Nightwish is a symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. The band was formed in 1996 by lead songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former lead singer Tarja Turunen. The band soon picked up drummer Jukka Nevalainen, and then bassist Sami Vänskä after the release of their debut album, Angels Fall First (1997). In 2001, Vänskä was replaced by Marko Hietala, who also took over the male vocalist role previously filled by Holopainen or guest singers. In January 2021, it was announced that Hietala had left the band.
Ville Hermanni Valo is a Finnish singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of the gothic rock band HIM. Influenced by the likes of KISS, Type O Negative, Faith No More and Black Sabbath, Valo began his career playing bass and drums in various bands around his hometown of Helsinki. In 1991, he formed HIM, which would go on to become one of the most successful Finnish bands of all time, and the first to receive a gold record in the United States. He performed as the band's lead singer and chief songwriter from their inception until their dissolution in 2017. Known for his deep, crooning bass-baritone voice, Valo is also credited as the creator of the heartagram, the band's trademarked symbol which nonetheless has achieved great popularity outside of the band's fanbase.
The music of Finland can be roughly divided into categories of folk music, classical and contemporary art music, and contemporary popular music.
Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, Finland. Created as a hard rock band named Tricky Beans, they later changed to Tricky Means and finally to Sonata Arctica, when they shifted to power metal. The current line-up consists of singer, keyboardist and songwriter Tony Kakko, guitarist Elias Viljanen, bass guitarist Pasi Kauppinen, keyboardist and keytarist Henrik Klingenberg, and drummer Tommy Portimo. All the musicians of the band's history except Portimo also acted as backing vocalists.
HIM was a Finnish gothic rock band from Helsinki. Formed in 1991 by vocalist Ville Valo and bassist Mikko "Mige" Paananen under the name His Infernal Majesty, the band broke up in 1993, before being reformed in 1995 by Valo and guitarist Mikko "Linde" Lindström. After being rejoined by Mige, as well as new additions keyboardist Antto Melasniemi and drummer Juhana "Pätkä" Rantala, the band, now called HIM, released their debut album Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 in 1997. In 2000, now with drummer Mika "Gas Lipstick" Karppinen and keyboardist Juska Salminen, the band released the album Razorblade Romance, which reached the number one spot in Finland, Austria and Germany. Their first single, "Join Me in Death", also charted at number one in Finland and Germany, eventually going platinum and gold respectively. Following the addition of Janne "Burton" Puurtinen on keyboards, HIM released Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights and Love Metal in 2001 and 2003 respectively. Both cracked the top ten in several countries, and allowed the band to tour the United Kingdom and the United States for the first time.
Sentenced was a Finnish gothic metal band that played melodic death metal in their early years. The band formed in 1989, in the town of Muhos, Finland, and broke up in 2005.
Ensiferum is a Finnish folk metal band from Helsinki. The members of the band label themselves as "melodic folk metal."
Tuomas Lauri Johannes Holopainen is a Finnish songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer, best known as the founder, leader, keyboardist and songwriter of symphonic metal band Nightwish. He has also studied jazz and classical styles, but prefers to be influenced by harmonic film music.
The Black League was a heavy metal band from Finland. They were formed in 1998 by Taneli Jarva, three years after his departure from Finnish metal heavyweights Sentenced. The Black League's first two full-lengths carry on the spirit from Taneli's work with his former band, seasoning their metal with elements of traditional rock 'n' roll. On their third release, Man's Ruin Revisited, these influences take an even more prominent role in their sound. In October 2014, Taneli Jarva pronounced of his decision to call the band the quits due to "lack of personal inspiration".
Amoral was a metal band from Helsinki, Finland, formed in 1997. They played technical, progressive, melodic, hardrock oriented metal. The band's 4th album was an about-turn, replacing the dominance of quirky death metal with an exemplary display of riff-driven, heavy, yet melodic power groove and the occasional sing-along chorus. Amoral performed extensively in bars, clubs, festivals and other venues in Finland, Europe, Japan, China, Philippines and USA. The band split up in 2017 after 20 years together.
Tomasz Wróblewski, stage name Orion, is a Polish extreme metal musician, best known for being the bassist and backing vocalist for black-death metal band Behemoth. Since 1997, he also is a member of symphonic black metal band Vesania, as a lead vocalist and guitarist.
Amok is the third album by the Finnish metal band Sentenced. The album was released through Century Media Records in 1995. Though still mostly rooted in the death metal genre, this album takes the melodic death metal direction of 1993's North from Here a step further with elements of traditional heavy metal and doom metal, along with elements of the goth rock-inspired style that the band would take on with subsequent releases, following bassist/vocalist Taneli Jarva's departure.
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 2008–2017. Beside he has worked with many musical projects already before and also after Amoral disbanded.
Throes of Dawn is a Finnish metal band. The group formed in 1994 by Henri Koivula (vocals) and Jani Heinola (synth). The band has been known as emotional dark metal. The band's sound is built on the combination of synths and guitars, laced with clean vocals and additional growling and screaming vocals. The lyrical concept of Throes of Dawn is often poetic, reflecting the deeper and darker aspects of the human psyche; solitude, feelings of loss, and the fears and pains of existence.
Apocalyptica is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Helsinki, formed in 1993. The band is composed of classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso, and jazz drummer Mikko Sirén. Originally a classical-style Metallica tribute band, the band eventually adopted a neoclassical metal style without the use of conventional guitars and bass. They have sold over four million albums to date.
Sami Kukkohovi is a Finnish musician, best known as the bassist of the Finnish metal band, Sentenced. He joined the band in 1996, replacing Taneli Jarva, and stayed with Sentenced up until they disbanded in 2005. Firstly, he was only a session member on gigs, but after that he joined the band officially. In addition to playing the bass guitar, he was also the back-up vocalist. Kukkohovi has been the guitar player for the hard rock band Solution 13 during his time with Sentenced. On live shows of the Doom metal band KYPCK, the crew is strengthened by Sami Kukkohovi, playing the second guitar. Currently Kukkohovi is playing with his new band Fiasco General.
Mannhai is a Finnish stoner rock / stoner metal band from Helsinki. The band was formed in the end of 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.
Children of Bodom was a Finnish melodic death metal band from Espoo, Finland. Formed in 1993 as Inearthed, the final line-up of the group upon their split in 2019 consisted of Alexi Laiho, Jaska Raatikainen (drums), Henkka Seppälä, Janne Wirman (keyboards), and Daniel Freyberg. The band released ten studio albums, two live albums, two EPs, two compilation albums and one DVD.
Kasperi Heikkinen is a guitar player who is best known as a member of Finnish symphonic power metal band Amberian Dawn. He played in the band from early 2007 until late 2012. He is also the guitarist for Finnish metal bands Merging Flare and Guardians of Mankind, which is a Gamma Ray tribute band. Heikkinen performed with German metal band U.D.O. from 2013 until 2017. He currently resides in Helsinki, Finland.
