Apocalyptica are a charting, multi-platinum symphonic metal band from Helsinki, Finland. Originally formed as a metal tribute quartet, the band eventually adopted a neoclassical metal style of their own without the use of conventional guitars. Their 1996 debut album
Plays Metallica by Four Cellos, though provocative, was universally lauded by critics and embraced by extreme music fans globally. Their driving sound (often accompanied by other musicians) is created via sophisticated classical techniques, a knack for reinterpreting jarring, often percussive riffs and spiraling lead lines, and multivalent textures. It has succeeded in making them an arena rock institution across the globe. Far from a gimmick doomed to wear thin,
Apocalyptica's cello rock dexterously explores the connection and chasm between classical and metal, balancing majestic, intricate covers with their own dark originals as evidenced by albums like 2007's When Worlds Collide. Initially an all-cello quartet, they have since become a trio and added a drummer and vocalist. For 2010's
7th Symphony, they worked with drummer
Dave Lombardo (
Slayer) and vocalists
Gavin Rossdale (
Bush) and
Joe Duplantier (
Gojira), among others. They have also have made guest appearances on albums by
Sepultura and
Amon Amarth, and once toured as
Nina Hagen's backing band. While
Apocalyptica's sound has shifted texturally and dynamically from their thrash metal beginnings, it has evolved; it is a progressive, symphonic metal profile -- as displayed on later albums such as 2014's Cult, and the following year's
Shadowmaker -- that is often emulated.
Apocalyptica were initially comprised of classically trained cellists
Eicca Toppinen,
Max Lilja, Antero Manninen, and
Paavo Lotjonen; formed in 1993, the group made waves internationally in 1996 with
Plays Metallica by Four Cellos, which combined their formal background with their love of heavy metal. The album found favor with both classical buffs and metalheads alike, and two years later,
Apocalyptica resurfaced with
Inquisition Symphony, which featured covers of material by
Faith No More and
Pantera. Manninen soon left the band and was replaced by Perttu Kivilaanso. They added double bass and percussion to the mix for 2001's Cult, a collection of all-original material, and again on 2003's
Reflections, which featured guest drummer
Dave Lombardo from
Slayer.
Max Lilja had left the band and
Mikko Sirén joined as their permanent drummer. After
Reflections was reissued as
Reflections Revised, featuring a bonus track with new wave diva
Nina Hagen, 2005 saw the release of the eponymous
Apocalyptica, followed in 2006 by the collection Amplified: A Decade of Reinventing the Cello. The band returned to the studio the following year for Worlds Collide.
Rammstein vocalist
Till Lindemann appeared on the album performing a German-language version of
David Bowie's "Helden."
Apocalyptica issued their Live album in 2008, and followed it with the adventurous
7th Symphony in 2010, with guest appearances by
Gavin Rossdale,
Brent Smith from
Shinedown,
Slayer's
Dave Lombardo,
Lacey Mosley of
Flyleaf, and
Joe Duplantier of
Gojira. 2013 saw the group issue the ambitious
Wagner Reloaded: Live in Leipzig, and in 2015 they released their eighth studio album,
Shadowmaker, which eschewed the usual rotating cast of vocalists in favor of relying solely on the talents of
Scars on Broadway singer/guitarist
Franky Perez. Throughout 2017 and much of the following year,
Apocalyptica toured the world to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut album. Plays Metallica: A Live Performance was released in the spring of 2019 just as the band were undertaking the writing and recording of a studio album. ~ Jason Ankeny