Sinergy was a Finnish/Swedish heavy metal band started in 1997 by American musician Kimberly Goss. The idea for a "balls-out female-fronted metal band" was first formed when Kimberly Goss of Dimmu Borgir met Jesper Strömblad of In Flames whilst on tour in 1997.
Marko Tapani "Marco" Hietala is a Finnish heavy metal vocalist, bassist and songwriter. Internationally, he is best known as the former bassist, male vocalist and secondary composer to Tuomas Holopainen, of the symphonic metal band Nightwish. He was also the vocalist and bassist as well as composer and lyricist for the heavy metal band Tarot.
Thunderstone is a power metal band from Helsinki, Finland. The band was formed in 2000 by guitarist Nino Laurenne and the line-up became complete in the following year. After the release of the band's self-titled debut album, Thunderstone, the band toured Europe supporting Stratovarius and Symphony X. Thunderstone released its first four albums through Nuclear Blast; however, their album Dirt Metal was released in October 2009 under Sony Music label.
Tarot is a Finnish heavy metal band. They are most famous for the song "Wings of Darkness" from the 1986 album Spell of Iron. While having enjoyed a broad underground popularity in Finland, the band has never been notable elsewhere until gaining new success in recent years, with their singer and bassist Marko Hietala in the largely successful Nightwish for nearly two decades. With a more global audience, the band re-recorded Spell of Iron for its 25th anniversary.
"Veteran of the Psychic Wars" is a song by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult. It was written by Eric Bloom and British author Michael Moorcock. The song first appeared on the 1981 album Fire of Unknown Origin. An extended live version appears on the 1982 album Extraterrestrial Live. It also appears on the soundtrack of the 1981 animated film Heavy Metal.
To/Die/For are a gothic metal band from the town of Kouvola in southeast of Finland, originally assembled in 1993 as a hard rock band under the name Mary-Ann. In 1999, they decided to change their musical style to gothic metal, changing their band name as well. The band disbanded in April 2009, but reformed in July 2009, and played their final concert at John Smith Festival in Finland on 22 June 2016. They reformed once again in early 2020.
Sakari "Zachary" Hietala is the guitarist, co-songwriter and founding member of Finnish heavy metal band Tarot in early 1980s, together with his younger brother Marko Hietala, who joined Nightwish in 2001. Zachary works as a youth instructor in his hometown, Kuopio, as well as teaching music theory to ninth and tenth grade students, and takes part in the management of the official Tarot website, responding to questions and comments made by fans on the forum. Zachary is friendly and fun-loving.
Spell of Iron is the debut album by Finnish metal band Tarot, released in 1986 by Flamingo Music. It was released on CD in 1994 by Bluelight Records, and a remastered version was released in 2006 by Spinefarm Records.
Follow Me into Madness is the second album by Finnish metal band Tarot, released in 1988 by Bluelight Records. A remastered version was released in 2006 by Spinefarm Records. Rose On The Grave was released as a single in 1988. This is also the last album with Mako H., as he is replaced by Janne Tolsa, the current keyboard player.
Janne Tolsa is a Finnish heavy metal musician. Known for his keyboard work in Tarot from the late 1980s, Tolsa also takes part in the melodic death metal band Eternal Tears of Sorrow, which he joined in 2005 for their album Before the Bleeding Sun, as well as the industrial metal band Turmion Kätilöt. Tolsa is also known to work as a composer for television. Janne Tolsa plays keyboards in Marenne Band and is one of the composers in the band's debut album The Past Prelude.
Ari Koivunen is a Finnish heavy metal singer who rose to fame as the winner of the Finnish singing competition Idols in 2007. He was the vocalist of the Finnish heavy metal band Amoral from 2008 to 2017. Beside he has worked with many musical projects already before and also after Amoral disbanded.
Amberian Dawn is a Finnish symphonic power metal band, formed in 2006 by Tuomas Seppälä and Tommi Kuri. Their fifth album Re-Evolution was released on KHY Suomen Musiikki & Encore Music in summer 2013. Their latest album Looking for You was released in January 2020, via Napalm Records.
Undead Indeed is the first live DVD/2CD by Finnish heavy metal band Tarot. It was recorded in Rupla Club, Kuopio, Finland, on 17 August 2007. The DVD was released on 11 June 2008.
Sapattivuosi is a Finnish Black Sabbath tribute band singing in Finnish. The band was initiated as a project by vocalist Hannu Paloniemi, drummer Simo Vehmas, and guitarist Janne Halmkrona. Sapattivuosi's first two albums covered songs from the Ozzy Osbourne era. Then vocalist Paloniemi left the band. He was replaced by Marko Hietala, known from bands such as Nightwish, Tarot and Northern Kings. Hietala first appeared with Sapattivuosi on their single Pelon lait, which came out on 4 March 2009. The band's third full-length album, Ihmisen merkki, also covers songs from Black Sabbath's Ronnie James Dio era. It was released on 1 April 2009.
Gravity of Light is the eighth studio album by the Finnish heavy metal band Tarot. It was released in Finland on 10 March 2010, in Europe on 23 April 2010 and in the US on 8 June 2010.
Imaginaerum is the seventh studio album by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. It was released on 30 November 2011 by Scene Nation Oy and Sony Music in Finland, then on 2 December in Nuclear Blast in the rest of Europe and Roadrunner Records worldwide. According to Nightwish songwriter Tuomas Holopainen, the album is a concept album that tells the story of an old composer who is reminiscing of his youth on his deathbed. The album was produced alongside the movie of the same name, directed by Stobe Harju, who previously directed Nightwish's "The Islander" music video, and the album and the film share the same themes and general story. It is their second and last album with vocalist Anette Olzon, as well as the last with drummer Jukka Nevalainen.
The Spell of Iron MMXI is the ninth album by Finnish heavy metal band Tarot, released on 11 April 2011. It is a re-recording of the band's 1986 debut album for its 25th anniversary. It is the final album to feature Pecu Cinnari before his death, and Marko Hietala before his retirement from the public eye in 2021.
Raskasta Joulua is a band from Finland who have recorded traditional Christmas carols and Christmas hits in a heavy metal style. "Raskasta joulua" is a term in Finnish which means "heavy Christmas" in English. The concept was founded by guitarist Erkka Korhonen in 2004. Many notable Finnish metal vocalists have appeared on Raskasta Joulua albums and tours, including Marko Hietala, Jarkko Ahola, Ari Koivunen, Juha-Pekka Leppaluoto and Tony Kakko.
Mustan Sydämen Rovio is the debut solo album by Finnish singer and bassist Marko Hietala of Nightwish and Tarot fame, released on 24 May 2019 via Nuclear Blast.
[1] 