Apulanta

Apulanta originated in 1991 as a Heinola-based Finnish rock outfit assembled by childhood companions Toni Wirtanen on vocals and guitar, Simo Santapukki on drums, and Sami Lehtinen on bass. Their first recording, the 1993 EP Mikä Ihmeen Apulanta?, introduced additional early participants Antti Lautala on vocals and guitar plus Amanda “Mandy” Gaynor on bass and vocals alongside the core trio. After two further EPs the following year, the band issued its initial full-length album, Attack of the A.L. People, in 1995; that same year the Hajonnut EP appeared, propelled by the track “Mitä Kuuluu,” which climbed to number two on the Finnish singles chart. From 1996 onward the group registered at least one number-one single or album in Finland virtually every year. Their sophomore LP Ehjä reached the top five in 1996, after which the next seven releases—Kolme (1997), Singlet 1993-1997 (1998), Aivan Kuin Kaikki Muutkin (1998), Plastik (2000), Heinola 10 (2001), Syitä Ja Seurauksia — 30 Parasta (2001), and Hiekka (2002)—all debuted at number one. Singles success proved equally consistent, beginning with the 1996 chart-topper “Anna Mulle Piiskaa.” Career-spanning singles anthologies arrived as Singlet 1993-1997 (1998) and Singlet 1998-2003 (2003). Between the 2003 album Viper Spank and the 2005 release Kiila, Apulanta shifted from its earlier alternative-rock and light-grunge approach toward a heavier palette of downtuned guitar riffs, rap-rock, and nu-metal textures, occasionally augmented by string arrangements. Kiila earned gold certification on its release date and again entered the Finnish charts at number one. Subsequent albums such as Kuutio (kuinka aurinko voitettiin) in 2008 and Revenge of the A.L. People in 2014 sustained this intensified direction. Lehtinen departed in 2014, with Ville Mäkinen assuming bass duties. Further studio efforts followed, including Kunnes siitä tuli totta in 2015 and the band’s fourteenth album, Sielun kaltainen tuote, issued in October 2022.