Apocalyptica
Encyclopedia
Apocalyptica is a band from Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...

, 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...

, formed in 1993. The band is composed of classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen
Eicca Toppinen
Eino Matti "Eicca" Toppinen is a Finnish cellist, songwriter, producer, arranger, and drummer. In 1993 he formed the quartet Apocalyptica.- Biography :...

, Paavo Lötjönen
Paavo Lötjönen
Paavo Lötjönen is a cello player for Finnish band Apocalyptica.Paavo comes from a family where both of his parents were professional musicians....

, and Perttu Kivilaakso
Perttu Kivilaakso
Perttu Päivö Kullervo Kivilaakso is a cello player for Finnish band Apocalyptica. Like fellow band members Eicca Toppinen and Paavo Lötjönen, he attended Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. He plays a German 19th century cello; he started playing the cello when he was 5 years old and joined Apocalyptica...

 (all three of whom are graduates of the Sibelius Academy
Sibelius Academy
The Sibelius Academy is a university-level music school which operates in Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland. It also has an adult education centre in Järvenpää and a training centre in Seinäjoki. The Academy is the only music university in Finland. It is among the biggest European music universities...

 in Helsinki) and drummer Mikko Sirén
Mikko Sirén
Mikko Sirén is the drummer for Finnish bands Apocalyptica and Megaphone. He became part of Apocalyptica's live shows in 2003 but only became a full-time member in 2005 after over 200 concerts and a recorded album.Mikko has a degree in Jazz music....

. Originally a Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...

 tribute band, their music borrows elements from many genres including classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...

, neo-classical metal
Neo-classical metal
Neo-classical metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that is heavily influenced by classical music. It refers to a very technical performanceExact quote from the french text: "L'arrivée du néoclassique remet au goût du jour la virtuosité et le travail de l'instrument", « Les secrets du metal-...

, post-grunge
Post-grunge
Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...

, progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...

, thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...

, and symphonic metal
Symphonic metal
Symphonic metal is a term used to describe heavy metal music that has symphonic elements; that is, elements that are either borrowed from classical music or, as with progressive rock music, create a style reminiscent of it, e.g...

. They have sold over four million albums to date.

History

Apocalyptica was formed in 1993 when four cellists, Eicca Toppinen
Eicca Toppinen
Eino Matti "Eicca" Toppinen is a Finnish cellist, songwriter, producer, arranger, and drummer. In 1993 he formed the quartet Apocalyptica.- Biography :...

, Paavo Lötjönen
Paavo Lötjönen
Paavo Lötjönen is a cello player for Finnish band Apocalyptica.Paavo comes from a family where both of his parents were professional musicians....

, Max Lilja
Max Lilja
Max Lilja is a cellist, formerly of cello metal/chamber music band Apocalyptica and currently in the band Hevein. He left Apocalyptica in 2002...

, and Antero Manninen
Antero Manninen
Antero Manninen is a session musician and former band member of Finnish Cello metal quartet Apocalyptica. He was an official member but did not write the music and left in 1999 due to prior commitments, although he has come back to help the band because they are currently short one member.Besides...

 gathered to play Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...

 covers at Sibelius Academy
Sibelius Academy
The Sibelius Academy is a university-level music school which operates in Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland. It also has an adult education centre in Järvenpää and a training centre in Seinäjoki. The Academy is the only music university in Finland. It is among the biggest European music universities...

. In 1996, Apocalyptica released their debut studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

, Plays Metallica by Four Cellos
Plays Metallica by Four Cellos
Plays Metallica by Four Cellos is the debut album by Finnish metal band Apocalyptica, released in 1996. It features eight instrumental Metallica covers arranged and played on cellos.-Track listing:#"Enter Sandman" - 3:41 ...

, which consisted solely of Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...

 covers played on cellos. They were later featured on two songs on the Waltari
Waltari
Waltari is a band from Finland, known for its diversity and combination of music styles, frequently combining alternative metal, progressive metal, death metal, hard rock, heavy metal, hip hop, industrial, pop, punk, rap, symphonic metal, techno and thrash metal.Most of the band's music is written...

 album Space Avenue
Space Avenue
Space Avenue is the 6th studio album by the Finnish avant-garde progressive metal band Waltari.-Track listing:# "External" - 4:57# "Far Away" - 5:52# "Wolves On The Street" - 4:26# "Progression" - 4:03# "Blind Zone" - 4:16...

 in 1997. In 1998, Apocalyptica released their second studio album, Inquisition Symphony
Inquisition Symphony (album)
Inquisition Symphony is the second studio album by the Finnish metal band Apocalyptica. The album branches from their previous effort, containing only four Metallica covers. The remainder of the compositions are by Faith No More, Pantera, and Sepultura, as well as three originals by Apocalyptica...

