The autumn is a busy time for new music – and there is already a long list of great Finnish albums to be released before the end of the year. We take a look at what’s new in Finnish pop, rock, indie, electronic, metal, jazz and folk this fall!

Is the list missing an important album? Let us know and we’ll add it!

August 2019

Cyan Kicks: I Don’t Love You (Ranka Recordings, out August 23)

Helsinki based alternative rock foursome Cyan Kicks sparked interest with their singles such as Gasoline, Satellite as well as their rocking cover of Clean Bandit’s Rockabye. Fronted by singer Susanna Aleksandra the band combines electronic sounds and pop hooks with a modern hard rock sound. Their debut album "I Don't Love You" was released August 23^rd, with 13 songs about “chaos, lies, self-destruction,  determination, fearlessness and the passion to follow your dreams”, as the band states.

Jessi Frey: Villainess (Frey Enterprises, out August 23)

The former singer of industrial metal favorites Velcra, Jessi Frey released her first solo album on 23rd August. Villainess is described to be a dark synthpop album that combines 1980s influences with synthwave sounds and gothic vibes. 

Paavoharju: Syvyys – The Complete Fonal Years part 2 (Svart Records, out August 30) 

The music of defunct cult band Paavoharju is difficult to pin down. The Wire dubbed Paavoharju’s music as “home-taped experimentation married to pop ecstasy”, and their albums Yhä hämärää (2006) and Laulu laakson kukista (2008) found the band worldwide cult fame in the indie scene. After last spring’s first posthumous Paavoharju compilation Syvyys - The Complete Fonal Years Part 1, Svart Records will now release another box set from the band, which will include their album Laulu laakson kukista, along with an ep and many unreleased rarities.

Tarja: In the Raw (Ear Music, out August 30)

Three years on from her last album, The Shadow Self (2016), In The Raw finds the former Nightwish singer's voice sounding as stunning as ever. Working with many of the same musicians and production team as before, the album is a combination of sophisticated and refined orchestration, choir and her classically trained voice with a raw, dark heavy musical core.  

Televisio: TV 2 (Ektro / Full Contact Records, out August 30) 

“Aquatic electro meets Düsseldorf School as Finnish synth rockers perform long overdue exhumation of what should have been Electroclash 2.0” – Join Jussi Lehtisalo (known from bands like Circle, Rättö & Lehtisalo, Pharao Overlord and Split Cranium) and Ilari Larjosto (also familiar from Jesse, Tähtiportti, Anaalivaihe etc) on a “smaller-than-life excursion of dark throbs in our high-definition tele-presence”. The two-man supergroup’s second album promises us “eight fluid and fully electronic tracks here deliver fresh ideas on the art of observing the old school cathode-ray tube in extreme close-up.”

September

Anne-Mari Kivimäki: Hämeen lauluja (Kihtinäjärvi Records, out September 6)

Acclaimed “accordion trance” artist and songwriter Anne-Mari Kivimäki returns with Hämeen lauluja, an album of minimalist, modern vocal music based on improvisation and quiet elation. Kivimäki and her Soviet-made Notka accordion is accompanied by the Palomylly band. The album is produced by Pekko Käppi and Ville Rauhala, and based on notes from Kivimäki’s own homeland and its old stories. 

Sansibar: Targeted Individuals (Darknet Records, out September 7)

Electronic music producer Sansibar makes mind-warping mutant club music with an eclectic style dipping wildly between Detroit electro, jackin’ chi-trax, futuristic techno-bass and all the things between. Sansibar has announced the release of his debut album in August following the EP White Swan released in early 2019. 

The 69 Eyes: West End (Nuclear Blast, out September 13) 

2019 marks the 30th anniversary of The 69 Eyes but these "Helsinki vampires" aren't slowing down yet. As one of the few survivors from the goth hype of the early 2000s, the goth’n’roll veterans’ 12th and ‘truly apocalyptic’ album West End is promised to have "11 up-tempo rock anthems full of heaviness, black memento mori moments and dark humour". Guests include Cradle Of Filth frontman Dani Filth, Wednesday 13 and Alice Cooper’s daughter and Beastö Blancö vocalist Calico Cooper. The 69 Eyes will also tour across Europe promoting the album. 

