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The second album of the Finnish punk band from Oulu comments on current phenomena
”IHMISROSKA” CAPSULIZES THE COLD SPIRIT OF THE TIME
Saa kiljua will release their second album, titled Ihmisroska, on Friday, August 22 2025. The rising name in Finnish punk will start their album release tour on the same day at the Turku Punk ja Yäk festival and will perform in their hometown Oulu in October as the opening act for Pelle Miljoona’s 70th anniversary tour at Tullisali.
The band’s musical bucket has been mixed with a variety of ingredients, and the super yeast is years of friendship and shared playing experience. Jyrki Niemelä (guitar), Ilkka Immonen (bass), Tiina Vaattovaara (vocals) and Matias Haapaniemi (drums) have played and performed together in different kinds of lineups over the years. The band, which plays melodic punk with HC flavors, has been compared to such Finnish bands as Pelle Miljoona, Haloo Helsinki and Huora.
”Our punk is easily approachable and we also have many listeners from outside the scene. On the other hand, our energetic gigs have also won over those who, based on the recordings, have found us too pop for their taste,” says guitarist Jyrki Niemelä.
The first album, Voitko olla hiljaa? (2022), was well received and the physical albums have been sold out. While energy and a positive attitude unite both albums, there are also differences.
The world situation forced to take a stand
The theme of the debut album was the freedom to be yourself. The darker second album examines the other side of the coin, which is responsibility. Is the individual or the community responsible? What does taking responsibility and being accountable mean to different people?
“Ihmisroska” (human trash) refers to a term that an Oulu politician has used in recent years to describe homeless alcoholics. Singer and lyricist Tiina Vaattovaara believes that the word sums up something about the cold spirit of this time. When the government stares at mere numbers, then speeches and values also harden. Empathy is seen as a weakness. In times like these it’s not easy to be unemployed or have a substance abuse problem. In addition to the actual problem, disrespectful treatment makes the situation even worse. For example, talking about human trash is shifting responsibility solely to the individual themselves.
“Compared to the first album, this album is more socially responsible,” Vaattovaara sums up.
”It was a challenging time for a punk lyricist. There were so many things happening in the world that I just couldn’t ignore. However, I didn’t want to just wallow in misery. The hardest thing of all was to express my feelings and thoughts without becoming part of the problem. Despite our band name (directly translated as ”you can scream”), I didn’t want to be the one who’d always try to shout louder than others. Still, I felt it was important to vent my feelings.”
As a result we have an album where these topics are sometimes screamed directly into your ear but which also approaches current topics such as the rise of the far right, government cuts, climate change and the resurgence of chauvinism from a more oblique angle. And there’s even a pure love song among them. Musically, the songs range from lazy Bad Religion riffing to boisterous hardcore thrash.
This time the album features compositions from all members, which has brought more colors to the palette. However, the majority of the material is still written by bassist Ilkka Immonen and guitarist Jyrki Niemelä.
The DIY idea lives on
The album was recorded in Jääli, Oulu at Studio Vanhatie under the direction of Jarkko Viinamäki. Viinamäki has also been behind the recording desk for sessions with Jarkko Martikainen, Atomirotta and Ursus Factory, among others. The mix was done by Mikael Neves (i.a. Wasted and Tryer) and the mastering was completed by Jarno Alho (i.a. Nyrkkitappelu and Litku Klemetti). The graphic design was done by Jussi Karjalainen, one of Finland’s most famous cover artists (i.a. PMMP, Saimaa and Maustetytöt).
There is a pre-order of 300 LP copies of the album, and about half of them have already been sold. Except for gig booking, Saa kiljua operates on a completely DIY basis and is also self-publishing its albums for now.
”We’ve invested so much in media and marketing that it’s probably getting already a little embarrassing,” the band’s bassist and multi-tasker Ilkka Immonen grins. ”However, the fact is that no one comes to our rehearsal place to pick us up for the gigs. We’ve wanted an audience for our music and the numbers have been growing steadily.”
The band’s music has been listened to over 1000,000 times on Spotify alone, and all singles from the album have made it onto Spotify’s curated playlists (Parasta suomipunkkia, Suomirock tänään). They have also appeared on Spotify’s viral list at positions 22 and 26. The songs have also been played on music programs hosted by the Finnish national broadcasting corporation YLE. However, the most important thing is that people have increasingly found their ways to gigs.
A great tour is coming
The gig bookings for Saa kiljua are currently handled by Stupido Booking and the band has been performing regularly all over Finland, especially in Helsinki and Turku. The band, which started out in small DIY clubs, has found itself on bigger stages. In autumn 2025 Saa kiljua will go on an album release tour, which includes venues like Logomo in Turku and Tullisali in Oulu. The Tullisali gig is part of Pelle Miljoona’s 70th anniversary tour.
”What we are most looking forward to in the coming autumn and next year are the gigs and encounters with people. Our gigs have a wild but loving atmosphere. The feedback after the gigs has been humbling: ’you restored my faith in punk and in people’ was particularly memorable. What can be said in response to that? The power of these words will sustain us through the numerous travelling kilometres,” Vaattovaara sums up the thoughts of the entire band.
Ihmisroska will be released on Friday, August 22, 2025 on all streaming services. The album will also be released in LP and CD editions.
Listen ”Ihmisroska” album in advance
(only for media reviews, not for public sharing): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/3r0u0xf4f6wgg5lbw0cj8/ALkqXiDiJnZbYFJo0y69vF4?rlkey=sbf5fruxljt0rn1rcfj0kvgus&st=gfaltni4&dl=0
BIO
Saa kiljua is a melodic, furious and untamed punk band from Oulu, Finland.
The band’s musical bucket has been mixed with a variety of ingredients, and the super yeast is years of friendship and shared playing experience. The band, which plays melodic punk with HC flavors, has been compared to Finnish artists like Pelle Miljoona, Haloo Helsinki and Huora. The band has also drawn influences from bands such as NOFX, Descendents, Rancid, Bad Religion and Turnstile.
The band’s message interests and touches people. The lyrics address current issues such as sexual harassment, current politics and mental health issues. Despite this, the band’s basic vibe is positive and energetic.
The LP and CD editions of the debut album “Voitko olla hiljaa?”, released in 2022, were sold out in a single month. Several singles ended up on Spotify’s curated playlists and on radio. The band will release their second album “Ihmisroska” in August 2025. Half of the 300-copy LP edition has already been sold in advance.
Saa kiljua gigs have a wild but loving atmosphere that is easy to get into. They have been playing gigs all over Finland.
Online:
Promo photos:
saakiljua.fi/promokuvat
Saa kiljua:
Tiina Vaattovaara (vocals)
Ilkka Immonen (bass, backing vocals)
Jyrki Niemelä (guitar)
Matias Haapaniemi (drums)
Further information and interview requests:
Ilkka Immonen
+358 50 328 6124
saakiljua@gmail.com