With their fourth album, the Finnish metalcore act ONE MORNING LEFT ends a five-year-long pause in releasing new material. On »HYPERACTIVE« the group begins a whole new chapter in their story, drawing inspiration from retro electronic- and video game music, as well as 80’s hard rock, while staying true to their heavier roots.
Changes are happening not only in the musical style, but also in the lineup. Returning from the cast of 2016’s “Metalcore Superstars” are frontman Mika Lahti, singer-guitarist Leevi Luoto and drummer Niko Hyttinen. Additional firepower is provided by new faces Tuukka Ojansivu on guitar and Miska Sipiläinen on bass guitar, as well as the return-to-form of keyboard player Touko Keippilä from the band’s original “Panda <3 Penguin” lineup.
The album shapes up to be the artistic peak of One Morning Left's musical "blood mountain": epic lyrics carried by Luoto’s soaring vocal melodies, contrasted by the distinctive, gritty sound of Lahti, all accompanied by breathtaking keyboard leads, blisteringly fast guitars, masterful bass riffs and feverish drum parts.
The title, “HYPERACTIVE”, reflects both the musical and the lyrical content on the album, which can be seen as a critique of modern life. Attention spans are shortened by a flood of information, making everything and everyone hyperactive. The lyrics deal with such topics as depression, mania, overcoming addiction, love, hate, and stress. These issues are observed through a prism of sci-fi and dystopian themes running throughout the album. “I was heavily inspired by old school heavy metal lyrics by bands such as Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, as well as sci-fi movies and TV-series, like Black Mirror, to use fantasy as a vessel to process such heavy topics,” lyricist Leevi Luoto notes. The songwriting process was a long and challenging one, with some tracks being started as early as 2017, but remaining unfinished until the band was strengthened by bass player Sipiläinen and keyboardist Keippilä in late 2018. After that everything seemed to just fall into place: the band’s new, now recognizable sound, was found quickly and the process sped up with the album being finished in early 2020.
Mika Lahti | Lead Vocals
Leevi Luoto | Guitar & Lead Vocals
Touko Keippilä | Keyboard & Backing Vocals
Miska Sipiläinen | Bass & Backing Vocals
Niko Hyttinen | Drums Tuukka Ojansivu | Guitar & Backing Vocals
1. Ruby Dragon 03.52
2. Neon Highway 03.52
3. Sinners Are Winners 03.51
4. Drowned God 03.29
5. Creatvres 03.49
6. Live, Laugh, Love 02.18
7. Ruthless Resistance 04.04
8. Downfall 03.39
9. Worry Less, Dance More 03.05
10. Hyperactive 03.31
