Playlists

New Rock and Metal from Finland

Words by Music Finland

Published 4.1.2019

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 HIM, Nightwish and Children of Bodom, to cult favorites such as Beherit and Terveet Kädet, the list could go on endlessly.

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 Spotify or Apple Music and read more about the artists below! The playlist is updated regularly.

New Rock and Metal from Finland

Palehørse

Palehørse (f.k.a. Amendfoil) combines technical skills, in-your-face attitude, rough energy and catchy vocal harmonies in their music. After relasing two independent albums as Amendfoil, the grungy and progressive metal trio join Norwegian label Indie Recording, which is already home to bands like Kvelertak and Satyricon. The self titled Palehørse debut is scheduled to be released on Indie Recordings in 2019.

Blind Channel

Blind Channel combines electronic pop influences with hard rock. Despite of the band’s young age, Blind Channel has already played hundreds of shows and toured in Europe with bands like Simple Plan, Amaranthe and Enter Shikari. Blind Channel’s second album will be released in 2018.

Battle Beast

Battle Beast takes all the classical elements of traditional heavy metal – crunching riffs, high screams, blistering solos and strong choruses – without being afraid of adding its own flavor to the recipe. The sextet is signed to Nuclear Blast and their fourth album, Bringer of Pain, was released this spring.

Children of Bodom

One of Finland's most successful bands, melodic death metal group Children of Bodom returns with their tenth album, Hexed.

Waste of Space Orchestra

After being commissioned by the distinguished Roadburn festival in 2018, Finnish underground metal acts Oranssi Pazuzu and Dark Buddha Rising joined forces in the form of a special live show under the name Waste of Space Orchestra. The lineup incarnated again in the studio, and a year later a cinematic monster of a theme album was released.

S-TOOL

Fans of Finnish heavy metal might see some familiar names in the lineup of S-TOOL: the band, whose debut album was released last fall, features members from Sentenced, Poisonblack, Entwine and Lullacry. The new band, however, differs from the aforementioned in their hard rock and thrash metal oriented style, with influences drawn from bands such as Entombed and Pantera.

Korpiklaani

Since they formed in 2003, Korpiklaani has become one of the most acclaimed groups in the genre of folk metal. The band returns on September 7 with their latest album (which is their 10th), Kulkija. Following the release of Kulkija, which is released by Nuclear Blast, the group heads for a tour in Russia.

Hexvessel

Since acclaimed debut album “Dawnbearer” (2011), HEXVESSEL have released two further 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 Texas, seeing their music on the charts and on many critics lists.

Beast in Black

A five-piece Helsinki based heavy metal band Beast in Black was founded by Anton Kabanen soon after he had parted ways with Battle Beast in 2015. Their second album is From Hell With Love, released by Nuclear Blast.

Wheel

The Helsinki-based foursome is as much inspired by Radiohead’s art rock as they are with heavy metal. This results in “an expansive and mind-melting collage of progressive rock, grunge and film score that twists and turns in ways no band have ever done before”, as Wheel describes themselves. Besides having a knack for time-defying grooves, heavyweight orchestration and dark surrealism, Wheel has also established themselves as a group unafraid to speak out, with songs touching subjects like the Syrian refugee crisis or dystopic visions on media censorship.

Swallow the Sun

Swallow the Sun return with their latest album, When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light , released by Century Media Records. Fueled by personal loss (the album title has its origins in Trees of Eternity's “Broken Mirror”) and powered by the will to continue, “When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light” showcases the group’s ability to maintain its signature sound while expanding upon horizons and diving deeper into the crevasse of doom-death metal.

Oceanhoarse

Oceanhoarse is a new heavy metal group formed by ex-members of Amoral, For the Imperium and Mygrain. The band has so far released a few singles and played shows together with Beast in Black.

NYOS

Instrumental duo NYOS, consisting of guitarist Tom Brooke and drummer Tuomas Kainulainen, have released four albums and toured around Europe with bands like Zeal and Ardor and Esben and the Witch. Their fifth album, Now. is released in February.

Medeia

Medeia has stuck to one clear objective since its founding in 2002: creating a fresh, brutal sound rich in content and uncompromising in nature. Medeia has toured relentlessly and played shows alongside such notable acts as Ozzy Osbourne, As I Lay Dying, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Between the Buried and Me, Entombed, Animals as Leaders, Decapitated, Raised Fist, Terror and Insomnium.

Playlists

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.

New Rock and Metal from Finland

Palehørse

Blind Channel

Battle Beast

Children of Bodom

Waste of Space Orchestra

S-TOOL

Korpiklaani

Hexvessel

Beast in Black

Wheel

Swallow the Sun

Oceanhoarse

NYOS

Medeia

100 Finnish songs you should hear

New Experimental Music from Finland

New World and Folk Music from Finland