Sinamore

Originating from the part of Finland most shaped by Russian history, the gothic metal group Sinamore first surfaced on the underground demo circuit in 2000. Longtime friends Mikko Hiekkilä on vocals and guitar, Jarno Uski on bass, and Miika Hostikka on drums had launched the project two years earlier under the name Halflife. Their opening demo, My Grace, soon gave way to Agony and She and the Devil, after which Tommi Muhli joined on guitar in 2002. A fourth demo, Sleeping Away, preceded a shift to the moniker H/L, followed in 2004 by the fifth demo, Follow Into the Cry. That recording secured a contract with a modest Japanese imprint, yet the arrangement collapsed before any debut album could be completed. Rebranded as Sinamore, the band persisted and gradually attracted sufficient attention to land a deal with Napalm Records. Their first full-length effort, A New Day, appeared in January 2006 and was supported by a European tour. The following year brought the second album, Seven Sins a Second.