Mikko Viljami "Linde" Lindström (born 12 August 1976) is a Finnish musician, best known as the guitarist for the gothic rock band HIM. Influenced by the likes of

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...

and

Steve Vai Steven Siro Vai (; born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist, composer, songwriter, and producer. A three-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, Vai started his music career in 1978 at the age of eighteen as a transcriptionist f ...

, Lindström began playing guitar at age ten, joining the band Aurora in his teenage years, where he met

Ville Valo Ville Hermanni Valo (; born 22 November 1976) is a Finnish singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the gothic rock band HIM. Born and raised in Helsinki to a Hungarian mother and Finnish father, Valo began hi ...

. In 1995, the two reformed Valo's previous band HIM, which would go on to release eight studio albums and become one of the most commercially successful Finnish bands of all time, and the first to receive a gold record in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. In 2017, the band announced their plans to retire following a

farewell tour A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...

, and played their final show on New Year's Eve 2017. Aside from HIM, Lindström has released three albums with his own band Daniel Lioneye, which he formed in 2001 with Valo and bassist Mikko "Mige" Paananen. In 2018, Lindström reunited with HIM's former drummer Gas Lipstick to form the band Flat Earth, along with Anthony Pikkarainen and Niclas Etelävuori. Lindström has also collaborated with various other artists during his career, including Jeffrey Walker and the supergroup

WhoCares WhoCares was a supergroup formed by Ian Gillan of Deep Purple and Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath in 2011 with the participation of a great number of rock artists as a charity project to raise money to rebuild a music school in Gyumri, Armenia, a ...

Early life

Mikko Viljami Lindström was born on 12 August 1976 in Klaukkala.Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p. 41. WSOY His father was an engineer while his mother worked for

Finnair Finnair ( fi, Finnair Oyj, sv, Finnair Abp) is the flag carrier and largest airline of Finland, with its headquarters in Vantaa on the grounds of Helsinki Airport, its hub. Finnair and its subsidiaries dominate both domestic and international ...

. Lindström also has a younger brother who was born in 1980. Lindström first became interested in music as a child from hearing cassettes of

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

in his father's car. At age 10, Lindström received a Landola acoustic guitar for Christmas, and immediately began taking lessons. The first thing he learned was the opening riff of "

Heaven's on Fire "Heaven's on Fire" is a song by the American rock band Kiss. Written by vocalist/guitarist Paul Stanley and songwriter Desmond Child, it was the first single released from the group's 1984 album '' Animalize''. Background Released as a singl ...

" by

Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

. Some of Lindström's early influences also included

, Jimi Hendrix,

and

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

. Lindström met future HIM-bandmate

in seventh grade at the Oulunkylä comprehensive school.Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p. 16. WSOY The two later began playing together in a band called Aurora. At age 15, Lindström also attended the Berklee College of Music in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

for two months. As a teenager, Lindström was also arrested twice.Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p. 42. WSOY The first arrest came when Lindström and a group of friends were charged with theft and breaking-and-entering for breaking the windows of a rehabilitation center for war veterans, and sneaking in to swim in the establishment's pool. The second arrest came, when, at age 15, Lindström was caught driving under the influence.Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p. 45. WSOY Lindström applied to the Sibelius Upper Secondary School of music and dance, but was rejected, and began attending Käpylä

night school A night school is an adult learning school that holds classes in the evening or at night to accommodate people who work during the day. A community college or university may hold night school classes that admit undergraduates. Italy The Scuola ...

, from where he eventually graduated. Lindström was permitted not to perform Finland's national military service, as he was deemed "insane, incapable for warfare."''Metal Hammer'' Presents HIM: ''Tears On Tape'' Fanpack Magazine – pg. 11

Career

HIM

HIM was first formed in 1991 by

and bassist Mikko "Mige" Paananen, under the name His Infernal Majesty.Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p. 23. WSOY The band broke-up in 1993, but was reformed in 1995, by Valo and Lindström. Later rejoined by Mige, as well as keyboardist Antto Melasniemi and drummer Juhana "Pätkä" Rantala, the band, now called HIM, released their debut album ''

Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 ''Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666'' is the debut studio album by Finnish gothic rock band HIM. The album was recorded in fifteen days during the summer of 1997 with producer Hiili Hiilesmaa, whom vocalist Ville Valo has credited as the honorary s ...

