Northern Kings

Emerging from an environment saturated with heavy metal, Northern Kings coalesced as a symphonic power metal supergroup whose sole focus rested on reinterpretations rather than original material. This approach set them apart, as their selections drew from decidedly non-metal sources such as Tina Turner's "We Don't Need Another Hero," Cutting Crew's "I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight," and Dire Straits' "Brothers in Arms." The lineup featured four vocalists drawn from prominent metal acts: Tony Kakko of Sonata Arctica, Marco Hietala of Nightwish, Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto of Charon, and Jarkko Ahola of Teräsbetoni. Their inaugural single, a rendition of the Tina Turner song from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, achieved hit status in Finland, paving the way for the October 2007 release of their debut album, Reborn. That full-length effort secured a Top Ten position on the Finnish charts, confirming the appeal of their concept.