Callisto is a post-metal

Post-metal

Post-metal is a music genre, a mixture between the genres of post-rock and heavy metal.Hydra Head Records owner and Isis frontman Aaron Turner originally termed the genre "thinking man's metal", demonstrating that his band was trying to move away from common metal conventions...

 band from Turku

Turku

Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...

, Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

. The band was formed in 2001 in Kokkola

Kokkola

Kokkola is a town and municipality of Finland.The town is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Central Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is...

. Whilst their early works are hardcore

Hardcore punk

Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...

/metalcore

Metalcore

Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...

, their first album True Nature Unfolds

True Nature Unfolds

True Nature Unfolds is the first true full-length album by the Finnish post-metal band Callisto. It was first released in 2004 by Fullsteam Records, and then re-released in 2005 by Earache Records with different artwork...

has a strong sludge metal

Sludge metal

Sludge metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that melds elements of doom metal and hardcore punk, and sometimes incorporates influences from southern rock, stoner rock and grunge. Sludge metal is typically abrasive; often featuring shouted vocals, heavily distorted instruments and sharply contrasting...

 and doom

Doom metal

Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...

 influence and their second album Noir is more influenced by progressive

Progressive metal

Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...

 and more dynamic sound. Their third album Providence was released in 2009, introducing wide use of clean vocals in their music. Apart from featuring female vocals on some of their early songs, they have used unexpected instruments, for example saxophone

Saxophone

The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...

, cello

Cello

The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...

, flute

Flute

The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...

 and English horn. Callisto's short and cryptic lyrics contain Christian

Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

 themes and references.

Callisto has headlined several tours in Europe from 2004 to 2009. They also opened for High on Fire

High on Fire

High on Fire is a stoner metal band from Oakland, California, that was formed in 1998. Matt Pike, the band's frontman and founder, previously played guitar for the influential stoner doom band Sleep.-History:...

 on their 2005 United Kingdom tour. In March 2007 Callisto showcased in Canada and USA, playing at the Canadian Music Week

Canadian Music Week

Canadian Music Week is an industry conference and music festival held over four days in various venues throughout Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-History:...

 in Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

 and South by Southwest

South by Southwest

South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...

 festival in Austin

Austin

Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...

, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, to name a few.

Discography

Studio albums

• True Nature Unfolds
  True Nature Unfolds
  True Nature Unfolds is the first true full-length album by the Finnish post-metal band Callisto. It was first released in 2004 by Fullsteam Records, and then re-released in 2005 by Earache Records with different artwork...
  
  (2004)
• True Nature Unfolds (reissue) (2005)
• Noir (2006)
• Providence (2009)

Other releases

• Dying Desire Single
  Single (music)
  In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
  
   (2001)
• Ordeal of the Century
  Ordeal of the Century
  Ordeal of the Century is the second EP by Finnish post-metal band Callisto. It was first released in 2002 by Fullsteam Records, and then re-released in 2003 by Fullsteam Records with the added "Dawning End" remix.-Track listing:...
  
  Mini CD
  Mini CD
  Mini CDs, or “pocket CDs” are CDs with a smaller diameter and one third the capacity.-Formats:Amongst the various formats are the* Mini CD single, a small disc. The format is mainly used for audio CD singles in certain regions , much like the old vinyl single...
  
   (2002)
• Ordeal of the Century (reissue) Mini CD (2003)
• Jemima/Klimenko 12" (2004)

Current members

• Jani Ala-Hukkala - vocals
• Markus Myllykangas – guitar, backing vocals
• Johannes Nygård – guitar
• Juho Niemelä – bass
• Ariel Björklund – drums
• Arto Karvonen – keyboards

External links

• Official Website
• Official MySpace Page
• Fullsteam Records
• [ Callisto at AllMusic Guide] Interview with Markus Myllykangas and Ariel Björklund