“It just feels right”: Tuomas Kurikka on ATLAS finding their identity with Sunder

With Sunder finally out, there’s a quiet but unmistakable excitement in the air around ATLAS. After what feels like a long build-up: multiple singles already released, fans beginning to form attachments to individual tracks, the full album is finally out into the world.

We caught up with guitarist Tuomas Kurikka just before the release.

“Very excited”, he says when asked how it feels to be this close to release day.

There’s a sense that this record has been lived with for a long time. The singles have already sparked reactions, but the album as a complete body of work still feels like something the band have been waiting patiently to unveil. “We've been waiting ages for the album to be released”, Tuomas adds, hinting at just how long Sunder has been part of their internal world.

Now that it’s finished, distance has brought clarity. There’s something different about being unable to go back and tweak a riff or rework a melody. The work is done. “It’s great to have distance from songs”. That space, he admits, has allowed pride to settle in, a recognition of how far the band have come and what they’ve managed to achieve with this release.

Interestingly, Sunder didn’t immediately present itself as a cohesive album. The shift from “a batch of emotional songs” to a unified body of work came surprisingly late in the process. “Actually very close to the end”, Tuomas explains. It was near the end, when the more vulnerable and emotionally heavy tracks began to sit beside one another naturally, that the bigger picture emerged.

The album feels deliberate and focused lyrics wise. Where previous material leaned deeply into grief and sorrow, Sunder carries those emotions forward but reframes them. The loss of loved ones still lingers in the background, but the scope feels broader, less confined to one emotional state and more reflective of life’s extremes.“More positive with themes of losing loved ones as well”, Tuomas says when describing the themes that kept resurfacing. Love, hate, grief: the big, unavoidable emotions that define pivotal moments in life sit at the heart of the record. Yet there’s also a subtle shift towards something more expansive, even hopeful in places.

While writing, Tuomas admits the listener isn’t always front and centre in the exact moment of creation, that process remains instinctive and personal. But the desire for connection is never far away. “To have that emotional connection”. At its core, the goal is simple: create something that resonates. Something that leaves a mark.That emotional connection is something ATLAS are especially excited to bring into a live setting. Having already tested several singles on the road, Tuomas describes the experience of playing new material as invigorating.“These songs work so well live”.

There’s a clear contrast between the older material and what Sunder offers on stage. Earlier songs carried a sharper, more aggressive edge, whereas the new tracks lean into atmosphere. “The old stuff was more aggressive", he says, describing the newer material as more vibey: songs that expand and breathe rather than attack. One track in particular stands out: ‘I Whisper Your Name Like A Curse’. A ballad might feel like an unexpected move for ATLAS, but Tuomas speaks about it with obvious enthusiasm. The way it translates live has been a pleasant surprise, a reminder that vulnerability can be just as powerful as intensity.

Looking ahead to the rest of 2026, the band’s priorities are delivered with a grin. “Try to not die on tour”, Tuomas jokes. But beneath the humour is a real sense of momentum. Touring remains central, not just surviving it, but embracing it and there’s a strong feeling that Sunder marks something pivotal.

For the first time, Tuomas speaks about the band having truly found their sound. “Aesthetically, musically, atmospherically”, everything feels aligned. There’s a foundation now, something solid to build upon rather than chase. And when someone presses play on Sunder for the first time, the hope is simple. “We hope they take away something truly special”.

The desire isn’t just for passive listening, it’s for impact. For the album to feel authentic. Memorable. Special. When asked to describe this current era of ATLAS in a single word, Tuomas pauses before answering.“Sexy”. The answer might raise a smile, but in context, it fits. There’s confidence in this chapter. There’s identity. There’s a band stepping fully into themselves. With Sunder, ATLAS don’t just sound refined, they sound certain.