, which was produced by Hiili Hiilesmaa. Inquisition Symphony once again contained covers of Metallica, but also contained covers of Faith No More
Faith No More
Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed originally as Faith No Man in 1981 by bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist Wade Worthington, vocalist Michael Morris and drummer Mike Bordin. A year later when Worthington was replaced by keyboardist Roddy Bottum, and Mike...

, Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...

, and Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...

. For this album the band also decided to include three original songs written by Eicca Toppinen.
In 1999, Antero Manninen left the group, and was replaced by Perttu Kivilaakso
Perttu Kivilaakso
Perttu Päivö Kullervo Kivilaakso is a cello player for Finnish band Apocalyptica. Like fellow band members Eicca Toppinen and Paavo Lötjönen, he attended Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. He plays a German 19th century cello; he started playing the cello when he was 5 years old and joined Apocalyptica...

 who had appeared in the line-up already in 1995. In 2000, Apocalyptica released their third studio album, Cult
Cult (album)
Cult is Apocalyptica's third album, released in 2000 with a special-edition released in 2001 containing an extra disc. This album also saw a small trend starting in their single releases, as both "Hope" and "Path" have second versions called "Path Vol. 2" and "Hope Vol. 2" with lyrics sung by...

, which featured 10 original songs, and 3 covers. Soon after the recording of Cult
Cult (album)
Cult is Apocalyptica's third album, released in 2000 with a special-edition released in 2001 containing an extra disc. This album also saw a small trend starting in their single releases, as both "Hope" and "Path" have second versions called "Path Vol. 2" and "Hope Vol. 2" with lyrics sung by...

, the first Apocalyptica track featuring vocals was released, "Path Vol. 2
Path Vol.2
- Track listing :#Path Vol.2 featuring Sandra Nasić #Path - Album Version#Pray! - Live#Romance - Live...

". In 2002, Max Lilja left the group and joined Hevein, leaving Apocalyptica with only three members.

In 2003, Apocalyptica released their fourth studio album, Reflections
Reflections (Apocalyptica album)
Reflections is the fourth studio album of Finnish metal band Apocalyptica, released in 2003 with a special-edition entitled Reflections Revised released in the later part of 2003 containing a DVD as well as the original album with five bonus tracks. It is the first album from the band to include...

, which consisted for the first time of all original songs. Reflections featured a more experimental sound, instead of the previous acoustic style arrangements found on Inquisition Symphony and Cult. Dave Lombardo
Dave Lombardo
Dave Lombardo is a Cuban American heavy metal drummer best known for his work with American thrash metal band Slayer. He has performed with Slayer on seven albums, including their groundbreaking 1986 release Reign In Blood and their 2006 release Christ Illusion, for which he received critical praise...

 from Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...

 played drums on five songs from Reflections, with session drummer Sami Kuoppamäki
Sami Kuoppamäki
Sami Kuoppamäki is a Finnish drummer who has been a very prolific jazz and popular music session musician after the break-up of his early-90s band, Kingston Wall. His current, most active group in which he plays in is called Zook...

 playing on the rest of the songs. As Lombardo was unable to join the band on stage on the following tour, the band hired Mikko Sirén, who would stay with the band for future tours as well as the recording of the next album.

In 2005, Apocalyptica released their fifth studio album, Apocalyptica
Apocalyptica (album)
Apocalyptica is the self-titled fifth studio album by Apocalyptica.-Track listing:#"Life Burns!" – 3:06#"Quutamo" – 3:28#"Distraction" – 3:56#"Bittersweet" – 4:26#"Misconstruction" – 3:56...

. This album featured a number of guest musicians including Ville Valo
Ville Valo
Ville Hermanni Valo is a Finnish singer, songwriter and frontman of the Finnish rock band HIM. He has received the "Golden God" award in 2004 by the heavy metal magazine Metal Hammer. Valo has a baritone vocal range. Valo was ranked number 80 in Hit Paraders Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time...

 of HIM, Lauri Ylönen
Lauri Ylönen
Lauri Ylönen is the frontman of the Finnish alternative rock band The Rasmus.-Early days:Ylönen was born and grew up in Helsinki. He learned to play the piano when he was five years old, and later learned to play guitar and drums...

 of The Rasmus
The Rasmus
The Rasmus are a Finnish rock band that formed in 1995 in Helsinki while the band members were still in upper comprehensive school. The original band members were Lauri Ylönen , Eero Heinonen , Pauli Rantasalmi and Janne Heiskanen...

, and once again Dave Lombardo. They also recorded the Intro for Bullet For My Valentine
Bullet for My Valentine
Bullet for My Valentine are a Welsh heavy metal band from Bridgend, formed in 1998. The band is composed of Matt Tuck , Michael Paget , Jason James , and Michael Thomas . They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and started their music career by covering songs by Metallica and Nirvana...

's album The Poison
The Poison
The Poison is the debut album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The album was released on October 3, 2005 through Visible Noise Records in the UK, and on February 14, 2006 in the United States through Trustkill Records...

