Biography
Finland's Evemaster ranks among the Scandinavian death metal and black metal acts, alongside Sweden's At the Gates and In Flames, that have adopted the melodic death metal approach. Unlike the grindcore-oriented death metal of Carcass, Cannibal Corpse, and Cancer, whose work features an amelodic approach and unrelenting speed, Evemaster blends extreme vocals and dark, troubling lyrics drawn from death metal and black metal with clear melodic and harmonic elements. The band's sound draws heavily from 1980s power metal and echoes the style of veteran headbangers Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Queensrÿche, yet the intense vocal delivery supplied by lead singer Jarno Taskula remains absent from recordings such as Queensrÿche's Operation: Mindcrime and Iron Maiden's The Number of the Beast. In interviews, Evemaster members have stated that their dark lyrics do not align them with black metal, given their lack of connection to Satanism and the Occult.
Evemaster originated in Finland in 1996 when Taskula joined forces with composer and arranger Tomi Mykkanen, who handles guitar and bass while also performing with the Finnish band Shamos. Taskula and Mykkanen serve as the group's co-leaders and have relied on session players and guest musicians for their late-1990s and early-2000s releases. The band entered the studio for the first time in 1996 to cut the three-song demo cassette In Thine Majesty, which later appeared on CD via Bulgaria's Topheth label and Portugal's Ancient Ceremonies imprint. Their debut full-length album, Lacrimae Mundi, surfaced in 1998 on Finland's KTOK Records and reached Poland the next year through the AMP label. Following additional recording in 2001, Taskula and Mykkanen sought a release through Emerald Factory, but the label's financial shortfalls prompted them to place the material with Low Frequency Records instead. The musicians returned to the studio in late 2002 and early 2003, allowing Low Frequency to compile Evemaster's second full-length album, Wither, from both the 2001 sessions and newer tracks. After its European release in 2003, Crash Music issued Wither in the United States in early 2004. Dissatisfied with the original recording of their debut, Evemaster brought in Children of Bodom drummer Jaska Raatikainen to re-track the backing parts, resulting in the 2005 release MMIV Lacrimae Mundi.
Evemaster originated in Finland in 1996 when Taskula joined forces with composer and arranger Tomi Mykkanen, who handles guitar and bass while also performing with the Finnish band Shamos. Taskula and Mykkanen serve as the group's co-leaders and have relied on session players and guest musicians for their late-1990s and early-2000s releases. The band entered the studio for the first time in 1996 to cut the three-song demo cassette In Thine Majesty, which later appeared on CD via Bulgaria's Topheth label and Portugal's Ancient Ceremonies imprint. Their debut full-length album, Lacrimae Mundi, surfaced in 1998 on Finland's KTOK Records and reached Poland the next year through the AMP label. Following additional recording in 2001, Taskula and Mykkanen sought a release through Emerald Factory, but the label's financial shortfalls prompted them to place the material with Low Frequency Records instead. The musicians returned to the studio in late 2002 and early 2003, allowing Low Frequency to compile Evemaster's second full-length album, Wither, from both the 2001 sessions and newer tracks. After its European release in 2003, Crash Music issued Wither in the United States in early 2004. Dissatisfied with the original recording of their debut, Evemaster brought in Children of Bodom drummer Jaska Raatikainen to re-track the backing parts, resulting in the 2005 release MMIV Lacrimae Mundi.
Albums