'' in 1997.''Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666'' album sleeve notes. In 2000, now with drummer Gas Lipstick and keyboardist Juska Salminen, HIM released ''

Razorblade Romance ''Razorblade Romance'' is the second studio album by Finnish gothic rock band HIM. HIM initially began recording the album with producer Hiili Hiilesmaa, who had helmed the group's 1997 debut album, however these sessions proved unsuccessful, ...

'', which reached number 1 in Finland, Austria and Germany. Its first single, "

Join Me in Death "Join Me in Death" is a single by Finnish gothic rock band HIM, taken from their second studio album, ''Razorblade Romance'' (2000). It was also released as "Join Me", since they were not allowed to include "Death" in the title for the US vers ...

", also charted at number one in Finland and Germany, eventually going platinum in their home country, and gold in Germany and Austria. Following the addition of Janne "Burton" Puurtinen on keyboards, HIM released ''

Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights ''Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights'' is the third studio album by Finnish gothic rock band HIM, released 27 August 2001. The album was produced co-produced by the band, T. T. Oksala and Kevin Shirley. The record had a troubled production, ...

'' and ''

Love Metal ''Love Metal'' is the fourth studio album by Finnish gothic rock band HIM. Released on 11 April 2003, HIM began recording demos for the album in northern spring 2002, after an exhausting touring cycle for their previous album, which nearly br ...

'' in 2001 and 2003, respectively. Both cracked the top ten in several countries, and became the band's first albums to chart in the United Kingdom and the United States. After relocating to the US, HIM released '' Dark Light'' in 2005, which became the group's most successful album to date, going gold in Germany, the UK, the US, and platinum in Finland. In 2007, HIM released '' Venus Doom'', which went gold in Finland and Germany, and gave the band their highest US chart position at number 12. After 2010's '' Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice'', HIM went on hiatus after drummer Gas Lipstick was diagnosed with a repetitive stress injury and nerve damage in his hands.''Metal Hammer'' Presents HIM: ''Tears On Tape'' Fanpack Magazine – pg. 10 After eight months of uncertainty, the band regrouped and eventually released the album ''

Tears on Tape ''Tears on Tape'' is the eighth and final studio album by Finnish rock band HIM, released 26 April 2013 in Finland, 29 April 2013 in Europe, and on 30 April 2013 in the US and Canada. Background At the beginning of 2011 HIM parted ways with ...

'' in 2013. In 2015, Gas Lipstick announced his departure from HIM after 16 years, to pursue other musical projects. He was subsequently replaced by Jukka "Kosmo" Kröger. On 5 March 2017, HIM announced the end of the band following a

in 2017. The band played their final show on New Year's Eve 2017 as a part of their annual

Helldone Helldone was an annual music festival organized by Finnish gothic rock band HIM. Typically held on 31 December at the Tavastia Club, and its companion club the Semifinal, in Helsinki, Finland, Helldone began in 1999 as an annual New Year's Eve ...

Festival.

Daniel Lioneye

In 2001, Lindström, along with Mige and Ville Valo, released the album ''The King of Rock 'n Roll'', under the name Daniel Lioneye, which featured Lindström on guitar and vocals, Valo on drums and Mige on bass. Prior to the album's release, the group had only played a handful of shows at various parties around Finland.Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p. 185. WSOY In 2010, Daniel Lioneye reformed and released the album ''Vol. II'', with Lindström on guitar, bass and vocals, Burton on keyboards, and Black Vomit Bolton on drums. In 2011, the band toured the US for the first time, in support of Cradle of Filth. The band's touring line-up consisted of Lindström, Mige, Burton, Seppo Tarvainen on drums, and Manu Patel on backing vocals. On 30 December 2014, the original line-up of Daniel Lioneye reunited for a performance at HIM's annual New Year's Eve festival Helldone. On 29 June 2016, it was announced that Daniel Lioneye would release its third album ''Vol. III'' on 19 August 2016, with Lindström on guitar and vocals, Mige on bass, Burton on keyboards and Seppo Tarvainen on drums. The band also announced five Finnish tour dates for September 2016. On 30 June 2016, Daniel Lioneye released the official track-listing for ''Vol. III'', as well as its first single "Ravensong". Daniel Lioneye was also scheduled to perform several European shows later in the fall of 2016, but the dates were cancelled, after drummer Seppo Tarvainen suffered a broken arm.

