AMORPHIS guitarist Tomi Koivusaari returns to his roots with his solo project BJØRKØ and forthcoming album Heartroot! First single “The Heartroot Rots” online!
Today AMORPHIS guitarist Tomi Koivusaari announced his long-awaited solo project BJØRKØ. It features a string of high-profile guest vocals and collaborations, including debut single “The Heartroot Rots” featuring Jeff Walker of Carcass. The Heartroot Rots, a 15 year journey and an excerpt from the forthcoming album Heartrot, due out in December 2023 via Svart Records.
The album’s lead single, ‘The Heartroot Rots’, reprises Koivusaari’s collaboration with Carcass’ Jeff Walker – a fitting choice for one of the album’s heaviest tracks.
For years, Koivusaari has been one of the creative drivers of Amorphis, a band synonymous with innovation in heavy music. With BJØRKØ (“Birch Island” in English) Koivusaari now ventures beyond the band dynamic to present his own artistic vision.
The album is far from being a solo album in the traditional sense. It features an all-star cast of singers in multiple languages. The talents of Waltteri Väyrynen (Opeth, ex-Paradise Lost), Lauri Porra (Stratovarius) and Janne Lounatvouri (Hidria, Spacefolk) form a rock-solid foundation for Koivusaari’s artistry.
Free from the structural limitations of a traditional band, Heartrot is a testament to Koivusaari’s versatility and depth. “It’s a collection of different songs and perspectives,” he says. “I didn’t want a traditional approach to limit my artistic expression.”
The Heartrot album has an emotional range, with each track spreading a unique vibe. Koivusaari describes it as a “soundtrack to an imaginary film” with a “strong visual connection to nature and an ever-present sense of melancholy”.
Tracklist:
1. The Heartroot Rots (feat. Jeff Walker / Carcass)
2. Vaka Loki (feat. Addi Tryggvason / Solstafir)
3. Whitebone Wind (feat. Marco Hietala)
4. Color changer (feat. Ismo Alanko)
5. Awakening
6. World As Fire and Hallucination (feat. Stian Thoresen / Dimmu Borgir)
7. The Trickster (feat. Jessi Frey / Velcra)
8. Hooks In The Sky (feat. Tomi Joutsen)
9. Magenta (feat. Mariska)
10. Reverberations (feat. Sakari Kukko)
Band-Links:
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