Altaria

Altaria started in early 2000, formed by drummer Tony Smedjebacka and bassist Marko Pukkila. The early line-up drew attention because of two guitarists from bigger Finnish bands: Jani Liimatainen of Sonata Arctica and Emppu Vuorinen of Nightwish. After two demos, Altaria signed with Metal Heaven, which released the debut Invitation on 23 June 2003 with Jouni Nikula on vocals. He was already the band’s second singer after Johan Mattjus, and more changes at the microphone were to come.

Taage Laiho took over as singer in 2003 and fronted Divinity (2004) and The Fallen Empire, released on 24 March 2006. By then Liimatainen and Vuorinen were gone, and guitarist Juha-Pekka Alanen made his recording debut on The Fallen Empire. Laiho left in December 2006. In January 2008 Altaria parted ways with Metal Heaven for undisclosed reasons, and Pukkila left the band in the same month after disagreeing over the split.

Marco Luponero became the band’s fourth lead singer and also took over bass. With him Altaria signed to Escape Music in 2009 and released Unholy, a twelve-track album, that year. Activity faded afterwards, and the band was laid to rest in 2016. In early 2020 the 2006 line-up of Laiho, Alanen, guitarist Petri Aho, Pukkila and Smedjebacka returned, and a remastered Divinity was reissued on 27 March 2020 through Reaper Entertainment. On 8 July 2022 the same label released Wisdom, the band’s first new album in thirteen years.

Current line-up: Taage Laiho (vocals), Juha-Pekka Alanen (guitars), Petri Aho (guitars), Marko Pukkila (bass), Tony Smedjebacka (drums)