Finland
Page online:
January 3, 2008
Last update/review:
April 4, 2020
Waltari
Named for the Finnish author Mika Waltari,
this quirky rock/metal band has been around since the
mid-eighties (1986, to be exact), and are still going
strong after more than twenty years in the business.
By all accounts Waltari is all over the map musically,
tending to mutate and change course from one album
to another, and based on cursory listens to
earlier albums such as
Big Bang and
Torcha ,
a lot of their material falls outside the normal realm of metal,
though several members have clear ties to more traditional
metal bands.
But a special mention must be made in reference to
1996's
Yeah! Yeah! Die! Die! A Death Metal Symphony In Deep C .
Simply put, this is one of the best meldings of metal
and a full orchestra ever done.
This is not a metal band bashing out their tunes with a backing
orchestra (a la
Metallica 's
S&M , for example) --
no, the compositions were written for both the metal and orchestral
instruments, and often not at the same time -- "death metal
symphony" is truly an apt title for this ambitious and highly
entertaining work.
Just listen to "The Struggle For Life And Death" for an excellent
example of extreme metal and orchestral components
both complementing
each other and shining on their own.
Very few bands have really attempted anything like this
(one example: Waltari was recommended for the BNR pages due
to this album's similarity to the mighty
Hollenthon ,
a good call),
but Waltari not only made the attempt, they succeeded in grand
style.
Current Members
Kärtsy Hatakka
vocals/bass
Jariot Lehtinen
guitars
Sami Yli-Sirniö
guitars (Barren Earth , Kreator )
Kimmo Korhonen
guitars
Antti Kolehmainen
guitars
Jani Hölli
keyboards
Ville Vehviläinen
drums
Discography
Studio
Compilation
Video
Mut Hei
EP
1990
Days Of Distress
Icebox
Sad Song
Mut Hei
Kärtsy Hatakka
Jariot Lehtinen
Sale Suomalainen
Monk Punk
1991
Stupido
Good God
Rap Your Body Beat
Curiosity
Ride
Hello
Sad Song
Same Old Story
I Was Born In A Wrong Decade
Universal Song
Tired (F.U.C.K. Rap)
Help
Hevosenkuva
Isolated
Kärtsy Hatakka
Jariot Lehtinen
Sami Yli-Sirniö
Janne Parviainen
Torcha!
1992
The All Blacks
Lights On
The Lie Of The Zombie
I Held You So Long
Dedicated To The Elves
Lust Of Life
Vogue
Till The Music Nation
Fool's Gold
You Know Better
Dance Electric
Jukolauta
Death Party
I'm A Believe
Fuckadelicatessen
Waltari - Lapio
Kärtsy Hatakka
Jariot Lehtinen
Sami Yli-Sirniö
Janne Parviainen
Pala Leipaa
1993
Stupido
Pois (Away)
Good God
Aika Tulee (Time Blows)
Pala Leipää (A Piece of Bread)
Liisteri-Mies (Glue Man)
Nakki (Sausage)
Olen Seuraaja (I Am a Follower)
Mä Haluun Elää (I Wanna Live)
Hippakaveri (Party Animal)
Days of Distress
Sad Song
Rap Your Body Beat
Shout
Mut Hei! (But Hey!)
Rasnavitsavia
Icebox
F.U.C.K. Rap
Sillanpää (Bridge End)
Tuttu Juttu (A Common Story)
Kinastellaan (Let's Argue)
Uhoa, Ei Tuhoa (Threat, Not Destruction)
So Fine!
1994
The All Blacks
The Beginning Song
Mad Boys
So Fine
A Forest
45 5 42
Celtic Funk
(Your) Nature Is Wild
To Live
Piggy In The Middle
Autumn
Rhythm Is A Cancer
Misty Man
Mysterious
...
Kärtsy Hatakka
Jariot Lehtinen
Sami Yli-Sirniö
Janne Parviainen
Big Bang
1995
Big Bang (Dream Avenue)
Atmosfear
Follow Me Inside
Sensitive Touch
On My Ice
Showtime
Color TV
The Stage
Jänkhä
One In The Line
Feel!
Connection
Real One
Let's Get Crucified
Slow Thinking Street
Kärtsy Hatakka
Jariot Lehtinen
Sami Yli-Sirniö
Janne Parviainen
Yeah! Yeah! Die! Die! Death Metal Symphony In Deep C
1996
Misty Deariness
A Sign
Deeper Into The Mud
The Struggle For Life And Death Of Knowledge
Completely Alone
Move
Time, Irrelevant
The Top
How Low Can U Go?
Kärtsy Hatakka
Jariot Lehtinen
Roope Latvala
Janne Parviainen
1996 Readers' Album
#92
Space Avenue
1997
EMI
External
Far Away
Wolves On The Street
Progression
Blind Zone
Purify Yourself (feat. Apocalyptica)
Stars
Prime Time
Main Stream
Look Out Tonite (feat. Apocalyptica)
Walkin' In The Neon (feat. Anita Davis)
Mad Luxury
Kärtsy Hatakka
Jariot Lehtinen
Roope Latvala
Janne Parviainen
Radium Round
1999
Back To The Bottom
Every Bad Day
Broken Bizarre
Power Of Thoughts
Atom Angel
Number None
Radium Round
Love Rocket
The Plan
City Neurotic
Scum
4000 Years
Kärtsy Hatakka
Jariot Lehtinen
Roope Latvala
Janne Parviainen
Channel Nordica
2000
Parlophone
Kärtsy Hatakka
Jariot Lehtinen
Roope Latvala
Janne Parviainen
Back To Persepolis
EP
2001
Kärtsy Hatakka
Jariot Lehtinen
Sami Yli-Sirniö
Janne Parviainen
Rare Species
2004
Vindauga
One Day
Life without Love
Megacity Rain
Dreamworld
What I Really Know
My Pain
Quick as a Day
Dream
Alone
Live This!
