Suomirock

In an earlier blog I mentioned the immense popularity of heavy rock/metal in Finland/Scandinavia. Looking into the history of this particular genre as it gained popularity I saw that like the evolution of rock in the US many different types of rock music had come in and out of style since the 50's. From progressive rock to hard rock to the late 70's when punk rock was at its peak in Finland, I can see how today the countries thousands of popular rock bands are inspired by various sounds of the past. Finnish bands of the rock/metal genre categorize themselves as "Suomirock" which factors in nationalism to the modern music culture of Finland's young adult population.

I stumbled upon this website:

http://www.metalfromfinland.com/

It's literally a database of all of today's popular Finnish rock bands. Not only that, the site provides tour dates, biographies, pictures, sound and video clips, information on upcoming concerts/events, an online store, and most interestingly a complete history of Finland as a nation. This page provides information on Finland's rise as it seperated from Russia and declared independence as well the countries involvement in both World Wars. Furthermore it covers geographical features, politics, religions and popular tourist attractions.

This sticks out to me, because it proves that rock music and heavy metal is a noted part of Finland's modern culture. As Finnish metal has been recognized as some of the best in the world it is clear to see that it's millions of avid native listeners take pride in their country because of it.

As I kept trying to find out more about Finnish metal I came across two popular rock festivals that take place annually in Finland: Ruisrock, and Provinssirock. Viewing both of the websites shows how popular these events are. Both employ native Finnish bands every year but invite bands from all over the world to play too. Artists from the US, Austrailia, UK, and Germany (to name a few) are always present. This year, the German rockband Rammstein, which has gained some popularity in the US, is headlining the Provinssirock festival, and Regina Spektor a singer/songwriter who has become well known in the US is playing at Ruisrock.

(http://www.provinssirock.fi/etusivu_en)

(http://www.ruisrock.fi/index.php?browser_id=27&id=10)