Marcy Playground is an American alternative rock band consisting of three members: John Wozniak, Dylan Keefe (bass), and Shlomi Lavie (drums). The band is best known for their 1997 hit "Sex and Candy".
Ville Hermanni Valo is a Finnish singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the gothic rock band HIM.
HIM was a Finnish gothic rock band from Helsinki. First formed in 1991 by vocalist Ville Valo and bassist Mikko "Mige" Paananen under the name His Infernal Majesty, the band broke up after only a few years, only to be reformed in 1995 by Valo and guitarist Mikko "Linde" Lindström. After being rejoined by Mige, as well as keyboardist Antto Melasniemi and drummer Juhana "Pätkä" Rantala, the band, now called HIM, released its debut album Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 in 1997. In 2000, now with drummer Mika "Gas Lipstick" Karppinen and keyboardist Juska Salminen, the band released Razorblade Romance, which reached the number one spot in Finland, Austria and Germany. The 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 (2001) and Love Metal (2003). Both cracked the top ten in several countries and allowed the band to tour in the United Kingdom and the United States for the first time.
Moonsorrow is a Finnish pagan metal band formed in Helsinki in 1995. Musically, the band incorporates elements of black metal and folk metal in their sound. The band call their sound "epic heathen metal" and try to distance themselves from the term "Viking metal". They have distanced themselves from other folk metal bands, emphasising that their music is pagan and spiritual and is challenging for its listeners, rather than happy or danceable. The band members have varying levels of pagan belief but they draw on pagan spirituality for lyrics and inspiration.
Catamenia was a Finnish black metal band founded in 1995 by Riku Hopeakoski and Mika Tönning in Oulu. They have been signed to Massacre Records since their first full-length release Halls of Frozen North in 1998. As of 2010, they have released nine albums, one EP, and one DVD. They are known for frequent usage of wolves in their album art, but the band is named after a kind of bird. Catamenia also means "menstruation", which the band did not know until a fan pointed it out to them after the release of their debut album.
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 and broke up in 2005.
Poisonblack is a Finnish gothic metal band led by singer and guitarist Ville Laihiala.
Miika Tenkula was a Finnish heavy metal musician. He was the lead guitarist and the main songwriter for Sentenced until it disbanded in 2005. He was also the band's original vocalist from 1989 to late 1992.
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.
Escapexstacy is the debut album of Finnish gothic metal band Poisonblack. It was released on 17 February 2003 in Germany, 25 February 2003 in the United States and Canada, and 8 March 2003 in Japan. Amy Sciarretto gave a favourable review in CMJ New Music Monthly, writing that "Escapexstacy boasts gorgeous and progressive Euro-rock, which never gets too heavy..."
Kai "Hiili" Hiilesmaa is a Finnish record producer and musician. He is the vocalist of the rock band The Skreppers, former drummer of the doom metal band KYPCK and former keyboardist of the rock band Daniel Lioneye. He has worked with several internationally recognized rock groups, including his near 20-year association with Finnish band HIM.
Crimson is the sixth album by the Finnish metal band Sentenced, released in January 2000 on Century Media. The album artwork was done by Niklas Sundin of Dark Tranquillity. Coincidentally, Dark Tranquillity recorded a cover version of the song "Broken", released as a track on Century Media: Covering 20 Years of Extremes.
Frozen is an album by the Finnish metal band Sentenced, released on 15 July 1998 via Century Media.
Down is the fourth album by the Finnish metal band Sentenced, released in November 1996 via Century Media. It is also the first album including the vocalist Ville Laihiala. This album is the band's first pure gothic metal album.
The Cold White Light is an album by the Finnish metal band Sentenced, released in May 2002 on Century Media. Limited copies contain the video for the song "Killing Me Killing You" from the band's previous album Crimson plus a free Sentenced sticker. Konevitsan kirkonkellot was originally recorded by Piirpauke in 1974.
Lust Stained Despair is the second album by the Finnish gothic metal band Poisonblack. Provisionally titled The Music for the Junkies by Poisonblack frontman Ville Laihiala, the album was released in August 2006 after a three-year hiatus due to the search for a new singer.
A Dead Heavy Day is the third studio album by the Finnish gothic metal band Poisonblack. It was released on 1 September 2008 by Century Media Records.
Of Rust and Bones is the fourth studio album by the Finnish gothic metal band Poisonblack. It was released on 22 March 2010 in Europe by Century Media Records.
Drive is the fifth studio album by the Finnish gothic metal band Poisonblack. It was released on 27 April 2011 in Europe by Century Media Records.
The Man-Eating Tree is a Finnish atmospheric gothic metal band formed in Oulu in 2009. It features musicians who have appeared in bands such as Fall of the Leafe, Poisonblack and Sentenced.
