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

New Rock and Metal from Finland

Arion

Metal quintet Arion was formed in 2011, while the members were still in high school. Two years later the band was already signed to Ranka Recordings and performing on Finnish television’s UMK song competition, to be a Eurovision finalist. That Arion did not become, but instead their symphonic power metal quickly found fans in Japan and Finland, where the band has toured relentlessly. Arion’s second album “Life Is Not Beautiful” was released in late 2018.

Hanging Garden

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

Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz is a hard rock band formed in 2007, whose music has been heard in ads for Mercedes-Benz and ESPN. The band has played over hundreds of shows from Japan to North America, where they have toured with Sebastian Bach. After the split of the band's original members in 2018, frontman Archie Cruz became the primus motor of Santa Cruz, with 2019's "Katharsis" being his latest full-length.

Fear of Domination

Industrial metal band Fear of Domination are known for their massive and highly theatrical shows which have left audiences in total awe. Their shows incorporate pyros, UV-light, face paint, featured artists, theatrical acts and fire breathing. The band has toured around Europe together with bands like Deathstars, Turmion Kätilöt, Velcra, Shade Empire, and Hanzel and Gretyl.

Silver Lake by Esa Holopainen

In 2021, Amorphis guitarist and co-founder Esa Holopainen presented his debut solo album "Silver Lake by Esa Holopainen". Unwilling to neither sing himself nor make an instrumental record, Holopainen invited an all-star cast of singers to feature on the album: vocalists known from bands such as from Katatonia, Nordman, The Gathering, Leprous, Soilwork and naturally Amorphis all make an appearance – along with domestic legend Vesa-Matti Loiri!

Noora Louhimo Experience

Known as the singer of internationally famed metal act Battle Beast, Noora Louhimo released her debut solo album in 2021. Instead of the catchy, 80s tinged pop metal that of her 'day job band', "Eternal Wheel of Time and Space” is promised to focus on soulful blues rock with even the occasional country influence. Louhimo’s backing band on the solo release includes musicians from i.e. Swallow The Sun and J. P. Leppäluoto’s band.

Temple Balls

Hailing from Oulu, northern Finland, Temple Balls is a rock band who have opened shows for acts like Deep Purple, Uriah Heep and Queen. The band has toured with Battle Beast and played shows in Europe as well as in Japan.

The Flaming Sideburns

When Sweden had The Hellacopters, Finland had the The Flaming Sideburns. The action-packed fivesome exploded in popularity at the height of the garage rock revival boom in the early 2000s and reached a sweeping fan base around the world. Shortly after the release of their debut "Hallelujah Rock'n'rollah", guitarist Arimatti Jutila moved to the USA, and the band continued with varying line-ups, releasing 3 more full-lengths. In 2018, the original quintet made a comeback.

Apocalyptica

Since they formed in 1993, Finnish orchestral rock band Apocalyptica has released eight studio albums featuring numerous cello-based instrumentals along with some vocal-based songs. Whatever styles they’ve explored - from atmospheric interludes to fast, battering rhythms - their music has been gripping, dynamic and full of melody.

Cyan Kicks

Helsinki based alternative rock foursome Cyan Kicks sparked interest with their singles such as Gasoline, Satellite as well as their rocking cover of Clean Bandit’s Rockabye. Fronted by singer Susanna Aleksandra the band combines electronic sounds and pop hooks with a modern hard rock sound. Their debut album "I Don't Love You" was released in 2019, which was followed by a string of singles that were collected to the ep "Not Your Kind" in 2021.

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.

Stam1na

Melodic metal phenomenon Stam1na have achieved almost everything a rock band can achieve in Finland. Each of their six albums have sold gold and the band has played hundreds of kick-ass mostly sold out shows all over the country. Outside of their home country, Stam1na have played in Japan, Germany and the Baltics.

