Mokoma

Mokoma
Mokoma at Myötätuulirock 2011
Background information
Origin	Lappeenranta, Finland
Genres	Thrash metal Death metal
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Sakara records EMI (former)[1]
Associated acts	Kotiteollisuus Stam1na Rytmihäiriö
Website	www.mokoma.com
Members
Marko Annala Tuomo Saikkonen Kuisma Aalto Janne Hyrkäs Santtu Hämäläinen
Past members
Heikki Kärkkäinen Janne Hynynen Roope Laasonen Juhana Rantala Raikko Törönen Mikko Ruokonen

Santtu Hämäläinen and Marko Annala

Kuisma Aalto and Tuomo Saikkonen

Mokoma is a Finnish thrash metal band formed in Lappeenranta in 1996. Their music also has grindcore and death metal influences with traditional Finnish melancholy.^[2]

Mokoma started out as a creation of Marko Annala, who is the bands lead singer, and has been the bands only original bandmember. The name comes from Annala's former girlfriends' Karelian grandmother, who said "Voi siuta mokomaa". Which means "Oh gosh, you and your tricks", basically in simple words when put into English. Through the years several members have come and gone, but only Marko has remained constant.

The band started out as a more traditional rock band with their first two albums "Valu" and "Mokoman 120 päivää". However, both albums sold badly and they were eventually dropped when they suggested to their record dealer (EMI), that they wanted to play something more closer to their hearts, thrash metal.^[1] The group moved on and created their own record company, called Sakara Records, and released their third album "Kurimus", which is sometimes regarded as the first thrash metal album sung in Finnish.^[1] That was the first release of the members' independent record company Sakara Records. Since then they have released four more albums and an EP called "Viides vuodenaika", which reached position one in the Finnish albums chart.^[3] Their latest album release is "Sydänjuuret".

Members

Current line-up

• Marko Annala - vocals (also guitar in 1996, founding member)
• Tuomo Saikkonen - guitar & vocals (1997–present)
• Kuisma Aalto - guitar & vocals (1997–present)
• Janne Hyrkäs - drums (2000–present)
• Santtu Hämäläinen - bass guitar (2004–present)

Ex-members

• Heikki Kärkkäinen - bass guitar (1997–2004)
• Janne Hynynen - drums (1997–1999)
• Roope Laasonen - keyboards (1997)
• Juhana Rantala - session drums (1999)
• Raikko Törönen - drums (1999)
• Mikko Ruokonen - session drums (1999)

Discography

Albums

• Valu (1999)
• Mokoman 120 päivää (2001)
• Kurimus (2003)
• Tämän maailman ruhtinaan hovi (2004)
• Kuoleman laulukunnaat (2006)
• Luihin ja ytimiin (2007)
• Sydänjuuret (2010)

EPs / singles

• Kasvan (single, 1999)
• Perspektiivi (single, 1999)
• Seitsemän sinetin takana (single, 2001)
• Rajapyykki (single, 2001)
• Takatalvi (free, downloadable single, 2003)
• Punainen kukko (ep, 2003)
• Hiljaisuuden julistaja (free, downloadable single, 2004)
• Viides vuodenaika (ep, 2006)
• Nujerra ihminen (Downloadable single, 2007)
• Sydänjuuret (Downloadable single, 2010)
• Juurta jaksain (ep,2010)
• Sarvet esiin (Downloadable single with Finnish rap artist Petri Nygård, 2010)

DVDs

• Mokoma DVD - Mäntit tien päällä (2004)
• Sakara Tour 2006 (2007)

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} http://www.metalfromfinland.com/Mokoma
2. ^ http://www.psychocydd.co.uk/details.php?id=e5ef5280b40bd86664b7d15765f5ffec7f28d4bb
3. ^ http://ylex.yle.fi/lista/tuote/7867

External links

• Official site
• Sakara Records, the band's own label
• Mokoma @ Myspace