It is often said that the best bands are the ones which keep surprising you time and time again, in the most thrilling of ways. This is something Finnish rockers The Rasmus have been doing since their major label debut and a creative responsibility they take great pride in. If you’ve listened to any of their albums, you’ll be able to hear a kaleidoscopic collage of heavy guitars against futuristic electronics, as well as pop hooks that can find their way into the heart of any kind of music fan. As a direct result, they’ve become one of Finland’s greatest musical exports, selling millions of records worldwide and winning award after award.

It all started in Helsinki 30 years ago, when four students at the same upper comprehensive, led by founding frontman and songwriter Lauri Ylönen, decided to embark on a journey to create music unlike anything the world had ever heard. Their debut 1st EP, released in 1995, was so well-received, the band ended up inking a major label deal only a handful of months later, paving the way for debut full-length Peep, and the incredibly fearless sonic exploration which ensued on follow-ups Playboys, Hell Of A Tester and Into – the latter of which coming under a new partnership with Scandinavian heavyweights Playground Music. By the time they got round to fifth album Dead Letters – they’d become a fully fledged global force, with lead single In The Shadows storming the charts around the world and picking up countless accolades in the process. It would see them break the record for royalties received abroad on a Finnish composition, overtaking the works of classical mastermind Jean Sibelius, and cementing their stature as one of the biggest-selling and universally admired Finnish acts of all-time. And that was just the first taste of the global stardom that was waiting around the corner for them.

Since then, the group have gone from strength to strength, with albums like Hide From The Sun, Black Roses, The Rasmus, Dark Matters and Rise showing how they’ve dared to dream and evolve in the most delightful of ways. Beyond the likes of Iron Maiden and My Chemical Romance, you’ll be hard pressed to find fans more loyal and dedicated to the cause – continually surprised and amazed by a band who always operate on their own creative terms. With the perfect blend of melody, edge and showmanship, it would be fair to say The Rasmus exist as a complete anomaly in a class of their own: they do what they want, when they want, in ways no one else ever could. And in their frontman and lead songwriter Lauri Ylönen, they have one of the most effervescent and fascinating minds working in music today, someone with a natural ability and enthusiasm to find the right hooks and melodies in just about any kind of musical situation, from mainstream pop and electronica to explosive rock and hard-hitting metal. He’s a master storyteller in every sense of the term. And while they may be musical chameleons when they want to be, there’s this underlying sense of identity present in all the group’s recordings, from the very beginning of their fruitful career to where they stand today. It’s always the unmistakable sound of The Rasmus, no matter the message behind the music or they choose to deliver it.

Foto Credits: Venla Shalin