Music
Since my first album release in 2000, I’ve worked extensively with multiple bands, providing keyboard arrangements, production, engineering, graphic design and art direction, and I have thorough experience in touring and tour production. Below you will find an unabridged timeline of my works so far, but I am always open to new opportunities—feel free to contact me.
2019
Insomnium
Heart like a Grave
Century Media
Insomnium’s eight album, Heart Like a Grave was a great follow up to Winter’s Gate’s success. I had taken a bit of a break from music after quitting Swallow the Sun, so getting back to recording was exciting. Once again, I did all the keyboard arrangements, recording and production over the spring at Hannu Honkonen’s workshop in Helsinki. The album was engineered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studio in Örebro, Sweden.
Starter “Wall of the North” works as both one of the best instances of that juxtaposition and one of the best tracks on the LP overall. Its immediate subtle tragedy is downright breath-taking, as mournful piano notes and chords cascade around grief-stricken strings until harsher timbres—percussion, electric guitars, keyboards, growled verses, etc.—build upon that foundation.
Starkill | Gravity
Independent
I helped the melodic metal band from Chicago with the keyboard arrangements of their self-published album.
2018
Become a Threat | The Abyss
Full House Records
I wrote and recorded the intro for the song Terra Nova for the Helsinki-based hardcore band.
2017
Performed Winter’s Gate in its entirety with Insomnium at Joensuu’s Ilosaarirock with Joensuu Symphonic Orchestra.
2016
In addition to playing headlining and festival shows in Europe, Egypt, Israel and Russia we supported Dark Tranquillity with Swallow the Sun on their North American tour.
56 shows12 countries
Insomnium
Winter’s Gate
Century Media
Under normal circumstances Insomnium’s seventh album, Winter’s Gate, being a concept album with one, 45-minute song on it, would’ve been intimidating, but as I had just finished Swallow the Sun’s Songs from the North it was more like business as usual. Once again, I recorded and engineered my keyboard arrangements at Hannu Honkonen’s place, this time at Scoring Helsinki. The album was mixed by Dan Swanö at Unisound in Örebro, Sweden.
Opening with the sound of rolling waves and a delicate guitar part, the album is very much the proverbial ‘journey’ and prog and black metal influences pepper the melodic death-steeped opus. In addition to some ferocious riffs and duelling leads, there are Rick Wakeman–esque synths, howling choirs, morose pianos, folksy Spanish guitars and even a post-rock-meets-Tubular Bells section around the 13-minute mark making for a thrilling listen that’s every bit as epic as the original yarn it’s inspired by.
2015
We started the Swallow the Sun tour cycle for Songs from the North with some headlining and festival shows in Finland and rest of Europe.
34 shows15 countries
Swallow the Sun
Songs from the North
Century Media
While working on Swallow the Sun sixth album Songs from the North I had no idea that it would end up being my last one with the band. The decision to quit in 2016, however, was so much easier after accomplishing something like this—Songs from the North is a monumental concept and could have gone wrong in so many ways, but us being able to pull off a triple-album, a representation of all of the musical extremes that define Swallow the Sun was not a small feat, and I couldn’t be happier about it. I feel it perfectly wraps up my time in the band.
I recorded and engineered all of the keyboards at Hannu Honkonen’s workshop over five sweaty days. Everything else was recorded and mixed all over the place by Hiili Hiilesmaa, Juha Heininen, Tuomas Kokko and Jaani Peuhu, who also produced the vocals.
I also did the art direction and layouts for the album based on the photography of Aleah Stanbridge, graphical elements by Rami Mursula and my own photography—I shot most of the booklet photos in Poland and Finland over the summer.
Songs From The North is a stunning, near-flawless achievement and the perfect soundtrack for bleak winters, both real and ethereal.
Releasing Songs from the North I, II & III demonstrates a radical belief in the physical concept of the album—an act of defiance in this age. While each disc stands on its own, it’s the sum total that makes this such a career-defining work.