.
In December 2005 Mikko Sirén was announced as an official band member after having played around 200 shows with the band.

Apocalyptica released their sixth studio album, Worlds Collide, on 17 September 2007. It was produced by Jacob Hellner. To the surprise of many, the album includes a cover of the German version of David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...

's song "Heroes". Till Lindemann
Till Lindemann
Till Lindemann is a German musician, actor and poet who is the frontman for the German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein.-Biography:...

 of Rammstein
Rammstein
Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band from Berlin, formed in 1994. The band consists of members Till Lindemann , Richard Z. Kruspe , Paul H. Landers , Oliver "Ollie" Riedel , Christoph "Doom" Schneider and Christian "Flake" Lorenz...

, for whom they opened on the Reise, Reise tour, was the guest vocalist on the track "Helden". Worlds Collide
Worlds Collide
Worlds Collide is the sixth studio album from Finnish metal band Apocalyptica, released on September 14, 2007. It includes special guests Till Lindemann, Corey Taylor, Adam Gontier, Dave Lombardo, Tomoyasu Hotei, and Cristina Scabbia...

was released on April 15, 2008 in the United States. The first single "I'm Not Jesus
I'm Not Jesus
"I'm Not Jesus" is a song by the Finnish cello metal band Apocalyptica, featuring Corey Taylor from Slipknot and Stone Sour. The single was released on September 17, 2007 and again on March 4, 2008, off the album Worlds Collide....

" featuring Corey Taylor
Corey Taylor
Corey Todd Taylor sometimes known by the number 8, is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of Slipknot and Stone Sour. Taylor was raised by his single mother. He developed a fond feeling toward classic rock after his grandmother introduced him to it...

 of Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...

 and Stone Sour
Stone Sour
Stone Sour is an American rock band from Des Moines, Iowa. Since 2006, the group has been composed of Corey Taylor , Jim Root , Josh Rand, , Shawn Economaki and Roy Mayorga . Original drummer Joel Ekman left the group in 2006...

 from the "Worlds Collide" album cracked the top 10 of both the Active rock
Active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...

 and Alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

 charts.

To end 2007, the band toured Europe successfully, selling out many of the venues they played. In 2008 the tour continued in US and included numerous festivals in Europe.

In June 2008, during the Rock in Rio concert in Lisbon, Apocalyptica joined the Greenpeace
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...

 "energy [r]evolution campaign" and played the Beethoven 5th symphony from the stage.

The band also appeared on Last Call with Carson Daly on October 31, 2008. Here they made their American television debut with a performance of "I Don't Care" with Toryn Green
Toryn Green
Toryn Green is the vocalist for hard-rock band For The Taking, and the former vocalist for Fuel.He also was the touring lead vocalist for the band Apocalyptica and performed in both of its 2008 US Worlds Collide Tours...

.

In November 2008, Apocalyptica featuring Adam Gontier of Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace is a Canadian rock band, formed in Norwood, Ontario, Canada in 1992, originally under the name Groundswell. After a breakup in late 1997, the band regrouped in the same year under its current name and with a line-up consisting of guitarist and lead vocalist Adam Gontier, drummer...

 hit first at the BDS and Mediabase Active Rock radio charts with the single "I Don't Care
I Don't Care (Apocalyptica song)
"I Don't Care" is a song by Finnish rock band Apocalyptica, the song is released as the third and final single from their sixth album Worlds Collide. The song features Adam Gontier of Three Days Grace on lead vocals. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for one week...

". Later that month, the band ranked 3rd at Billboard's Hot Modern Rock Track chart and 2nd at Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart just after AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...

, and just ahead of Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...

, an ironic twist, due to their origins performing Metallica covers. Recently, it reached No. 1 on the Billboard rock chart, making Apocalyptica the first Finnish band to top the US charts. The song "I Don't Care" was also featured in the 16th episode of season 8 of the TV series Smallville
Smallville
Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...

, which aired on March 19, 2009.

The seventh Apocalyptica studio album entitled 7th Symphony
7th Symphony (album)
-Digital download:Digital download versions include the standard 10 track edition and the limited 12 track edition of the album, with additional bonus tracks "Spiral Architect" or "Return Game"...

, produced by Joe Barresi
Joe Barresi
Joe Barresi is an American record engineer and producer who has worked with bands such as Kyuss, The Melvins, Tool, Queens of the Stone Age, Coheed and Cambria, Tomahawk, L7, The Jesus Lizard, Parkway Drive and Bad Religion.-Biography:...

 and Howard Benson
Howard Benson
Howard Benson is a two-time Grammy-nominated music producer and aerospace engineer.-Biography:Howard Benson has a degree in materials engineering from Drexel University and studied composition at the Philadelphia College for Performing Arts. Later he worked for Garrett AiResearch, where he worked...

