Metal Hammer / May 2014

SOURCE

A short writing about the Blood Music box set, written by Mitja.

Mitja Harvilahti on _Heritage 1995-_2008

“We are not known for doing tiny songs and nice little albums, but when Blood Music contacted us about releasing the biggest LP box set in the history of metal, it sounded humongous.

“The idea was to remaster everything for vinyl, release everything in special double or triple gatefold layouts, with redrawn cover art and loads of exclusive extras. Such a package seemed insanely complicated to produce, and indeed, it took us two years to put everything together! We saw the earlier releases by Blood Music and understood their attention to detail and the stunning work they had achieved.

“We were able to use the very best people for the job: Travis Smith (Strapping Young Lad, Katatonia, Opeth) for the layouts, Troy Glessner (Devin Townsend Project) for remastering, and Reuben Sawyer (Deafheaven, Moss) to redraw all the covers and original interiors for the box set. We also came to the conclusion that since we've never released a proper DVD, now is the time!

“I personally have a collection of hundreds of Moonsorrow-related DV-tapes from the years 2003-2011, and while going through them, I realised the tour material for V: Hävitetty captured an incredibly special spirit. We edited those clips together into an ‘on-the-road’ documentary of the events that happened that year, and we are more than pleased with how the general and insane atmosphere of touring was captured.

“Another very interesting aspect is the inclusion of the early Moonsorrow demos. There is some material that not even all band members had heard before this project! Ville [Sorvali, drums/keyboards] found half of the long-lost demo Thorns Of Ice [1996], and it feels crazy to have it published for the first time – not on a C-cassette or internet stream – but on deluxe LP!

“All in all, this box set is our legacy – the biggest and the most beautiful thing we have ever released – and we can’t wait to hold it in our hands. We didn't do this for the numbers, but to be able to give our music the best possible physical form that will last on as a piece of art!

“I'm sure everyone who acquires the box set will see, feel and hear the amount of love, work and time we have dedicated towards making this happen.”

Preorder Heritage 1995-2008 here!