Where are they now?

Hellsinki thrash/death/aggression metal band Dauntless released their debut album on Firebox Records in 2007. The deal was one album only. Today it was announced that Dauntless & Full Metal Records have signed a deal. The second Dauntless album will be released in early 2009 and the band should be active both in national and international gig front.

http://www.dauntlessdeath.com
http://www.myspace.com/dauntlessband
 
Myrskylä, Southern Finland based Misery Inc. has been blasting heavy/dark/melodic/thrash metal since 2001. The band joined Firebox Records after releasing their debut album on German label. The band released their Firebox album Random End in 2006. In 2007 the band was back in action, now signed to Johanna Kustannus and the backing of King Foo Agency (Amorphis, Children of Bodom, Indica, Nightwish, Swallow The Sun) & Livenation booking (HIM, Insomnium, Northern, Von Hertzen Brothers).
In 2008 Firebox reissued band's debut album Yesterday´s Grave as 2CD version. On the bonus disc there is band's three early demos, showing bands more Sentenced influenced beginning.
Lately the band has been plagued with line up problems, but with such influental backing, there future for the band can't be anything else than good.

http://www.miseryinc.org/
http://www.myspace.com/miseryincband
http://www.last.fm/music/Misery+Inc
 
Norwegian Funeral was one of the forerunners of todays funeral doom metal genre along the likes of Thergothon and still active Skepticism. The band released two cornerstone releases: Tristesse (demo/mcd 1993) and Tragedies (album 1995). After periodical hiatuses, the band has released three more albums: In Fields of Pestilent Grief (2002 Nocturnal Music), From These Wounds (2006 Tabu), As The Light Does The Shadow (2008 Indie Recordings).
Two of the founding members of the band, Einar Fredriksen and Christian Loos, has died, with Anders Eek keeping the spirit of Funeral alive.
Firebox Records reissued bands first two releases as "Tragedies/Tristesse" 2CD. Currently the release is out of print, but there is quite a few copies around in various distributors & mailorders around the world.

http://www.funeralband.no/
http://www.myspace.com/doomfuneral
 
Myrskylä, Southern Finland based Misery Inc. has been blasting heavy/dark/melodic/thrash metal since 2001. The band joined Firebox Records after releasing their debut album on German label. The band released their Firebox album Random End in 2006. In 2007 the band was back in action, now signed to Johanna Kustannus and the backing of King Foo Agency (Amorphis, Children of Bodom, Indica, Nightwish, Swallow The Sun) & Livenation booking (HIM, Insomnium, Northern, Von Hertzen Brothers).
In 2008 Firebox reissued band's debut album Yesterday´s Grave as 2CD version. On the bonus disc there is band's three early demos, showing bands more Sentenced influenced beginning.
Lately the band has been plagued with line up problems, but with such influental backing, there future for the band can't be anything else than good.

Well, yesterday they announced that Misery Inc. is dead. They will still play one farewell gig at later date, but no new album, no tours, nothing. R.I.P.
 
Stijn Van Cauter is Until Death Overtakes Me, maybe the most profilic artist in the underground funeral doom genre. His ambitions cover whole sleeve of musical directions from extreme doom to noise, and beyond. Firebox Records released Prelude to Monolith in 2003. The release has been sold out for some years and there won't be any repressings.

Regarding the current goings to Stijn, here's one update (Nulll is Stijn's own label):
NULLL Records goes netlabel: Most of our releases can now be downloaded for free either in MP3 or FLAC format. Downloads also include the images used for the booklet and inlays of the CD releases. NULLL releases extreme doom, ambient, drone and some noise albums and has currently almost 40 available albums. Visit here: http://nulll-void.com/nulll/ - Check the individual releases pages or visit the store to get a list of all available releases for download. Or go here : http://nulll-void.com/nulll/records/mp3.htm
Future releases will from now on be available both as CDr in jewelcase and as free download.
2 Until Death Overtakes Me albums 'Prelude To Monolith' and 'Symphony III - Monolith' have been rereleased as download only (for now) and there are 4 new releases coming up : one funeral doom, two ambient and one drone doom album. Not all albums can be downloaded yet, i'm in the process of talking to the artists and bands to see if they're interested in having their stuff netreleased.

