Has anybody seen this? wtf?

[St Enigma]

IWhat I want to know is what inspired them to start a metal band with 4 Cellos...?

The guys were studying cello at the Sibelius Academy back in the early 90's, all had long hair and they found out that everybody of them loved metal...

They really are graduates from the Sibelius Academy (music university) and afaik, it all started by them jokingly experimeting with the capabilities of electronically amplified cellos playing Metallica's songs. Later everything run out of hands and Apocalyptica become a million seller metalband who have played at all the biggest metal festivals in Europe and toured everywhere around the world. At the moment they are among the top five internationally selling metal acts in Finland.

 

[kunphyooshus]

These guys fucking smoke!!! Surely they'd never get considered at PP, but I would love to see them.

I don't know. They sound like the perfect "oddball" band to me.

Nate

 

[Jurakan]

FINALLY!!!!

I had commented on Apocalyptica once or twice in other threads, but other than that had never read anything about them here, nor made much noise myself.

These were the guys that got me back into metal (and also into some classical!!) waaaay back in 1996 or so. Beside old Metallica, they also covered some Pantera, Sepultura and Faith No More. They also perform Edvard Grieg's orchestral piece Hall of the Mountain King, composed for a Norwegian play. As such, it is not to be confused with Savatage's HotMK.

Best way to get into them would be listening to their studio albums in order, so you can appreciate their musical evolution. They are all major ass kickers:

Plays Metallica by Four Cellos
Harmageddon (first to include any original material)
Cult (mostly original material, vocals introduced, some orchestral percussion)
Reflections (afaik all original material, a few vocals, drums by Slayer's Dave Lombardo)
Apocalyptica (S/T) (afaik all original, some vocals, w/ drums and a few other instruments)

If you can't wait to hear the whole catalogue, (which again, I highly recommend!) jump right into Reflections. Their best work to date in my opinion.

And btw, the only place I could find their DVD was (DUH!!!) at the vendors' tables in Prog Power. Not at all out of place if you ask me...

Now stop reading and start your homework!!!

 

[trx2k05]

WTF?

They can play I will say that!

 

[rockyracoon]

Why not?

Mainly because they're almost entirely instrumental, at least to my knowledge. I have Plays Metallica by Four Cellos, Inquisition, Cult and Reflections and love them all. So I would absolutely love to see them at PP but I'm fairly certain Glenn has repeatedly mentioned not wanted to book instrumental acts for PP.

 

[MEGALOUD]

This is just off the hook cool, I showed the little Jawa Tomy, and he saved it to his youtube fav's....this would be a very interesting band to bring to this fest I think....perhaps on a thursday in 2008 Shane???

 

[Pellaz]

If they're one of Finland's five best-selling metal acts, I doubt we could afford them for PPUSA itself, let alone the Showcase......but damn, that'd be neet.

Who are the other four bestselling metal bands from Finland? Nightwish, I think..... Lordi? Children of Bodom? Sonata Arctica? Kalmah? Norther? Stratovarius? Umm......... Kingston Wall? Hidria Spacefolk?

 

[St Enigma]

Apocalyptica seem to work hard and make long tours like the last one (*dates-05*, *dates-06*) 170 gigs in 18 months during which they also came twice to the USA. If you look at the venues they played at, I don't think they're charging extreme sums for a gig. Right now they are working on a new CD without a set release date yet, but by 2008 they'll b on the road again, I think.

Pellaz, if my memory serves, the newest annual list (2005 figures?) of top selling metal bands I saw was something like HIM (sic! are they metal, it's debatable even here), Nightwish, Apocalyptica, CoB, Sonata Arctica and Stratovarious. - but the list definitely isn't static.

 

[Entropiastrife]

If they're one of Finland's five best-selling metal acts, I doubt we could afford them for PPUSA itself, let alone the Showcase......but damn, that'd be neet.

Who are the other four bestselling metal bands from Finland? Nightwish, I think..... Lordi? Children of Bodom? Sonata Arctica? Kalmah? Norther? Stratovarius? Umm......... Kingston Wall? Hidria Spacefolk?

If pp can get strato, nightwish, and sonata, they can get apocalyptica. Keep in mind all of those bands havent done much touring in the states (aside from sonata) when they debuted at prog power, apocalyptica would be no different.

 

[TXHOSER]

Didn't they do the soundtrack for a movie about 10 years ago? I think it was called "Friends and Neighbors" or something like that. Ben Stiller might have been in it. I just remember the Metallica songs between scenes.

 

[SeaStorm]

They're cool. I haven't heard any of their albums, but I did catch them on the 2005 US tour. Cool stuff.

I was amazed to watch the scrawny shirtless guy hold that cello way up over his head with one hand and play it with the other. For like a minute. Impressive.

 

[Pellaz]

Pellaz, if my memory serves, the newest annual list (2005 figures?) of top selling metal bands I saw was something like HIM (sic! are they metal, it's debatable even here), Nightwish, Apocalyptica, CoB, Sonata Arctica and Stratovarious. - but the list definitely isn't static.

hahahaha, I'm not sure how I could have forgotten HIM. I'm not sure they're all that metal either...

Probably not in the Finnish top 5 or 6 metal albums and also arguably metal, but The 69 Eyes also come to mind. BTW, they played a great set opening for Cradle of Filth here...and no, I'm not being sarcastic.

 

[metropolisimages]

Apocalyptica........ GOOD............. Napster.............. BAD!

haha

 

[FatesFan]

Apocalyptica........ GOOD............. Napster.............. BAD!

haha

 

[3DimensionalAperture]

If pp can get strato, nightwish, and sonata, they can get apocalyptica. Keep in mind all of those bands havent done much touring in the states (aside from sonata) when they debuted at prog power, apocalyptica would be no different.

Apocalyptica did a US tour in 2005

Dave Lombardo has played drums for them in the past, and they have indeed written songs with vocals. I think the dude from HIM did vocals on a couple of their tracks.

 

[Jibrille]

Only one that I know of. Ville & Lauri (from The Rasmus - finnish rock band) did vocals on a track called "Bittersweet." I hate HIM but I love the guys voice. Lauri also did the vocals on the "Life Burns" song.