Playlists

New Rock and Metal from Finland

Words by Music Finland

Published 3.2.2023

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

Smackbound

Helsinki-based Smackbound is a melodic hard rock group founded by Netta Laurenne, who has made a versatile career as a singer from opera to musicals and cover bands (including Smackbound's cover-ripping alias Run For Cover). The fivesome, which also includes seasoned metal veterans from bands such as Tracedawn, Stratovarius and Wintersun, released their debut album "20/20" on Frontiers Records in 2020. Smackbound's 2nd album "Hostage" is due out in April 2023.

Stoned Statues

Stoned Statues is an alternative metal band formed in 2019. Their sound mixes progressive rock, stoner metal and grungy riffs together with 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 with punk attitude. Stoned Statues released their eponymous debut album in 2022, which was nominated in three categories in the national Emma awards (the "Finnish Grammys", as people like to say).

Rock Band from Hell

Rock Band From Hell is a new punk, rock, trap, pop…(you name it) – flavored band from Oulu. Even though the group is new for the most, these guys have played together since their childhood. Even the band’s name was originally invented when the band members were mere seven-year old ”punks”. In 2022 Rock Band from Hell signed a recording contract with Central Line Entertainment and began recording their debut album – and have so far released four pre-album singles.

Transworld Identity

Transworld Identity first started out as a classic rock cover band, but after a while decided to give it a go with their own songs. The hard rock fivesome, signed to Frontiers Records, features vocalist Mila Bosa, guitarist Mika Lamminsivu (Baby Green, Michael Monroe, Joe Lynn Turner), keyboardist Juha Kinnunen (Ryan Roxie, Marco Hietala), bassist Kasperi Kinnunen, and drummer Lacu Lahtinen (Michael Monroe, Hanoi Rocks, Crashdïet). Transworld Identity's debut full-length "Seven Worlds" saw the light of day in March 2023.

Bloodred Hourglass

Modern metal quintet Bloodred Hourglass (BRHG) was formed in 2005 in Mikkeli. The band is currently signed to Out of Line Music and has released five full-length studio albums. They're often considered a melodic death metal group, but their fifth studio album "Your Highness" (2021) showed the fivesome moving towards a more modernised approach in their sound, bringing in elements from metalcore and alternative metal as well as the introduction of clean vocals for the first time in their history.

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.

Radien

Radien’s debut album "Syvyys" (2018) was welcomed by the international doom/sludge scene. The Helsinki-based quintet's sophomore album "Unissa palaneet" takes their amplifier worship a bit further, drawing creativity from the depths of the world and the mind, balancing between crushing heaviness and ethereal atmospheres and offering their blackened sludge with intensity and integrity. The album is mixed by Sanford Parker (Yob, Eyehategod), and it features international guest appearances by Dylan Walker (Full of Hell), Mike Paparo (Inter Arma) and Italian multi-instrumentalist Lili Refrain.

5th Season

Founded in 2017, 5th Season shares love for big 1970s progressive rock giants such as Pink Floyd, Yes and domestic legends Wigwam. That love has boldly guided the band’s own music down the path signaled by these great rock totems. For their 2nd single "Desperate Measures", the band recruited Durga McBroom, best known as a touring singer for Pink Floyd, to handle the vocal parts.

Qwälen

The members of Oulu-based quintet Qwälen have been actively involved in the underground punk scene, which can be heard in the notable crust influences in their interpretation of black metal. Lyrical content concentrates mostly on self-portrayal rather than stereotypical anti-religious themes of black metal. Signed to Italian label Time to Kill, Qwälen released their debut full-length "Unohdan sinut" ("I will forget you") in 2021, which was followed with the sophomore album "Syvä hiljaisuus" ("Deep silence") in March 2023.

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.

Terveet Kädet

Terveet Kädet is a pioneer band of Finnish hardcore punk. Their first EP was released in 1980, and ever since then the band has been active. Terveet Kädet ("TK") has a cult following in the worldwide HC punk scene, and i.e. Max Cavalera of Sepultura/Soulfly has named the band as one of his favorites.

Lordi

Finland’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 in Europe, US and Asia several times and released a steady string of albums. In 2021 the band released a massive entity of seven different albums called "Lordiversity".

Blind Channel

Blind Channel spices their melodic hard rock and nu-metal with electronic pop influences. The sextet originally formed in Oulu in 2014, 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.

Insomnium

Insomnium is a melodic death metal band, founded in 1997, in a remote town of Joensuu, beyond the great vast forests of eastern Finland. Two decades later they would be saluted as one of the spearheads of their genre, having released 8 studio albums such as "Shadows of the Dying Sun" (2014) and "Winter’s Gate" (2016) which elevated the band to the headliner status all over the globe.

Kalmah

Torchbearers in the swamp metal subgenre, Kalmah was founded in 1998. In less than year after its formation, the band was signed to Spinefarm Records. Their eighth album "Palo" was released in spring 2018, after which Kalmah took a few years of hiatus but are back on the metal circuit again! Their brand of melodic death metal, with influences from power metal, thrash and black metal, has found fans all over the world and their new self-titled album filled with killer riffs and melodic hooks, akin to Amorphis or Children of Bodom, should broaden the audience.

