Dark Sarah

Last updated

Dark Sarah
DarkSarah.png
Background information
Origin Kerava, Finland
Genres
Years active2012 (2012)–present
Labels Napalm Records
Members Heidi Parviainen
Sami Salonen
Rude Rothstén
Thomas Tunkkari
Henrik Airaksinen
Past members Jukka Koskinen
Lauri Kuussalo
JP Leppäluoto
Erkka Korhonen
Website darksarah.com

Dark Sarah is a Finnish symphonic metal [1] band created by Heidi Parviainen, after her departure from Finnish metal band Amberian Dawn in 2012. [2] Their style is often described as "cinematic metal". [2] [3]

Contents

History

Formation and creation of Behind the Black Veil (2012–2015)

Vocalist Heidi Parviainen started working on Dark Sarah's debut album Behind the Black Veil after having made the decision to leave her former band Amberian Dawn. [4] When writing her first lyrics for the song "Save Me", which is about a character named Sarah, who is left at the altar by her fiancé, and runs off into the woods in tears, she eventually decided to make a concept album which would be about the dark side of Sarah. [5] It was also then that she came up with the name of her project. To bring her project to the attention of audience, she asked musicians Kasperi Heikkinen, Teemu Laitinen and Jukka Koskinen to record the first two songs "Save Me" and "Poison Apple" for what would turn out into Dark Sarah's debut album Behind the Black Veil.

To finance the whole project, three separate Indiegogo campaigns were started, which all received full funding by the fans. [5] The cd would be recorded into three parts, called episodes, the first episode containing the first four tracks, the second tracks 5 to 8, and the third tracks 9 to 14. For promotional purposes the EP Violent Roses, which contained episodes 1 and 2, went on sale during Metal Female Voices Fest 2014. [6] Only 250 copies were pressed, and all were signed by the then live line up.

In the meantime the rest of the recordings for Behind the Black Veil continued. On 27 September 2012 it was announced that Manuela Kraller (ex-Xandria) would participate in a duet for the song "Memories Fall", as the Fate character. Two more collaborations were announced later on as well, on 13 January 2013 that of Inga Scharf (character Queen of No Good) and Stefan Schmidt from German metal band Van Canto for the song "Evil Roots", [3] and on 29 August 2014 that of Tony Kakko (character The Moon) from Finnish metal band Sonata Arctica for the song "Light in You". [7] Parviainen completed the lyrics with the help of Emy Frost, Janne Storm and Perttu Vänskä, and the music with Frost, Storm, Mikko P. Mustonen and Stefan Schmidt. Guitarists Sami Salonen and Erkka Korhonen, drummer Lauri Kuussalo and bass player Jukka Koskinen were added to the official line up of Dark Sarah, which now had turned into a live band, with Parviainen remaining the main figure. On the way, bass player Jukka Koskinen left, and was replaced by Rude Rothstén, while on 29 April 2015 it was announced that drummer Lauri Kussaloit had left Dark Sarah to be able to concentrate more on his own music, and was replaced by Thomas Tunkkari. Video's for the songs "Memories Fall" (feat. Manuela Kraller), "Hunting the Dreamer" and "Light in You" (feat. Tony Kakko) were released.

The Puzzle (2015–2017)

On 16 December 2015 Parviainen announced through her Facebook page that recordings for the first songs of the next album had started. On 6 March 2016 the first teaser was released together with the title of the new album, which would be named The Puzzle. The story of the album is going to continue from where it ended on the previous album. Parviainen explains it as: "The Puzzle is a concept album and it continues the story that started on the debut album called Behind the Black Veil. After the evil tree had died and Dark Sarah's soul with it, she was sent to drift along the river of death. The streams took her on an island where the banished souls are taken to. To get off the island she needs to solve the puzzle and find three keys." [8]

Heidi Parviainen and Juha-Pekka Leppaluoto singing live as the characters "Dark Sarah" and "The Dragon" at a concert in November 2017 Heidi Parviainen & Juha-Pekka Leppaluoto singing.jpg
Heidi Parviainen and Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto singing live as the characters "Dark Sarah" and "The Dragon" at a concert in November 2017

Once again an indiegogo campaign started to finance the album, this time without several episodes. [9] Full funding was reached at the end of the campaign. The first video for the song of the album "Little Men" was released on 15 April 2016. On 24 April Parviainen revealed on her Facebook page that once again three guests would perform on the new album. Manuela Kraller returns as her character Fate on the song "Rain", and Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto (Charon, Northern Kings) plays the character The Dragon on the song "Dance with the Dragon". [10] On the 13 September the third guest was announced, Charlotte Wessels (Delain, Phantasma) plays the character Evil Siren Mermaid on the song "Aquarium", along with the information that The Puzzle would have been released in Europe and North America on 18 November. On 18 October a lyric video from the song "Aquarium" was released. [11]

