On Obscured Horizons, The Eternal work through self-doubt, fractured identity and the difficult business of leaving destructive things behind. For Mark, those themes come from changes in his own life. The darkness has a purpose: these songs are also about finding a way through it.
In this installment of DeadNote Sessions, Mark discusses the writing that connected Skinwalker, Celestial and Obscured Horizons, the contributions of all four members, and the work of building a record between Melbourne and Helsinki. We also get into the guitar arrangements, the sea imagery in “Lament for the Hollow” and why the band kept questioning the songs until the final mixes.
Interview lightly edited for spelling, punctuation and readability.
The Skinwalker and the Celestial EPs led directly into Obscured Horizons. At what point did it become clear that you were entering a new creative chapter?
Pretty much as soon as we had finished mixing Skinwalker we started writing and demoing what would become Celestial & Obscured Horizons. The addition of Jan Rechberger & Niclas Etelävuori kind of gave myself & Richie some inspiration, and for the first time in the band’s history all four band members were writing and demoing so it was very exciting! In no time we had around 15 demos around the time Skinwalker was coming out, so around 2024. It was the label’s idea we consider doing an EP, so we decided instead a throwaway EP with live tracks and whatnot we would make it its own standalone piece and it allowed us to streamline what would become ‘Obscured Horizons’ so it really has been an amazing and inspiring time over the last few years.
With eight albums behind you, what remains at the core of The Eternal, and what has evolved most?
I think emotion from a really human place remains the core of what we do. I think what has evolved is our songwriting skills and production skills, being that we are a completely self-produced band. I think we have been a little more confident to bring new elements into the music, but it’s really important for us that the lyrics still deal with the human condition.
What is obscuring the horizon in the album’s title, and what do you see beyond it?
The song is actually about not letting things Obscure your horizons, ‘Don’t surrender all you know, To numb reality and fall into the disarray, Don’t ever let it eclipse the light and obscure horizons, Let nothing in this world remain unseen…’ So I guess it’s not about letting self-doubt, addiction or mental health struggles stop you from aiming for the things you want to achieve, so maybe a more positive message than the title first leads you to believe.
The album explores fractured identity, disillusionment, and the erosion of truth. How much of that grew from personal experience, and how much from the world around you?
All the lyrics from this album I guess document my own personal journey to make changes in my life. I hit a pretty low point mentally around 2021-2022 and I have had to fight to take charge of life and beat some of my own demons, so I had to get very introspective but also take responsibility for things that were really holding me back from achieving what I wanted in life.
So lyrically it really was a journey out of some dark places, but in many ways it feels cathartic and also positive in some ways because I got there in the end.
The record moves from emotional collapse toward renewal. Was that arc planned from the beginning, or did it emerge during the writing?
I guess it’s kind of reflected in my answer above, in the first batch of lyrics was ‘Awaken’ so that set the mood for what I wanted to achieve lyrically, ‘Shut the lights. Close the door, I don’t live there anymore, these walls no longer hold me in…’ – so very much a statement about moving on and heading to renewal, so it seems you hit the nail on the head.
Mark, you’ve linked “Lament for the Hollow” to the moment when identity and direction begin to fracture. How personal is the song?
“Lament for the Hollow” is quite personal, although it isn’t about one specific person or event. It comes from that feeling of your identity, direction and trust beginning to fracture, and having to question what is actually real. The song is about confronting self-doubt, rejecting deception and letting go of things that have become destructive. Ultimately, it’s about finding clarity by allowing the false things to fall away and moving forward.
Waves and erasure are central to both the lyrics and the video. Why did the sea become the right metaphor?
The sea felt like the right metaphor because it reflects the idea of something powerful and relentless that can both destroy and cleanse. In the “Lament for the Hollow” video, the waves become a visual representation of that process of being overwhelmed, having everything stripped away, and ultimately allowing the past to be erased. There’s also something naturally isolating and vast about the ocean that fits the song’s themes of emptiness, loss and finding clarity. In the video at the end the character finds his way back to calm seas and some hope, which is a theme across the record, melancholic, reflective and laced with hope.
“Lament for the Hollow” opens with a sweeping guitar harmony before moving into heavier territory. Did the song begin with that harmony or develop from another idea?
