Playlists

New Rock and Metal from Finland

Words by Music Finland

Published 3.2.2025

The first groundbreaking Finnish rock bands paved the way for future success already back in the 1970’s, with bands like Hanoi Rocks and Wigwam inspiring numerous Finnish artists with their success.

Ever since the late 1990’s Finnish rock and heavy metal bands have been household names all over the world. From stadium sized acts like The Rasmus, Nightwish and Amorphis, to cult favorites such as Beherit and Terveet Kädet, to fresh newcomers like Blind Channel and Cyan Kicks, the list could go on endlessly. Mind you, even Barack Obama knows that Finland has the most heavy metal bands in the world per capita!

On the New rock and Metal from Finland playlist we take a look at the most exciting new releases Finland has to offer. Listen to the playlist on Apple Music or Spotify and read more about the artists below! The playlist is updated regularly.

New Rock and Metal from Finland on Apple Music

New Rock and Metal from Finland on Spotify

Shiraz Lane

Melodic and 80s-leaning hard rock quintet Shiraz Lane was founded in 2011. Their debut album "For Crying Out Loud" was released in 2016 by Italian label Frontiers Music Srl. Between 2016 and 2017 the group toured across Europe with likes of Lordi and Brother Firetribe, and 2018 saw the release of their sophomore album "Carnival Days". Now signed to Ranka Kustannus, Shiraz Lane will come out with a third album in 2022.

Waltari

Legendary Helsinki-based rockers Waltari became known for their crossover music that combines punk rock attitude with elements from funk metal, thrash, pop, alternative rock – and basically anything but the kitchen sink. In a musical adventure that began already in 1986 and has taken the band across Europe, Waltari and its leading figure Kärtsy Hatakka have found a place in the hearts of crossover metal lovers everywhere. The band's vast discography inludes 15 studio albums, along with various collaborations and compilations.

Kneel Before The Death

Kneel Before The Death combines elements of death metal, deathcore, symphonic metal, black metal, and electronic music. Their aim was to create music with a forceful and theatrical style. Kneel Before The Death consists of drummer Konsta Vihavainen, guitarist Niko Lappalainen, bassist Joonas Peltonen, and vocalist Markus Raito. In 2024, Kneel Before The Death signed with Ranka Kustannus and their debut full-length album is scheduled for release in 2025.

Joviac

Caught somewhere between AOR, melodic metal and prog rock, Tampere-based foursome Joviac was founded in 2016. The band released their self-titled debut album in 2017, their sophomore album "Here and Now" in 2020, and their 3rd full-length "Autofiction Pt. 1" in 2025. Joviac's melodic and heavy songs utilize progressive elements, along with catchy riffs, crafty arrangements, and loose conceptual threads. The band cites some of their influences to be Dream Theater Devin Townsend, Toto, Porcupine Tree, and Opeth.

Luna Kills

Alternative rock foursome Luna Kills spices up their unique mix with metal and modern electronic sounds, y2k aesthetics, and game music vibes. Their frontwoman, Lotta Ruutiainen is known for her strong vocal performance, ranging from smoother pop singing to metalcore-type fry screams. With a great number of gigs under their belt, from clubs to festivals, Luna Kills has also toured Russia and Sweden, sharing stages with acts like Thundermother (SWE). Their most recent album, "Deathmatch", was released in April 2025.

Beyond Awareness

Founded in 2019 in Tampere, Beyond Awareness deliver the latest sounds of modern metalcore. The band made three independent singles, which garnered the attention of Finnish media, eventually leading to a record-deal with Ranka Kustannus in 2021. Having combined forces with the label, Beyond Awareness released the singles "Crime", "Mosaic" and "Nightfall", which present the band's sound thoroughly: Modern Metalcore paired with elements from other genres of music, such as electronica and pop.

Laurenne/Louhimo

In November 2020, metal vocalists Netta Laurenne (Smackbound) and Noora Louhimo (Battle Beast) announced their new project Laurenne/Louhimo, which had been incubating in their heads for a couple of years, but finally came to fruition with all the free time caused by the pandemic. They released their first single "Bitch Fire" in 2021, and a debut album later the same year. In 2025, dynamic duo returned with a new full-length.