 (on two tracks), was released on August 23, 2010 in Europe (Germany on August 20, 2010), and August 24 in the U.S. The first single aired on radio June 29, 2010.

The album features eight instrumentals plus four tracks with guest vocals. The first single, "End of Me
End of Me (Apocalyptica song)
"End of Me" is a song by Finnish rock band Apocalyptica, the song is released as the first single from their seventh studio album 7th Symphony. The song features Gavin Rossdale of Bush on lead vocals...

", features Gavin Rossdale
Gavin Rossdale
Gavin McGregor Rossdale is an English musician, known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Bush as well as an actor. Following Bush's separation in 2002, which lasted for eight years, he was the lead singer and guitarist for Institute, and later began a solo career. He...

, best known as the vocalist of the British alternative rock band Bush
Bush (band)
Bush are an alternative rock band formed in London in 1992 shortly after vocalist/guitarist Gavin Rossdale and guitarist Nigel Pulsford met in a London nightclub. Realising they shared a love for such diverse artists as the Pixies, Bob Marley, The Jesus Lizard, MC5, Nirvana, Hüsker Dü, and Big...

, who had previously collaborated
Letting the Cables Sleep
"Letting the Cables Sleep" is the third and final single from British post grunge band Bush's third studio album The Science of Things, which was released in 1999. The song became a minor hit, and pushed the album to platinum status...

 with the band. Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...

 drummer Dave Lombardo
Dave Lombardo
Dave Lombardo is a Cuban American heavy metal drummer best known for his work with American thrash metal band Slayer. He has performed with Slayer on seven albums, including their groundbreaking 1986 release Reign In Blood and their 2006 release Christ Illusion, for which he received critical praise...

 plays on "2010", "Bring Them to Light" features Joseph Duplantier
Joe Duplantier
Joseph Duplantier is a French musician who is the guitarist and vocalist of Gojira and was the bassist for Cavalera Conspiracy.-Music:Joe Duplantier's influences include bands such as Meshuggah, Metallica, Morbid Angel and Sepultura....

, singer and guitarist of the French death metal band Gojira
Gojira (band)
Gojira is a heavy metal band formed in 1996 in Bayonne, France. The band was known as Godzilla until 2001. Gojira is composed of Joe Duplantier on vocals and guitar, his brother Mario Duplantier on drums, Christian Andreu on guitar and Jean-Michel Labadie on bass...

, "Broken Pieces" is a cooperation with Flyleaf
Flyleaf
Flyleaf is an American alternative metal band, formed in the Belton and Temple, Texas regions in 2000. The band has charted on mainstream rock, Christian pop and Christian metal genres. They performed around the United States in 2003 until releasing their eponymous debut album, Flyleaf, in 2005....

 singer Lacey Mosley
Lacey Mosley
Lacey Nicole Sturm is an American singer-songwriter from Arlington, Texas. She is co-founder and lead vocalist of the alternative metal band Flyleaf....

, and "Not Strong Enough" is sung by Brent Smith
Brent Smith
Brent Smith is the lead vocalist and singer-songwriter of the band Shinedown. His biggest influences as a singer are Otis Redding, Billie Holiday, and Chris Cornell.-Personal life:...

 (Shinedown
Shinedown
Shinedown is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida, formed in 2001 and founded by members Brent Smith , Brad Stewart , Jasin Todd , and Barry Kerch . A few line-up changes followed, and the band's current line-up consists of Smith and Kerch, the band's only two remaining original...

).

"Broken Pieces" and "Not Strong Enough" were released as the second and third singles from the album. Due to distribution rights on Smith's vocals, "Not Strong Enough" was re-recorded with Doug Robb of Hoobastank
Hoobastank
Hoobastank is an American rock band, best known for their 2004 hit "The Reason" and other hits "Crawling in the Dark" and "Running Away". They formed in 1994 in Agoura Hills, California, with singer Doug Robb, guitarist Dan Estrin, drummer Chris Hesse, and original bassist Markku Lappalainen. They...

 before being released to US radio on January 18, 2011.

On October 7, RCA Music Group
RCA Music Group
RCA Music Group was an umbrella group of labels distributed by Sony Music Entertainment that existed between March 2004 and 2009 and for a short period of time between July 2011 and October 2011 until all RCA Music Group labels were merged with RCA Records....

 announced it was disbanding Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...

 along with Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...

 and J Records
J Records
J Records was an American record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment, and was distributed through the RCA Music Group.-Company history:...

. With the shutdown, the band (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release their future material on the RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...

 brand.

Current line up

  • Eicca Toppinen
    Eicca Toppinen
    Eino Matti "Eicca" Toppinen is a Finnish cellist, songwriter, producer, arranger, and drummer. In 1993 he formed the quartet Apocalyptica.- Biography :...

     – cello
    Cello
    The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...

