Tapio Wilska
Encyclopedia
Tapio Wilska is the main vocalist of the heavy metal
band Sethian
. He is also the ex-lead vocalist for the band Finntroll
. He gets his inspiration from bands like Black Sabbath
, Motörhead, Dead Kennedys
, Venom
, Thin Lizzy
and The Pixies.
, Stray Toasters and Nattvindens Gråt
with Sami Vänskä
and Tuomas Holopainen
(both from the then yet to be founded Nightwish
) in the middle of the '90s. He even helped Nightwish to get a record deal with Spinefarm. When Nightwish became an established name, Wilska moved on to stage technical work during their tours. His job included working on microphones, the bass and drums, and some security.
When Nightwish released their 1998 album Oceanborn
, Wilska was asked to do the male vocals on the tracks Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean and The Pharaoh Sails to Orion. Wilska's low and dark voice gave the songs a sinister character, and many metal fans from all over the world loved it. After his successful appearance on Oceanborn, Wilska also performed in the song Tenth Man Down on Over the Hills and Far Away
in 2001 and once again with The Pharaoh Sails to Orion on Nightwish's DVD From Wishes to Eternity
.
After this success, Wilska quit working as a roadie and started working on his own project, entitled Sethian
. Once again, he got a lot of help from Nightwish, mainly Tuomas and Jukka, the latter of whom had even decided to play drums for the band. In 2003 the album Into The Silence was released.
During May 2002 Tapio was featured on the album track 'Farewell' by Finnish based doom metal band 'Rapture' reciting lyrics for the song.
In late 2002, however, vocalist Jan 'Katla' Jämsen left the band Finntroll
because of a viral-based growth on his vocal cords. Wilska was asked to be the new singer, and he accepted. In 2004, he released his first full album with Finntroll called Nattfödd
.
In early 2006 Wilska was fired from Finntroll due to personal differences. Very soon afterwards he joined Finnish pagan metal band Soulgrind
as a bassist, and also started a new metal band Blood Royal. He has been also bassist for Survivors Zero, a Finnish death metal
band since 2007.
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 Sethian
Sethian (band)
Sethian is a Finnish progressive metal band, originally formed in 1998 but whose debut album, Into the Silence, was not completed and released until 2003. That album bears a striking resemblance to the Empire-era of Queensrÿche, though with darker lyrics...
. He is also the ex-lead vocalist for the band Finntroll
Finntroll
Finntroll is a folk metal band from Helsinki, Finland. They combine elements of black metal and folk metal. Finntroll's lyrics are mostly in Swedish, the only exception being the song "Madon Laulu" on Visor Om Slutet...
. He gets his inspiration from bands like Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, Motörhead, Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
, Venom
Venom (band)
Venom are an English heavy metal band that formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Venom's first two albums—Welcome to Hell and Black Metal —are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general...
, Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
and The Pixies.
Biography
His musical career started when he was in bands like LyijykomppaniaLyijykomppania
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...
, Stray Toasters and Nattvindens Gråt
Nattvindens Gråt
Nattvindens Gråt was a Finnish band, mainly known for several of their members who have become famous in other bands, Tuomas Holopainen, Tapio Wilska and Sami Vänskä...
with Sami Vänskä
Sami Vänskä
Sami Vänskä is the former bassist of Finnish symphonic power metal band Nightwish.-Background story:He started playing bass as a private study. He has played in a few bands which have been mostly from the metal genre....
and Tuomas Holopainen
Tuomas Holopainen
Tuomas Lauri Johannes Holopainen is a Finnish composer known best for symphonic metal music. He has also studied jazz and classical styles, but prefers to be influenced by harmonic film music....
(both from the then yet to be founded Nightwish
Nightwish
Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. Formed in 1996 by songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former vocalist Tarja Turunen, Nightwish's current line-up has five members, although Tarja has been replaced by Anette Olzon and the...
) in the middle of the '90s. He even helped Nightwish to get a record deal with Spinefarm. When Nightwish became an established name, Wilska moved on to stage technical work during their tours. His job included working on microphones, the bass and drums, and some security.
When Nightwish released their 1998 album Oceanborn
Oceanborn
-Personnel:Credits for Oceanborn adapted from liner notes.The band*Tarja Turunen - Vocals*Tuomas Holopainen - Keyboards*Emppu Vuorinen - Lead guitar*Sami Vänskä - Bass guitar*Jukka Nevalainen - Drums and PercussionMain Crew...
, Wilska was asked to do the male vocals on the tracks Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean and The Pharaoh Sails to Orion. Wilska's low and dark voice gave the songs a sinister character, and many metal fans from all over the world loved it. After his successful appearance on Oceanborn, Wilska also performed in the song Tenth Man Down on Over the Hills and Far Away
Over the Hills and Far Away (album)
Over the Hills and Far Away is the first EP by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish, released in 2001 by both Spinefarm Records and Drakkar Records...
in 2001 and once again with The Pharaoh Sails to Orion on Nightwish's DVD From Wishes to Eternity
From Wishes to Eternity
From Wishes to Eternity - Live is a live DVD/VHS/CD by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. It was recorded in Tampere, Finland on 29 December 2000. The CD was released as a limited edition of 10.000 copies, available only in Finland. In the late 2005, Spinefarm managed to release it in Europe...
.
After this success, Wilska quit working as a roadie and started working on his own project, entitled Sethian
Sethian (band)
Sethian is a Finnish progressive metal band, originally formed in 1998 but whose debut album, Into the Silence, was not completed and released until 2003. That album bears a striking resemblance to the Empire-era of Queensrÿche, though with darker lyrics...
