Mountains

“Mountains” (2026) is the fourth studio album by Hadal Sherpa, following “Memoria” (2025) as the second of three previously unreleased albums the band completed with Vesa Pasanen (1982–2025) before his sudden passing in July 2025. It comes from the same long creative period that also produced “Void Weaver” (2025), the final Hadal Sherpa album released during Vesa’s lifetime.

The band had worked on the material for years, with Vesa as the main technical and creative force behind it. He wrote the vast majority of the music, shaped the arrangements, played lead guitars, synths, bass, traditional stringed instruments, percussion, and other key parts of the band’s sound. Vesa remained central to Hadal Sherpa throughout, and the musical identity of the band remains inseparable from him.

The remaining release work was carried out as faithfully as possible to Vesa’s original vision for this fourth album. Working from Vesa’s own pre-masters, Hadal Sherpa guitarist and founding member Ville Kainulainen oversaw the entire release process as executive producer.

The final technical work for the release was carried out together with the band’s longtime friend and studio engineer Max Laine. Max recorded and mixed Hadal Sherpa’s self-titled debut album, “Hadal Sherpa” (2017), together with Vesa; Max also handled the final mastering and authoring stage for the third album “Memoria”.

For “Mountains”, the same approach was taken as with “Memoria”: Vesa’s pre-masters and musical vision remained the foundation, while the remaining release work consisted of final mastering, authoring, titles, artwork, and bringing the album to release.

Musically “Mountains” explores the more eastern, folk influenced and gentle side of the band, but it also returns to some of the themes of “Void Weaver”, with a slightly less fuzzed-out approach. This album also includes the only cover song the band ever recorded; “Gurbet” by Özdemir Erdoğan, released originally in the 1970’s and something Vesa appreciated and wanted to do his own version of.

Mountains album line-up:
Vesa Pasanen - lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, synth, oud, saz, percussion
Ville Kainulainen - rhythm guitar
Ilja Juutilainen - drums, percussion
Pi Viana - vocals, flute

+ Paula Rautoja, Saara Salo, Sonja Suni and Mari Laari as the choir on “Camel on Moon”

This album is dedicated to the memory of Vesa Pasanen