Mokoma is a Finnish
thrash metal
Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
band formed in
Lappeenranta
Lappeenranta (; sv, Villmanstrand) is a city and municipality in the region of South Karelia, about from the Russian border and from the town of Vyborg (''Viipuri''). It is situated on the shore of the Lake Saimaa in southeastern Finland, and ...
, Finland, in 1996. Their music also has
grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme fusion genre of heavy metal and hardcore punk that originated in the mid-1980s, drawing inspiration from abrasive-sounding musical styles, such as thrashcore, crust punk, hardcore punk, extreme metal, and industrial. G ...
and
death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...
influences with traditional Finnish melancholy.
Mokoma started out as a creation of Marko Annala, who is the band's lead singer, and has been the band's only original remaining band member. The name comes from Annala's former girlfriends' Karelian grandmother, who said "Voi siuta mokomaa". That means "Oh gosh, you and your tricks", basically in simple words when put into English. Mokoma is similar but slightly more gracious word to "damned" or "accursed". Through the years several members have come and gone, but only Annala has remained constant.
The band started out as a more traditional
rock band
A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guita ...
with their first two albums "Valu" and "Mokoman 120 päivää". However, both albums sold badly and they were eventually dropped when they suggested to their record company (EMI), that they wanted to play something closer to their hearts, thrash metal.
The group moved on and created their own record company, called Sakara Records, and released their third album "Kurimus", which is sometimes regarded as the first thrash metal album sung in Finnish.
That was the first release of the members' independent record company
Sakara Records
Sakara Records is an independent Finnish metal/rock record label.
It was found in 2003 by the Finnish metal group Mokoma.
Since then the label has added the Finnish bands Stam1na, Rytmihäiriö, Black Bile, Diablo and YUP.
Mokoma was formed in ...
. Since then they have released seven more albums and an EP called "Viides vuodenaika", which reached number one in the Finnish albums chart.
Their latest album release is ''Ihmissokkelo''.
Members
Current line-up
* Marko Annala -
vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
,
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
(1996–present)
* Tuomo Saikkonen -
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
,
vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
(1997–present)
* Kuisma Aalto -
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
,
vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
(1997–present)
* Janne Hyrkäs -
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
(2000–present)
* Santtu Hämäläinen -
bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
(2004–present)
Ex-members
* Heikki Kärkkäinen -
bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
(1997–2004)
* Janne Hynynen -
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
(1997–1999)
* Roope Laasonen -
keyboards
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Musi ...
(1997)
* Juhana Rantala - session
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
(1999)
* Raikko Törönen -
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
(1999)
* Mikko Ruokonen - session
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
(1999)
Session and guest musicians
* Netta Skog - Laulurovio album's session musician and acoustic tour guest
accordion
Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...
,
vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
(2016–present)
Discography
Albums
* ''Valu''
(''Casting'') (1999)
* ''Mokoman 120 päivää''
(''120 Days of Mokoma'') (2001)
* ''
Kurimus''
(''Whirlpool'') (2003)
* ''
Tämän maailman ruhtinaan hovi''
(''The Court of The Ruler of This World'') (2004)
* ''
Kuoleman laulukunnaat''
(''Singing Grounds of Death'') (2006)
* ''
Luihin ja ytimiin''
(''To the Bone'') (2007)
* ''
Sydänjuuret''
(''Heartstrings'') (2010)
* ''
Varjopuoli''
(''Drawback'') (2011)
* ''
180 astetta''
(''180 Degrees'') (2012)
* ''
Elävien kirjoihin''
(''Into the Books of the Living'') (2015)
* ''
Laulurovio''
(''Song Pyre'') (2016)
* ''
Hengen pitimet''
(''Spirit Holders'') (2018)
* ''
Ihmissokkelo''
(''Human Maze'') (2020)
EPs and singles
* "Kasvan" (single, 1999)
* "Perspektiivi" (single, 1999)
* "Seitsemän sinetin takana" (single, 2001)
* "Rajapyykki" (single, 2001)
* "Takatalvi" (free, downloadable single, 2003)
* ''Punainen kukko'' (EP, 2003)
* "Hiljaisuuden julistaja" (free, downloadable single, 2004)
* ''Viides vuodenaika'' (EP, 2006)
* "Nujerra ihminen" (Downloadable single, 2007)
* "Sydänjuuret" (Downloadable single, 2010)
* ''Juurta jaksain'' (EP, 2010)
* "Sarvet esiin" (Downloadable single with Finnish rap artist
Petri Nygård
Petri Jukka Mikael Laurila (born 8 February 1975), better known by his stage name Petri Nygård, is a Finnish rapper. He is also known under alias Dream (in rap duo Nuera) and as Travis Bicle.
He has gained notoriety for his sexually explicit ...
, 2010)
* "Sydän paikallaan" (Downloadable single, 2011)
* "Valkoista kohinaa" (Downloadable single, 2012)
* "Punamultaa" (Downloadable single, 2012)
* ''Yksi'' (EP, 2013)
* "Sinne missä aamu sarastaa" (Downloadable single, 2015)
DVDs
* ''Mokoma DVD - Mäntit tien päällä'' (2004)
* ''Sakara Tour 2006'' (2007)
References
External links
Official siteSakara Records, the band's own labelMokoma @ Myspace
{{Authority control
Finnish death metal musical groups
Finnish thrash metal musical groups
Musical groups established in 1996