Other work

In 2004, Lindström played guitar on the track "Loiste" on Ihmepoika's self-titled debut album, and in 2006, he played on '' Welcome to Carcass Cuntry'' by Jeff Walker und Die Fluffers.''Welcome to Carcass Cuntry'' album sleeve notes. In 2007, Lindström wrote and recorded several songs on Manna's debut album ''Sister''.''Sister'' album sleeve notes. In 2011, Lindström took part in the

supergroup, with

Ian Gillan Ian Gillan (born 19 August 1945) is a British singer who is best known as the lead singer and lyricist for the rock band Deep Purple. He is known for his powerful and wide-ranging singing voice. Initially influenced by Elvis Presley, Gillan ...

Tony Iommi Anthony Frank Iommi () (born 19 February 1948) is a British musician. He co-founded the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and was the band's guitarist, leader and primary composer and sole continuous member for nearly five decades. I ...

Jason Newsted Jason Curtis Newsted (born March 4, 1963) is an American musician who was the bassist of Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Metallica from 1986 to 2001. He first performed with thrash metal band Flotsam and Jetsam (band), Flotsam and Jetsam from ...

Jon Lord John Douglas Lord (9 June 194116 July 2012) was an English orchestral and rock composer, pianist, and Hammond organ player known for his pioneering work in fusing rock with classical or baroque forms, especially with the British rock band Deep ...

and

Nicko McBrain Michael Henry "Nicko" McBrain (born 5 June 1952) is an English musician, best known as the drummer of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden since 1982. Having played in small pub bands since 1966 from the age of 14, McBrain paid his bills after grad ...

. The group recorded the double single " Out of My Mind / Holy Water", with the intent to support the rebuilding of a music school in

Gyumri Gyumri ( hy, Գյումրի, ) is an urban municipal community and the second-largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative center of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country. By the end of the 19th century, when the city w ...

, Armenia, which was destroyed in a 1988 earthquake. In February 2018, it was announced that Lindström had reunited with former HIM drummer Gas Lipstick to form Flat Earth, along with Polanski vocalist Anttoni "Anthony" Pikkarainen and bassist Niclas Etelävuori, formerly of

Amorphis Amorphis is a Finnish heavy metal band founded by Jan Rechberger, Tomi Koivusaari, and Esa Holopainen in 1990. Initially, the band was a death metal act, but on later albums they evolved into playing other genres, including progressive metal, ...

. It was also announced that the band were in the process of recording their debut album with producer

Hiili Hiilesmaa Kai "Hiili" Hiilesmaa (born December 1966) is a Finnish record producer and musician. He is the vocalist of the rock band The Skreppers, former drummer of the doom metal band KYPCK and former keyboardist of the rock band Daniel Lioneye. He has ...

, which would be partly financed through an online crowdfunding campaign. The group's first single "Blame" was released on 30 April 2018, with the official music video premiering the following May. The band's second single "Cyanide" was released on 21 September. The band also opened two shows for

Kamelot Kamelot is an American power metal band from Tampa, Florida, formed by Thomas Youngblood, in 1987. The Norwegian vocalist Roy Khan joined for the album '' Siége Perilous'', and shared songwriting credit with Youngblood until his departure in A ...

that same month in Finland. On 26 October, the band released their third single "Given Time". Flat Earth released their debut album ''None for One'' on 9 November 2018, through Drakkar Entertainment in Europe and the band's own label Suur Etikett in Finland. The band then embarked on a tour across Finland. In September 2019, the band announced they were working on their second album. In 2020 and 2021, Lindström played several shows across Finland with

Michael Monroe Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm (born 17 June 1962), better known by his stage name Michael Monroe, is a Finnish rock musician who rose to fame as the vocalist for the glam punk band Hanoi Rocks, and has served as the frontman for all-star sid ...

and

Sami Yaffa Sami Yaffa (born Sami Lauri Takamäki; 4 September 1963) is a Finnish bass guitarist best known for his work in New York Dolls, Michael Monroe's bands, and Hanoi Rocks. He is currently the bassist for the Michael Monroe band and The Compulsions ...

, both formerly of

Hanoi Rocks Hanoi Rocks was a Finnish rock band formed in 1979. They were the first Finnish band to chart in the UK and they were also popular in Japan. The band broke up in June 1985 after drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley died in a drunk driving accide ...

. He also made an appearance in the music video for Sami Yaffa's solo single "The Last Time".

Personal life

Lindström currently resides in the countryside outside of

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city ...

, with his dog and three cats. In the 1990s, Lindström dated Finnish-English singer

Sanna-June Hyde Sanna-June Hyde (born 1976) is an English-Finnish actress. Early life Hyde was born in Colchester in 1976, the daughter of a Finnish mother and English father. Career Hyde studied in London at Drama Studio London and East 15 Acting School. ...