Marianas Rest

Death metallers Marianas Rest originate from Kotka, wearing also doom and black metal influences proudly and crusting their package with melancholic melodies. It’s all about the mood, as the band promises to “invite the listeners to travel to a disturbing yet beautiful place that feels warm and welcoming yet haunting and hopeless”. The band wants to embody the Finnish melancholy and sadness of the harsh winter landscape, the social coldness of the people – a sound that has deep roots and a solid connection to Finland’s culture.

Grave Pleasures

Grave Pleasures have been described as “A post-punk wet dream,” equally channeling early The Cure and Killing Joke combined with thematic obsessions for nuclear panic and the apocalypse. Their second album, "Motherblood", was released by Century Media in September 2017, earning rave reviews from critics and fans both alike. It was followed in 2019 by a live album, recorded at Roadburn Festival. In 2023 Grave Pleasures returned with a new single "Society of Spectres" and an announcement of their 3rd studio offering.

Cyan Kicks

Initially alternative rock foursome Cyan Kicks, formed in 2017 in Helsinki, sparked interest with singles such as "Gasoline" and "Satellite" as well as their rocking cover of Clean Bandit’s "Rockabye". Fronted by singer Susanna Aleksandra the band 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 will be out in May 2023.

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 and was followed by studio debut "Dead Reckoning" in 2021 and 2nd long player "Heads Will Roll" in 2023.

Polymoon

Polymoon operates somewhere between cosmic space rock and progressive psychedelia. The basic elements are crushing fuzz guitars and undulating synthesizers, backed by a symbiosis of complex drum sequences and pulsating bass guitar, forming a triangle of euphoria, melancholia and psychedelia. Polymoon's debut "Caterpillars of Creation" was released in 2020 by Svart and followed in 2023 by 2nd album "Chrysalis".

LAB

Originally formed in 1997 as a five-piece, Helsinki-based alternative rockers LAB quickly rose to fame as Finland's answer to Garbage. With their electronic leaning modern rock sound, charismatic front woman Ana and a supply of catchy choruses, the band's success continued for the course of of three albums between 2000 and 2005. In 2005, they abruptly split, to be reunited as a trio in 2022 after 17 years of silence. The band now consists of original vocalist Ana and guitarist Splendid, along with new drummer Alec Hirst-Gee (Sub-Urban Tribe).

Blackstar Halo

Originally formed in 1998 with the name Downfall, Blackstar Halo was reborn with the album “Illuminated” in 2010. Their second album "Siren" saw the light of day in 2019. Since its formation, Blackstar Halo's defining sound has moved towards modern melodic metal with heavy low tuned riffing.

Pussies

Noise rock band Pussies claim to be founded "during the small hours of Sunday 17th September 2017 in Tampere". The duo behind these dirty and primitive rock'n'roll songs about violence, sex, alcohol, drugs, addiction and insanity is Sami Albert Hynninen (Opium Warlords, Reverend Bizarre, The Puritan etc) and Harri Kuokkanen (Ride For Revenge, Hail Conjurer, Hooded Menace). As the band itself says: "For those who enjoy their rock and roll dirty. No remorse. No mercy. Pure nihilism. Noise rock with that bear wrestling torque far too rare these days."

Everture

Hailing from Kokkola, Central Ostrobothnia, modern and melodic metal band Everture arrived with a bang with their 2021 debut album "Emerge", which rose to the 31st spot on the official Finnish chart. Everture managed to land the album's singles on big, international playlists, bringing the record's total number of listens to well over a million. In 2023, Everture returned with a new single and the announcement of a second album, slated for release in 2024.

Moshimoshi

Helsinki four-piece moshimoshi draws their biggest influences from the US emo scene, counting bands such as Algernon Cadwallader, Cap’n Jazz, The Mars Volta and At The Drive In as their main paragons. Their music combines melodic indie pop, mathematically precise jazz elements and punk-inspired raw emotion, best audible on vocalist Aatu Kovanen’s screamo squall. Playing together in various projects over the years has trained the quartet into a tight-knit ensemble. Moshimoshi’s debut ep “moshimoshi I”, released in early 2021, is followed by the band's first full-length in April 2023.

Parashyne

Parashyne is a project by vocalist and composer Tanja Härkönen. Parashyne’s music is melodic and catchy, with elements from rock, heavy metal and pop music. The project's debut ep "One" was made in co-operation with guitarist Samuli Federley and bassist Strutter.

Moonshine Mojo

Blues-rock trio Moonshine Mojo operates with self-built instruments, such as cigar box guitars and suitcase drums. After a three-year recording break, Moonshine Mojo's readies their 2nd album "Mojolithic Vibrations", slated for release in spring 2023. As far as the two singles from the forthcoming record promise, the self-proclaimed "gutter boogie" trio seems to be slipping further and further away from traditional roots blues towards a more distorted rock drive á la early Danzig or Clutch.

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.

Xysma

Xysma is one of the most notable pioneers of Finnish heavy music. During their active career, the band progressed swiftly from one genre to another: from primitive grind core to buzzing stoner rock, and on towards alternative rock. Today Xysma has an international cult band status, and their records have become valuable collectibles. After several one-off reunions though the years, Xysma finally returned full-time, playing shows throughout 2022 and preparing their 6th album "No Place Like Alone", released in March 2023.

Egokills

Self-proclaimed “hippie metal superstars”, Egokills strives to play music that is is heavy but also beautiful, groovy and catchy, with soulful lyrics and big choruses. The fivesome was formed in Tampere, Finland around 2012, with years of experience in different fields of heavy music. Their debut album "Creation" was released in 2016, and followed by 2018's "Mellowhead".

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