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.
Värttinä is a Finnish folk music band that started as a project by Sari and Mari Kaasinen in 1983 in the village of Rääkkylä, in Karelia, the southeastern region of Finland. Many transformations have taken place in the band since then. Värttinä shot into fame with the release of their 1991 album Oi Dai. As of 2009, the band consists of three lead female vocalists supported by three acoustic musicians. The vocalists sing in the Karelian dialect of the Finnish language.
Ensiferum is a Finnish folk metal band from Helsinki. The members of the band label themselves as "melodic folk metal".
Am I Blood, formerly named St. Mucus, is a thrash metal band from Kerava, Finland. The band was formed in 1992 with later to be Amorphis frontman Pasi Koskinen, who was originally the singer of the band. They parted ways with Koskinen in 1995, just one month before the recording of debut album Natural Mutation under the name St. Mucus. The band is well known for being mistaken for the popular heavy metal band Metallica, who are arguably a strong influence on the band's music.
Thunderstone is a power metal band from Helsinki, Finland. The band was formed in 2000 by 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; their album Dirt Metal was released in October 2009 under Sony Music label.
Ajattara is a sextet black metal band from Helsinki, Finland led by Pasi Koskinen. They formed in 1996, split up in 2012, and reformed in 2016. They were signed to Spinefarm Records and have released eight albums, their most recent being Lupaus, which was released in May 2017.
Wintersun is the 2004 debut studio album by Finnish heavy metal band Wintersun, then the solo project of Jari Mäenpää. The Japanese edition of the album was released with the original three demo tracks used to obtain a contract with Nuclear Blast.
Tuonela is the fourth studio album by Finnish heavy metal band Amorphis.
Tales from the Thousand Lakes is the second studio album by Finnish heavy metal band Amorphis. It is a concept album based on the Finnish national epic, Kalevala.
To Separate the Flesh from the Bones were a Finnish deathgrind band. The band can be considered a side project of three members of Finland's metal and rock scenes: Pasi Koskinen, Mika Karppinen (ex-HIM) and Niclas Etelävuori.
Angels of Distress is the second studio album by funeral doom metal band Shape of Despair. It was mastered in Finnvox by Mika Jussila. The album is packaged in a digipak and includes no booklet, though the lyrics can be viewed on the band's official website.
Illusion's Play is funeral doom metal band Shape of Despair's third studio album.
Eclipse is the seventh studio album by Finnish heavy metal band Amorphis. The lyrics are from a play based on the Kullervo legend, written by Finnish poet and playwright Paavo Haavikko in 1982.
Far from the Sun is the sixth studio album by Finnish heavy metal band Amorphis.
Am Universum is the fifth studio album by Finnish heavy metal band Amorphis. This album was a departure from the doom/stoner metal influence on their previous album, Tuonela, featuring more of a vocal-driven hard rock sound. This is the first album to feature Niklas Etelävuori on bass who would remain in the band until 2017 and the last album with drummer Pekka Kasari who left in 2002.
Privilege of Evil is the first EP by Finnish heavy metal band Amorphis released in 1993. It is a collection of demo material from Amorphis' early career recorded in Timo Tolkki's (Stratovarius) TTT Studio in 1991. At that time only two of these songs were picked for the band's first 7" single, but the full session was released two years later on this EP. On the EP's reissue by Relapse Records, the band became upset to hear that their early material was released. The material on this EP was originally meant to be for a split album with Incantation, which never materialized. Incantation's half of the split would only be released individually sixteen years later as the Blasphemous Cremation EP.
My Kantele is the second EP by Finnish heavy metal band Amorphis, released in 1997. It is not to be confused with the recording "My Kantele" from the album Elegy, which is not on this compilation, although the title is still used as it contains the acoustic version of "My Kantele" and four previously unreleased songs. The song "My Kantele" is a traditional Finnish song from the 1840 collection Kanteletar, sung by Loituma.
Mannhai is a Finnish stoner rock band from Helsinki. The band was formed in late 1999 by bass player Olli-Pekka "Oppu" Laine and guitarist Ilkka "Ile" Laaksomaa. Soon they were accompanied by a young drummer, Mikko "Junior" Pietinen, and the following year by lead singer Jani "Joãnitor" Muurinen.
Olli-Pekka Laine is a Finnish musician, currently serving as a bassist in the metal bands Amorphis and Barren Earth (2008–). He was also formerly part of other Finnish metal bands, Nuxvomica (1990), Rytmihäiriö (1991–1992), Mannhai, Chaosbreed (2003–2005) & Kiljuvelka-70.
The Forest Seasons is the third studio album by Finnish melodic death metal band Wintersun. It was released on July 21, 2017 via Nuclear Blast. The band cited Antonio Vivaldi's violin concerto The Four Seasons as an inspiration for the album title.
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