Insomnium | Out to the Sea
Century Media
Split 7″ vinyl with Omnium Gatherum of Out to the Sea, a bonus track from Shadows of the Dying Sun.
2014
We took a bit of a break from touring with Swallow the Sun, playing only selected festival shows in Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, Norway, China, Brazil and Finland.
8 shows6 countries
Insomnium
Shadows of the Dying Sun
Century Media
Insomnium’s sixth album—one of my favourites of theirs—was mixed by André Alvinzi at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden. I recorded and engineered my keyboard arrangements, as usual, at Hannu Honkonen’s workshop, Noiseworks Studio.
Shadows of the Dying Sun is an album that will reward the listener for years to come. Each composition is both sweeping and evocative, as dressed in elegant majesty as it is steeped in fearlessly executed heavy metal grandeur.
2013
We did a Swallow the Sun headlining tour for the 10th anniversary of The Morning Never Came in Finland and Europe.
24 shows9 countries
2012
We supported Paradise Lost and Moonspell on their European tours, and Kreator and Accept in North America with Swallow the Sun. In addition, we played a bunch of headlining and festival shows in Japan and Europe.
89 shows18 countries
Swallow the Sun
Emerald Forest and the Blackbird
Spinefarm Records
Our fifth album, Emerald Forest and the Blackbird, might be my favourite of all of Swallow the Sun albums, the song writing was great and the production by Hiili Hiilesmaa was on point. I—once again—recorded and engineered all of the keyboard parts at Noisework Studio with Hannu Honkonen, and like on New Moon, did the layouts and art direction based on illustrations by Rami Mursula.
The all-star of this album is keyboardist Aleksi Munter, whose reserved atmospheric layers and melancholic piano lines give the album an extra layer of sadness and misery. His diverse sounds and keen ear for harmony and counterpoint elevate these recordings to the next level.
Any aspiring keyboardist should buy this record and use it as a textbook on how to expertly execute the instrument in a heavy band. From the layers to the showcase moments, Aleksi’s performance is stellar.
2011
Took a whole year break from touring after the madness of the previous years, playing only two acoustic Swallow the Sun shows in Finland.
Insomnium
One for Sorrow
Century Media
Insomnium’s fifth album, One for Sorrow, was business as usual—I arranged and performed all the keyboards and recorded and engineered them at Noisework Studio in Helsinki. Meanwhile, the album was mixed by Samu Oittinen at Fantom Studio, Tampere.
More than ever, the keyboards on this album are being treated as an instrument to be considered on a par with the rest, their contributions […] providing depth and subtlety in their glimmering orchestral tones.
Insomnium | Weather the Storm
Century Media
To promote an upcoming Insomnium tour, we released a digital single Weather the Storm featuring Mikael Stanne from Dark Tranquillity.
Ghost Brigade
Until Fear No Longer Defines Us
Season of Mist
Ghost Brigade’s third album, Until Fear No Longer Defines Us, was professionally one of the hardest albums for me to do—we had already decided that I wouldn’t tour with them and would eventually depart the band, and they didn’t want to use backing tracks live.
As such, all the keyboards needed to be arranged and produced so, that they would elevate the album, but lacking them wouldn’t affect the live performance negatively. This taught me a lot about writing pads and soundscapes. The album was recorded by Antti Malinen at Seawolf Studios, Helsinki, while I recorded most of my parts at home.
Befitting its beautiful artwork, the album has a full and evocative sound; lush, melancholy melodies shimmering like starlight atop mountains of heaving, Neurosis-esque riffage, while subtle keyboard embellishments provide unobtrusive, yet unashamedly progressive undercurrents.
2010
The heavy touring of 2009 continued with Swallow the Sun supporting Katatonia on their European and North American tours, Finntroll in North America, and headlining and festival shows in Europe and Israel. In addition, I played a bunch of shows with Insomnium and Ghost Brigade.
130 shows21 countries3 bands
Katra
I did keyboard arrangements and production for the Tampere-based singer Katra’s album Out of the Ashes, released by Napalm Records.
