Featured Faces
The filming of the documentary started in February 2008 and continued in midsummer, June 2008.
We have met, interviewed and interacted with many interesting people whilst filming "Promised Land of Heavy Metal". Here are some of the faces: Some of them you may even recognize!
Kimmo Kuusniemi&Flynn Rutter. Film presenter Kimmo and VO Flynn are on their way to interview Titus Hjelm at University College, London. The subject: Satanism and Heavy Metal.
Film director and singer of Sarcofagus Ltd. Tanja Katinka Karttunen is on her way to airport to catch a flight to Helsinki Finland.
Haka Kekäläinen. Priest and teacher of religious education. Has started the super popular heavy metal masses at the Finnish Evangelical church, the main protestant church in Finland. The heavy metal mass album is out now
Titus Hjelm. Doctor of Theology, bass player of Thunderstone, lecturer in Finnish society and culture, University College, London. Wrote his doctorate on “construction of satanism in Finnish news media.”
Kari Pylkkänen, Psychiatrist-in-chief of Finnish student mental health service. Is Heavy Metal harmful?
We met Madame President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen at the Presidential Palace to talk about heavy metal.
Ville Valo, the charismatic singer of "HIM", fast becoming a cult figure all over the world.
Mr Lordi. The Eurovision song contest winner doesn't want to reveal the man behind the mask. We had a long good chat with him.
Ami Koivistoinen (Corruption Inc.) the winner our our band competition. Read more about Corruption Inc. at the "Your Band In The Film" section.
Jone Nikula. A well known figure in the Finnish media: a Radio Rock DJ, rock reporter and heavy metal historian, a TV presenter. He was one of the Pop Idol (Finland) judges.
We met Aaro Seppovaara from "Blake" at the legendary Tavastia club backstage.
Marco Hietala, metal musician from famous "Nightwish" and "Tarot" at the Tuska festival VIP area.
Guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö also plays in two bands, the Finnish "Waltari" and German "Kreator".
Sister Wrath and Victor from "Enochian Crescent" explain the philosophy and lifestyle of a black metal band.
Alex Hellid from Swedish metal band "Entombed" appreciates the quality of Finnish Metal.
Ari Koivunen is the young heavy metal singer who won the Finnish Pop Idol contest.
Hanzi Herrmann from a German on-line Metal Magazine "Visions Underground" travelled to Helsinki to find new Finnish metal talents.
Jeff Walker from legendary British "Carcass" is amazed by the Tuska crowd.
Joel Stroetzel, Howard Jones and Mike D'Antonio from popular "Killswitch Engage", all the way from USA.
Met Jone Nikula again, this time at the summertime, to continue the interview.
Music reporter Jorge Polito has a radio show and a metal magazine "Lado Oscuro" in Montevideo, Uruguay. He travelled for days to Finland with his own money to check out the scene. Respect!
Kalle and Jonne from "Korpiklaani", which mixes Finnish folk and metal music in a unique way.
Marjo Yli-Jaskari from record label "Redhouse" brought the whole family to the summer festival to support their new band "Tracedawn"
We meet again "the smooth voice of metal", DJ Klaus Flaming from Radio Rock.
Guitarist Kristian Ranta from "Norther", one of the latest successes in Finnish metal exports.
Tapio "Papa" Wilska meets Kimmo at the Tuska VIP area: he helped us a lot with the documentary, contacting the right people at the right time.
Sami Hassinen from "Blake" at the Tavastia backstage.
Kimmo, Tomi Korkalainen (Amfisound Guitars), Tom Gardiner (Hateform) and Kristian Ranta (Norther) posing with guitars.
Tony Taleva from "Stay Heavy" records did a great job at the Tuska promoting bands and organizing interviews.
Ville Siuruainen from "Blake" just before the gig at the Tavastia club backstage.
The overjoyed "Noxa" just after a successful gig at the festival: They came from far away Indonesia just to play one gig in Finland. They even had their own documentary crew following their adventure... Success!
Pexi and Hyrde from "Stam1na" make metal in (language of metal) -Finnish!
Rony Österlund, a very young heavy metal man.
Sven Atle Kopperud from the Norwegian black metal band "Dimmu Borgir", feeling mellow in the midsummer.
Tom Gardiner demonstrates a handmade 8 string Amfisound Guitar.
Tony Kakko, singer from the melodic metal band "Sonata Arctica" talks about the Finnish sound.
Tony Österlund is a roadie who knows all the metal greats, his son following in the footsteps. Thank you Tony for all the help!
Tuomas Saukkonen from "Before the Dawn" is mapping out the future of his band that had a fortunate break at the festival getting a last minute gig when "Korpiklaani" lost it's sound system on the way from Germany.
Tuomo Saikkonen and Kuisma Aalto from "Mokoma" run their own business, in their own way.
Ville Sorvali represents the "next generation" of a heavy metal musician: he's the nephew of "Kimmo Kuusniemi Band" drummer Upi Sorvali.
More "metal kids" growing into it: The Yli-Jaskari kids at the festival VIP area.
Timo Kemppainen manages Inferno heavy metal bar and came over to open the doors for Tony Taleva interview.
Finnish Metal Events organizer Tony Taleva sees visions of the future.
Morticia fashion shop caters for the sexy ladies of the metal scene.
Aaro Seppovaara is the singer and frontman of heavy rock band Blake.
Ari Koivunen is the heavy metal singer who won the Finnish Pop Idol competition.
Hannu Leiden at the Finnish Metal Expo VIP area, handing out promos.
Promoter Jouni Markkanen is one of the Finnish Metal Expo organizers.
Finnish Metal Events organizer Mikko Vehmas and Martin Purr from Cyclone Empire, Germany.
Juho Juntunen is a legendary rock reporter, writer, cartoonist and a tattoo artist.
Juho Juntunen tattooing Kimmo. It doesn’t hurt, honest!
Bass virtuoso Lauri Porra talks about the parallels between heavy metal and classical music.
The first singer of Sarcofagus Hannu Leiden chat about the changing metal scene with Sarcofagus guitarist Kimmo Kuusniemi.
Juha Ruokangas, the maker of handmade Ruokangas guitars.
Heavy metal promoter Samuel Jylhä and Radio Rock DJ Klaus Flaming have kept the metal scene going even during the times it wasn’t this popular.
Klaus Flaming again: does he see metal as a man’s music?
Metal promoter Samuel Jylhä has worked behind the scenes with many famous Finnish names.
Rony is only three but knows the metal pose: they do start young in Finland!
These fans listen to Finnish metal: Children of Bodom and Finntroll.
Young couple at the Metal Expo love the atmosphere.
Guitarist Mikko Salovaara from band Kiuas poses with the promo blondes.
Risto Kuoppala is a model and a metal head.
Sarcofagus at the Seawolf Studios, listening to some re makes of their 30 year old tracks.
Tapio "Papa" Wilska & Kimmo Kuusniemi
Guitar shop promo sisters. The beautiful blondes worked their long legs handing out flyers and posing for pictures at the Finnish Metal Expo, February 2008.
We met young UK fans of Finnish Metal to ask why they like it so much.
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