Von Hertzen Brothers

Categorizing Von Hertzen Brothers within conventional genre boundaries has always presented difficulties. Their sound frequently calls for descriptors more commonly applied to literature, visual art or cinema: dynamic, thought-provoking, magical, nuanced, expansive, epic and uplifting.

A potent creative sensibility naturally took root in the three siblings, given that their father Hasse von Hertzen and uncle Lasse von Hertzen both performed with prominent Scandinavian groups during the 1960s and 1970s. Kie’s two godfathers were an early Finnish environmentalist pioneer and a noted artist and sculptor. The brothers passed childhood holidays at the family seaside cabin along the Finnish coast, a setting they continue to visit for songwriting and immersion in nature. Their shared perspective, shaped by Finnish folklore, musical traditions, wildlife and humanitarian concerns, surfaces regularly in the lyrics.

Throughout the 1990s the siblings pursued separate paths, each performing with established bands of their own. In 2000 an informal collaboration conceived simply as a joint venture evolved into the debut album Experience. Their second release, Approach (2006), reached the top of the Finnish chart by fusing progressive, guitar-led rock with densely layered vocal harmonies, signalling that the group had become something distinctive.

Thereafter the band maintained a consistent presence in the domestic top five, securing three number-one albums among the six releases Love Remains The Same (2008), Stars Aligned (2011), Nine Lives (2013), New Day Rising (2015), War Is Over (2017) and Red Alert in the Blue Forest (2022). Stars Aligned became their first album to receive international distribution, after which their expansive sound carried their reputation across Europe and farther afield.

The 2022 double LP Red Alert in the Blue Forest mirrors the brothers’ distinctive upbringing, their affinity for nature and their awareness of worldwide human challenges. Prog Magazine labelled it “a masterpiece,” while numerous reviewers declared it the band’s strongest work to date. The record also launched a campaign to safeguard Finland’s ancient forests, resulting in the Finnish Natural Heritage Foundation’s acquisition of a 50-hectare tract that was subsequently designated The Blue Forest. In addition, Red Alert in the Blue Forest became the first album to incorporate Professor Unto K. Laine’s field recordings of the Northern Lights as musical elements.

Their ninth album, In Murmuration, appeared in October 2024. In characteristic fashion it stands in deliberate contrast to its predecessor: while the imaginative multi-genre hard rock and vocal harmonies persist, the artistic balance has tilted toward optimism and renewal, yielding expansive choruses, stadium rock anthems, art-rock passages carrying 1990s inflections and infectious power-pop tracks.

Their skill at shaping intricate arrangements into striking musical vistas has earned an Emma Award—the Finnish counterpart to a Grammy—an Anthem of the Year prize from Progressive Music in the UK, along with further nominations and critical recognition. In 2022 the epic video for “All of a Sudden, You’re Gone,” directed by Kie Von Hertzen, captured both the Audience Award and Best Cinematography at the Finnish Music Video Contest. Prog Magazine devoted a 2024 cover issue to the band, featuring artwork created in collaboration with graphic artist Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead), and In Murmuration entered Classic Rock Magazine’s global Top 20 albums of the year. These accomplishments have positioned Von Hertzen Brothers among the most significant rock acts to emerge from Finland in recent decades.

The group commands an equally powerful live presence, having performed across 22 countries. In February 2023 they captured a concert at Helsinki’s Tavastia venue; thirteen songs from that performance were issued in February 2024 as the double live album Live at Tavastia.

The three brothers are augmented by Mikko Sirén, one of Finland’s foremost drummers and a former member of the metal ensemble Apocalyptica, together with prolific multi-instrumentalist Markus Pajakkala, who appeared with the band throughout the 2023 Acoustic Enough tour.