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Formed in the early '90s the Goth-Metal band Apocalyptica chose an entirely
individual path from day one. A few years earlier, while students at the
Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, FINALND, these young virtuosos joined a
cello band that specialised in playing music by everyone from J.S. Bach
to Jimi Hendrix. However, Eicca Toppinen,
Max Lilja, Antero Manninen and Paavo Lotjonen had something louder in
mind. All fans of heavy music, they decided to form their own band, Toppinen
wrote some unique arrangements of songs by Metallica,
Slayer and other Metal bands and the group
embarked on a series of shows at student parties.
Kari Hynninen of Zen Garden Records, who was so bowled over by the band's
ingenious interpretations of metal anthems that he instantly offered them
a contract and the chance to release their 1996 debut album, "Plays
Metallica By Four Cellos"; it sold over one million copies worldwide.
A sophomore effort entitled "Inquisition Symphony", followed
two years later, a second batch of cover versions that this time included
songs by Faith No More, Pantera,
Sepultura and again Metallica.
It also featured the band's first original material: three songs that
revealed that there was far more to Apocalyptica than novelty.
In 1999 Manninen left the band, being replaced by Perttu Kivilaakso. By
the time Apocalyptica reached their third studio record, 2000's "Cult",
they had decided to move away from cover versions and produced nearly
a whole album's worth of fresh material that set the band's wild and compellingly
diverse blend of disparate genres in stone once and for all. Apocalyptica
were determined to establish themselves as a powerful creative force and
"Cult" charted in the German top 40.
Now reduced to a trio, Max Lilja left the fold in 2002, with their reputation
soaring, the Finnish cello-Metal troop entered the new millennium with
another major step forward when they collaborated with legendary Slayer
drummer Dave Lombardo on their fourth studio album, "Reflections";
it was released in February 2003 peaking at #15 in Germany.
Realising that Lombardo's rhythmic muscle had given their sound a new
lease of life and enabled them to veer off in numerous new directions,
Apocalyptica enlisted their own full-time drummer, Mikko Sirén,
for 2005's self-titled opus. Easily the strongest album of their careers,
"Apocalyptica", saw the band strengthen their song writing skills
and invite some guests into the studio, including HIM
frontman Ville Valo, Lauri Ylönen of The Rasmus and again Dave Lombardo;
the disc debuted in both the Finnish and German charts at #5.
Apocalyptica released their latest album, "Worlds Collide",
worldwide in September 2007; the 11-song set is led by the single "I'm
Not Jesus", featuring Stone Sour/Slipknot
frontman Corey Taylor and aslo includes collaborations with Lacuna
Coil's sublime Cristina Scabbia and Three
Days Grace vocalist Adam Gontier.
Apocalyptica biography is an exclusive of 100xr.com
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