Best Metal Bands from Finland

The Top Ten
1 Children of Bodom Children Of Bodom was a melodic death metal band from Espoo, Finland. Formed in 1993, the final lineup consisted of Alexi Laiho, Janne Wirman, Henkka Seppälä, Jaska Raatikainen and Daniel Freyberg.

Amazing band! Alexi rules! One of the greatest metal guitarists ever. And their 2019 album is awesome.

Greatest band Finland has produced. Would love to see them live one day.

Damn shame I really only discovered them after Alexi died. Incredible guitar and so many good tunes.

2 Nightwish Nightwish is a symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. The band was formed in 1996 by lead songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and lead singer Tarja Turunen. It's currently formed by Tuomas, Emppu, lead vocalist Floor Jansen, bassist and vocalist Marco Hietala,... read more

Nightwish is great. I've been following them for 17 years now, have three tattoos dedicated to them, saw their last ever gig with Tarja, and was lucky enough to see them record their live DVD in Finland in 2015.

The nature of Finland is a great setting for listening to Nightwish, and luckily I now get to do that daily with my awesome Finnish son. I prefer the old stuff over the new stuff.

I can't believe Stam1na is not on this list!

Awesome band! Great songs!

Music - the power of the lyrics - a fairy tale, the voices - lovely.

Tuomas - God, Marco - a brutal man, fire, Erno - northern elf, Tarja - goddess, Anette - Sun, Jukka - a great drummer. They're all great!

3 Insomnium Insomnium is a Finnish melodic death metal band from Joensuu, Finland. The sound and lyrical themes of their music portray darkness, sorrow, loss, pain, and nature.

Insomnium is such a fine band with beautiful melancholy in its spirit, making it one of the best.

Melodic death metal at its finest! True melancholy and beautiful brutality from Finland!

Insomnium should be in the top 5 best metal bands in Finland.

4 Kalmah Kalmah is a melodic death metal band from Oulu, Finland that formed in 1998. In less than a year after its formation, Kalmah was signed by Spinefarm Records.

One of the best bands in Finnish metal and the whole world. They are epic for their signature tone and pattern. Their riffs are more melodious than COB's. Of course, their leads are too awesome. Love Love Love.

5 Amorphis Amorphis is a Finnish metal band formed in 1990. Initially, the band was a death metal act, but on later albums they have evolved into playing other genres, such as folk metal and progressive metal.

I've been into Amorphis since I was 15 (which was back in '95), and I haven't been disappointed yet.

The album "Under the Red Cloud" is an absolute masterpiece, and I think the band is totally awesome.

6 Ensiferum Ensiferum is a Finnish folk metal band from Helsinki. The members of the band label themselves as "melodic folk metal."

Love Jari and of course, love Wintersun. I'm from Canada, another land of snow and sorrow.

7 Sonata Arctica Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, Finland. Created as a hard rock band named Tricky Beans, they later changed to Tricky Means and finally to Sonata Arctica, when they shifted to power metal.

This is the first metal band I have ever heard, and it exceeded my expectations completely. Wow, they have many great songs, and I like many of them. Tony Kakko's voice is fantastic, and their melodies and the structures of the pieces are unique! They really are great musicians, all of them.

Sonata Arctica manages to incorporate many emotions in their lyrics while painting a vivid image in their listeners' heads. Not to mention, the music itself just owns.

Tony Kakko is one of the best male vocalists of all time!

8 Stratovarius Stratovarius is a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1984. Since their formation, they have released 16 studio albums, 4 DVD and 3 live albums.

Timo Tolkki is a genius of music. The songs are filled with deep meaning, masterpieces, sophisticated technical techniques, emotional choruses, etc.

Stratovarius should be ranked higher than they are now because the voice is very awesome.

Episode and Visions are pure classics, in a league with Rainbow Rising, Machine Head, Piece of Mind, Keeper of the Seven Keys, and Marching Out. All other bands on this list - especially the overrated Sonata Arctica - are miles behind the mighty Stratovarius.

9 Wintersun Wintersun is a metal band from Helsinki, Finland and was originally created by guitarist, keyboardist, bassist, songwriter and vocalist Jari Mäenpää as a side project to folk metal band Ensiferum for whom he was lead singer and guitarist.
10 Norther

One song, Frozen Angel. If there were more like that, they would be no. 1.

The Contenders
11 Swallow the Sun Swallow the Sun is a Finnish melodic death/doom metal band. They have a melodic, atmospheric doom metal sound.
12 Moonsorrow Moonsorrow is a pagan metal band formed in Helsinki, Finland, in 1995. Musically, the band incorporates elements of black metal and folk metal in their sound.

Moonsorrow isn't only the most talented band from Finland. They might be the most talented group of musicians ever. Their songwriting and musicianship are unbelievable.

How is this awesome band sitting at number 9 behind Nightwish, Children of Bodom, and Sonata Arctica? Oh yeah, they are not "commercial" enough to appeal to most metal fans.

I've spent more time listening to the first track of the Havitetty album than I care to admit. Best Finnish metal band by far, and one of my top five bands of all time from anywhere.

13 HIM HIM was a Finnish gothic rock band from Helsinki, Finland. Formed in 1991 by vocalist Ville Valo and bassist Mikko "Mige" Paananen under the name His Infernal Majesty, the band broke up in 1993, before being reformed in 1995 by Valo and guitarist Mikko "Linde" Lindström.

They have opened doors for all bands from Finland. If it wasn't for them, Finnish bands wouldn't reach so far. They went gold in the U.S. first, and because of that, I think they deserve to be no. 1 without any doubt.

HIM is a great band! I always find myself into their lyrics. The song that most fits me is "I Love You." Oh, it reminds me of lots of things.

Their music hits you in the heart!

14 Korpiklaani
15 Lost Society Lost Society is a thrash metal band from Finland, formed in 2010. Lost Society released their debut album in 2013 when band members were teens aged 17, 18, 19, and 19.

Come on, guys. They deserve to be in the top 10. They are one of the best thrash metal bands of the modern era. Listen to their recent album Braindead, it's great.

Their debut album was one of the best thrash metal debut albums, and they were teens when they recorded it.

16 Finntroll Finntroll is a folk metal band from Helsinki, Finland. They combine elements of black metal and folk metal.

Some of the best serious folk metal.

17 Lordi Lordi are a Finnish hard rock/heavy metal band, formed in 1992 by the band's lead singer, songwriter and costume maker, Mr Lordi.

Lordi is awesome! Their masks are so realistic, and they have a very theatrical live show! They are world-famous for being the only metal band to win Eurovision, a pop song contest!

They're the reason I love Finland so much.

18 Sentenced

Simply one of the best metal bands. Listen especially to the older production. Very good.

Just listen, you will understand!

19 Amberian Dawn

I am a fan of both Nightwish and Xandria, but with Amberian Dawn, I have truly found a new favorite band! Ladyhawk is totally electrifying! This band now has my total respect and attention.

20 Turisas Turisas is a Finnish metal band from Hämeenlinna. They were founded in 1997 by Mathias Nygård and Jussi Wickström, and named after an ancient Finnish God of war.
21 Apocalyptica Apocalyptica is a Finnish metal band from Helsinki, Finland formed in 1993. The band is composed of classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso and drummer Mikko Sirén.
22 Impaled Nazarene

Fast and wicked, they do no wrong!

23 Zero Nine
24 Eternal Tears of Sorrow
25 Horna

Some of the best Finland has to offer in the black metal scene, sticking to the good old black metal "sound," but they have also created their own sound.

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