Taiwanese metal giants CHTHONIC have joined forces with Finnish singer-songwriter Mariska for the unexpected new single “Näin Määrättiin”—marking the first time in Mariska’s career that she has stepped into the world of extreme metal.

Behind the unlikely collaboration lies a much darker connection between Taiwan and Finland. The song draws inspiration from the final words written by Taiwanese political prisoners to their loved ones before their executions, exploring separation, grief, guilt and the inevitability of death.

While researching the subject, CHTHONIC frontman Freddy Lim discovered an intriguing historical link between the two countries. During the Winter War, Finland’s resistance was covered by Taiwan Minpo, the first newspaper founded by Taiwanese people. Finland’s struggle against overwhelming pressure became a source of inspiration for Taiwanese readers—some of whom would later become political prisoners themselves in the late 1940s.

That strange thread across continents and generations eventually led Lim to Mariska and her distinctively poetic approach to songwriting.

“This takes me back to my good old punk hardcore days—it’s a really interesting experience!” Mariska says. “When I first listened to CHTHONIC, their powerful music and videos made a deep impression on me. When they contacted me about collaborating, I agreed almost immediately.”

Despite the crushing musical surroundings, guitarist and songwriter Jesse Ulas Liu describes “Näin Määrättiin” as something surprisingly simple at its core: CHTHONIC’s first love song.

It is hardly a conventional one. Grief, regret, guilt, despair and hopelessness collide within a track that retains CHTHONIC’s unmistakable identity while opening the door to new musical elements.

The collaboration also reflects the unusual reality of CHTHONIC today. With Freddy Lim and bassist Doris Yeh currently living in Helsinki while the rest of the band remains in Taipei, their creative process now stretches quite literally across the world.

Yet distance has done little to silence them.

The music video for “Näin Määrättiin” recently received its premiere in Oulu as part of the Air Guitar World Championships’ Dark Horse Video Show and Oulu Music Video Festival, bringing a collaboration born between Taiwanese history and Finnish memory full circle.

For Lim, who currently serves as Taiwan’s representative in Finland, the song also offered another way of communicating beyond his public appearances in Oulu this year.

“At previous events, I mostly expressed my thoughts through words. Thanks to this kind invitation, I now have the opportunity to express my feelings through music as well.”

Two countries, two histories and two very different musical worlds meet in “Näin Määrättiin”—only to discover that grief rarely needs translation.