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By Leonardo Correia
Located in Northern Europe, Finland is one of the most developed countries in the world. Its fame is recognized for its extremely harsh winters, the production of Koskenkorva (vodka made with the purest water in the world), and the excellent quality of its metal bands. Below are a brief overview of some of these bands, selected based on their quality and historical significance.
Tarot
Formed in 1982 in the city of Kuopio under the name Purgatory, the Heavy Metal band was one of the pioneers of Finnish Metal. Its initial lineup consisted of Marco Hietala (Vocals and Bass), Zachary Hietala (Guitar), Mako H (Guitar), and Pecu Cinnari (Drums). Their debut album, "Spell of Iron" (1986), received good reviews both in their country and in Europe.
In 2001, Marco Hietala also joined the band Nightwish, but Tarot continues with regular releases and maintains the same quality.
Stratovarius
Formed in 1984 in the capital city of Helsinki under the name Black Water, the Power Metal band was also one of the pioneers in the country. Its initial lineup was a trio composed of Timo Tolkki (Vocals and Guitar), Jyrki Lentonen (Bass), and Tuomo Lassila (Drums). The keyboards were recorded by Antti Ikonen and used as playback during live performances.
Their first releases, “Fright Night” (1989), “Twilight Space” (1992), and “Dreamscape” (1994), received good reviews in several countries. But it was in 1995, with the addition of Timo Kotipelto on vocals, that the band began to take off. The albums “Episode” (1996) and “Visions” (1997) are still considered classics of the genre and brought the band worldwide success.
Today the group continues without its main composer, Timo Tolkki (who left the band in 2008). However, it still maintains the same lineup with Timo Kotipelto (Vocals), Jens Johansson (Keyboards), Lauri Porra (Bass), Matias Kupiainen (Guitar), and Rolf Pilve (Drums).
Sentenced
Formed in the city of Muhos in 1988 under the name Deformity, the band had a Death Metal sound. Its initial lineup consisted of Miika Tenkula (Guitar and Vocals), Sami Lopakka (Guitar), Taneli Jarva (Bass and Vocals), and Vesa Ranta (Drums). The band maintained this sound and lineup for its first four albums until, with the addition of Ville Laihiala on vocals, they released the album "Frozen" (1998), which marked the shift to Gothic Metal.
The band achieved greater success during their gothic phase, with the album "The Cold White Light" (2002) being their most acclaimed work. Unfortunately, their last album was the subsequent "The Funeral Album" (2005), marking the end of the band.
Currently, its members are in other bands such as Kypck, The Man-Eating Tree, and Poisonblack.
Amorphis
Formed in 1990 in the capital Helsinki, they were one of the bands that opened doors for the second generation of bands in the country. Their first release, "The Karelian Isthmus" (1992), featured a Death Metal sound very well explored by Tomi Koivusaari (Vocals and Guitar), Esa Holopainen (Guitar), Olli-Pekka Laine (Bass) and Jan Rechberger (Drums). However, it was with their second album, "Tales From The Thousand Lakes" (1994), that they achieved great international recognition.
The band has released more than 10 albums and continues to explore new sounds, making it difficult to categorize them into a specific genre. Their current lineup includes Santeri Kallio (Keyboards), Niclas Etelävuori (Bass and Vocals), Tomi Joutsen (Vocals), in addition to Esa, Jan, and Tomi, who belong to the original lineup.
HIM (His Infernal Majesty)
Formed in the capital Helsinki in 1991 by Ville Vallo (vocals), Mige Paananen (bass), Linde Lindström (guitar), Burton Puurtinen (keyboards), and Gas Karppinen (drums), the band performs what they call Love Metal (a genre coined by the vocalist himself). Their worldwide success came with their cover of Chriss Isaak's song " Wicked Game ," which was released on their debut album "Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666" (1998).
Despite their sound leaning towards a more commercial direction, HIM continues to release albums that are well-received by their fans, securing their place in the global music scene.