The Golden Moth (2017–2019)

In March 2017, it was announced that a third album was in the works, with JP Leppäluoto returning to reprise his role as The Dragon, as well as join the band lineup [12] and compose music for the album together with Parviainen. Another crowdfunding campaign to raise money for a new music video was also announced. The description on the crowdfunding page read; "The concept of Dark Sarah is built around a story that tells about a young woman called Sarah and her fight against her evil side persona Dark Sarah. The albums tell a story about her journey through three worlds - The Middle World, the world of living (Behind The Black Veil album) and The Under World, where the dead dwell (The Puzzle album) and The Upper World, where spirits and gods reside." [13] The new album was also described as a continuation of the story of Dark Sarah and The Dragon (the ruler of the Underworld), who meet again in The Upper World. On 26 October the next Indiegogo campaign started, which reached full funds on 14 December. [14] Along with it came the title of the new album, The Golden Moth, and a new music video for the song "Trespasser". [15] On 2 November, singer Zuberoa Aznárez from Spanish metal band Diabulus in Musica was revealed as the first new guest on the album as the fierce goddess Iron Mask on Dark Sarah's Facebook page. Later on 3 December the other two guests were revealed, singer and bassplayer Marko Hietala from Finnish metal band Nightwish as the god White Beard and accordion player Netta Skog from the Finnish metal band Ensiferum as an accordion playing Fortune Teller.[ citation needed ]

Band members

Current members

Former members

Session musicians

Behind the Black Veil:

The Puzzle:

The Golden Moth:

Grim:

Timeline

Dark Sarah

Discography

Studio albums
EPs
Music videos

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amorphis</span> Finnish heavy metal band

Amorphis is a Finnish heavy metal band founded by Jan Rechberger, Tomi Koivusaari, and Esa Holopainen in 1990. Initially, the band was a death metal act, but on later albums they evolved into playing other genres, including progressive metal, and folk metal. They frequently use the Kalevala, the epic poem of Finland, as a source for their lyrics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eternal Tears of Sorrow</span> Finnish metal band

Eternal Tears of Sorrow is a Finnish symphonic/melodic death metal band formed in Pudasjärvi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Kakko</span> Musical artist

Toni Kristian "Tony" Kakko is a Finnish musician, composer and vocalist. He is known as the vocalist, primary songwriter, and creative lead of the band Sonata Arctica since 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JP Leppäluoto</span> Finnish musician

Juha-Pekka "JP" Leppäluoto is a Finnish musician. He was in the band Charon until the summer of 2011 as a vocalist and songwriter. He also formed the band Harmaja as a vocalist, guitar player and songwriter. They released three albums. Together with Marko Hietala, Tony Kakko, and Jarkko Ahola, he was also in the band Northern Kings as a vocalist. He provided vocals for the first release from the band Poisonblack, which featured members from several other Finnish rock bands, and also sang in the band Dark Sarah, first as a guest, and then as an official member for one album cycle, before stepping away to focus on a solo career, although he still provides guest vocals for the band. In 2020 he released his first solo album, titled Piilevää pimeää.

Northern Kings is a Finnish symphonic metal cover supergroup, made up of four well known musicians: Jarkko Ahola from Teräsbetoni, ex-Dreamtale, Marko Hietala from Tarot, ex-Nightwish, Tony Kakko from Sonata Arctica and Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto from Charon, Harmaja and ex-Poisonblack.

<i>Reborn</i> (Northern Kings album) 2007 studio album by Northern Kings

Reborn is the first full-length album by Finnish heavy metal cover supergroup Northern Kings, released on October 31, 2007. The album sold over 17,000 copies in Finland alone and thus was certified gold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amberian Dawn</span> Finnish metal band

Amberian Dawn is a Finnish symphonic power metal band, formed in 2006 by Tuomas Seppälä and Tommi Kuri. As of 2023, Amberian Dawn has released nine studio albums, four singles and twelve music videos.

<i>Children of the Dark Waters</i> 2009 studio album by Eternal Tears of Sorrow

Children of the Dark Waters is the sixth studio album by Finnish symphonic death metal band Eternal Tears of Sorrow. It was released in May 2009 through Suomen Musiikki for Finland, Massacre Records for the rest of Europe and Marquee/Avalon Records for Asia. It is the second album to feature Jarmo Kylmänen on clean vocals, but his first album as an official member.

<i>River of Tuoni</i> 2008 studio album by Amberian Dawn

River of Tuoni is the debut full-length studio album by Finnish symphonic power metal band Amberian Dawn.

