Playlists

New Rock and Metal from Finland

Words by Music Finland

Published 26.1.2022

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

Jani Liimatainen

Currently known as the guitarist for Insomnium, Jani Liimatainen is one of the founding members of power metal giants Sonata Arctica and has also played with Cain's Offering (with Stratovarius vocalist Timo Kotipelto), Altaria and with former Nightwish vocalist Anette Olzon on a their project The Dark Element. In 2022, Liimatainen released his debut solo album though Frontiers Music Srl, which features notable guest vocalists like Björn “Speed” Strid (Soilwork), Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica), Timo Kotipelto and Anette Olzon.

Doom Unit

Tampere-based quartet Doom Unit's sound has been described as traditional heavy metal meeting modern hard rock. They released their debut "Cross the Line" in 2009, which hit the Finnish Album Chart at #2. The album has been followed with "The Burden of Bloom" (2011), "III" (2013) and "Underdog" (2015). In 2020 Doom Unit toured in celebration of their 10th anniversary. May 2022 the band came back with a new single "Remedy".

Kaleidobolt

With hints of psychedelic and progressive rock, kraut, stoner, proto-metal and even noise rock, Kaleidobolt's groovy, hypnotic and riff-heavy style basically summarises the essence of what was cool in the 1970s. The power trio, formed in 2014 in Helsinki, released their third album "Bitter" through Svart Records in 2019. Their 2nd album will see the light of day in 2022.

Edge of Haze

Progressive rockers Edge of Haze has been treading the line between heavy and serene since 2010. The band combines progressive metal music with cinematic atmospheres and strong melodies. Edge of Haze's debut album "Illumine" was released in 2014 and followed by "Deluge" in 2017. The foursome readies themselves for the release of their third album in late 2022.

Kiss Disease

Kiss Disease’s music blends together power pop, street rock and catchy choruses in a personal way. After the release of their self-titled EP in 2020, they started gaining attention in the Finnish underground circles resulting to a record deal with Svart Records. They’re about to release their debut album in summer 2022.

Michael Monroe

The ever-energetic Hanoi Rocks frontman and songwriter has made a long and successful solo career since his legendary sleaze rock band finally called it quits in 2009. Monroe’s last releases have been critical and commercial successes, with 2011's "Sensory Overdrive" winning Classic Rock magazine’s ‘Album Of The Year’ award. His four-piece band includes ex-Hanoi Sam Yaffa and former New York Doll Steve Conte.

Poets of the Fall

Melodic rock band Poets of the Fall was formed in Helsinki in 2003 by Marko Saaresto, Olli Tukiainen and Markus "Captain" Kaarlonen. The band's first success came with the song "Late Goodbye" when it was featured in the hit game Max Payne 2 in 2004. After their debut "Signs of Life" (2005) POTF has released seven albums – the latest being 2018's "Ultraviolet" – and countless singles gaining millions of streams, as well as done tours on all continents.

Crimson Sun

Modern metal quintet Crimson Sun was originally founded in 2001, but has been operating with its current line-up since 2011. Fronted by singer Sini Seppälä, the band combines elements from traditional heavy metal, power metal and symphonic metal – and even djent – but flourishes the songs with big, catchy and melodic choruses, as well as synthesizer patterns reminiscent of edm music. Their full-length debut “Towards the Light” (2015) was followed in 2018 with the album “Fates”. In 2022 Crimson Sun came back with a single “Feed the Fire”.

Mary Ann Hawkins

Mary Ann Hawkins is a Helsinki based rock band defining their genre as surf rock. Their music combines cinematic soundscapes with menacing rock music. They’ve toured both Finland and Europe and have released several singles and EP during 2017 and 2021. In addition their live shows have been described as wild and fast.

Stoned Statues

Stoned Statues is an alternative metal band formed in 2019. Their sound mixes metal and prog together with rock and pop elements and relies on catchy melodies. Lead singer Jenna Kosunen’s strong vocals and lyrics along with Markus Hakala's (vocals, guitar) and Allu Tanskanen's (drums) playing create a combination of metal music with punk attitude. Stoned Statues released their debut single Demento in November 2021 on the Sakara label.

Eye of Melian

Eye of Melian is the brainchild of Dutch songwriter and producer Martijn Westerholt (Delain, Within Temptation), with Finnish singer Johanna Kurkela (Auri, Altamullan Road) bringing the fantasy to full life. Also contributing to the project is Finnish orchestral arranger and producer Mikko P. Mustonen who has worked on many successful releases in various genres.

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.

Stenfors

The band formed by the former Hanoi Rocks guitarist Jan Stenfors (also known as Nasty Suicide) and his family plays rock and blues. Stenfors released their debut single “Then it’s gone”, a classic rock song with catchy hooks, in early 2022.

