After announcing the break up with Mastervox records, we got a gig offer to play at Elmusrock, Pyhäjärvi. We rehearsed a nice set of ~45mins of old and new songs, performing songs like C’est la Vie and Curtain of Darkness live for the first time and all seemed well. Within a months or so after the gig, we settled up the score with Mastervox, all in good manner, and were confirmed as “free” band again and started planning and recording the “Hold you ground”-promo-ep. At this time it already started to look like there was some musical & production differences within the band, but we managed to get past them, at least for a while. Promo was released on February 2011 and although well received, phones were not ringing, emails not filling up with recording contracts. Also, half or our band had joined to other band at the meantime and since nothing was (again) going forwards, Matti asked Toni to re-think his position and ambitions towards Ultimatium. As expected, Toni decided to leave the band, as well as Mikko & Sauli, and to focus with the other groups.
Past couple of years had been quite a “rowing against the wind” and often we felt that the crew on the other side of boat were rowing to opposite direction, so rarely I say this, but that time it felt like a big relief to start building the band up again. Harri and Tomi were also determined to make the best full-length for Ultimatium yet, so we kept fine-tuning our songs, altering the choruses and finding a better ways to vocalize Tomi in better way. And on one bit drunky late-autumn weekend in Tomi’s flat, it hit.
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