of the band\u2019s distinctive sound, groove, and character. Toward the end of the album sessions, they officially brought live band members Juza (drums) and Fellu (bass) into the fold\u2014excellent musicians who have fully embraced and embodied the Darkness Is My Canvas identity both on stage and in the studio.<\/p>\n

\"The
\n\"The<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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