Moon Shot

The self-proclaimed "true 21st century rock band" with an anthemic stadium rock sound, Moon Shot released their debut single in November 2020. Moon Shot's first full-length, "Confession", was released in 2021, and after the pandemic, the foursome hit the road to promote the album, playing numerous shows in Germany and their home country. 2024 saw the release of their 2nd album "The Power". Before forming Moon Shot, the four members toured the world with bands such as Disco Ensemble, Children of Bodom, and Lapko.

Demonic Death Judge

Through constant touring, Demonic Death Judge have become one of the most interesting stoner bands in Finland. Demonic Death Judge's raw and straightforward sludge rock has found friends in Finland and beyond, and in 2025 the band will come back with their 6th full-length album.

Octoploid

Octoploid is the solo band of Olli-Pekka Laine (bass, keyboards, backing vocals, of Amorphis fame) formed in 2022. The act's debut album “Beyond The Aeons” is due to be released in July 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music. Combining elements from 90s death and black metal, 70s prog rock and 90s psychedelic rock, their music has its own place on the map. In one phrase, Octoploid's sound has been described as "classic death prog." Built around Laine, the core band includes four musicians: drummer Mikko Pietinen, guitarist Peter Salonen, keyboardist Kim Rantala and vocalist Mikko Kotamäki.

The Rasmus

One of Finland's biggest music exports in the past decades, The Rasmus' (founded in 1994 in Helsinki) big triumph came with the international smash hit "In The Shadows" (2002) and subsequent albums "Dead Letters" (2003), "Hide from the Sun" (2005) and "Black Roses" (2007). The Rasmus has sold 5 million albums worldwide, and about 350,000 albums in Finland alone. They have won numerous awards, both domestic and international. In 2022, The Rasmus introduced a new guitarist, Emilia "Emppu" Suhonen, and competed in Finland's selection for Eurovision Song Contest. Their 10th album "Rise" came out later that year.

Erja Lyytinen

Back in 2003, guitarist Erja Lyytinen was the first woman to graduate from the prestigious Sibelius Academy majoring in electric guitar. These days Lyytinen has a seven album strong catalogue. She has toured around the world with the likes of Walter Trout and gained several international accolades – such as the European Blues Award – for her music.

Memoremains

Memoremains fronted by singer Johanna Ahonen, throws in a combination of catchy pop hooks, hard metal riffs, groovy uptempo beats and symphonic elements. After releasing over a dozen singles and the ep "Louder" between 2017 and 2019, the quintet came out with their full-length debut "The Cost Of Greatness" in 2020. Despite having just a few years of service, Memoremains has already toured around Europe, as well as their home country.

Urn

Formed in Kuopio in 1994 by the original trio of Sulphur (also known from Barathrum etc), Infernus, and Pimeä, Urn is now based in Tampere. Urn released three full-lengths and a handful of demos and ep's, before going on hiatus sometime after 2008. They were reformed in 2017 and the current line-up consists of Sulphur, Axeleratörr, Pestilent Slaughter, and Kalle Salminen. Urn plays highly aggressive, yet melodic music, caught somewhere between thrash and black metal.

Wolfram

Combining heavy tunings, aggressive soundscapes, and pop choruses, Wolfram blends traditional rock elements with contemporary influences. The band’s frontman is JC Halttunen, a singer, guitarist, and producer with experience in the international metal scene. The band's lineup consists of skilled musicians who have played with some of Finland’s top artists. Their take on today's rock can be heard on the debut single "Scars", which merges pop influences, elements of modern electronic music, and metal guitar techniques.

Hites

"Anti-everything post-punk from Helsinki", as their slogan says, Hites emerged in the Finnish punk scene with their debut single "Landlord" in 2023, sounding surprisingly accomplished – and authentic enough to land on an "punk from the UK" playlist on Spotify. Falling somewhere between Sleaford Mods and Idles (indeed, as someone on TikTok had named them "20 cent Idles", which the band proudly announces on their bio), Hites' debut EP "Rat King" (2024) shows a quartet with a very 'now' sound, with lyrics and attitude to match.