http://svc.nulll-void.com/udom_index.htm
http://www.myspace.com/untildeathovertakesme
http://www.last.fm/music/Until+Death+Overtakes+Me
 
Finnish MANITOU was formed in 1998 and from the start has played heavy metal of various kind, from 'classic' to 'proggy'. After several demo recordings, the band signed album deal with UK's Rage of Achilles. After the capitulation of the label, the band signed deal with Firebox Records to release a new album and reissue the debut album. Firebox Records released The Mad Moon Rising reissue in 2005 as digipack with three bonus tracks. A year later label released bands second album Deadlock . For the third album, the band signed to German Metal Heaven Records. In 2008 the band joined the Firebox Agency. The band is slightly non-active due to guitar player Markus Vanhala's commitments with Omnium Gatherum (Candlelight Records).

http://www.manitouband.com
http://www.myspace.com/manitouband
 
Finnish progressive folk/rock band Rauta did one promo single and one CD "Haudanmaa" for Firebox Records in 2007. The album scored mixed results: It was too progressive for Finnish audience yet not enough folk (metal) for non-Finnish audience. After the album release band signed with Dex Viihde concert agency, which looks like a mistake as the agency didn't manage to get the band a single gig in the past 18 months. Currently the band is on 'non active mode' - http://www.rauta.info/
 
From official Jääportit website: A Finnish music act working somewhere in between the styles such as ambient, atmospheric, dark ambient, darkwave, dreamwave, drone, electronic, electronica, electroacoustic, experimental, instrumental, mental, progressive, psybient, retro, space, trip-hop, whatever and so forth, mainly created with synthetic-natural sounds, ever since 1997 to the present.

Firebox Records
signed Oulu, Finland based Jääportit for two album in in 2004. Firebox released bands second album Uumenissa in same year. But due to various personal, economical & related reasons the deal was cut short in late 2006.

The mastermind behind the band, Tuomas M. Mäkelä, didn't rest and in late 2006 band released their third album Avarrus, via Epidemie Records.
Same label will also release bands fourth album in April 2009.

http://www.jaaportit.net/
http://www.myspace.com/jaaportit
http://www.last.fm/music/Jääportit

http://www.epidemie.cz/en/
 
Swallow The Sun was little side project of Plutonium Orange members which in the end became their main vechile for musical expression. After a demo, the band signed two album deal with Firebox Records. Bands 2003 debut album The Morning never camewas the first release for the label (& Firebox Distribution) to sell more than 1000 copies in Finnish territory. Bands second album Ghosts of Loss scored position 8 on the official Finnish charts, beating even Opeth on the first week sales. After the album and European tour the band was picked up by Spinefarm. Since then the band has released album (Hope) & mcd (Plague of Butterflies) and is right now on their second American tour, this time also having a dozen gigs in Canada.

3.2. Jack Rabbits, Jacksonville, FL, US
4.2. The Garage, St. Petersburg, FL, US
5.2. Culture Room, Fort Lauderdale, FL, US
6.2. The Backbooth, Orlando, FL, US
7.2. Masquerade, Atlanta, GA, US
8.2. Music Farm, Charleston, SC, US
9.2. Amos Southend, Charlotte, NC, US
10.2. Jaxx, Springfield, VA, US
11.2. Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA, US
12.2. Palladium, Worcester, MASS, US
13.2. The Chance Theater, Poughkeepsie, NY, US
14.2. Crocodile Rock, Allentown, PA, US
15.2. Highline Ballroom, New York, NY, US
16.2. Foufounes Electriques, Montreal, QC, Canada
17.2. Opera House, Toronto, ON, Canada
18.2. Rex Theater, Pittsburgh, PA, US
19.2. Peabody's, Cleveland, OH, US
20.2. Pop's, Sauget, IL, US
21.2. The Pearl Room, Mokena, IL, US
22.2. The Rave, Milwaukee, WI, US
23.2. Station 4, St. Paul, MN, US
24.2. Royal Albert Arms, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
25.2. The Riddell at University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada
26.2. Warehouse, Calgary, AB, Canada
27.2. Starlite Room, Edmonton, AB, Canada
28.2. Sound Entertainment Center, Prince George, BC, Canada
1.3. Plaza Club, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2.3. Sugar, Victoria, BC, Canada
3.3. El Corazon, Seattle, WA, US
4.3. Hawthorne Theater, Portland, OR, US
5.3. Slim's, San Francisco, CA, US
6.3. The Dome, Bakersfield, CA, US
7.3. Jumping Turtle, San Marcos, CA, US
8.3. Key Club, Los Angeles, CA, US
9.3. U.B.'s Bar, Mesa, AZ, US
10.3. Gator's, Farmington, NM, US
11.3. Bluebird Theater, Denver, CO, US
12.3. Beaumont Club, Kansas City, MO, US
13.3. Diamond Ballroom, Oklahoma City, OK, US
14.3. Scout Bar, San Antonio, TX, US
15.3. Lola's, Fort Worth, TX, US
16.3. Scout Bar, Houston, TX, US
18.3. Uncle Peasants, Louisville, KY, US
19.3. Volume 11 Tavern, Raiegh, NC, US
20.3. Hooligans Music Hall, Jacksonsvile, NC, US
21.3. Orange Peel, Asheville, NC, US
22.3. Sonar, Baltimore, MD, US