     (1993–present)
  • Paavo Lötjönen
    Paavo Lötjönen
    Paavo Lötjönen is a cello player for Finnish band Apocalyptica.Paavo comes from a family where both of his parents were professional musicians....

     – cello (1993–present)
  • Perttu Kivilaakso
    Perttu Kivilaakso
    Perttu Päivö Kullervo Kivilaakso is a cello player for Finnish band Apocalyptica. Like fellow band members Eicca Toppinen and Paavo Lötjönen, he attended Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. He plays a German 19th century cello; he started playing the cello when he was 5 years old and joined Apocalyptica...

     – cello (1995,1999–present)
  • Mikko Sirén
    Mikko Sirén
    Mikko Sirén is the drummer for Finnish bands Apocalyptica and Megaphone. He became part of Apocalyptica's live shows in 2003 but only became a full-time member in 2005 after over 200 concerts and a recorded album.Mikko has a degree in Jazz music....

     – drums, cello
    Cello
    The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...

     (2003–present)

Former members

  • Antero Manninen
    Antero Manninen
    Antero Manninen is a session musician and former band member of Finnish Cello metal quartet Apocalyptica. He was an official member but did not write the music and left in 1999 due to prior commitments, although he has come back to help the band because they are currently short one member.Besides...

     – cello (1993–1999; session 2002–2009)
  • Max Lilja
    Max Lilja
    Max Lilja is a cellist, formerly of cello metal/chamber music band Apocalyptica and currently in the band Hevein. He left Apocalyptica in 2002...

     – cello (1993–2002)

Sessional members

  • Dave Lombardo
    Dave Lombardo
    Dave Lombardo is a Cuban American heavy metal drummer best known for his work with American thrash metal band Slayer. He has performed with Slayer on seven albums, including their groundbreaking 1986 release Reign In Blood and their 2006 release Christ Illusion, for which he received critical praise...

     of Slayer
    Slayer
    Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...

     – drums (2003–2007)
  • Sami Kuoppamäki
    Sami Kuoppamäki
    Sami Kuoppamäki is a Finnish drummer who has been a very prolific jazz and popular music session musician after the break-up of his early-90s band, Kingston Wall. His current, most active group in which he plays in is called Zook...

     – drums (2003–2006)
  • Toryn Green
    Toryn Green
    Toryn Green is the vocalist for hard-rock band For The Taking, and the former vocalist for Fuel.He also was the touring lead vocalist for the band Apocalyptica and performed in both of its 2008 US Worlds Collide Tours...

     – touring vocals
    Singing
    Singing 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...

     (2008)
  • Tony Kakko
    Tony Kakko
    Toni Kristian "Tony" Kakko is a Finnish musician, composer and vocalist. He is mainly known as the vocalist, primary songwriter, and creative force in the band Sonata Arctica since 1996.-Biography:...

     – guest vocalist (2008 Finland and Japan)
  • Johnny Andrews
    Johnny Andrews
    Johnny Andrews is an American songwriter, producer, and vocalist based in Atlanta, Georgia, and Nashville, Tennessee. Several of Andrews’ songs have reached the Top 20 on Billboard’s rock charts, most notably “I’m Not Jesus” and “End of Me” .-Partial Discography:World’s Collide: Apocalyptica Book of...

     – touring vocalist (April 2008)
  • Adam Gontier
    Adam Gontier
    Adam Wade Gontier is a Canadian musician and songwriter. He is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter of the rock band Three Days Grace...

     of Three Days Grace
    Three Days Grace
    Three Days Grace is a Canadian rock band, formed in Norwood, Ontario, Canada in 1992, originally under the name Groundswell. After a breakup in late 1997, the band regrouped in the same year under its current name and with a line-up consisting of guitarist and lead vocalist Adam Gontier, drummer...

     – vocalist in New York and Toronto (2008)
  • Cristina Scabbia
    Cristina Scabbia
    Cristina Adriana Chiara Scabbia is an Italian singer, best known as one of the two vocalists in the Italian gothic metal band Lacuna Coil. She also writes an advice column in the popular rock magazine Revolver, alongside musician Vinnie Paul. Scabbia is featured in a Megadeth song, "À Tout le...

     of Lacuna Coil
    Lacuna Coil
    Lacuna Coil is an Italian gothic metal band from Milan. Formed in 1994, the group has had two name changes since being previously known as Sleep of Right and Ethereal and was inspired by the combination of gothic imagery and music...

     – vocalist at Download festival (2008)
  • Tipe Johnson of Leningrad Cowboys
    Leningrad Cowboys
    The Leningrad Cowboys is a Finnish rock band famous for humorously making rock and roll covers of popular songs, exaggerated pompadour hairstyles, long, pointy shoes, often featuring a Russian military band, the Alexandrov Ensemble.-Beginnings:...