Lordi

The world's number one monster rock band Lordi rose to global fame after the Eurovision victory in 2006, with their catchy hard rock hit ”Hard Rock Hallelujah”. Since then, the group has toured several times in Europe, the US, and Asia and released a steady string of albums. In 2021 the band released a massive entity of seven (!) new albums called "Lordiversity". Never eager to lay low, the monsters returned in 2023 with a new collection of songs, "Screem Writers Guild". In 2025, Lordi will get ready to release their 19th album, "Limited Deadition".

Hexvessel

Since their acclaimed debut “Dawnbearer” (2011), Hexvessel have released three albums of forest folk and bewitching psychedelia. They have played sold out headline tours in their homeland, been nominated for 2 Finnish Grammy awards, toured Europe together with bands like Sabbath Assembly and Alcest, graced the main stage at Roadburn in Holland and performed at SXSW in Texan and had their music on the charts and on many critics lists. Their 2023 album "Polar Veil" saw Hexvessel take a sudden turn towards melodic and experimental black metal.

...And Oceans

Symphonic black metal band ...And Oceans was founded in 1995 in Pietarsaari. They released four acclaimed albums between 1998–2002 and eventually morphed into the industrial-leaning bands Havoc Unit and Festerday. In 2019 ...And Oceans returned for live shows after a 17-year break and came back with a new album "Cosmic World Mother" in 2020.

Entheomorphosis

Entheomorphosis is a collaborative new outfit featuring seasoned members from the enigmatic Dark Buddha Rising (after whose album title the band is also named) and the genre-defying Mr Peter Hayden/PH/Enphin. Entheomorphosis is promised to "channel the influences of doom, drone, and avant-garde metal, yet the album stands as a work of unique potency." In other words, fans of Neurosis, Godflesh, and especially friends of the Finnish dark and heavy psychedelic underground, take good notice!

Luponero

Alternative rock trio Luponero draws on influences ranging from classic rock to modern punk. Fronted by Marco Luponero (formerly of Terrorwheel, Altaria and Marco Luponero & The Loud Ones), the band caught many ears with their debut single "DAD BOD ROK GOD", an "anthem celebrating the timeless allure of rocking dads". Later, Swedish label Icons Creating Evil Art signed the band and re-released the viral single as a priority release. Luponero's debut album saw the light of day in April 2025.

Battle Beast

Battle Beast takes all the classical elements of 1980s melodic, traditional heavy metal – crunching riffs, high screams, blistering solos and huge choruses – without being afraid of adding its own flavor to their "party power metal" recipe. The sextet is signed to Nuclear Blast and their seventh full-length album "Circus of Doom" was released in early 2022.

Awake Again

Awake Again is a four piece alternative metal outfit from Turku. In 2018, they won the international Wacken Metal Battle band competition. Later that year they performed at Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany and signed an international record deal with Spinefarm Records. Their music is a mixture of metal, post-hardcore and pop. Awake Again has made a steady rise in the Finnish metal scene with their catchy songs and energetic live performances.

I Am Your God

The Rovaniemi based melodic metal band I Am Your God combines striking melody lines with heavy riffs. The band was formed in 2018 and has been signed to Out of Line Music since 2020. Their debut album "The Resurrection" (2020) was reviewed as classical yet comprehensive and fresh entity of melodic death metal music. The debut record was followed by their sophomore album "SINister" in 2023.

Hanging Garden

Hanging Garden was formed in 2004, playing heavy, gothic and doom-oriented metal. Over a decade, several albums and numerous line-up changes later, the band's style has evolved to a more melodic, contemporary sound. While still retaining strong roots in metal, Hanging Garden now possesses a versatile, many-layered style of playing, drawing influence and inspiration from music and art far and wide.

Slow Fall

Slow Fall, founded in 2016 in Oulu, combines elements of aggression and atmosphere, creating a sound that blends heavy and lighter elements. Their music moves between aggressive passages and quieter acoustic moments, featuring both harsh and clean vocals. Influenced by bands such as Opeth, Children of Bodom, Sentenced, Swallow the Sun, and Amorphis, Slow Fall has developed a distinctive style that balances tradition with innovation. The band has released two full-length albums: "Beneath the Endless Rains" (2020) and "Obsidian Waves" (2023), with a 3rd album, "Blood Eclipse", set for release in May 2025.

