Wintersun

Following his departure in 2002 from Finnish Viking metal outfit Ensiferum, former Arthemesia vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Jari Mäenpäa started a new project called Wintersun, with drummer Kai Hahto (late of grindcore band Rotten Sound). Fusing the folk-littered influence of countrymen like Amorphis and Finntroll with the technicality, speed, and high melodic content present in neo-classical power metal, Wintersun’s eponymous debut album was released in 2004 by Nuclear Blast. After eight years of virtual hibernation, Wintersun reawakened and released their sophomore album, Time I, in 2012, also on Nuclear Blast. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia