Kalmah

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Kalmah
Kalmah performing in Tavastia, Finland, 2008.
Background information
Origin	Pudasjärvi, Finland
Genres	Melodic death metal
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Spinefarm Century Media
Associated acts	Eternal Tears of Sorrow For My Pain... Catamenia Nothnegal End of You Poisonblack
Website	www.kalmah.com
Members
Pekka Kokko Antti Kokko Marco Sneck Timo Lehtinen Janne Kusmin
Former members
Altti Veteläinen Petri Sankala Pasi Hiltula Anssi Seppänen

Kalmah is a melodic death metal band from Pudasjärvi, Finland that formed in 1998.^[1] In less than a year after its formation, Kalmah was signed by Spinefarm Records. "Kalmah" is Karelian and could be translated as "to the grave" or "to the death."

History

In 1991, Pekka Kokko and Petri Sankala founded the metal band Ancestor. After Ancestor had recorded two demos, Antti Kokko joined the band as lead guitarist. In 1998, after five demos, Ancestor disbanded. Later in the same year, Kalmah formed. The new band consisted of Pekka Kokko as the lead singer, also performing on guitar, Antti Kokko on lead guitar, Pasi Hiltula on keyboards, Altti Veteläinen on bass, and Petri Sankala on drums.

Kalmah began to write songs for a promotional CD entitled Svieri Obraza. With this demo, they acquired a recording contract with Spinefarm Records and headed to Tico-Tico Studios to record their debut album, Swamplord.

By November 2001, they returned to Tico-Tico Studios to record their second studio album, They Will Return. By this time, Veteläinen and Sankala were replaced by Timo Lehtinen on bass and Janne Kusmin on drums, respectively. In 2002, Kalmah played shows in Finland and at Wacken Open Air. In February 2003, they recorded their third studio album, Swampsong. In 2004, keyboardist Pasi Hiltula left and was replaced by Marco Sneck. The band released The Black Waltz in 2006 and For the Revolution in 2008. Kalmah toured in Canada and Finland to promote the latter album.

Untitled sixth album

Recording and mixing took place from May to August at Tico-Tico Studios. By May 12, Janne Kusmin's drum tracks had been laid down.^[2] In the studio diary, Kusmin writes, "I had to change some foot parts because I could not play them as good I wanted to. Reason for this is too little practicing."^[2] Timo Lehtinen completed the bass tracks around May 19. Pekka Kokko and Antti Kokko had their rhythm and lead guitar parts finished by May 28. By the middle of June, Pekka had recorded vocals for five tracks and Antti finished all his solo work. After a summer break, the band returned in August to record Marco Sneck's keyboards and complete both Pekka's and the pig unit's group vocals. Mastering for the disc took place at the Cutting Room in Sweden.^[3]

The album will be released in January or February 2010.^[3] Ten tracks were recorded, including songs titled 12 Gauge, Bullets Are Blind,^[4] and a cover. Bullets Are Blind was released on a 2-CD collection included with the 35th anniversary issue of Soundi magazine.^[5]

The band's promo photo session was lensed by Vesa Ranta at a gloomy swamp, documented by Antti Kokko in a two-part video called "The Call of the Wild."

Discography

Studio Albums

• Swamplord (2000)
• They Will Return (2002)
• Swampsong (2003)
• The Black Waltz (2006)
• For the Revolution (2008)
• Sixth studio album (2010)^[3]

Demos and EPs

• Ethereal Devotion (1992), Ancestor
• Material World God (1993), Ancestor
• With No Strings Attached (1996), Ancestor
• Tomorrow (1997), Ancestor
• Under the Burbot's Nest (1998), Ancestor
• Svieri Obraza (1999) − promo
• Demo 2004 (2004) − unreleased

Videos

• Withering Away (2000)
• The Groan of Wind (2006)
• Seven short videos documenting the sixth album's studio recording and the promotional photo shoot (2009)

Band members

Current members

• Pekka Kokko – vocals, guitar (1998–present)
• Antti Kokko – lead guitar (1998–present)
• Marco Sneck – keyboards (2004–present)
• Timo Lehtinen – bass guitar (2001–present)
• Janne Kusmin – drums (2001–present)

Former members

• Anssi Seppänen – guitar (1992−1993)
• Altti Veteläinen – bass guitar (1998–2001)
• Petri Sankala – drums (1998–2001)
• Pasi Hiltula – keyboards (1999–2004)
• Antti-Matti Talala – keyboards

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kalmah

• Kalmah – official website
• Kalmah − Spinefarm Records