That whole start section with the finger tapping guitar part right up to the verse pretty much came as a fully established motif from Richie and I loved it! Then we kind of came up with that hook melody and the rest came really easily from there. For me it always appealed to me that it would open the album. We did originally have an intro called ‘Passage’ but being that the whole start section of ‘Lament’ is an intro we decided to cut to the chase!
How did you balance the album’s larger scale with the vulnerability at its centre?
I think the balance came from letting the music be expansive without losing the emotional core. The album has a much larger, heavier and more cinematic scale, but underneath that there are very personal themes of isolation, doubt, loss and trying to find your way through it. The vulnerability gives the bigger moments meaning, rather than allowing them to become purely spectacle. I think probably as the lyrical themes were well developed it helped dictate how we followed through with the arrangement of the songs etc…
How did Mark and Richie divide the guitar work, and did that partnership change on this record?
Generally from a recording perspective I lay down all the rhythm guitars on the album which is quite the task I don’t wish onto anyone, lol. Then we both build the textural, melodic and lead aspects from there. Richie is more of a shredder than me, so he tends to focus a little more on those faster solos etc., and I tend to take a more melodic approach which I think tends to create a nice balance on the album. We do put a lot of thought into the approach of the guitars and tend to make sure the song stays the focus at the end of the day.
How did Niclas and Jan shape the movement, weight, and atmosphere of these songs?
Those guys had a well-established approach to being a rhythm section from their 17 years playing together in Amorphis, so they have a really strong understanding of how to groove and work together. Jan’s drums are almost like another layer of orchestration in many ways—they’re constantly supporting the songs and adding depth and movement. Niclas brings that same sense of weight and groove, and together they give the songs a really lively and energetic feel. I really enjoyed hearing what they brought to the arrangements; they have a way of making the songs feel alive without overpowering what’s happening around them.
With the band divided between Melbourne and Helsinki, how does a song move from its first idea to a finished recording?
We started working remotely, developing the initial ideas and arrangements between Melbourne and Helsinki. Jan and I then got together over Christmas 2023 in Helsinki to really work through and refine the arrangements in person. We’re all experienced producers and comfortable with the technology, so working remotely is quite natural for us and allows everyone to contribute throughout the process. We also mixed the album together at my studio, Lucidity Sound, in Melbourne, which brought everything together and gave us that final opportunity to work on the songs as a band.
We really value that face-to-face time so we can refine the ideas. I would say until we bounced the final mixes we still questioned our arrangements and ideas and never got too comfortable to just settle.
Which song challenged the band most during the making of Obscured Horizons, and what finally unlocked it?
I think some of the songs on the second half of the album, or Side B on the vinyl – particularly “Liminality”, “Yesterday’s Gone” and the ending of “Awaken” – went under the microscope quite a bit. The changes weren’t necessarily about the melodies, but more about the arrangements and making sure the album flowed in the way we envisioned. That takes a lot of back and forth between us. “Yesterday’s Gone”, for example, is a great song that came from an initial demo by Niclas, but Jan and I spent quite a bit of time refining the arrangement. I’m really happy with where that one ended up.
What practical challenges come with bringing this international lineup together to perform live?
Probably the biggest challenge is working around Jan’s commitments with Amorphis, as he tours a great deal, although the rest of us also have jobs and commitments outside of the bands. There are obviously logistical challenges with everyone being based so far apart, but it’s worked pretty well so far. We make sure we do our homework and practise beforehand, so when we get together we can usually do one or two intensive rehearsals and then hit the road. We don’t really see rehearsal as the place to learn our parts — everyone comes prepared and ready to play, which makes the time we have together really productive.
The album’s journey ultimately points toward clarity and renewal. What do you hope listeners carry with them when it ends?
I hope people come away with a sense that even when things feel fractured or uncertain, there is always a way forward. The album deals with a lot of darkness, loss, doubt and disillusionment, but ultimately it’s about finding clarity and accepting that sometimes you have to let go of things that are holding you back. If listeners can find something in the songs that helps them process their own experiences, or simply makes them feel less alone, then I think the album has done its job.
Written by Rob Joncas for DeadNoteMedia.
Artist information and music courtesy of the band.
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