As one of Finlandโs greatest melodeath exports, Insomnium have spent nearly 25 years perfecting the genre. Through eight studio albums theyโve crafted one of the best examples of melodic death today. Frontman and bassist Niilo Sevรคnen absolutely nails the melodic growl that is central to the genre. The fury and emotion Sevรคnen manages to put … Continue reading 340: INSOMNIUM
As the first vocalist for Nightwish, and now a successful solo artist, Tarja Turunen is Finnish music royalty. Her incredible voice has front hard rock and metal as well as enchanting Christmas performances, and she remains a hugely influential presence in symphonic metal circles. It was the combination of Tarjaโs singing style and the heavy … Continue reading 336: TARJA
Theyโre the most successful Finnish band worldwide, having sold over 9 million records, and have toured the world over for 25 years. Theyโre the flag bearers for symphonic metal and the yardstick by which any other bands in the genre are measured. Theyโve not only persevered, but have triumphed, through multiple personnel changes, like a … Continue reading 299: NIGHTWISH
Esa Holopainen is the lead guitarist and primary songwriter for Finnish metal royalty, Amorphis, so it should come as no surprise the man is a talented musician. With Silver Lake, however, Holopainen really flexes his talents, working with a roster of hugely talented and iconic vocalists and creating an amazing album of standout tracks. While … Continue reading 276: SILVER LAKE by ESA HOLOPAINEN
With their uniquely gothic hard rock sound and one of the coolest frontmen in history, HIM created their own sound, dubbed โlove metalโ. It was dark, romantic, and painfully beautiful. Frontman Ville Valoโs gentle crooning ties the whole sound together. A Finnish voice with all the melancholy required for this music. Throughout their existence, HIM … Continue reading 242: HIM
Hailing from my favourite country in the world, Takezo are a relatively young band who sound like theyโve been doing this for decades. This is big fuzzy, doomy, sludge of the best kind. Like desert rock on steroids, itโs big, brash, and hits like a fucking bulldozer. Thereโs just something simultaneously classic and modern about … Continue reading 214: TAKEZO
a band a day. 