Viikate
Encyclopedia
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...
metal
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...
band from Kouvola
Kouvola
Kouvola is a town and municipality in southeastern Finland. It is located northeast of the capital, Helsinki.The city has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....
, formed in 1996. The band is known for its melancholic lyrics, drawing inspiration from Finnish romance movies of the 1950s and Finnish singers of the era, including Reino Helismaa
Reino Helismaa
Reino Vihtori "Repe" Helismaa was a Finnish singer-songwriter, musician and scriptwriter, mainly known for his humorous, yet homely songs. One of his best-known interpreters was Tapio Rautavaara.-Works:...
. Their style has been variously described as "Helismaa
Reino Helismaa
Reino Vihtori "Repe" Helismaa was a Finnish singer-songwriter, musician and scriptwriter, mainly known for his humorous, yet homely songs. One of his best-known interpreters was Tapio Rautavaara.-Works:...
-metal," "wire
Rautalanka
In common usage the Finnish word rautalanka means instrumental rock in general. Some enthusiasts use the term more narrowly to refer to the somewhat distinct style of playing it that has developed in Finland over the years...
metal," and "death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
schlager
Schlager
Schlager music is a style of popular music prevalent in Central and Northern Europe and the Balkans and also in France and Poland. In Portugal, it was adapted and became pimba music...
s." The band began with Kaarle and Simeoni Viikate who remained the only members of the band until 2001, when Arvo and Ervo joined. The band's most well-known hits are Pohjoista viljaa (Northern Crops), Ei enkeleitä (No Angels) and Viina, Terva & Hauta (Booze, Tar & The Grave).
Kaarle and Simeoni got the idea of starting the band when watching Lyijykomppania
Lyijykomppania
Lyijykomppania is a Finnish heavy metal band. It was originally formed in 1981, but was disbanded a short two years later. The band regrouped and started again in 1990 and remained together until once again breaking up in 1998. The band got back together in 2003...
's last concert.
Members
- Kaarle Viikate (Kalle Virtanen) — vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Simeoni Viikate (Simo Kairistola) — drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Arvo Viikate (Ari Taiminen) — guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Ervo Viikate (Erkka Koskinen) — bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
Albums
- Noutajan valssi (transl. 'The Reaper's Waltz') (2000)
- Vuoden synkin juhla (transl. 'The Grimmest Jubilee of the Year')(2001)
- Kaajärven rannat (transl. 'Shores of Lake Kaajärvi') (2002)
- Surut pois ja kukka rintaan (transl. 'Sorrows begone and Put a Flower on Your Chest')(2003)
- Unholan urut (transl. 'The Organs of Oblivion') (2005)
- Marraskuun lauluja I (transl. 'Songs of November I')(2007)
- Marraskuun lauluja II (transl. 'Songs of November II') (2007)
- Kuu kaakon yllä (transl. 'The Moon Above Southeast') (2009)
Collections
- Kuutamourakat (transl. 'Moonlight Gigs') (2004) (Contains all the EPs made with Longplay Music from 1998–1999 and the singles Odotus, Piinaava hiljaisuus and Iltatähden rusko.)
- Parrun pätkiä (2006) (transl. 'Pieces of Baulk') (Contains all the EPs made with Spinefarm RecordsSpinefarm RecordsSpinefarm Records is a Finland-based record label focusing mainly on heavy metal artists. In 1999, a sub-label titled Spikefarm Records was started by Sami Tenetz from Thy Serpent...
from 2000-2004.) - Marraskuun singlet (transl. 'Singles of November') (2008)
- Kuutamo, kaiho & katkeruus (transl. 'Moonlight, Longing and Bitterness') (2011)
EPs
- Vaiennut soitto (transl. 'Silenced Playing') (1998)
- Roudasta Rospuuttoon (transl. 'From Frost to Rasputitsa') (1999)
- Alakulotettuja tunnelmia (transl. 'Depressified Feelings') (2000)
- Valkea ja kuulas (transl. 'White and Translucent') (2001)
- Kevyesti keskellä päivää (transl. 'Lightly Amidst the Day') (2002)
- Iltatähden rusko (transl. 'Afterglow of the Evening Star') (2003)
- Kuolleen miehen kupletti (transl. 'Dead Man's Couplet') (2004)
- Kesävainaja (transl. 'Summercorpse') (2009)
- Linna Espanjassa (transl. 'Castle in Spain') (2010)
Singles
- Odotus (transl. 'The Wait') (2001)
- Piinaava hiljaisuus (transl. 'The Agonizing Silence') (1997, 2002) (record / remastered)
- Ei ole ketään kelle soittaa (transl. 'There's No One to Call') (2002)
- Nuori mies nimetön (transl. 'A Nameless Young Man') (2002)
- Kaunis kotkan käsi (transl. 'The Beautiful Hand of the Eagle') (2003)
- Leimu (transl. 'Flame') (2003)
- Pohjoista viljaa (transl. 'Northern Crops') (2005)
- Tie (transl. 'The Road') (2005)
- Vesi jota pelkäät (transl. 'The Water You're Afraid Of') (2005)
- Ah, ahtaita aikoja (transl. 'Ah, Tight Times')(2006)
- Ei enkeleitä (transl. 'No Angels') (2007)
- Me olemme myöhäiset (transl. 'We Are the Late') (2007)
- Orret (transl. 'The Roosts') (2007)
- Viina, terva ja hauta (transl. 'Booze, Tar and the Grave') (2009)
- Kuu kaakon yllä (transl. 'The Moon Above South-East') (2009)
- Hautajaissydän (transl. 'The Funeral Heart') featuring Topi SorsakoskiTopi SorsakoskiPekka Erkki Juhani Tammilehto , better known by his stage name Topi Sorsakoski, was a Finnish singer. His father was tango singer Yrjö Tapio aka Jylli Tammilehto...
(2010)
Music videos
- "Hanget" (1999)
- "Kylymä" (1999)
- "Alakulotettuja tunnelmia" (2000)
- "Korutonta" (2000)
- "Viattomien lasten päivä" (2001)
- "Nuori mies nimetön" (2002)
- "Leimu" (2003)
- "Tie" (2004)
- "Ah ahtaita aikoja" (2006)
- "Me olemme myöhäiset" (2007)
- "Viina, terva & hauta" (2009)
- "Eräs kaunis päivä" (2010)
DVDs
- Leimu DVD-single (2003)
- V-DVD 1: Viikate-videogaala (2008)
- V-DVD 2: Viikate-iltamat (2010)
In addition to CDs, Viikate has also released some of their albums on vinyl records and cassettes. There has always been one extra track on the records and cassettes that is not on the CDs, except on the Christmas album Vuoden synkin juhla.