Nightwish
Formed in the city of Kitee in 1996, the band was an acoustic trio composed of Tarja Turunen (vocals), Tuomas Holopainen (piano), and Emppu Vuorinen (guitar). Later, keyboards and guitar were added to their sound, as well as the entry of Jukka Nevalainen (drums). Under this lineup, they released their debut album, "Angel Fall First" (1997), which had a sound perhaps similar to Gothic Metal bands. Subsequently, they released "Oceanborn" (1998) and "Wishmaster" (2000), albums that marked the entry of Sami Vänskä and brought the band international fame, with their sound bordering on Power Metal and Symphonic Music.
However, it was with the arrival of Marco Hietala (Tarot) on bass that the band reached its commercial peak with “Century Child” (2002) and “Once” (2004), making fans and critics alike bow to its icy sound that defined a scene of Finnish bands.
Today the band continues at its peak, with Floor Jansen (ex-After Forever) on vocals, and can undoubtedly be considered one of the biggest bands in the country.
Children of Bodom
Formed in the city of Espoo in 1993 under the name Inearth, the band has a Death Metal sound blended with Neo-Classical and Classical music. Its initial lineup consisted of Alexi Laiho (Vocals and Guitar), Alexander Kuoppala (Guitar), Henkka Blacksmith (Bass), Jaska Raatikainen (Drums), and Janne Warman (Keyboards).
Their first releases were “Something Wild” (1997) and “Hatebreeder” (1999), but worldwide success came with the albums “Follow The Reaper” (2000), “Hate Crew Deathroll” (2003) and “Are You Dead Yet?” (2005).
Since the album “Relentless Reckless Forever” (2011), the band has introduced changes to their sound, leaning slightly towards Metalcore, which has displeased some fans. However, their quality is still evident.
Arctic Sonata
Formed in 1996 in the city of Kemi under the name Tricky Beans, the band delivers a cold, powerful metal sound, similar to other second-generation bands. Their initial lineup consisted of Jani Liimatainen (Guitar), Janne Kivilahti (Bass), Tommy Portimo (Drums), Tony Kakko (Vocals), and later, Mikko Härkin (Keyboards). The group achieved considerable success with their first releases, “Ecliptica” (1999) and “Silence” (2001).
Starting with the album “Unia” (2007), Sonata Arctica began incorporating other elements into their sound, making it more comprehensive and displeasing a segment of their fans. Even so, the band remains strong, releasing albums that are consistently acclaimed by critics.
Apocalyptica
Formed in Helsinki in 1993, the group brought an unusual way of playing Metallica classics, using cellos. In this way, the band achieved good success playing covers of famous artists, resulting in the albums "Plays Metallica by Four Cellos" (1996) and "Inquisition Symphony" (1998). However, it was with their fourth release, "Reflections" (2003), that the band showcased their creativity in original compositions, making a worldwide impact. In its successor, "Apocalyptica" (2005), lyrics began to appear in the songs, ceasing to be a completely instrumental band.
Today, Apocalyptica continues with great releases, always featuring guest musicians and exploring to the fullest the atmosphere that the cello can create in Heavy Metal.
Korpiklaani
Formed in the city of Lahti in 1993, Korpiklaani is a veteran band that took a while to gain widespread recognition. They started under the name Shaamani Duo, then changed to Shaman (in 1997) and adopted their current name (in 2003). Their sound is Folk Metal, sung in Finnish, and features a cello and accordion (something quite common in the genre).
The group began to achieve international fame with their third album, Tales Along This Road (2006). Another standout album is Uckon Wacka (2011), which showcases a musically richer band, without abandoning their folk roots.
Currently the band consists of Matson (Drums), Cane (Guitar), Jonne Järvela (Vocals and Guitar), Jarkko Aaltonen (Bass), Tuomas Rounakari (Violin) and Sami Perttula (Accordion).
*This text was written by a Wikimate and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the site's authors.