VV

Ville Valo, lead singer and founder of love metal legends HIM, made a come-back with the monicker VV. In early 2020 he released the "Gothica Fennica Vol. 1." ep, which will be followed by his full-length solo debut "Neon Noir" in 2023, with singles being released through 2022. A world tour will also take place in 2023. Outside of HIM, Valo has collaborated with various other bands and artist during his career, including Agents, The 69 Eyes and Apocalyptica.

The 69 Eyes

Going on in their fourth decade already, these "Helsinki vampires" aren't showing any signs of slowing down. The goth'n'roll veterans' 12th album "West End" saw the light of day (or rather, dark of night) in September 2019, with "11 up-tempo rock anthems full of heaviness, black memento mori moments and dark humour". In 2022 the band readies for a follow-up, to be released in 2023, with a string of new singles.

I Am The Night

I Am The Night is a new band featuring metal scene legends from bands such as Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum, Paradise Lost and Bodom After Midnight. The band’s origins date back to the dimly lit subterranean rehearsal rooms of the mid-nineties. The extreme metal supergroup, who have already been called “an instant classic band with a timeless sound” released their debut EP last summer. I Am The Night say that they are “a real band not a project. It is unrestrained creation. A ray of darkness for us in the vacuum created by the pandemic”.

King Satan

Industrial metal band King Satan was formed in 2015 in Tampere. Drawing inspiration from electro-industrial rock and death metal, the band has been greeted for their lively live shows. King Satan released their debut full-length “King Fucking Satan” in 2017, which was followed by their sophomore effort “I Want You to Worship Satan” in 2019 and "Occult Spiritual Anarchy" in 2022.

DIRT

DIRT is five-piece metal band and has been signed to Ranka Kustannus since 2021. They got off to a flying start with their 2019 debut EP “Low Life”, which has since gathered well over million streams. After a handful of singles throughout the last years, the grungy rockers are planning to release their full-length debut in 2022.

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.

World Without

A new player on the Finnish metal scene, World Without combines modern metal, trashy pop and hardcore vocals in their music. Their first single "I, Exorcist", released in summer 2021, was reviewed as a mixture of aggressivity, playing skills and unique musical vision. The band is formed by musicians also known from acts such as Stratovarius, For the Imperium and Kromea.

Steve 'n' Seagulls

Steve 'n' Seagulls made their name by carrying out simply impressive bluegrass covers of famous heavy metal songs, which has even taken them to the number one spot on Billboard Bluegrass albums chart. To date the group has covered tracks such as "Thunderstruck", "Aces High" and "Cemetery Gates" to name a few, but the band's fourth album "Another Miracle" (2020) was their first one to boast a track listing with more original songs than covers!

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.

Horizon Ignited

Bridging the gap between melodic death metal and metalcore, aggressive, melancholic and melodic are the important words when describing Horizon Ignited. Founded in 2017 by guitarists Johannes Mäkinen and Vili Vottonen in Kouvola, Horizon Ignited released their debut "After the Storm" in 2019. The self-published album was met with positive feedback and built up a good following on streaming platforms – which led them soon signing to Nuclear Blast.

One Hidden Frame

Modern skate punk band One Hidden Frame was founded in Lappeenranta, South East Finland in 2002, but got more active after 2012. Bowing down to the direction of Bad Religion, Propagandhi, Ignite, Strike Anywhere and Adhesive, their main focus is to create energetic, emotional and melodic punk rock, spiced with melancholy and aggression and meaningful lyrics towards a more solidary world. By now the foursome has released five albums, toured in more that 20 countries and gathered a nice following.

Spiritraiser

Spiritraiser is a Helsinki-based alternative rock band. Consisting of four members, the band melts diverse elements of rock and ambient music. Spiritraiser’s music has been described as post, progressive, alternative rock flirting with metal, while the band themselves insist on operating on any field of music where they feel comfortable.

Von Hertzen Brothers

The awarded, chart-topping rock act Von Hertzen Brothers plays progressive guitar driven rock with rich vocal harmonies. The band was formed in 2000 by three brothers Mikko, Jonne and Kie Von Hertzen. After five years since their last album, the band returns with a single “All of a Sudden, You’re Gone”, the first release from their upcoming album “Red Alert in the Blue Forest” to be released in March 2022.

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.

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.

Blind Channel

This Helsinki based sextet spices their melodic hard rock and nu-metal with electronic pop influences. Formed 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 released in March 2020. Since their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2021, the band 's audience has grown massively.

Luna Kills

Melodic but hard hitting alternative rock trio Luna Kills has a great number of gigs under their belt, varying from clubs to festival stages. They have also played small tours in Russia and Sweden and shared stages with bigger cats like Thundermother (SWE), Reckless Love (FIN), etc. Preceded by singles such as "Liar, liar", Luna Kills are coming out with their second album ”not to be bitter, but it helps” in summer 2021.

Playlists