Their first two EPs, ‘I: The Witchhammer’ and ‘II: The Heretic’, introduced listeners to an aggressive and uncompromising sound, but ‘III: Inhumanity’ feels like the point where everything crystallizes. Out on October 22 via Inverse Records, the album marks their first full-length and the next chapter in an expanding conceptual universe the band has been building since the start. “It’s not a direct continuation,” Mikko explains, “but it takes place in the same world. We realized there was still a lot of ground to cover, so it felt natural to continue inside the same frame.”

That world is a bleak one — a dystopian sci-fi narrative following a schizophrenic android, LI-2 XA-1, on a mission to find a new home for the remnants of humanity after Earth’s destruction. Along the way, the android begins to question whether humanity deserves to be saved at all. Markus, who penned the lyrics, credits a long-standing fascination with science fiction as a major influence. “I had a hardcore sci-fi phase,” he laughs. “But what used to be fiction is starting to become real. So of course it influenced me — the rise of AI, technology, and everything happening right now.”

Still, ‘III: Inhumanity’ isn’t a technophobic rant. “It’s not a ‘fuck computers’ kind of thing,” Markus clarifies. “We’re not anti-technology — it’s more about making people think about where it’s all going.” Mikko adds that the contradiction is part of the message: “We made a science fiction album in a very humane way. We recorded live drums, did as little editing as possible, and kept the human imperfections. We don’t want to sound like machines, even if we’re playing extreme metal.”

That balance between chaos and cohesion is central to Vanguardian’s identity. Their sound fuses black metal, sludge, progressive metal, and rock ’n’ roll — a volatile mix that somehow feels natural in their hands. “When we started this band, we decided there would be no boundaries,” Markus says. “If an idea feels stupid, you kind of have to do it,” Mikko adds with a grin. The result is an album that feels alive, unpredictable, and defiantly its own thing. Every track serves the story, and the band treats the record as a single journey rather than a collection of songs.

Beyond the music, Vanguardian’s ethos is equally uncompromising. They proudly reject art that feels artificial, overproduced, or emotionally sterile. Their approach is as analog and organic as their dystopian themes are futuristic — a deliberate tension that gives ‘III: Inhumanity’ its depth. “It’s about the human element,” Mikko reflects. “You can make something extreme without stripping away emotion.”

That human core also drives their live presence. The band is currently lining up shows to support the release, and both Markus and Mikko emphasize that Vanguardian is first and foremost a live band. “Playing live is our strength,” Markus says. “We built our own studio as a kind of community space, and you can feel that same energy in the shows.” They also hinted that the universe of ‘III: Inhumanity’ might expand visually one day — through animation or comics. “Something to scare people… or make them think,” Markus smiles.

As for where to start when diving into ‘III: Inhumanity’, Markus recommends the opening track “Gathering Momentum”: “It sets the pace for the whole story and has all the elements of what we do.” Mikko points to the title track “In Humanity” as another essential piece — a microcosm of the band’s extremes, contrasts, and surprises.

With ‘III: Inhumanity’, Vanguardian has created an album that not only explores the blurred lines between flesh and machine, but also reaffirms the beauty of imperfection — a reminder that even in a dystopian future, humanity can still scream, sweat, and feel.

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