Viikate

Originating in Finland's doom metal underground, siblings Kaarle and Simeoni Viikate assembled the group specifically to occupy the gap left after Lijiykomppania's second dissolution. Active on stage and in sporadic studio sessions since 1996, the project achieved genuine momentum only after Arvo Viikate joined on guitar and Ervo Viikate on bass in 2001. Chart success arrived at regular intervals, first with the 2002 single Ei ole ketaan kelle soittaa, then Leimu in 2003 and Pohjoista viljaa in 2005, yet the quartet maintained a brisk release schedule of roughly one studio album annually. Their catalog also encompasses retrospective collections issued through Longplay and Spinefarm Records alongside a steady stream of EPs and singles. Although rooted in Finland's most extreme metal milieu, the lyrics draw primary inspiration from 1950s Finnish art cinema and the homespun repertoire of singers such as Reino Helismaa, creating a contrast with prevailing scene norms.