Heavy Metal Perse
Heavy Metal Perse released a 7′ single, Hornan Koje, through Dethrone Music—I did the keyboard arrangements and production on its B-side track, Ja ylitse vihaisen meren.
2009
Swallow the Sun played a massive tour with Soilwork in North America, as well as, a co-headlining European tour with Insomnium, and a bunch of other shows. In addition, I played with Insomnium and Ghost Brigade following the releases of their albums in Finland and Europe.
140 shows13 countries3 bands
Swallow the Sun
New Moon
Spinefarm Records
With New Moon we set our sights to the United States—following its release we played some hundred or so shows all around the States. I engineered and recorded my parts at Noisework Studio, while the rest of the album was recorded with Jens Bogren at Fascination Street in Örebro, Sweden.
In addition to the keyboard work, I also did the art direction and layouts for the album in co-operation with Rami Mursula, who provided the beautiful wood-cut style illustrations.
Huge amounts of caressing melody, heavier moments, outbursts in rage and slow-paced atmospheric passages, all of them blending together in utter harmony. The keyboard lines float in a devout or threatening way overshadowing the sun while the guitars paint the soundscape with scarlet and grey colours with their acoustic, melodic or heavier dance.
Insomnium
Across the Dark
Candlelight Records
While Insomnium’s third album, Above the Weeping World, featured keyboards only on some of the songs, they took a more prominent role on Across the Dark. I recorded and engineered my keyboards with Hannu Honkonen at Noisework Studio in Helsinki. The album was mixed and recorded by Samu Oittinen at Fantom Studio, Tampere.
Insomnium have elevated their song writing skills from the already stunning back catalog and dropped an album full of such knee wilting, somber melody and lush atmospheres, it literally cries for your rapt attention and most certainly will be atop many critics’ top ten lists for 2009.
Ghost Brigade
Isolation Songs
Season of Mist
I joined Ghost Brigade as a full-time member for their second album Isolation Songs, and it remains one of my favourite albums I’ve ever worked on. I recorded my parts of the album mostly at home and Lutakko, while the rest of it was recorded by Antti Malinen at Seawolf Studios, Helsinki. Funnily enough, our paths with Antti would cross later on co-founding the software company Sangre.
Ghost Brigade specialise in precision riffs that frame dense musical structures, segueing from clinical brutality to melodic beauty in easily digestible form, this follow up to the critically acclaimed ‘Guided By Fire’ is further proof of Finland's perpetual musical supremacy.
2008
Swallow the Sun played a UK tour supporting Apocalyptica, and I played some shows in Europe and Russia with Swallow the Sun, Ghost Brigade and Insomnium.
39 shows7 countries3 bands
Swallow the Sun
Plague of Butterflies
Spinefarm Records
Plague of Butterflies was our first venture into non-traditional release formats. Clocking in at 35 minutes, the single song album was originally written to be performed by New York-based Ballet Deviare. The album—or EP—included our first demo Out of this Gloomy Light, which was never released to the public: only 2 or so physical copies were ever made.
This was also my first time working with visual arts: I did the layout of the album booklet and covers based on the paintings of Jyväskylä-based artist Minja Revonkorpi. And again, I recorded and engineered my keyboards again with Hannu Honkonen at his place, while the album was recorded and mixed by Sami Koivisto, Biotech Audio Solutions.
Chaosweaver
I did a some of the keyboard arrangements for the song White Noise on Chaosweaver’s album Puppetmaster of Pandemonium, released by Shadow World.
Heavy Metal Perse
I arranged and recorded six songs on Heavy Metal Perse album, Eripura, released by Dethrone Music.
2007
We did 3 full tours with Swallow the Sun: first Europe with Moonsorrow, then 2 with Insomnium on the same bill—first supporting Katatonia in North America, then Amorphis in Europe. 94 other shows in Finland, rest of Europe and Russia between Swallow the Sun, Insomnium and Ghost Brigade makes 2007 my busiest year to date.