Pekka Toivonen Ensemble: The Bottom of the Ancient Ocean (Kasino Records, out September 13)

Pekka Toivonen is a Finnish composer, pianist and music producer whose history includes music from different genres. His band, Pekka Toivonen Ensemble is maybe the most unorthodox acoustic music ensemble in Finland, combining jazz with classical music, while maintaining a firm rock'n'roll attitude. The Bottom of the Ancient Ocean is the debut album of this changing line-up.

O Samuli A: Condition Yellow (Svart Records, out September 20)

A veteran in the Helsinki electro scene, O Samuli A produces electronic music ranging from “soothing dumbient soundscapes to funky chipstep bleeps and styles”. O Samuli A’s new album Condition Yellow, released under through Svart Records, will follow the guidelines set of his previous album Field Trip.

Andy McCoy: 21st Century Rocks (Ainoa Productions, out September 25)

Rock’n’roll icon Andy McCoy is best known as the guitarist and songwriter – along Michael Monroe – in seminal 1980s glam rockers Hanoi Rocks. After Hanoi’s second round (2001–2009) he has mainly stayed away from the limelight, producing more visual art than sleazy rock’n’roll, but in 2018 McCoy came out with the surprise ep Soul Satisfaction, which will be followed with the long play 21st Century Rocks on 25th September. The album was preceded with the single "Seven Seas" in August.

October

Insomnium: Heart Like a Grave (Century Media Records, out October 4)

August saw metal giants Insomnium announce the release of their next work. The melodeath/doom band’s eighth album Heart Like a Grave, following 2016’s Winter’s Gate, will drop October 4 via Century Media Records. The full-length was preceded by the single "Valediction" in August. Insomnium has also welcomed guitarist Jani Liimatainen in the group, with founding guitarist Ville Friman taking a step back from touring to focus on his job as a lecturer at York University.

Oranssi Pazuzu: Live at Roadburn 2017 (Roadburn Records, out October 4)

While we’re eagerly anticipating for their fifth studio full-length, highly acclaimed experimental metal outfit Oranssi Pazuzu will be putting out a live album of their show at Roadburn Festival in 2017. 

Michael Monroe: One Man Gang (ADA/Silver Lining Music, out October 18)

Finnish rock legend and ever-energetic former Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe’s upcoming ninth album (and fourth with his eponymous four-piece band, which includes ex-Hanoi Sam Yaffa and former New York Doll Steve Conte) One Man Gang, released on October 18, is the follow-up to 2015's Blackout States. The album was recorded and mixed by Petri Majuri at E-Studio in Sipoo, Finland, in March last year, and features a guest appearance by The Damned's Captain Sensible on the title track. Michael Monroe will also tour across Europe in October and November, with a pair of Japanese dates at the Summer Sonic Festival in Tokyo.  

Alvarado-Koivistoinen-Tuomarila: Alma (Svart Records, out October 18)

Alma is the debut album of jazz legend Eero Koivistoinen’s brand new trio consisting of Buenos Aires based vocalist Martin Alvarado and pianist/composer Alexi Tuomarila, also a well known name in the European Jazz scene. The music of the upcoming album is based on the melodies and atmosphere of Argentinian tango, meeting with its Finnish counterpart as well as modern Nordic jazz sound.

Santa Cruz: Katharsis (M-Theory Audio, out October 18)

Helsinki-based hard rock band Santa Cruz was formed in 2007. After three successful albums and over 200 shows from Japan to North America, three members of the original quartet quit the band in 2018. This year, frontman Archie Cruz introduced the band's new lineup, which was followed by the singles "Changing of the Seasons", "Tell Me Why" and "Into the War". In August Archie Cruz announced the 4th Santa Cruz album Katharsis, which will be released October 18th. The 11 songs on the album include all the the singles from 2019 as well as a cover of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time". 