The Vantages

The Vantages is a six-piece from Helsinki, led by vocalist Tim Mikkola along with Henri Schröter (dr), Aleksi Larkovuo (bass), Mikko Janatuinen (guitar) and Anton Froloff (gtr/keys). Formed in 2020, the group is now working towards their debut album. Inspired by Tim’s infatuation with guitar bands of the 60’s and british indie rock, their shared love of 70’s rock acts and early 00’s goth nostalgia, their sound and lyrics combine contrasting elements of crude and delicate in what are best described as decadent love songs.

Mtvkid

Emerging into the Finnish scene in 2023, MTVkid blends elements of punk, alternative, and pop rock that feels both nostalgic and new. The Helsinki-based trio features Sebastian Gregg on vocals, Leo Krechmer on guitar, and Kristian Jokilahti on drums. Their music explores a range of emotions and topics, from mental health and social anxiety to love and sexual frustration, always preserving a touch of humour. With a good handful of catchy singles, MTVkid may just prove that the music revolution will be televised.

Himmelkraft

Himmelkraft, the new band led by Sonata Arctica frontman Tony Kakko, came to light in late 2024 after signing a recording deal with Reaper Entertainment. The self-proclaimed "Finnish metal secret society" had been preparing their debut record for a while, and also mapping out their concept. The outcome will be "its own strange new world, where Kakko also gets to tell stories in a completely new, surprising and exciting way", the band says.

Balance Breach

Mikkeli based quintet Balance Breach combines the elements of metalcore, post-hardcore and modern rock – along with the Nordic melancholy inherited in their DNA. Since 2019 the band has been signed to a German label Out of Line Music. On their 2nd album "ABYZMAL" , released in May 2023, Balance Breach addresses themes such as mental health problems, loneliness and death as well as violence between family members and intimate partners.

Kaiser

Formed in 2013, Helsinki-based stoner-doom crew Kaiser released their debut album "1st Sound" in 2018 through the German record label Oak Island. The album's international attention drove Kaiser to tour in the US tour and EU, sharing stages with Red Fang, Nebula, and many others. After a covid break, they got to Sweden for the first time in 2023 and performed at the Fuzz Festival with many of the genre's biggest names. Their sophomore record, "2nd Sound", was released in 2025.

Cyan Kicks

Alternative rock foursome Cyan Kicks, formed in 2017 in Helsinki and fronted by singer Susanna Aleksandra, combines electronic sounds and massive pop hooks with a modern hard rock sound. Cyan Kicks' debut album "I Don't Love You" was released in 2019 and was followed by the ep "Not Your Kind" in 2021, the same year that they took part in take part in music contest UMK, competing to represent Finland at Eurovision Song Contest with "Hurricane". Cyan Kicks' 2nd full-length came out in 2023, and in Jan 2024 the band announced that they will again take part in UMK – this time with "Dancing With Demons".

Cemetery Skyline

The lineup of goth rock/metal ensemble Cemetery Skyline is made up of quite well known musicians: singer Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity, The Halo Effect), guitarist Markus Vanhala (Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum), keyboardist Santeri Kallio (Amorphis), bass player Victor Brandt (Dimmu Borgir, Witchery, Entombed) and drummer Vesa Ranta (Sentenced, The Abbey). The self-described "Nordic Gothic" quintet is signed to Century Media and should be recommended to anyone with i.e. Type O Negative, The Cult or Sisters of Mercy albums in their collection.

The Blanko

The Blanko is a three-piece alternative rock group formed in 2006. The band has released three albums and played showcases in Europe and Japan, and warmed up for bands such as Apocalyptica, Danko Jones and 3 Doors Down.

Playlists

100 Finnish songs you should hear

In honor of Finland’s 100th anniversary we compiled a playlist of 100 Finnish songs that have...

Music Finland, 26.1.2022

Playlists

New Ambient and Experimental Music from Finland

Get yourself acquainted with the Finnish ambient and experimental music scene!

Music Finland, 3.2.2023

Playlists

New Folk and Global Music from Finland

Get to know the most exciting new folk and global music from Finland!

Music Finland, 26.1.2022