Ghost Brigade

Ghost Brigade formed in Finland in 2005, playing a melodic death metal that leaned into atmosphere and melancholy. Their sound came from Manne Ikonen's mournful vocals over intricate guitar work and heavy drumming. Songs like 'Aurora' and 'Into The Black Light' carried that feeling of loss and fragility they often explored.

They released their first album, 'Into the Everlasting Silence,' in 2006. The following year's 'Isolation Songs' took a more introspective turn. By 2011's 'Until Fear No Longer Defines Us,' they were working progressive and acoustic elements into their palette. Their lyrics tended to circle existential themes and the search for meaning, drawn partly from their northern surroundings.

The band went through some early lineup shifts, including founding guitarist Tommi Kiviniemi's departure. They kept at it, putting out six studio albums through 2014's 'IV: One with the Storm.' Their use of religious imagery in their art occasionally drew criticism, though they maintained it wasn't meant to promote or offend any belief system.