Wasting My Mind
No Limit / Your Funky Rhythm / Symphony of Destruction
Guardian Angel
Living Then Living Now
New Church
There's No Tomorrow
Kärtsy Hatakka
Jariot Lehtinen
Sami Yli-Sirniö
Mika Järveläinen
Rare Species Alive
VIDEO
2005
EMI
Blood Sample
2005
Bluelight
Helsinki
Not Enough
Too Much Emptiness
Never
New York
I'm in Pain
All Roads will lead to Rome
Digging Inside
Fly into the Light
Shades to Grace
Aching Eyes
Back to the Audio
Pigeons
Exterminator Warheads
Darling Boy
Wide Awake
Julia
Kärtsy Hatakka
Jariot Lehtinen
Sami Yli-Sirniö
Mika Järveläinen
Early Years
COMPILATION
2006
Dockyard 1
Good God
Rap Your Body Beat
Curiosity
Ride
Hello
Sad Song
Same Old Story
I Was Born In The Wrong Decade
Universal Song
Tired (F.U.C.K. Rap)
Help
Isolated
Hevosenkuva
Punk
En Ole Ihminen
Another Sea
Uusi Vallankumous
Bröstvisan
Not To Touch The Earth
Mamammammammammammaa
Tock Tock Rock
Wait For America
Peilin Pimeä Puoli
Pois
Good God (single version)
Aika Tuulee
Pala Leipää
Liisterimies
Nakki
Olen Seuraaja
Mä Haluun Elää
Hippakaver
Days Of Distress
Sad Song (ep-version)
Rap Your Body Beat (single version)
Shout
Mut Hei
Rasnavitsnavia Icebox
F.U.C.K. Rap
Icebox
Sillanpää
Tuttu Juttu
Kinastellaan
Uhoa, Ei Tuhoa
Release Date
2007
Dockyard 1
Get Stamped
Big Sleep
Let's Puke Together
Cityshamaani - Night Flight
Cityshamaani - Good Morning
Cityshamaani - Colgate County Showdown
Cityshamaani - The Incarnation Party
Cityshamaani - Sympathy
Hype
THD
Sex in the Biergarten
Wish I Could Heal
Spokebone
Kärtsy Hatakka
Jariot Lehtinen
Sami Yli-Sirniö
Ville Vehviläinen
The 2nd Decade - In The Cradle
COMPILATION
2008
In The Cradle
Get Stamped
Not Enough
One Day
Helsinki
System Odda Aiggi
Dream World
Atom Angel
Wish I Could Heal
Life Without Love - Billy Gould´s Remix
Death Party
Dream
Rag Your Body Beat
Below Zero
2009
Dockyard 1
Below Zero
I Hear Voices
In The Cradle
Without Lies
Dubbed World
Endless Highway
Syntax Error
My Own Satisfaction
10 Reasons Why Not To Hate Me
Travel On
Kärtsy Hatakka
Jariot Lehtinen
Sami Yli-Sirniö
Janne Immonen
Ville Vehviläinen
Covers All
COVERS
2011
P.L.U.C.K. (System Of A Down cover)
Give It To Me (Madonna cover)
Dead Heart (Midnight Oil cover)
Levoton Tuhkimo = Duke (Dingo cover)
Look Back In Anger (David Bowie cover)
Caught In A Mosh (Anthrax cover)
Muoviruusuja Omenapuissa = Plastic Ships (Hassisen Kone cover)
One Hundred Years (The Cure cover)
Infinite Dreams (Iron Maden cover)
Saucerful Of Secrets (Pink Floyd cover)
Kärtsy Hatakka
Jariot Lehtinen
Sami Yli-Sirniö
Janne Immonen
Ville Vehviläinen
You Are Waltari
2015
12
Tranquality
Solutions
Only the Truth
Mountain Top
Right Wing Theme
Strangled
Keep It Alive
Singular
Not Much to Touch You
Hyväolihyväoli
Drag
Televizor
Diggin' the Alien
Kärtsy Hatakka
Jariot Lehtinen
Sami Yli-Sirniö
Kimmo Korhonen
Nino Silvennoinen
Jani Hölli
Ville Vehviläinen
Global Rock
2020
Metalville
Postrock
Metal Soul
Skyline
The Way
No Sacrifice
Sick n Tired
Boots
Going Up The Country
Orleans
Had It All
And The
Sand Witch
Beloved
Kärtsy Hatakka
Jariot Lehtinen
Sami Yli-Sirniö
Kimmo Korhonen
Antti Kolehmainen
Jani Hölli
Ville Vehviläinen