12.6.2004 a meeting is held at the Cable Factory to decide what to do with the huge amounts of money we've earned by selling Northern Lights. The news comes in that the Finnish Progressive Music Association Colossus has asked us if we'd like to participate in their Colossus Of Rhodes -project.

Two months later illustrator and guitar maker Vesa Lempiäinen (in front) discovers that his house has been taken over by four rock musicians who refuse to go away before they've got this 25 minute progressive suite recorded.

You never know when things like this are going to happen...

What actually drew us into his house is this sturdy piece of analog studio equipment that we thought would fit our sound perfectly.

Recording a work of this magnitude requires some serious thinking beforehand.

Hmmmmm...

Well, that's enough. Let's get to work!

Two and a half days of drumming then follows...

Ari takes a break from photographing to add some military rhythms to the first part of the suite.

A technical problem

That's better...

Fredrik reaches nirvana

Time to call in the horn section...

...this time actually including a horn, played by Tommi Hyytinen.

Mikko Kangas once again in trumpet.

Petteri Hietamäki in alto sax.

And Markus Larjomaa in trombone.

Fredrik reaches nirvana again

From analog to digital and the mixing can begin.

Dimmu listening through the final mix.

Marco Bernard of Colossus Ry comes to hear what we've been doing.

Two hours before the deadline and 110 days (and countless cans of Kukko) after we joined the project Lords & Knights is handed over to Colossus.

Ai-ai-ai