Kalmah

Kalmah
Finnish melodic death metal band Kalmah live at Jalometalli 2008 in Oulu.
Background information
Origin	Oulu, Finland
Genres	Melodic death metal, power metal, thrash metal, Swamp metal
Years active	1998–present (1991-1998 as Ancestor)
Labels	Spinefarm, Century Media
Associated acts	Eternal Tears of Sorrow, Children of Bodom, Catamenia, Nothnegal, End of You, Poisonblack
Website	www.kalmah.com
Members	Pekka Kokko Antti Kokko Timo Lehtinen Janne Kusmin Veli-Matti Kananen
Past members	Altti Veteläinen Petri Sankala Pasi Hiltula Anssi Seppänen Marco Sneck

Kalmah is a melodic death metal band from Oulu,Finland that formed in 1998. In less than a year after its formation, Kalmah was signed by Spinefarm Records. The word "kalmah" is Karelian and could be translated as "to the grave" or "to the death."

In 1991, Pekka Kokko and Petri Sankala founded the metal band Ancestor. After Ancestor had recorded two demos, Antti Kokko joined the band as lead guitarist. In 1998, after five demos, Ancestor disbanded and Kalmah formed. The new band consisted of Pekka Kokko performing vocals and guitar, Antti Kokko on lead guitar, Pasi Hiltula on keyboards, Altti Veteläinen on bass, and Petri Sankala on drums.

Kalmah began to write songs for a promotional CD entitled Svieri Obraza. With this demo, they acquired a recording contract with Spinefarm Records and headed to Tico-Tico Studios to record their debut album, Swamplord.

By November 2001, they returned to Tico-Tico Studios to record their second studio album, They Will Return. By this time, Veteläinen and Sankala were replaced by Timo Lehtinen on bass and Janne Kusmin on drums, respectively. In 2002, Kalmah played shows in Finland and at Wacken Open Air. In February 2003, they recorded their third studio album, Swampsong. In 2004, keyboardist Pasi Hiltula left and was replaced by Marco Sneck. The band released The Black Waltz in 2006 and For the Revolution in 2008. Kalmah toured in Canada and Finland to promote the latter album.

Kalmah's sixth studio album was released in Japan on February 24, 2010, Canada on March 2, Europe on March 3, and North America on April 6.