http://www.swallowthesun.net
http://www.myspace.com/swallowthesundoom
http://www.last.fm/music/Swallow+The+Sun
 
Shadow Cut was formed in the end of 2002 by Omnio (guitar, vocals) and Reima (drums). The idea behind the band was to make aggressive yet cold death/black metal. Bands first recording was done in 2004, with basist Mitja Harvilahti joining the band just a week before the recording. The promo scored the interest of Firebox Records and the band made two album deal with the label. In November 2004 the band entered to Jive- studio in Helsinki to record their debut album Pictures of Death. The album was produced by Henri Sorvali. After the release of the album in early 2005 the band was thinking some live appearances but conflicting schedules (Reima playing in Impaled Nazarene and Mitja being active with Moonsorrow and Lakupaavi) made it hard to pursue. After a while it became apparent that the time available for the band was a bit too little and in late 2005 Omnio announced that Shadow Cut is no more.

http://www.last.fm/music/Shadow+Cut
 
Two different bands, but both were the first Firebox licenses.

Stoner/doom metal band Stereochrist (formerly known as Super Natural) was founded in May 2002 by members of Hungary's premier doom-metal band, Mood. After few concerts the band recorded their first demo, that scored them an album deal with American Arctic Music Group (Malevolent Creation, Denata, Violet Halo, Burner). Firebox Records licensed the album "Dead River Blues" in 2004 and organized the band a bit disastrous tour in Finland with fellow label mates Wasara. After the tour original members Péter Felföldi (vocals) and Tamás Koltay (drums) left the band. With new members the band released a promo and second album on Psychedoomelic Records. On recent German tour the band played with Testament and are on their way to record their third album on some future date.

http://www.stereochrist.com
http://www.myspace.com/stereochrist
http://www.last.fm/music/Stereochrist

Finnish death metal bands Omnium Gatherum and Total Devastation share main song writing members and while Omnium Gatherum has done three albums on four labels, Total Devastation stick with Firebox Records for three albums until finally releasing their fourth album on their own label. The Total Devastation's debut album from 2003, "Roadmap of Pain" was the first ever Firebox album to be licensed. American Arctic Music Group licensed the album for North American markets and released it in 2004.

http://www.totaldevastation.org
http://www.myspace.com/totaldevastationband
http://www.last.fm/music/Total+Devastation
 
Two bands that had huge expectations but what just disappeared from the face of the earth without saying anything.

Terhen - "Atmospheric death/doom metal from Finland"
Released album "Eyes Unfolded" in 2007.
http://www.last.fm/music/Terhen

Wraith of the Ropes - "American horror/doom/black metal"
Were supposed to record their second album to Firedoom Music in 2007.
http://www.last.fm/music/Wraith+Of+The+Ropes
 
Dead In The Water - Finnish death/doom metal?

Originally Finnish Dead in the Water had less metallic background with the band members having more punk affliction. Original DitW had more "hardcore/sludge" association than death/doom, but after two releases (ep & 10") the band was ready for an album. And that album was “Echoes… in the ruins” and that took them into realms of death/doom metal, even thou the scene associations still keep them in the punk camp. The deal with Firedoom Music was one album master deal.
The band is planning to record second album in near future date.

http://www.deadinthewater.net/
http://www.myspace.com/ditwfinland
http://www.last.fm/music/Dead+In+The+Water