REVIEW: HOKKA - Via Miseria IV

When a frontman leaves a band that once felt like a fortress, many would expect his next steps to be a repetition of his previous success, playing it safe and settling back into familiarity. Ex-BLIND CHANNEL Joel Hokka’s debut, under the name HOKKA, chooses to do the complete opposite: Via Miseria IV is a record that looks back without living there, trading the past for something darker, more considered, and theatrically alive. Joined by legendary guitarist Pauli Rantasalmi (THE RASMUS) and “wonderkid” drummer Jimi Aslak, HOKKA delivers an album that feels like a triumphant rebirth and a deliberate step forward from the shadows.

Joel Hokka arrives at this record bruised by the aftermath of sudden success - years of relentless touring and the dizzying machinery of big-time rock left him burnt out and unsure of his place in the world. Those experiences are the driving force behind Via Miseria IV, informing a voice that sounds both raw from the fall and steadier for having learned how to stand alone. The record wastes no time establishing this new era with opening track Blackbird. It is a defiant mission statement, leaning into the intense personal struggles Joel has faced, with lyrics like “crawl back from the graveyard”. Knowing the history there, the track feels like a literal exhumation of the past to make way for the future. Anyone expecting a BLIND CHANNEL 2.0 will be immediately corrected - while the pop sensibilities remain, the delivery is far more grounded and atmospheric, setting a moody precedent for the nine tracks that follow.

Musically, the album balances two complementary instincts. There are the immediate, hook-driven moments built for singalongs and festival stages, with choruses that land with satisfying force, contrasted by quieter, more intimate passages that let the emotional content breathe. In The Darkness is the clearest example of this duality. It’s cinematic in scope, dramatic enough to soundtrack a pivotal scene, yet also grounded by a brief Finnish interval near the end of the track. It’s a particularly inspired touch, keeping the song tethered in its Finnish roots, even as the band aims for a global sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1XcnuEbqxM

Pauli’s guitar work on the record is undeniably impressive. On songs like Death by Cupid’s Arrow and title track Via Miseria, the guitars do more than just provide riffs. They shape the mood, switching from jagged urgency to lush, melancholic washes. Those instrumental choices give the album a unique texture and prevent the songs from blurring into one another. The “Warrior and Sensei” dynamic described in the band’s press release isn’t just marketing fluff: you can hear the synergy in how the instrumentals and vocals give each other room to breathe. We see this really clearly on Heart Said No, which provides a necessary shift in dynamic. Pulling the intensity back to let a softer, more vulnerable vocal performance take centre stage, it allows listeners to fully sit with the melancholy HOKKA has openly embraced.

Jimi’s drumming complements this dynamic perfectly. It’s punchy and precise on the glam-leaning Bon Apetit, restrained and devastating on the stripped back and aptly-named power ballad, Murder Ballad, and propulsive when Joel’s vocals need momentum. Murder Ballad acts as the emotional centre piece of the album, beautifully showcasing Joel’s vocal range and proving he can hold a power ballad without tipping into artificial melodrama. It’s followed seamlessly by Angels Fall, which kicks the tempo back up and works well to balance the emotional weight of the previous track. The sequencing here is a masterclass in attention to detail, proving that the trio’s interplay is what makes the album feel most alive.

As the album reaches its climax, Serpent’s Song delivers a cathartic, riff-driven build up that feels like a natural finale. However, the true talking point is the closing cover of SEAL’s Kiss from a Rose. While some critics may find the choice jarring, it acts as a symbolic coda for the entire project. In the context of HOKKA’s journey, the themes of intoxication and transformation mirror the “golden cage” of Joel’s previous success and the new, transformative connection he has found with his bandmates. It’s a powerful, hypnotising end to a record that is obsessed with the idea of finding beauty in pain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgA0RWZKW-U

Via Miseria VI’s production is polished, but far from sterile. The mix gives each element space to sit forward when it needs to, and equally to step back for a deeper impact. There’s a contemporary clarity that keeps the arrangements from sounding too much like a pastiche of early-2000s influences, even as the record nods to that era’s melodic instincts. The theatrical flourishes are balanced by moments of restraint, which is why the album never feels pretentious. 

Ultimately, this album is an incredibly strong debut that avoids the pitfalls of its own high-concept narrative. The “Warrior and Sensei” chronicle could have easily become far too heavy-handed, but here it functions as a creative framing device for someone finally choosing to tell their story on their own terms. For listeners who mourn the end of BLIND CHANNEL, Via Miseria IV offers a profound sense of consolation. It doesn’t attempt to be a replica or safe continuation of what came before, instead providing a sophisticated evolution that makes the loss of the former band feel like a necessary sacrifice.

Score: 9/10

Via Miseria IV will be released on 24th April 2026 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Words: Zuzanna Pazola

Photos: Natalie Pastakeda