Ghost Brigade (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Defunct | 2020 |
| Headquarters | Finland |
| Products | Melodic death metal music |
Number of employees | 6 (final lineup) |
Ghost Brigade was a Finnish six-member group specializing in melodic death metal, established in 2005 and concluding their activities in 2020.
Origins and Guided By Fire (2007)
The band Ghost Brigade came together in 2005, comprising former musicians from the melodic death metal ensemble Sons of Aeon (Wille Naukkarinen, Tommi Kiviniemi), the stoner metal outfit Sunride (Wille Naukkarinen, Veli-Matti Suihkonen, Janne Julin), and the death metal band Paraxism (Manne Ikonen). Prior to their debut album, they issued a demo in 2006. Their first full-length record, Guided By Fire, was produced by Mikko Poikolainen and initially released digitally on 17 September 2007 through Season Of Mist. This album was re-released on clear vinyl in 2012 and included contributions from Aleksi Munter of Swallow The Sun on keyboards, along with guest vocals by Fredrik Nordin from Dozer. To support the album, they toured across Finland alongside Insomnium between April and October 2007.
Isolation Songs (2009-2010)
Their sophomore album, Isolation Songs, arrived on 3 August 2009 under Season Of Mist, with production handled by Antti Malinen. Wille Naukkarinen explained that the title reflects themes of solitude that permeated both the lyrical content and their creative process, which emphasized individual work over collective jam sessions. The creation of this album spanned nearly two years and remains one of Naukkarinen’s most cherished projects.
After releasing Isolation Songs, Ghost Brigade joined Amorphis as a supporting act during their European tour in 2010.
Member transitions, hiatus, and breakup (2011–2020)
The band’s third studio effort, Until Fear No Longer Defines Us, was released on 19 August 2011.
In 2013, bassist Janne Julin exited the group and was succeeded by Joni Saalamo. Additionally, keyboardist Joni Vanhanen became part of the lineup. This formation recorded their fourth album, IV: One with the Storm, which was released on 7 November 2014 via Season of Mist and produced collaboratively by the band and Tuomas Kokko. In December 2015, Ghost Brigade declared an indefinite hiatus through a Facebook announcement.
On 7 November 2019, they revealed plans for a comeback with scheduled concerts in April 2020 at Tanssisali Lutakko; however, these events were postponed and ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The group officially disbanded on 20 August 2020, as confirmed in a statement posted on Facebook.
Timeline
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bar:Manne text:"Manne Ikonen" bar:Tommi text:"Tommi Kiviniemi" bar:Wille text:"Wille Naukkarinen" bar:Veli-Matti text:"Veli-Matti Suihkonen" bar:Janne text:"Janne Julin" bar:Joni text:"Joni Saalamo" bar:Vanhanen text:"Joni Vanhanen"
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Band members
Final roster:
- Manne Ikonen – lead vocals
- Tommi Kiviniemi – lead guitar
- Wille Naukkarinen – rhythm guitar
- Veli-Matti Suihkonen – drums
- Joni Saalamo – bass guitar
- Joni Vanhanen – keyboard
Previous members:
- Janne Julin – bass guitar
Guest contributors:
- Aleksi Munter from Swallow The Sun – keyboards featured on Guided by Fire and Isolation Songs
- Fredrik Nordin of Dozer – provided backing vocals on Guided by Fire
Studio albums
- Guided By Fire, released in 2007
- Isolation Songs, released in 2009
- Until Fear No Longer Defines Us, released in 2011
- IV - One With the Storm, released in 2014
Demo recordings
- Demo, 2006