Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee. 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.
Sinergy was a Finnish/Swedish heavy metal band started in 1997 by American musician Kimberly Goss. The idea for a "balls-out female-fronted metal band" was first formed when Kimberly Goss of Dimmu Borgir met Jesper Strömblad of In Flames whilst on tour in 1997.
Tuomas Lauri Johannes Holopainen is a Finnish musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known as the primary songwriter, keyboardist, and a co-founding member of symphonic metal band Nightwish. He has stated that his songwriting is influenced by harmonic film music.
Marko Tapani "Marco" Hietala is a Finnish heavy metal vocalist, bassist and songwriter. Internationally, he is best known as the former bassist, male vocalist and secondary composer to Tuomas Holopainen, of the symphonic metal band Nightwish. He is also the vocalist and bassist as well as composer and lyricist for the heavy metal band Tarot.
Tarot is a Finnish heavy metal band. They are most famous for the song "Wings of Darkness" from the 1986 album Spell of Iron. While having enjoyed a broad underground popularity in Finland, the band has never been notable elsewhere until gaining new success in recent years, with their singer and bassist Marko Hietala in the largely successful Nightwish for nearly two decades. With a more global audience, the band re-recorded Spell of Iron for its 25th anniversary.
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.
Spell of Iron is the debut album by Finnish metal band Tarot, released in 1986 by Flamingo Music. It was released on CD in 1994 by Bluelight Records, and a remastered version was released in 2006 by Spinefarm Records.
Follow Me into Madness is the second album by Finnish metal band Tarot, released in 1988 by Bluelight Records. A remastered version was released in 2006 by Spinefarm Records. Rose On The Grave was released as a single in 1988. This is also the last album with Mako H., as he is replaced by Janne Tolsa, the current keyboard player.
Sauna Open Air Metal Festival, shortly Sauna Open Air or just Sauna, was one of the largest music festivals dedicated only to heavy metal and related styles of rock music in the Nordic countries. It was first arranged in 2004 and takes place in the Ratinanniemi park in Tampere, Finland. From 8 June to 10 June 2006, over 20,000 people arrived to watch such bands as Cradle of Filth, Finntroll, Iggy & The Stooges, Lordi, Twisted Sister and W.A.S.P.
Crows Fly Black is the seventh album by Finnish heavy metal band Tarot, released on 27 October 2006. This album is accompanied by the single "You", and the music video "Ashes to the Stars". This is the first album to officially acknowledge Tommi 'Tumple' Salmela as a member of the band, referred to as an 'old-new' member; until then, Tommi's role was limited to sampling and backing vocals, while in this album, Tommi takes role of fully fledged vocalist.
Janne Tolsa is a Finnish heavy metal musician. Known for his keyboard work in Tarot from the late 1980s, Tolsa also takes part in the melodic death metal band Eternal Tears of Sorrow, which he joined in 2005 for their album Before the Bleeding Sun, as well as the industrial metal band Turmion Kätilöt. Tolsa is also known to work as a composer for television. Janne Tolsa plays keyboards in Marenne Band and is one of the composers in the band's debut album The Past Prelude.
"While Your Lips Are Still Red" is a 2007 song written by Tuomas Holopainen and Marko Hietala of the Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. It was performed by Holopainen, Hietala, and Jukka Nevalainen for the Finnish film The Matriarch, which was written and directed by renowned Finnish director Markku Pölönen; the film premiered in Finland in September 2007. The song is included on Nightwish's "Amaranth" single, which was released on 22 August 2007 as the second single of their sixth studio album, Dark Passion Play. It was also released on their live / compilation EP Made in Hong Kong in 2009.
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.
Undead Indeed is the first live DVD/2CD by Finnish heavy metal band Tarot. It was recorded in Rupla Club, Kuopio, Finland, on 17 August 2007. The DVD was released on 11 June 2008.
Sapattivuosi is a Finnish Black Sabbath tribute band singing in Finnish. The band was initiated as a project by vocalist Hannu Paloniemi, drummer Simo Vehmas, and guitarist Janne Halmkrona. Sapattivuosi's first two albums covered songs from the Ozzy Osbourne era. Then vocalist Paloniemi left the band. He was replaced by Marko Hietala, known from bands such as Nightwish, Tarot and Northern Kings. Hietala first appeared with Sapattivuosi on their single Pelon lait, which came out on 4 March 2009. The band's third full-length album, Ihmisen merkki, also covers songs from Black Sabbath's Ronnie James Dio era. It was released on 1 April 2009.
Gravity of Light is the eighth studio album by the Finnish heavy metal band Tarot. It was released in Finland on 10 March 2010, in Europe on 23 April 2010 and in the US on 8 June 2010.
Jarkko Kalevi Ahola is a Finnish performing artist, composer and singer. Born in Toijala, he is the vocalist and bass player and one of the three songwriters of the band Teräsbetoni. He is also a member of a Finnish symphonic metal cover supergroup Northern Kings together with Marko Hietala from Nightwish, Tarot and Sapattivuosi, Tony Kakko from Sonata Arctica and Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto from Charon and Harmaja.
The Spell of Iron MMXI is the ninth album by Finnish heavy metal band Tarot, released on 11 April 2011. It is a re-recording of the band's 1986 debut album for its 25th anniversary. It is the final album to feature Pecu Cinnari before his death, and Marko Hietala before his retirement from the public eye in 2021.
Mustan Sydämen Rovio is the debut solo album by Finnish singer and bassist Marko Hietala of Nightwish and Tarot fame, released on 24 May 2019 via Nuclear Blast.
