Immortal Souls

Last updated
Immortal Souls
Immortal souls.jpg
A. Särkioja playing a bass guitar solo
Background information
Origin Kokkola, Finland
Genres Melodic death metal, [1] doom metal (early)
Years active1991-present
LabelsLittle Rose, Fear Dark, Dark Balance, Facedown, Rottweiler
Members
  • Aki Särkioja
  • Esa Särkioja
  • Juha Kronqvist
  • Marko Pekkarinen
Past members
  • Jupe Hakola
  • Antti Nykyri
  • Jukka-Pekka Koivisto
  • Pete Loisa
Website www.immortalsouls.com

Immortal Souls is a melodic death metal band from Kokkola, Finland, formed in 1991. [1] They released a split album and their debut on Little Rose Productions in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In 2002, Immortal Souls signed with Dutch label Fear Dark which released their second and third album as well as a compilation. They have performed at Tuska Open Air Metal Festival. Their musical style utilizes melodic guitar riffs, growls, and shouting. [1] The album Wintereich was released in 2007 in Europe on Dark Balance and in the USA through Facedown Records.

Contents

History

Esa Sarkioja (Metalfest 2007, Bad Hersfeld, Germany) Immortalsouls3.jpg
Esa Sarkioja (Metalfest 2007, Bad Hersfeld, Germany)

Beginning

In December 1991, Aki Särkioja (bass guitar, vocals) and Esa Särkioja (guitar) founded Immortal Souls. During the years 1992-1994 Immortal Souls recorded multiple unpublished demo tapes. [2] Drummer Antti Nykyri joined the band in 1994. At the end of January 1995 the band recorded a six-song demo tape called Immortal Souls, which featured the first appearance of the band's winter motifs, heavy metal styles and growled vocals. Nykyri left the band after one year due to other personal interests. [2]

Doom metal period

During the years 1995-1996 Immortal Souls further developed their musical style. The band released Reflections of Doom in November 1996. A new drummer, Jupe Hakola, was signed later that year. [2]

Record deal with Little Rose

Bass guitarist-vocalist Aki Sarkioja (Metalfest 2007, Bad Hersfeld) Immortalsouls1.jpg
Bass guitarist-vocalist Aki Särkioja (Metalfest 2007, Bad Hersfeld)

Immortal Souls later signed with Finnish record label Little Rose Productions. The band's style shifted from early doom metal influences to a faster, melodic death metal. Divine Wintertime EP, released in 1998, was published as a split-CD with Finnish metal band, Mordecai (Through the Woods, Towards the Dawn).

In 2000, Pete Loisa (rhythm guitar) joined the group when the band was preparing to record their first full-length studio album. Cleansing EP was released in February of 2000. The band's debut full-length album Under the Northern Sky was released in 2001. [2]

Record deal with Fear Dark

Pete Loisa (Metalfest 2007, Bad Hersfeld) Immortalsouls2.jpg
Pete Loisa (Metalfest 2007, Bad Hersfeld)

Following the closure of Little Rose, Immortal Souls signed with the Dutch label Fear Dark, which had previously worked with the band as a distributor. The band toured in Central Europe and performed at the record label's annual Fear Dark Fest events as well as in the Tuska Open Air metal festival in Helsinki. Their album Ice Upon the Night was licensed to the US and Canada by the Facedown Records in the year 2004.

Drummer Jupe Hakola left the band and was replaced by Jukka-Pekka Koivisto. Following the band's tour of Germany and Switzerland, Koivisto left the band to record with the band Silent Voices. In early 2005, Juha Kronqvist joined Immortal Souls. [2]

Wintereich and The Requiem for the Art of Death

In 2006, Immortal Souls announced on their website that they were working on a storybased concept album, which was to be called Wintereich . [3] The album was mastered in early 2007, and released by the label Dark Balance on June 1, 2007. Like the album Ice Upon The Night in 2004, Wintereich has been distributed by Facedown Records and was released in the U.S. on August 21, 2007.

On May 22, it was announced that the band was working on an album titled The Requiem for the Art of Death. [4] The album was released on October 7, 2011.

Record Deal With Rottwelier Records

On March 24, 2015, Immortal Souls released the album Wintermetal, via Rottweiler Records. In 2024, the band released Cold Sounds EP. [1]

Music

Immortal Souls' music is typically fast, technical melodic death metal of Scandinavian school. The lead guitar solos sets as a part of the accompaniment in both singing and virtuoso riffs and fast playing techniques. Riffs, tones and licks are melodic and stick to classical harmonies. The lead guitarist Esa Särkioja usually performs "darkly melodic riffage with power metal undercurrents". [3]

Members

Current members
Former members
Timeline
Immortal Souls

Discography

Demos [1]
EPs [1]
Compilations [1]
Studio albums [1]
Compilation appearances

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Zaqueo (August 21, 2002). "Immortal Souls". Encyclopedia Metallum . Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Immortal Souls - Biography". Metal Storm. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  3. 1 2 "Immortal Souls: Wintereich". HM. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008.
  4. ↑ "Immortal Souls: "The Requiem for the Art of Death" Some Details Revealed", Untombed May 22, 2011
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