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Kalmah
Kalmah
	Kalmah performing at Jalometalli Metal Music Festival in 2008
Background information
Also known as	Ancestor (1991–1998)
Origin	Pudasjärvi, Finland
Genres	Melodic death metal, power metal
Years active	1991–present
Labels	Spinefarm, Century Media
Members	Pekka Kokko ; Antti Kokko ; Timo Lehtinen ; Janne Kusmin ; Veli-Matti Kananen
Past members	Altti Veteläinen; Petri Sankala ; Pasi Hiltula ; Anssi Seppänen ; Marco Sneck
Website	kalmah.com

Kalmah is a Finnish melodic death metal^[1] band from Pudasjärvi^[2]^[3]^[4] that formed in 1998.^[5]^[6] In less than a year after its formation, Kalmah was signed by Spinefarm Records. The word "kalmah" is Karelian and could be translated as "to the grave" or "to the death".^[7]

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 and Kalmah formed. The new band consisted of Pekka Kokko performing vocals and 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 which was released in 2000.^[8]

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.

12 Gauge

Kalmah's sixth studio album was released in Japan on 24 February 2010, Canada on 2 March, Europe on 3 March and North America on 6 April.^[9]

Recording and mixing took place from May to August at Tico-Tico Studios in Finland,^[10] and mastering for the disc took place at the Cutting Room in Sweden.^[11]

The track "Bullets Are Blind" was released in December 2009 on a two-CD collection included with the 35th anniversary issue of Soundi magazine.^[12]

In March 2010, 12 Gauge became the first Kalmah album to be released on vinyl. The album was mastered for vinyl by Joona Lukala, Noise for Fiction, and released by Svart Records in a limited run of 500 copies.^[13]

Seventh Swamphony

In 2012, Kalmah finished filming a new music video for their upcoming album, due to be released in 2013. The band have kept fans up to date with their process via social networking website Facebook by uploading different photos, as well as a short behind the scenes video from the day of filming their video. They also announced that they currently have six songs finished, and they plan to enter the studio in January 2013.

The artwork for their seventh studio album will be created by artist Juha Vuorma, the man also behind the art of Kalmah's first 3 albums.^[11]

In April 2013, it was announced that the band will release their seventh studio album, Seventh Swamphony, on 17 June.^[14]

Palo

Kalmah's eighth album, Palo, was released on 6 April 2018.^[15] A single from the album, "Evil Kin" was released on 9 February 2018.

Kalmah

In March 2023, the band announced their self-titled ninth album would be released on 26 May.^[16]

Musical style

The band's musical style is primarily classified as melodic death metal with their sound including strong influences of power metal, thrash metal and black metal. Musically, the band has been compared to fellow Finnish metal acts Children of Bodom, Norther and Wintersun.

Band members

Current lineup

Pekka Kokko

Antti Kokko

Timo Lehtinen

Janne Kusmin

Veli-Matti Kananen

Current members

Pekka Kokko – vocals, rhythm guitar (1998–present)
Antti Kokko – lead guitar (1998–present)
Timo Lehtinen – bass (2001–present)
Janne Kusmin – drums (2001–present)
Veli-Matti Kananen – keyboards (2012–present)

Former members

Altti Veteläinen – bass guitar (1998–2001)
Petri Sankala – drums (1998–2001)
Antti-Matti Talala – keyboards (1999)^[17]
Pasi Hiltula – keyboards (1999–2004)
Marco Sneck – keyboards (2004–2011)

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

Swamplord (2000)
They Will Return (2002)
Swampsong (2003)
The Black Waltz (2006)
For the Revolution (2008)
12 Gauge (2010)
Seventh Swamphony (2013)
Palo (2018)
Kalmah (2023)

Demos and EPs

As Ancestor

Ethereal Devotion (1992)
Material World God (1993)
With No Strings Attached (1995)
Tomorrow (1997)
Under the Burbot's Nest (1998)

As Kalmah

Svieri Obraza (1999) − promo
Demo 2004 (2004)

Videos

Withering Away (2000)
The Groan of Wind (2006)
12 Gauge studio diary in seven parts (2009)^[18]
12 Gauge (2010) (music video)
Seventh Swamphony (2013)
Evil Kin (2018)
Blood Ran Cold (2018)
Take Me Away (2018)

References

^ Sweeney, Brian (19 April 2008). "Antti Kokko of Kalmah". Metal Review. Archived from the original on 13 June 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
^ "Band biography". Tartarean Desire. Archived from the original on 18 April 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
^ Pigeon, Tim (22 February 2006). ""The Black Waltz" Album Review". Metal Review. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
^ "Kalmah". metalunderground.com. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
^ Kalmah. "Kalmah - Swamp Metal". kalmah.com. Archived from the original on 6 December 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
^ "Kalmah – For the Revolution (Advance)". Releaselog. 28 April 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
^ Renner, Christian (3 November 2001). "Interview with guitarist Antti Kokko". The Metal Crypt. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
^ "Artist Profile: Kalmah". eventseeker.com. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
^ "Kalmah – One of Fail". Last.fm. Retrieved 23 February 2010. ^{[dead link‍]}
^ "Kalmah – Web Gauge (studio diary)". Kalmah.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
^ ^a ^b Kalmah. "Kalmah - Swamp Metal". kalmah.com. Archived from the original on 27 April 2006. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
^ "Soundi.fi 35 vuotta – 36 biisiä". Archived from the original on 16 September 2010. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
^ "Kalmah: 12 Gauge LP - Svart Records". Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
^ Blabbermouth (3 April 2013). "KALMAH To Release 'Seventh Swamphony' In June". blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
^ Kelly, Kim (3 April 2018). "Men Ruined Melodic Death Metal for Me But Kalmah Saved It". Vice. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
^ "KALMAH Announce Self-Titled Album; New Single Out Friday". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. 20 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
^ "Antti-Matti "Antza" Talala Biography". Metal from Finland. Archived from the original on 14 January 2010. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
^ Kalmahik's Channel's channel on YouTube