     – touring vocalist in 2009–present
  • Kyo
    Kyo (musician)
    is the vocalist of Japanese band Dir En Grey. He has been with the band since its inception in 1997 and was formerly in La:Sadie's. Kyo was inspired to become a rock star when he saw a picture of Buck-Tick vocalist Atsushi Sakurai on the desk of a junior high school classmate.While he has only...

     of Dir En Grey
    Dir en grey
    Dir En Grey is a Japanese metal band formed in 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. As of 2011, they have recorded eight full-length records...

     – guest vocalist (US tour 2010)

Guest musicians

Vocalists
  • Adam Gontier
    Adam Gontier
    Adam Wade Gontier is a Canadian musician and songwriter. He is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter of the rock band Three Days Grace...

     of Three Days Grace
    Three Days Grace
    Three Days Grace is a Canadian rock band, formed in Norwood, Ontario, Canada in 1992, originally under the name Groundswell. After a breakup in late 1997, the band regrouped in the same year under its current name and with a line-up consisting of guitarist and lead vocalist Adam Gontier, drummer...

     (“I Don't Care”)
  • Brent Smith
    Brent Smith
    Brent Smith is the lead vocalist and singer-songwriter of the band Shinedown. His biggest influences as a singer are Otis Redding, Billie Holiday, and Chris Cornell.-Personal life:...

     of Shinedown
    Shinedown
    Shinedown is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida, formed in 2001 and founded by members Brent Smith , Brad Stewart , Jasin Todd , and Barry Kerch . A few line-up changes followed, and the band's current line-up consists of Smith and Kerch, the band's only two remaining original...

     ("Not Strong Enough")
  • Corey Taylor
    Corey Taylor
    Corey Todd Taylor sometimes known by the number 8, is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of Slipknot and Stone Sour. Taylor was raised by his single mother. He developed a fond feeling toward classic rock after his grandmother introduced him to it...

     of Slipknot
    Slipknot (band)
    Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...

    /Stone Sour
    Stone Sour
    Stone Sour is an American rock band from Des Moines, Iowa. Since 2006, the group has been composed of Corey Taylor , Jim Root , Josh Rand, , Shawn Economaki and Roy Mayorga . Original drummer Joel Ekman left the group in 2006...

     (“I'm Not Jesus”)
  • Cristina Scabbia
    Cristina Scabbia
    Cristina Adriana Chiara Scabbia is an Italian singer, best known as one of the two vocalists in the Italian gothic metal band Lacuna Coil. She also writes an advice column in the popular rock magazine Revolver, alongside musician Vinnie Paul. Scabbia is featured in a Megadeth song, "À Tout le...

     of Lacuna Coil
    Lacuna Coil
    Lacuna Coil is an Italian gothic metal band from Milan. Formed in 1994, the group has had two name changes since being previously known as Sleep of Right and Ethereal and was inspired by the combination of gothic imagery and music...

     (“S.O.S. (Anything But Love)”)
  • Doug Robb of Hoobastank
    Hoobastank
    Hoobastank is an American rock band, best known for their 2004 hit "The Reason" and other hits "Crawling in the Dark" and "Running Away". They formed in 1994 in Agoura Hills, California, with singer Doug Robb, guitarist Dan Estrin, drummer Chris Hesse, and original bassist Markku Lappalainen. They...

     ("Not Strong Enough")
  • Emmanuelle Monet of Dolly
    Dolly (French band)
    Dolly is a rock band from Nantes, France. The group is popular in France but less well-known elsewhere. Dolly's vocalist Emmanuelle Monet has appeared in many collaborations, including a song together with Apocalyptica on the single "Wie weit/How far/En Vie"...

     (“En Vie”)
  • Gavin Rossdale
    Gavin Rossdale
    Gavin McGregor Rossdale is an English musician, known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Bush as well as an actor. Following Bush's separation in 2002, which lasted for eight years, he was the lead singer and guitarist for Institute, and later began a solo career. He...

     of Bush
    Bush (band)
    Bush are an alternative rock band formed in London in 1992 shortly after vocalist/guitarist Gavin Rossdale and guitarist Nigel Pulsford met in a London nightclub. Realising they shared a love for such diverse artists as the Pixies, Bob Marley, The Jesus Lizard, MC5, Nirvana, Hüsker Dü, and Big...

     ("End of Me")
  • Joe Duplantier
    Joe Duplantier
    Joseph Duplantier is a French musician who is the guitarist and vocalist of Gojira and was the bassist for Cavalera Conspiracy.-Music:Joe Duplantier's influences include bands such as Meshuggah, Metallica, Morbid Angel and Sepultura....

     of Gojira
    Gojira (band)
    Gojira is a heavy metal band formed in 1996 in Bayonne, France. The band was known as Godzilla until 2001. Gojira is composed of Joe Duplantier on vocals and guitar, his brother Mario Duplantier on drums, Christian Andreu on guitar and Jean-Michel Labadie on bass...