149 shows18 countries3 bands
Swallow the Sun
Hope
Spinefarm Records
Hope was our first release on Spinefarm Records, and also the first time I worked together with Hannu Honkonen on keyboards. I recorded and engineered my keyboards at his production studio, while rest of the album was recorded and mixed at Suomenlinnan Studio (formerly Seawolf Studios) in Helsinki by Sami Kokko. This also marks the first time we worked with Jaani Peuhu, who’d eventually take on the keyboard duties in the band after my departure.
In addition to arranging the keyboards, I wrote the music and lyrics for the song The Empty Skies.
You’ll be amazed at the depth of these compositions. The vibe is gloom and doom from start to finish, but Swallow the Sun pieces everything together so splendidly that the arrangements seemingly become bigger each time through, the songs revealing previously undetected layers of dynamic song writing with each spin.
Swallow the Sun | Don’t Fall Asleep
Spinefarm Records
Don’t Fall Asleep was released as a CD single with a cover version of Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus song Alavilla Mailla.
Ghost Brigade
Guided By Fire
Season of Mist
Wille from Jyväskylä-based Ghost Brigade sent me the demo of their demo at some point in 2006, and asked whether I’d be interested in doing some keyboards for them. My immediate response was “do not send this to anyone else, I will do it”—loved it from the first notes.
The demo garnered the attention from record labels it deserved, and not soon after, our first album Guided by Fire was released by Season of Mist. In addition to arranging and performing the keyboards, I also played a bunch of shows live with them. Guided by Fire was recorded between Lutakko, Jyväskylä and Seawolf Studios, Helsinki by Mikko Poikolainen.
Guided by Fire consistently thrives on melodies—dark, gloomy, brooding melodies. Melody is not an afterthought on Guided by Fire; it is a vital, essential part of what Ghost Brigade do on their very listenable and respectable debut.
2006
In addition to bunch of festival shows, we also played our first short tour abroad with Swallow the Sun. I also played my first ever shows with Insomnium and Ghost Brigade.
28 shows7 countries4 bands
Insomnium
Above the Weeping World
Candlelight Records
After working on a few songs on their second album, Insomnium asked me to do all of the keyboard arrangements for their third one, Above the Weeping World. As the keyboards took a bigger role in their music, I also started playing live shows with them.
I arranged and performed the keyboards for the album, recorded by Samu Oittinen at Fantom Studio, Tampere.
Insomnium are some of the best in the business at crafting memorable melodic death metal, and Above The Weeping World is by far one of their best works.
2005
Played a bunch of festivals and other shows in Finland with Swallow the Sun and Trollheim’s Grott.
23 shows2 bands
Swallow the Sun
Ghosts of Loss
Firebox Records
The second Swallow the Sun album turned out quite a bit more progressive than the first one. I performed and arranged all the keyboards, as well as, wrote the music and lyrics for Fragile. Ghosts of Loss was recorded with Sami Kokko at Sam’s Workshop in Jyväskylä.
Layered keyboards, viscid, expansive guitar tone and a vocalist at ease with this mild rumbling growl are the veneer that allows a shine to surface from deep within a creation built on the legacy of My Dying Bride’s percussive march and the influence of contemporary genre blenders like Morgion. This time around, the time-honoured standard doom checklist is expanded upon with variation and a surging passion yanked from the more chaotic metal of death.
Swallow the Sun | Forgive Her…
Firebox Records
The single release from Ghosts of Loss included a cover Candlemass’s Solitude featuring Albert Witchfinder from Reverend Bizarre.
Machine Men
On the second Machine Men album—Elegies—I arranged the cello parts, and wrote and performed the keyboards for the song From Sunrise to Sunset. Released by Century Media.
Machine Men
On the single release from Elegies, Falling, I produced an electronic remix of the song Dream & Religion.
Atakhama
Some of the unreleased songs I wrote for Funeris Nocturnum were rearranged for Atakhama album Existence Indifferent to fit the death metal aesthetic of the band. Released by Woodcut Records.
Heavy Metal Perse
I arranged and recorded the keyboards for Heavy Metal Perse self-released three-song EP, Tervemenoa Tuonelaan!
