Tsduv21

   Biography                        

Very often compared to The Gathering and Lacuna Coil (goth-influenced "symphonic" metal bands with female vocalists), Nightwish was formed in Kitee, Finland, in 1997 by keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen. At first attempting to create acoustic music, he recruited a trained opera vocalist, Tarja Turunen. However, he soon added a complete metal-band instrumentation with guitarist Emppo Vourinen, bassist Sami Vanska, and drummer Jukka Nevalainen. Their demos earned them a contract with the Finnish label Spinefarm, which released their debut album Angels Fall first in 1997. The next album, Oceanborn, was released in 1998 and made Nightwish a success in its homeland. The album reached the Finnish Top Five and spun off three Top Ten Singles. The band toured Europe extensively, strengthening their success. In 2000 their third album, Wishmaster, was released. It topped the Finnish charts. In addition, it was the first album to be released in the U.S by Century Media. Tarja later became a soloist and was replaced by Anette Olsen. They released the album Dark Passion Play in 2007. 

 Favorite Songs

My personal favorites include: Over the Hills and Far Away, Wish I Had an Angel, Planet Hell, Amaranth and Bye, Bye Beautiful.

                              Over The Hills and Far Away 

                                             Amaranth 

More info in their official website. 

                  Biography                                  
 

This Finnish progressive metal band formed by vocalist Tony Kakko, guitarist Jani Liimatainen, drummer Tommy Portimo, keyboardist Mikko Harkin, and bassist Janne Kivilahti was born in 1996. The band specializes in a soaring, orchestral variation of European heavy metal similar to Europe with the over-the-top instrumentals of a band such as Dream Theater. The band recorded a bunch of demos before releasing their first single "UnOpened" thanks to Spinefarm Records in July 1999. The producer, Mikko  Karmila (Children of Bodom, Stratovarius, Nightwish) recorded and mixed Sonata Arctica's full-length debut, Eliptica. The album was released in 2000 by Spinefarm Records and Century Media Records. After a successful tour with Rhapsody and Stratovarius, the band released a six-song EP, Successor-MCD, which included live tracks, a few covers and previously unreleased material. Sonata Arctica was rewarded with various awards and prizes around this time. Hard N' Heavy magazine voted them Newcomer of the Year, as did Emma, the Finnish Music Awards. Before work began in the band's second album, Kivihalti quit the band in late 2000 and was replaced by Marko Paasikoski. With the suppor of Ahti Kortelainen, Sonata Arctica recorded  Silence at Tico-Tico studios in time for a 2001 release.

 Favorite Songs

My personal favorite songs are: Paid in Full, Fullmoon, Don't Say a Word, I Want Out (cover) and Vodka.  

                                           Paid in Full

                                       Fullmoon (Live) 

More at their official website.

        Biography              

After their formation in 1993, Hammerfall underwent numerous personnel changes before settling on their current lineup, which includes principal songwriters Joachim Cans (vocals) and Oscar Dronjak (guitars). Jesper Stromblad, a past member of In Flames, contributed to their debut, although Patrick Rafling replaced him soon after. Since the release debut Glory of the Brave in 1997, Hammerfall have become one of the best bands in the Eurometal scene, residing in Germany's Top 100 for over two months. In addition, Glory to the Brave was dubbed Album of the Year by Rock Hard magazine. The Swedish rockers have played in numerous metal festivals, including the Wacken Open Air Festival. When they returned in 1999, they recorded the EP I Want Out. Renegade, their second full-length album, was released a year later. Over the next few years, Hammerfall released a series of albums that consolidated their success. Among this are: Legacy of Kings, Crimson Thunder, One Crimson Night, Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken and Threshold in order. Steel Meets Steel-10 Years of Glory, which was released in 2007, is a "best hits" collection that contains all of the tracks a fan could wish for. 

 My Favorite Songs are: Natural High, Renegade, Heeding The Call and Blood Bound. In fact I like all of their songs.

                                 Natural High                                                                           Blood Bound