. Once again, he got a lot of help from Nightwish, mainly Tuomas and Jukka, the latter of whom had even decided to play drums for the band. In 2003 the album Into The Silence was released.
During May 2002 Tapio was featured on the album track 'Farewell' by Finnish based doom metal band 'Rapture' reciting lyrics for the song.
In late 2002, however, vocalist Jan 'Katla' Jämsen left the band Finntroll
Finntroll
Finntroll is a folk metal band from Helsinki, Finland. They combine elements of black metal and folk metal. Finntroll's lyrics are mostly in Swedish, the only exception being the song "Madon Laulu" on Visor Om Slutet...
because of a viral-based growth on his vocal cords. Wilska was asked to be the new singer, and he accepted. In 2004, he released his first full album with Finntroll called Nattfödd
Nattfödd
- Personnel :*Henri "Trollhorn" Sorvali – keyboards*Mikael "Routa" Karlbom – guitar*Tapio Wilska – vocals*Samu "Beast Dominator" Ruotsalainen – drums*Samuli "Skrymer" Ponsimaa – guitar*Sami "Tundra" Uusitalo – bass...
.
In early 2006 Wilska was fired from Finntroll due to personal differences. Very soon afterwards he joined Finnish pagan metal band Soulgrind
Soulgrind
Soulgrind is a black metal band from Finland. Its members hail from different black metal musical projects such as Thy Serpent, and Finntroll. Its lyrics deal with paganism, and their latest album "Pakana" is Finnish for "pagan".-Members:...
as a bassist, and also started a new metal band Blood Royal. He has been also bassist for Survivors Zero, a Finnish death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band since 2007.
Discography
All of the albums Wilska appears on:- LyijykomppaniaLyijykomppaniaLyijykomppania 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...
- Uimakoulu (1993) - Nattvindens GråtNattvindens GråtNattvindens Gråt was a Finnish band, mainly known for several of their members who have become famous in other bands, Tuomas Holopainen, Tapio Wilska and Sami Vänskä...
- A Bard's Tale (1994) - Nattvindens GråtNattvindens GråtNattvindens Gråt was a Finnish band, mainly known for several of their members who have become famous in other bands, Tuomas Holopainen, Tapio Wilska and Sami Vänskä...
- Chaos Without Theory (1997) - Wizzard - Devilmusick (1999)
- Wizzard - Songs Of Sin And Damnation (2000)
- NightwishNightwishNightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. Formed in 1996 by songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former vocalist Tarja Turunen, Nightwish's current line-up has five members, although Tarja has been replaced by Anette Olzon and the...
- OceanbornOceanborn-Personnel:Credits for Oceanborn adapted from liner notes.The band*Tarja Turunen - Vocals*Tuomas Holopainen - Keyboards*Emppu Vuorinen - Lead guitar*Sami Vänskä - Bass guitar*Jukka Nevalainen - Drums and PercussionMain Crew...
(1998) - NightwishNightwishNightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. Formed in 1996 by songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former vocalist Tarja Turunen, Nightwish's current line-up has five members, although Tarja has been replaced by Anette Olzon and the...
- From Wishes to EternityFrom Wishes to EternityFrom Wishes to Eternity - Live is a live DVD/VHS/CD by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. It was recorded in Tampere, Finland on 29 December 2000. The CD was released as a limited edition of 10.000 copies, available only in Finland. In the late 2005, Spinefarm managed to release it in Europe...
(2001) - NightwishNightwishNightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. Formed in 1996 by songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former vocalist Tarja Turunen, Nightwish's current line-up has five members, although Tarja has been replaced by Anette Olzon and the...
- Over The Hills And Far AwayOver the Hills and Far Away (album)Over the Hills and Far Away is the first EP by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish, released in 2001 by both Spinefarm Records and Drakkar Records...
(2001) - SethianSethian (band)Sethian is a Finnish progressive metal band, originally formed in 1998 but whose debut album, Into the Silence, was not completed and released until 2003. That album bears a striking resemblance to the Empire-era of Queensrÿche, though with darker lyrics...
- Into The Silence (2003) - FinntrollFinntrollFinntroll is a folk metal band from Helsinki, Finland. They combine elements of black metal and folk metal. Finntroll's lyrics are mostly in Swedish, the only exception being the song "Madon Laulu" on Visor Om Slutet...
- NattföddNattfödd- Personnel :*Henri "Trollhorn" Sorvali – keyboards*Mikael "Routa" Karlbom – guitar*Tapio Wilska – vocals*Samu "Beast Dominator" Ruotsalainen – drums*Samuli "Skrymer" Ponsimaa – guitar*Sami "Tundra" Uusitalo – bass...
(2004) - KylähullutKylähullutKylähullut is a Finnish punk rock band consisting of Alexi Laiho , Tonmi Lillman , and Vesku Jokinen . The band name means "Village Idiots" in Finnish.The band was formed by Alexi Laiho as a side project, in 2004...
- Lisää Persettä Rättipäille (2007) - SoulgrindSoulgrindSoulgrind is a black metal band from Finland. Its members hail from different black metal musical projects such as Thy Serpent, and Finntroll. Its lyrics deal with paganism, and their latest album "Pakana" is Finnish for "pagan".-Members:...
- Pakana (2007) - Survivors Zero - CMXCIX (2007)