Metal Mass
Encyclopedia
Metal Mass is a heavy metal music
service of worship
. In it the traditional hymns are adapted to heavy metal style, following a Lutheran service pattern. As reported by The Washington Times
and AFP
, it has become a popular phenomenon in Finland
, drawing hundreds of people, especially youth, to church, since it was first held in 2006. An album based on the service, Metallimessu, peaked at number 12 on the Finnish album chart, and has been on the Top 40 Chart for three weeks. Several known Finnish heavy metal musicians have participated on the musical side of the service and the album.
and heavy metal music
. They gathered a team for service and began working on arrangements. The first Metal Mass was held around the time of the annual Tuska Open Air Metal Festival
, June 29, 2006, in Temppeliaukio Church
. Taage Laiho of the hard rock band Kilpi
, was the lead singer in that Metal Mass. The service was reportedly a success, with 300 people being left out because of safety reasons.
The team founded an organization for the service, Metallimessu ry, and between 2007 and 2008 the Metal Mass was held in several major cities in Finland with different workgroup line-ups. The service drew hundreds of people each time.
On August 26, 2008, the Metallimessu album was released, and the songs and interludes follow the pattern of the service. On the album, guest vocalists for the hymns include Taage Laiho (Kilpi
), Ville Tuomi (Suburban Tribe
), Tanja (Lullacry
), Tuomas Nieminen (Adamantra), Juhani Muhonen (Sorrowind) and Heikki Pöyhiä (Twilightning
).
Mikko Saari, a co-founder of Metallimessu, tells AFP that "Finns are known to be reserved, serious and very honest ... Somehow heavy metal fits into this as it is no-nonsense, honest, straightforward and quite gloomy."
750 people attended the first Metal Mass, and the after that the popularity has been solid, for example, at the service held at Mäntsälä, 1100 people attended Metal Mass. Not all accept the idea of Metal Mass, according to Saari, "Of course some Christian circles were scared and some true metal people were irate. But many said that the idea was great and that they had been waiting for it."
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
service of worship
Service of worship
In the Protestant denominations of Christianity, a service of worship is a meeting whose primary purpose is the worship of God. The phrase is normally shortened to service. It is also commonly called a worship service...
. In it the traditional hymns are adapted to heavy metal style, following a Lutheran service pattern. As reported by The Washington Times
The Washington Times
The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
and AFP
Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse is a French news agency, the oldest one in the world, and one of the three largest with Associated Press and Reuters. It is also the largest French news agency. Currently, its CEO is Emmanuel Hoog and its news director Philippe Massonnet...
, it has become a popular phenomenon in 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...
, drawing hundreds of people, especially youth, to church, since it was first held in 2006. An album based on the service, Metallimessu, peaked at number 12 on the Finnish album chart, and has been on the Top 40 Chart for three weeks. Several known Finnish heavy metal musicians have participated on the musical side of the service and the album.
History
The concept of Metal Mass was thought up by five metal fans, three of whom worked at a church (pastors Haka Kekäläinen and Jukka Valkama and youth worker Mikko Saari) and the other two being musicians (Markus Korri and Juhani Palttala), after a 2005 seminar on the relationship of ChurchChristian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
and heavy metal music
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
. They gathered a team for service and began working on arrangements. The first Metal Mass was held around the time of the annual Tuska Open Air Metal Festival
Tuska Open Air Metal Festival
Tuska Open Air Metal Festival, shortly Tuska , is the largest music festival dedicated only to metal and related styles of music in the Nordic countries. The history of Tuska began in 1998 and it has grown larger every year. The location of the festival has been in Kaisaniemi park in the middle of...
, June 29, 2006, in Temppeliaukio Church
Temppeliaukio Church
Temppeliaukio Church is a Lutheran church in the Töölö neighborhood of Helsinki. The church was designed by architects and brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen and opened in 1969....
. Taage Laiho of the hard rock band Kilpi
Kilpi
Kilpi is a Finnish heavy metal band, singing in Finnish.- The band :Kilpi means shield in Finnish. However, it actually is the guitarist and band creator's last name, Petteri Kilpi. The band's first album, Sähkönsinistä Sinfoniaa, was released on May 28, 2003, some months after their first single,...
, was the lead singer in that Metal Mass. The service was reportedly a success, with 300 people being left out because of safety reasons.
The team founded an organization for the service, Metallimessu ry, and between 2007 and 2008 the Metal Mass was held in several major cities in Finland with different workgroup line-ups. The service drew hundreds of people each time.
On August 26, 2008, the Metallimessu album was released, and the songs and interludes follow the pattern of the service. On the album, guest vocalists for the hymns include Taage Laiho (Kilpi
Kilpi
Kilpi is a Finnish heavy metal band, singing in Finnish.- The band :Kilpi means shield in Finnish. However, it actually is the guitarist and band creator's last name, Petteri Kilpi. The band's first album, Sähkönsinistä Sinfoniaa, was released on May 28, 2003, some months after their first single,...
), Ville Tuomi (Suburban Tribe
Suburban Tribe (band)
Suburban Tribe was a rock band from Finland. The band is notable for containing the members of two of Finland's greatest thrash metal bands, Stone and Airdash. Bassist Janne Joutsenniemi played in the band Stone and guitarist Roope Siren played in Airdash. In the beginning, the bands name was...
), Tanja (Lullacry
Lullacry
Lullacry is a melodic band with gothic metal influences that hails from Helsinki, Finland. The band recorded their first demo in 1998 and in a short time they had enough of a following to safely attempt a full-length album – Sweet Desire – recorded in 1999. This got the attention of Spinefarm...
), Tuomas Nieminen (Adamantra), Juhani Muhonen (Sorrowind) and Heikki Pöyhiä (Twilightning
Twilightning
Twilightning was a power metal band from Imatra, Finland.-Biography:Twilightning formed in 1998, consisting of guitarists Tommi Sartanen and Ville Wallenius, bassist Jussi Kainulainen, and drummer Juha Leskinen, with Tommi also on vocals. After releasing their first demo in 1999, they were joined...
).
Phenomenon
According to AFP, the popularity of the Metal Mass is linked to the mainstream popularity of heavy metal music in Finland. "If it has a niche audience elsewhere, heavy metal is now mainstream in Finland. Helsinki alone abounds with heavy metal karaoke bars, dedicated metal clubs and regular gigs, adding to the dozens of summertime heavy metal festivals held around the Nordic country."Mikko Saari, a co-founder of Metallimessu, tells AFP that "Finns are known to be reserved, serious and very honest ... Somehow heavy metal fits into this as it is no-nonsense, honest, straightforward and quite gloomy."
Reception
The Finnish Christian Media Association awarded Metal Mass the "Christian Media Achievement of 2007" title, writing that "Metal Mass as a concept and service of worship has remarkably widened Finland's Lutheran church's boundaries for the current and future members of its parishes." The concept has drawn interest and media coverage from Sweden and Norway as well.750 people attended the first Metal Mass, and the after that the popularity has been solid, for example, at the service held at Mäntsälä, 1100 people attended Metal Mass. Not all accept the idea of Metal Mass, according to Saari, "Of course some Christian circles were scared and some true metal people were irate. But many said that the idea was great and that they had been waiting for it."