, who sang on HIM's cover of "

(Don't Fear) The Reaper "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" is a song by American rock band Blue Öyster Cult from the band's 1976 album '' Agents of Fortune.'' The song, written and sung by lead guitarist Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser, deals with eternal love and the inevitab ...

" by

Blue Öyster Cult Blue Öyster Cult ( ; sometimes abbreviated BÖC or BOC) is an American rock band formed on Long Island in Stony Brook, New York, in 1967, and best known for the singles "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Burnin' for You", and "Godzilla". The band h ...

.Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p. 72. WSOY On 12 March 2003, Lindström's then-girlfriend, Finnish-Algerian singer Mariam "Manna" Jäntti, gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Olivia. Lindström and Manna later married, but divorced, and in 2010 Lindström became engaged to Toni-Marie Iommi, the daughter of

guitarist

. In 2013, the couple were reported to have broken-up.

Equipment

Lindström has used

Gibson SG The Gibson SG is a solid-body electric guitar model introduced by Gibson in 1961 as the Gibson Les Paul SG. It remains in production today in many variations of the initial design. The SG (where "SG" refers to Solid-Body Guitar) Standard is Gi ...

s most of his career. He currently uses only one SG live, which is fitted with a

Seymour Duncan Seymour Duncan is an American company best known for manufacturing guitar and bass pickups. They also manufacture effects pedals which are designed and assembled in America. Guitarist and luthier Seymour W. Duncan and Cathy Carter Duncan found ...

pickup in the bridge position. Lindström has also used

Fender Telecaster The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is an electric guitar produced by Fender. Together with its sister model the Esquire, it is the world's first mass-produced, commercially successful Les Paul had built a prototype solid bo ...

s, an

ESP ESP most commonly refers to: * Extrasensory perception, a paranormal ability ESP may also refer to: Arts, entertainment Music * ESP Guitars, a manufacturer of electric guitars * E.S. Posthumus, an independent music group formed in 2000, ...

Baritone, and a

Gretsch Gretsch is an American company that manufactures musical instruments. The company was founded in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York by Friedrich Gretsch, a 27-year-old German immigrant, shortly after his arrival to the United States. Friedrich Gretsch ...

Country Gentleman in the studio, as well as a

Gibson Flying V The Gibson Flying V is an electric guitar model introduced by Gibson in 1958. The Flying V offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings: the Explorer, which was released the same year, and the Moderne, which was designed ...

and a

Gibson EDS-1275 The Gibson EDS-1275 is a doubleneck Gibson electric guitar introduced in 1963 and still in production. Popularized and raised to iconic status by musicians such as John McLaughlin and Jimmy Page, it was called "the coolest guitar in rock." H ...

, as seen in the music videos for HIM's "Right Here in My Arms" and "In Joy and Sorrow" respectively. Lindström uses two Laney amp heads, as well as one Peavey 5150, which is used for the main lead sound. One of the two Laneys has an

Electro-Harmonix Electro-Harmonix (also commonly referred to as EHX) is a New York City-based company that makes electronic audio processors and sells rebranded vacuum tubes. The company was founded by Mike Matthews in 1968. It is best known for a series of gu ...

Octave Multiplexer, while the other one uses a Black Arts Toneworks Pharaoh Fuzz. The signal from the amps is routed with a Voodoo Labs Amp Selector. Lindström uses a Dunlop 105Q Bass Wah as opposed to a regular guitar wah pedal, because he finds the bass wah "more aggressive than the normal one."

Discography

HIM

* ''

'' (1997) * ''

'' (2000) * ''

'' (2001) * ''

'' (2003) * '' Dark Light'' (2005) * '' Venus Doom'' (2007) * '' Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice'' (2010) * ''

'' (2013)

Daniel Lioneye

* ''The King of Rock 'n Roll'' (2001) * ''Vol. II'' (2010) * ''Vol. III'' (2016)

Flat Earth

* ''None for One'' (2018)

Other appearances

* Ihmepoika – ''Ihmepoika'' (2004) * Jeff Walker und Die Fluffers – '' Welcome to Carcass Cuntry'' (2006) * Manna – ''Sister'' (2007) *

– " Out of My Mind / Holy Water" (2011)

References

External links

Mikko "Linde" Lindström
at

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

Official website
of Flat Earth {{DEFAULTSORT:Lindstrom, Linde 1976 births Finnish rock guitarists Lead guitarists HIM (Finnish band) members Living people Musicians from Helsinki