Varvara

Alternative rockers Varvara debuted in 2011, with a sound equally influenced by 1990s grunge rock, punk and classic power pop, with hints of "Fenno-melancholic" melodies that meet their tight and distorted riffs. In 2021, the quintet released their altogether 5th album "Bad Acting Good", finding themselves placed in several densely followed playlists all over the globe.

The 69 Cats

The 69 Cats is a dark rockabilly band formed by The 69 Eyes head honcho Jyrki 69. Their sound blends elements of goth and hard rock along with the vintage rockabilly rhythm and twang. The supergroup also features members of Headcat, The Cramps, The Damned and Nekromantix.

Oceanhoarse

Oceanhoarse is a heavy metal group formed by former members of Amoral, For the Imperium and Mygrain in 2018. The foursome released their debut ep "Voluntary Bends" in 2019 and played shows together with Beast in Black. Their debut album, a live offering named "The Damage is Done – Live!" saw the light of day in June 2020.

Black Totem

Black Totem is a death rock band based in Turku, Finland. Now with their new album “Shapeshifting” – out in January 2021, Black Totem are downright lycanthropic, breaking out of their enigmatic origins and taking on a much more unadulterated form. Their catchy, raucous Blues songs, with wild, untamed backing vocals and horror-soundtrack keys, give a distinctly Finnish lizard-disco hysteria to their fortified sound, coming across like a blood-bath in a moonshine distillery.

FireProven

FireProven is a progressive metal band from Finland. The band is known for their long, imagery songs as well as their energetic live shows. Fireproven’s first album Future Diary got great scores in multiple reviews, and International Music Video Contest rewarded their music video Shine for the best director of photography. The band’s unique sound has already inspired people in Europe and overseas.

Sunrise Avenue

One of the biggest exports in the history of Finnish rock and pop, Sunrise Avenue, fronted by charismatic singer Samu Haber, has sold out over 2.5 million albums and is known to sell out stadiums in Germany year after year. After 2018's "Heartbreak Century", Sunrise Avenue came back this year with a new single, the title track to the sequel of the hit comedy "Iron Sky".

Blame Me!

Blame Me! is a fresh, melodic female fronted alternative rock band blending anthemic choruses and huge walls of guitars and synths. Drawing influences equally from punk pop and melodic metal, Blame Me! first gained attention through Tuska Festival's band contest, after which the foursome started touring both locally and abroad in countries like Estonia and Russia. Blame Me!'s single releases through 2019 and 2020 have been playlisted on domestic radio stations and streaming services alike.

Blind Channel

This Helsinki based sextet spices their melodic hard rock and nu-metal with electronic pop influences. Since their formation in 2014, Blind Channel has played hundreds of shows and toured in Europe with bands like Simple Plan, Amaranthe and Enter Shikari and the Spotify plays on their biggest songs count in millions. Blind Channel’s third album "Violent Pop" (named after the genre tag by which the band likes to label their music) was be released in March 2020.

Korpiklaani

Since they formed in 2003, Korpiklaani has become one of the most acclaimed groups in the genre of folk metal, with instruments like fiddles, accordions and hurdy-gurdy in the mix. After their 2018 album "Kulkija", the band has released nearly a dozen versions of their malty anthem "Beer Beer" in different languages, along other drinking songs such as "Jägermeister" and "Land of a Thousand Drinks".

Amorphis

Progressive metal band Amorphis returns with Queen of Time, released by Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2015's "Under The Red Cloud" will include the use of real strings, flutes, orchestral arrangements and even choirs. The album was once again produced by Jens Bogren while the lyrics were penned by Pekka Kainulainen.

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

Arion

Hanging Garden

Santa Cruz

Fear of Domination

Silver Lake by Esa Holopainen

Noora Louhimo Experience

Temple Balls

The Flaming Sideburns

Apocalyptica

Cyan Kicks

Wheel

Stam1na

Varvara

The 69 Cats

Oceanhoarse

Black Totem

FireProven

Sunrise Avenue

Blame Me!

Blind Channel

Korpiklaani

Amorphis

100 Finnish songs you should hear

New Experimental Music from Finland

New World and Folk Music from Finland