Band story so far
Mount Palatine is a heavy psych metal trio founded in Helsinki, Finland. Built on years of playing together, the band thrives on long-form jamming, through which raw improvisational pieces are transformed into towering compositions. What began as a reunion of old bandmates for casual jamming in the year 2020, soon developed into a collective musical entity with relentless creative force.
The lineup consists of Jean the Baron (guitar & vocals), Count Boogie (bass), and Lord of the Groove (drums). Together they channel their unique chemistry into sprawling songs that range from crushing sludge-laden riffs to hypnotic psychedelic textures, from screamed vocals that tear through the void to ethereal clean melodies that linger like echoes from another realm. The result is an immersive soundscape that is as punishing as it is transcendental — heavy but never static, spiritual yet grounded in groove. Drawing inspiration from across genres, Mount Palatine weave elements of doom, stoner, progressive metal, psychedelic rock, and beyond into a sound unmistakably their own.
Originally performing under the name The Paladin, the trio released their debut album Cockroach Crusade (2024), which laid the foundations of their evolving sound. As their style matured, the decision came to adopt a new name that would better reflect their unique identity. Thus, Mount Palatine was born — a symbol of rebirth, expansion, and the next stage of their journey. The band continues to operate from Helsinki.
Lyrically and thematically, Mount Palatine delves into cosmic and spiritual realms, examining existence, life, death, and the mysteries of reality and the universe, often flirting with religious and philosophical concepts. The result is music that resonates on both visceral and contemplative levels — an invitation to lose oneself in sound while reflecting on the infinite.
The Band
Jean the Baron
Guitar & Vocals
Jean took up the guitar from an early age with passion and is a perpetual enthusiast and savourer of sounds and music. Jean has played different styles in various groups and projects along the years, including with Lord and Count in the early adulthood. While the dynamics of high-gain sounds, shimmering cleans and atmospheric acoustics keep inspiring Jean, he also took the lead vocal duties of Mount Palatine, where clean singing, screams and growls all have their places. Jean is also at home with digital workstations and keyboards which also play a role in shaping the textures of this music.
Count Boogie
Bass Guitar
Musician, scholar, father and engineer of songs - a wanderer of many paths, with a heart that beats for heavy music. Awakened late to the bass, he has discovered his own voice, carrying both the raw legacy of metal and an ever-curious spirit that draws from the wider world of sound. His shared musical journey with Lord of the Groove reaches back to teenage days of heavy devotion, and in Mount Palatine their ambitions now intertwine for the third time, shaping new sonic horizons.
Lord of the Groove
Drums
Lord has developed his signature style of drumming through years of ensemble playing in various bands; the longest stint in doom metal band Astral Sleep (2008-present) and now most recently in Mount Palatine (2020-present). Previous experiences playing with Count and Jean also date back to many years, but despite the long hiatus, the old tree quickly started to blossom. The philosophy behind his playing owes to the great names in rock drumming from John Bonham to Bill Ward and Cozy Powell; the knack for picking up the dynamics to his comps from guitar riffs and bass lines, and intuitive sense for the shape and intensity of the musical expression according to the unfolding narrative.
Timeline
Formation
Band is formed as The Paladin
Demo
Our demo introduces the world to our unique blend of storytelling and heavy psych music.
Cockroach Crusade
Our debut album that established our signature sound. Raw, powerful, and uncompromising, these six tracks showcase our ability to blend melodic sensibilities with crushing heaviness.
Mount Palatine
A new chapter begins with a new band name, Mount Palatine.
Sign with Argonauta Records & "The Sands" Single
Mount Palatine sign with Argonauta Records and the release of the single “The Sands”, a towering 10-minute opener from Wormholy World.