Welcome to the first part of what will be a trilogy of posts covering some of Finland’s finest rock and metal bands! Being half Finnish myself, I just couldn’t be prouder of my heritage and the amazing music my fellow countrymen (and women) have given us, which is shared and enjoyed all over the world.

Here we go:

The Rasmus

My favourite goth rockers and my first introduction to rock music in the first place! Their melodic, gothic tunes will always have a special place in my heart, and a couple of years ago I was lucky enough to see them at The Electric Ballroom in Camden, London. More on The Rasmus here.

Negative

Fronted by the prettiest boy you’ll ever see, Negative was formed in 1997, and their music was dubbed “emotional rock ‘n’ roll” by the band themselves. I would say that’s pretty accurate. Combining raunchy guitar riffs with Jonne Aaron’s passionate vocals, it’s no wonder they are one of the most successful Finnish rock acts of our time!

Children Of Bodom

Native to the city of Espoo and formed in 1993, the Children Of Bodom’s music has been labelled many things, power metal, thrash metal, neoclassical metal, melodic death metal, symphonic black metal… I can’t be bothered to label them, I just say they’re an awesome band and enjoy the crazy guitar riffs! I’d like to personally recommend their album Follow the Reaper. To me, this is the standard all death metal should be judged against. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it is definitely one for the metal fans, and a great place to start if you are just getting into Children Of Bodom.

Turisas

Named after an ancient Finnish god of war, Turisas bring us glorious Battle Metal from Hämeenlinna in Finland. Erruptuous metal riffs combined with melodic folk metal, choral harmonies and booming anthems. Produced by a bunch of long-haired, warpaint smeared nutters that think they are Viking Pirates. What’s not to love, eh?

Stratovarius

These chaps are a power metal band formed in 1984 (they have undergone several name-changes since then, however) and have released a whopping 15 studio albums in that time! Powerful vocals and mind-blowing guitar riffs, this band does heavy with style but are not averse to the odd haunting ballad or two. They’ll keep you on your toes and leave you breathless.

Lordi

Oh Lordi, what can you say about the monsters of Metal (and I say this with absolute humility and respect). When I, one day, meet Mr Lordi himself, I will probably curtsey, since Lordi are pretty much rock royalty to me. Lordi was formed in 1992, and in 2006 they made rock history by becoming the only hard rock act to win the Eurovision Song Contest with Hard Rock Hallelujah. It was a proud day for rockers and Finns everywhere!

Look out for Part 2! Rock on!

Amanda