2004
Played my last shows with Funeris Nocturnum, supporting Zyklon in Finland. Swallow the Sun’s first show abroad in Estonia and lots of summer festivals in Finland.
28 shows2 countries4 bands
Insomnium | Since The Day It All Came Down
Candlelight Records
I arranged the keyboards for two songs on Insomnium’s second album, Under the Plaintive Sky and Song of the Forlorn Son.
2003
We played our first shows with Swallow the Sun in Turku, Jyväskylä and Helsinki.
4 shows2 bands
Swallow the Sun
The Morning Never Came
Firebox Records
I still remember how I felt listening to our first demo Out of This Gloomy Light—until I put that on, I wasn’t quite sure what we were doing, but on the very first listen I knew we were on to something special. Not too many months later, we recorded our first album, The Morning Never Came, which received critical acclaim in press all around the world, and I still consider it one of the best things I’ve ever worked on.
I played and arranged all the keyboards on this one, recorded with Sami Kokko at Sam’s Workshop in Lutakko, Jyväskylä.
One of Doom Metal’s finest hours to date.
Not since My Dying Bride’s classic Turn Loose The Swans has there been such a flawless example of how sorrow can be harnessed to the heaviest of guitar tones, capped with virtuoso guttural growls and graced with an immaculate production patina, to such devastating effect. Every one of these eight tracks is an absolute fucking monster.
Trollheim’s Grott
Bloodsoaked and Ill-Fated
Woodcut Records
I joined Trollheim’s Grott as a full-time member for their second album, Bloodsoaked and Ill-fated. The album took a very industrial turn from their more traditional first album with heavy emphasis on electronics.
I wrote and produced the song Addicted to Lethal Injections, as well as, arranging and playing the keyboards. Recorded with Sam Jämsen at Studio Perkele in Kuopio.
2002
Played a bunch of shows in Finland between 1999 and 2002 with Funeris Nocturnum and Trollheim’s Grott. My memories of these are hazy at best.
23 shows2 bands
Funeris Nocturnum
Code 666: Religion Syndrome Deceased
Woodcut Records
Our third album, Code 666: Religion Syndrome Deceased is slightly slower and more melodic than the previous ones, and we started experimenting with electronic stuff—the album even features an unnamed hidden track, a proper teeth-grinding techno banger.
I played and arranged the keyboards, wrote and produced the hidden track, and wrote the music and lyrics for the songs The Sculptor and The Walls Breed Larvae. Recorded with Arttu Sarvanne at Studio Watercastle in Jyväskylä.
2001
Funeris Nocturnum
From the Aspect of Darkly Illuminated
Woodcut Records
On our second album From the Aspect of Darkly Illuminated we veered towards more of a death metal approach from the first album’s straightforward symphonic black metal, but did not give up on speed.
In addition to playing and arranging the keys, I wrote the album starter The Betrayal, the Betrayed and an Act of Blasphemy and the interlude Nameless, featuring some peak 90’s string instrument samples. Recorded with Arttu Sarvanne at Studio Watercastle, Jyväskylä.
Funeris Nocturnum | Slay and Burn
Woodcut Records
We released the Funeris Nocturnum demo Slay and Burn as an EP, with some bonus alcohol-fuelled cover songs. This one features the other guitar solo I’ve ever recorded on our cover of Manowar’s Wheels of Fire.
Trollheim’s Grott | Bizarre Troll Technology
Woodcut Records
I co-wrote and produced the electronic track Chased by Trolls on Trollheim’s Grott first album Bizarre Troll Technology.
2000
Funeris Nocturnum
Pure Satanic Blasphemy
Woodcut Records
I arranged and played the keyboards and co-wrote the title track of Funeris Nocturnum’s aptly named Pure Satanic Blasphemy. The album holds a special place in my heart, being the first one I—or anyone of us—worked on, and I still enjoy its breakneck intensity and no-fucks-given attitude.
We wanted it to be fast, angry and blasphemous, and it is all that, and then some. Recorded with Arttu Sarvanne at Studio Watercastle, Jyväskylä.