Apocaliptica

Apocalyptica started in 1993 as a group of cellists from the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. Their first album, 'Plays Metallica by Four Cellos,' came out in 1996 and set the tone for what they do: playing metal on cellos. They've kept a steady lineup with Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso, plus Mikko Sirén on drums and sometimes other cellists like Franz Hanke.

They've put out 11 studio albums, including 'Cell-0' in 2020. Songs like 'I Don't Care' and 'Nothing Else Matters' show how they mix classical cello lines with heavy riffs. It's not exactly symphonic metal in a traditional sense; it's more like they built a sound around the cello as a lead instrument in rock settings.

Early on, some metal and classical listeners weren't sure what to make of them. But they stuck with it, and over time, their approach found an audience without needing to fit neatly into one genre. They just kept recording and touring, letting the cellos do the talking.