<i>The Clouds of Northland Thunder</i> 2009 studio album by Amberian Dawn

The Clouds of Northland Thunder is the second full-length studio album by Finnish symphonic power metal band Amberian Dawn. It was released 13 May 2009. Its single, "He Sleeps in a Grove", was the third Amberian Dawn song to have a music video produced.

<i>End of Eden</i> 2010 studio album by Amberian Dawn

End of Eden is the third studio album by Amberian Dawn, and the first released on Spinefarm Records, previous albums having been released on KHY Suomen Musiikki. The album was released on 20 October 2010, but was preceded by its online single "Arctica" on 23 August.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuomas Seppälä</span> Musical artist

Tuomas Seppälä is a Finnish guitarist, keyboardist, and composer, best known as a founding member and main composer of the Finnish symphonic power metal band Amberian Dawn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heidi Parviainen</span> Finnish singer

Heidi Parviainen is a Finnish heavy metal singer and lead vocalist of symphonic metal band Dark Sarah.

<i>Circus Black</i> 2012 studio album by Amberian Dawn

Circus Black is the fourth full-length album by Finnish symphonic power metal band Amberian Dawn.

<i>Unsung Heroes</i> (Ensiferum album) 2012 studio album by Ensiferum

Unsung Heroes is the fifth studio album by Finnish folk metal band Ensiferum. It was released on 27 August 2012 through Spinefarm Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manuela Kraller</span> German singer (born 1981)

Manuela Kraller is a German soprano singer. She is best known as the former lead singer of symphonic metal band Xandria from late 2010 until late 2013. She was formerly one of the soprano vocalists in the symphonic metal band Haggard. She now has a project that strays away from the metal scene and more of a classical style instead that's called "Valkea Valo" with her friend Tobias Gut.

<i>Re-Evolution</i> (album) 2013 studio album of re-recorded songs by Amberian Dawn

Re-Evolution is the fifth studio album by Finnish symphonic metal band Amberian Dawn. This album contains re-recorded songs from their past four albums; River of Tuoni (2008), The Clouds of Northland Thunder (2009), End of Eden (2010), and Circus Black (2012), each of the tracks remastered with lyrics performed by the band's new vocalist, Päivi "Capri" Virkkunen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capri Virkkunen</span> Finnish singer

Päivi "Capri" Virkkunen later known as Päivi Selo, simply known as Capri, is a Finnish singer and vocal coach. She started as a pop singer in Finland and also member of a cover band. Starting 2012, she has become the vocalist metal singer of the Finnish symphonic power metal band Amberian Dawn replacing earlier band vocalist Heidi Parviainen starting with the band's compilation album Re-Evolution.

Raskasta Joulua is a music project from Finland in which diverse artists 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.

References

  1. ↑ "Dark Sarah - New Album Coming, Details Unveiled". Metalstorm. 19 August 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Former AMBERIAN DAWN Singer Returns With New DARK SARAH Album 'The Puzzle'". Blabbermouth. 14 September 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  3. 1 2 "VAN CANTO VOCALIST PENS SONG FOR FORMER AMBERIAN DAWN SINGER'S DARK SARAH PROJECT". Barvewords. 13 January 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  4. ↑ "Former AMBERIAN DAWN Singer's DARK SARAH: 'Behind The Black Veil' Album Artwork Unveiled". Blabbermouth. 24 February 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  5. 1 2 Simms, Kelley (13 May 2015). "DARK SARAH - A NEW DAY DAWNS". Bravewords. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  6. ↑ Sandvall, Anders (22 June 2015). "Dark Sarah – singer Heidi Parviainen". Metal-Rules. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  7. ↑ Thorley, Andy (23 April 2015). "Dark Sarah See The Light". Maximumvolumemusic. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  8. ↑ "Dark Sarah The Puzzle". Metal-Rules. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  9. ↑ Sandvall, Anders (20 January 2017). "Singer and leader Heidi Parviainen – Dark Sarah". Metal-Rules. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  10. ↑ "DARK SARAH Feat. Former AMBERIAN DAWN Singer HEIDI PARVIAINEN: 'Dance With The Dragon' Video". Blabbermouth. 16 November 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  11. ↑ "DARK SARAH: Lyric Video For New Song 'Aquarium' Feat. DELAIN's CHARLOTTE WESSELS". Blabbermouth. 18 October 2016. Archived from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  12. ↑ "DARK SARAH: JP LEPPÄLUOTO JOINS LINEUP FOR THIRD ALBUM". Power of Metal. 31 March 2017. Archived from the original on 2 September 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  13. ↑ "DARK SARAH & THE DRAGON - NEW music video". Indiegogo. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  14. ↑ "DARK SARAH - The Golden Moth - NEW ALBUM". Indiegogo.com. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  15. ↑ "DARK SARAH - Trespasser". YouTube . Retrieved 15 October 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.