The Hearing: Demian (Solina Records, out October 25)

Demian – the follow-up to similarly named Dorian (2013) and Adrian (2016) – is the third album by indie musician, singer-songwriter and one-woman-band The Hearing (Ringa Manner). Manner is known from her career in indie-favorites Pintandwefall, domestic pop phenomenon Ruusut and the defunct Solano + Profettes, as well as her many collaborations with artists like Paperi T, Cityman, ROOXX and Husky Rescue. Judging by the two advance singles “Jello” and “When in Doubt Repeat These Words”, you can expect a healthy dose of divine electronic dream pop, laced by Manner’s etheric, multilayered vocals in the vein of Björk or Cocteau Twins’ Liz Fraser. 

November

PH: Osiris Hayden (Svart Records, out November 1)

Svart Records sets November 1st as the international release date for PH’s (formerly known as Mr. Peter Hayden) highly anticipated fifth album “Osiris Hayden”. The band calls Osiris Hayden “contemporary Finno-Ugric Krautrock” – the album keeps with the band’s earlier work, but in a much more cinematic scope than before. The new album is described as “psychonaut futurism from a band fusing genres”.

Bowman Trio: Persistence (We Jazz Records, out November 1)

Jazz outfit Bowman Trio, consisting of trumpetist Tomi Nikku, bassist Joonas Tuuri and drummer Sami Nummela gained international acclaim with their eponymous debut in 2016. Their second release Persistence is due out in November. The young Helsinki-based group borrows their easy and classy sound from the 1950s West Coast style: the rhythm section of Joonas Tuuri and Sami Nummela provide the round, smooth swing, to which Tomi Nikku’s trumpet adds the shades of cool. The second album pushes the trio towards more individual style, but minimalism and acoustic music, are still present. 

Vesperith: Vesperith (Svart Records, out November 22)

November will see the release of experimental black metal artist Vesperith’s (neé Sariina Tani) debut album, produced by Jun-His (Oranssi Pazuzu, Waste of Space Orchestra). Vesperith’s music is spawned from “atmospheric drones, screeching distortion, and mesmerizing ambience, suddenly blowing up into euphoric, phoenix-like waves of bewitching guitars and hypnotic siren song”. The unique album has already been compared to the likes of Wolves in the Throne Room, Darkspace, Swans and Björk. Vesperith will follow the album release with a European tour. 

Others

Shiraz Lane: TBA EP (Ranka Kustannus, Out January 2020)

Finnish rockers Shiraz Lane have released a new single titled “Do You” from their upcoming new EP. The young sleaze metal fivesome has previously released three ep’s as well as full-length albums For Crying Out Loud (2016) and Carnival Days (2018) through Italian record label Frontiers. In June Shiraz Lane announced that they have signed with local a company, Ranka Kustannus, operated by Riku Pääkkönen (the founder of Spinefarm Records and the man behind the uprising of bands such as Nightwish and Children Of Bodom). New material is expected to be released before the EP. 

ALMA: Have U Seen Her? (PME Records, Release date TBA)

ALMA is the most cutting-edge pop star to emerge from Finland in a while. In mere three years the yellow-haired powerhouse has taken the pop world by storm – in streaming services with her own hits like "Dye My Hair" and "Chasing Highs", being featured on songs by Felix Jaehn, Clean Bandit and Charli XCX and writing hits for the likes of Matoma and Miley Cyrus. After performing songs from the upcoming debut album Have U Seen Her? for the first time at Flow Festival in August, Alma announced the album to be published very soon. With advance singles like "Cowboy", "When I Die" and "Lonely Night", we’re literally holding our breaths here!

Pekko Käppi: TBA (Svart Records, Release date TBA)

Pekko Käppi has started working on his next solo album scheduled for a fall release, very probably October. His last solo album Rammat jumalat (translated "Crippled gods") (2013) introduced his band K:H:H:L, with whom he has performed and recorded ever since. Now he feels the time is right for some more solo material. For his yet-unnamed upcoming album, Käppi browsed through archives researching for material: ancient folk songs that he can mix in his own musical world. Read more about Käppi in our recent feature article.