Superior

Superior formed in Helsinki in the late 1990s, with Tuomas Holopainen on vocals, Emppu Vuorinen on guitar, Sami Vänskä on bass, and Mikko Silvennoinen on drums. Their debut album 'Amok' came out in 1999, and the title track helped them find an audience beyond Finland. They played a kind of melodic metal that leaned into symphonic touches and detailed arrangements.

Vänskä left the band in 2004 and was replaced by Marco Hietala, a shift that stirred some debate among listeners. Over the next decade or so, they put out records like 'Origin', 'Huonot', and 'Neuro', sticking with that blend of heavy riffs and atmospheric keyboards. Songs like 'Be mine' and 'Breeze Of Insanity' kept that balance of aggression and melody in place.

By 2018 they had released seven studio albums, the last one being 'Sielu'. The lineup settled with Holopainen, Vuorinen, Hietala, and Silvennoinen, plus session drummer Kai Hahto. They never really chased trends, just kept refining that same layered, emotional metal sound they started with on 'Amok'.