     ("Bring Them to Light")
  • Lacey Mosley
    Lacey Mosley
    Lacey Nicole Sturm is an American singer-songwriter from Arlington, Texas. She is co-founder and lead vocalist of the alternative metal band Flyleaf....

     of Flyleaf
    Flyleaf
    Flyleaf is an American alternative metal band, formed in the Belton and Temple, Texas regions in 2000. The band has charted on mainstream rock, Christian pop and Christian metal genres. They performed around the United States in 2003 until releasing their eponymous debut album, Flyleaf, in 2005....

     ("Broken Pieces")
  • Lauri Ylönen
    Lauri Ylönen
    Lauri Ylönen is the frontman of the Finnish alternative rock band The Rasmus.-Early days:Ylönen was born and grew up in Helsinki. He learned to play the piano when he was five years old, and later learned to play guitar and drums...

     of The Rasmus
    The Rasmus
    The Rasmus are a Finnish rock band that formed in 1995 in Helsinki while the band members were still in upper comprehensive school. The original band members were Lauri Ylönen , Eero Heinonen , Pauli Rantasalmi and Janne Heiskanen...

     (“Life Burns!
    Life Burns!
    "Life Burns!" is a song by the Finnish cello rock/heavy metal band Apocalyptica, featuring Lauri Ylönen from The Rasmus.The song was originally released on Apocalyptica's sixth studio album Apocalyptica on January 24, 2005. The single was released on April 11, 2005.-Track listing:# "Life Burns!"...

    ”, “Bittersweet”)
  • Linda Sundblad
    Linda Sundblad
    Linda Caroline Sundblad is a Swedish female singer, actress and model.- Lambretta :Dropping out of school at the age of 15 to join the pop-rock music band Lambretta, she experienced much success at a young age...

     of Lambretta
    Lambretta (band)
    Lambretta was a Swedish pop-rock music band that existed from 1993 till 2005.-Biography:The band started in 1993 but then without Linda doing the vocals, after some time she joined and they released their debut album Breakfast. After releasing two more albums Linda announced in late 2005 she was...

     (“Faraway Vol. 2”)
  • Marta Jandová of Die Happy
    Die Happy
    Die Happy is a German alternative metal band from Ulm.-History:The group was founded in 1993 by Czech singer Marta Jandová and Thorsten Mewes...

     (“Wie Weit” / “How Far”)
  • Mats Levén
    Mats Levén
    Mats Levén is a singer. His most notable recent collaborations have been with symphonic metallers Therion and doom metallers Krux.-Biography:...

     of Therion
    Therion (band)
    Therion is a Swedish symphonic metal band founded by Christofer Johnsson in 1987. The word "therion" comes from the Greek therion , meaning "Beast," i.e., that of the Christian Book of Revelation...

    , Krux
    Krux
    Krux is a Swedish doom metal band, created by Leif Edling after Candlemass fell apart for the second time preceding their reunion tour.-Members:* Leif Edling - bass guitar* Mats Levén - vocals* Peter Stjärnvind - drums* Jörgen Sandström - guitars...

     (“S.O.S.”, “I Don't Care”) (Backing Vocals)
  • Matt Tuck of Bullet for My Valentine
    Bullet for My Valentine
    Bullet for My Valentine are a Welsh heavy metal band from Bridgend, formed in 1998. The band is composed of Matt Tuck , Michael Paget , Jason James , and Michael Thomas . They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and started their music career by covering songs by Metallica and Nirvana...

     (“Repressed”)
  • Matthias Sayer of Farmer Boys
    Farmer Boys (band)
    Farmer Boys is a heavy metal band from Stuttgart, Germany. They reached their peak of popularity with their album The World Is Ours, released in 2000; the videos for singles "Here Comes The Pain" and "If You Ever Leave Me Standing" were put into heavy rotation by German alternative music channels...

     (“Hope Vol. 2”)
  • Max Cavalera
    Max Cavalera
    Massimiliano Antonio "Max" Cavalera is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the heavy metal band Sepultura, before forming Soulfly in the late 1990s...

     of Soulfly
    Soulfly
    Soulfly is a heavy metal band formed in 1997 based in Phoenix, Arizona. The original lyrical content revolved around spirituality and religious themes, with later albums encompassing other themes including war, violence, aggression, hatred and anger. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max...

    , Cavalera Conspiracy
    Cavalera Conspiracy
    Cavalera Conspiracy is a Brazilian heavy metal band founded by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera , along with American guitarist and bassist Marc Rizzo and Johny Chow. The band originally formed in 2007 as Inflikted but changed its name for legal reasons...

    , Nailbomb
    Nailbomb
    Nailbomb was an industrial / thrash metal band. The band formed as side project by Brazilian musician Max Cavalera of Sepultura and Soulfly and English musician Alex Newport of Fudge Tunnel...

    , ex-Sepultura
    Sepultura
    Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...

