Taiwanese metal veterans CHTHONIC have teamed up with Finnish artist Mariska for the new single “Näin Määrättiin,” a powerful extreme metal collaboration connecting tragic chapters from Taiwanese and Finnish history.
The track marks Mariska’s first appearance on an extreme metal song and was inspired by the final words written by Taiwanese political prisoners to their loved ones before their executions.
While researching these stories, CHTHONIC vocalist Freddy Lim discovered unexpected historical parallels between Taiwan and Finland. During the Winter War, accounts of Finnish resistance appeared in Taiwan Minpao, the first newspaper founded by Taiwanese people. Finland’s struggle against overwhelming odds inspired Taiwanese readers, some of whom would later become political prisoners during the late 1940s.
The connection between people separated by thousands of miles yet experiencing similar emotions of loss, resistance and survival became an important part of “Näin Määrättiin.”
Around the same time, Lim met Mariska and became interested in her poetic approach to songwriting, eventually leading to the collaboration.
“This takes me back to my good old punk hardcore days – it’s a really interesting experience!” says Mariska. “When I first heard CHTHONIC, their powerful music and videos made a deep impression on me. So when they contacted me and suggested a collaboration, I agreed almost immediately.”
Despite the darkness surrounding the song’s subject matter, Mariska hopes listeners can also find a sense of comfort within it.
“I hope listeners can feel the sadness in the song, but also find comfort in it. Death is something we all have to face sooner or later, and none of us can avoid it.”
CHTHONIC guitarist and songwriter Jesse Ulas Liu describes the track as something unusual within the band’s catalog.
“I think this is CHTHONIC’s first love song. It’s a love song filled with conflicting emotions – grief, guilt, regret, despair and hopelessness. Although you can still hear the style that is characteristic of CHTHONIC, we have also brought in many new elements. I hope our fans will find it refreshing.”
Bassist Doris Yeh further developed the original demo created by Lim and Liu, helping shape the final version of the song. The process reflects the more deliberate approach CHTHONIC has taken with its recent material.
“We no longer rush to release music the way we used to. Now we finally have the opportunity to work carefully on each song, one at a time. I really appreciate that we are still able to make music together, so I wanted to think carefully about every detail,” Yeh explains.
CHTHONIC’s members are currently working from opposite sides of the world, with Lim and Yeh living in Helsinki while the remainder of the band is based in Taipei.
Drummer Dani Wang says the distance hasn’t diminished Lim’s presence within the group.
“Freddy still sends messages on every possible communication platform! It still feels like he’s right here with us. But that’s a good thing. That attitude keeps us moving forward and inspires us to create new music.”
The official music video for “Näin Määrättiin” premiered at the Air Guitar World Championships and the Oulu Music Video Festival in Finland.
The collaboration continues CHTHONIC’s long-standing approach of exploring Taiwanese history and human experience through extreme metal, while expanding that perspective to reveal an unexpected emotional and historical connection between Taiwan and Finland.
CHTHONIC: chthonic.tw
Mariska: mariska.fi
“Näin Määrättiin” is available now on streaming platforms.