     (“Repressed”)
  • Nina Hagen
    Nina Hagen
    Nina Hagen is a German singer and actress.-Early years:Hagen was born as Catharina Hagen in the former East Berlin, East Germany, the daughter of Hans Hagen , a scriptwriter, and Eva-Maria Hagen, an actress and singer...

     (“Seemann”)
  • Sandra Nasić of Guano Apes
    Guano Apes
    Guano Apes are an alternative rock band formed in 1994 in Göttingen, Germany. The group members are Sandra Nasić , Henning Rümenapp , Stefan Ude and Dennis Poschwatta ....

     (“Path Vol. 2”)
  • Till Lindemann
    Till Lindemann
    Till Lindemann is a German musician, actor and poet who is the frontman for the German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein.-Biography:...

     of Rammstein
    Rammstein
    Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band from Berlin, formed in 1994. The band consists of members Till Lindemann , Richard Z. Kruspe , Paul H. Landers , Oliver "Ollie" Riedel , Christoph "Doom" Schneider and Christian "Flake" Lorenz...

     (“Helden”)
  • Ville Valo
    Ville Valo
    Ville Hermanni Valo is a Finnish singer, songwriter and frontman of the Finnish rock band HIM. He has received the "Golden God" award in 2004 by the heavy metal magazine Metal Hammer. Valo has a baritone vocal range. Valo was ranked number 80 in Hit Paraders Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time...

     of HIM ("Bittersweet")


Instruments
  • Tomoyasu Hotei
    Tomoyasu Hotei
    is a Japanese musician, guitarist and actor. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked Hotei at number 70 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts.- Life and career :...

     (“Grace”) (Guitar)
  • Dave Lombardo
    Dave Lombardo
    Dave Lombardo is a Cuban American heavy metal drummer best known for his work with American thrash metal band Slayer. He has performed with Slayer on seven albums, including their groundbreaking 1986 release Reign In Blood and their 2006 release Christ Illusion, for which he received critical praise...

     of Slayer
    Slayer
    Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...

     ("2010", “Last Hope”, “Betrayal/Forgiveness”, "Reflections
    Reflections (Apocalyptica album)
    Reflections is the fourth studio album of Finnish metal band Apocalyptica, released in 2003 with a special-edition entitled Reflections Revised released in the later part of 2003 containing a DVD as well as the original album with five bonus tracks. It is the first album from the band to include...

    " (Album)) (Drums)
  • Richard Z. Kruspe of Rammstein
    Rammstein
    Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band from Berlin, formed in 1994. The band consists of members Till Lindemann , Richard Z. Kruspe , Paul H. Landers , Oliver "Ollie" Riedel , Christoph "Doom" Schneider and Christian "Flake" Lorenz...

     ("Helden") (Guitar)

Discography

  • Plays Metallica by Four Cellos
    Plays Metallica by Four Cellos
    Plays Metallica by Four Cellos is the debut album by Finnish metal band Apocalyptica, released in 1996. It features eight instrumental Metallica covers arranged and played on cellos.-Track listing:#"Enter Sandman" - 3:41 ...

    (1996)
  • Inquisition Symphony
    Inquisition Symphony (album)
    Inquisition Symphony is the second studio album by the Finnish metal band Apocalyptica. The album branches from their previous effort, containing only four Metallica covers. The remainder of the compositions are by Faith No More, Pantera, and Sepultura, as well as three originals by Apocalyptica...

    (1998)
  • Cult
    Cult (album)
    Cult is Apocalyptica's third album, released in 2000 with a special-edition released in 2001 containing an extra disc. This album also saw a small trend starting in their single releases, as both "Hope" and "Path" have second versions called "Path Vol. 2" and "Hope Vol. 2" with lyrics sung by...

    (2000)
  • Best of Apocalyptica (2002, Japan
    Japan
    Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

     only)
  • Reflections
    Reflections (Apocalyptica album)
    Reflections is the fourth studio album of Finnish metal band Apocalyptica, released in 2003 with a special-edition entitled Reflections Revised released in the later part of 2003 containing a DVD as well as the original album with five bonus tracks. It is the first album from the band to include...

    (2003)
  • Apocalyptica
    Apocalyptica (album)
    Apocalyptica is the self-titled fifth studio album by Apocalyptica.-Track listing:#"Life Burns!" – 3:06#"Quutamo" – 3:28#"Distraction" – 3:56#"Bittersweet" – 4:26#"Misconstruction" – 3:56...

    (2005)
  • Amplified // A Decade of Reinventing the Cello (2006)
  • Worlds Collide (2007)
  • Mag S.V.E.R. original soundtrack (2010)
  • 7th Symphony
    7th Symphony (album)
    -Digital download:Digital download versions include the standard 10 track edition and the limited 12 track edition of the album, with additional bonus tracks "Spiral Architect" or "Return Game"...

    (2010)

External links

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