Finnish melodic metal band Noumena. Members: Antti Haapanen – vocals; Suvi Uura – vocals; Ville Lamminaho – guitar; Tuukka Tuomela – guitar; Markus Hirvonen – guitar, vocals; Hannu Savolainen – bass; Ilkka Unnbom – drums.
In recent years, Finnish melodic metal with melodious tunes has begun to be favored by metal fans all over the world. Noumena, one of them, as a famous veteran and iconic band in Finland, has begun to be loved by more people. Since its formation in 1998, Noumena has already been at the forefront of the Nordic melodic trend sweeping the world. Through the global release of six albums over more than 20 years, Noumena has impressed melodic music fans all over the world with their introverted and deeply moving melodic talent. The beautiful female chant and the low growl of metal complement each other between Finnish folk music and metal music, forming a completely different style and sound field from other similar bands. With the characteristics of root melodic metal, combined with the Finnish national mollie melody in their music, supplemented by light and flexible beats and Finnish-language-dominated lyrics, Noumena shapes their pure national origin melodic sound. They have become iconic bands of the new generation of Nordic melody together with bands such as Insomnium, Eternal Tears Of Sorrow, Kalmah, and Omnium Gatherum. Noumena was formed in Kotka, Finland in 1998. Their name – Noumena is taken from an important philosophical concept definition in Kant’s ‘Critique of Pure Reason’, meaning the essence and origin of all things, which is in line with the concept of ‘Tao’ in Chinese philosophy. After many years of formation, the band released their debut album ‘Pride/Fall’ in 2002 through Catharsis Records and received extraordinary influence. After being favored by the famous record company Spikefarm Records (which has famous bands such as Nightwish, Children of Bodom, and Sonata Arctica), the second album ‘Absence’ was released to great acclaim.Starting with this album, the band has garnered high praise from fans and international authoritative music critics. In 2006, under the label Spikefarm Records, the band released two records, ‘Anatomy of Life’ and the EP ‘Triumph and Loss,’ causing a significant stir in the music scene. With Noumena’s restrained musical temperament and beautiful melodies, the band showcased their unique style within the melodic metal genre. Their introspective lyrics have also touched the hearts of fans. However, after these two records were released, they fell silent, leading to a long 7-year hiatus for Noumena after beginning to achieve success. During this period, in 2009, lead vocalist Suvi Uura joined Noumena, signaling the band’s new musical image. In 2013, after a 7-year dormancy, Noumena returned. At this time, marking the band’s 15th anniversary, they dedicated their best album to the global melodic death metal fans. In April of the same year, ‘Death Walks with Me,’ the most important album in Noumena’s musical journey, was released as a 15th-anniversary celebration, independently operated by the band. This album marked their grand return and showcased their talent as the most gifted creators in this music genre. The music on this album is heavier and more diverse than ever before. At this point, Noumena was bold enough to realize their musical vision, enriching their sound by blending various instruments with heavy metal through the use of French horns and mandolins, meeting Noumena’s broader musical demands. The album features moving and deeply melancholic melodies, aggressive rhythms, and the tranquility of folk music sections, weaving a natural and exquisite auditory experience between cold and heat. The lyrical content revolves around people’s experiences with eternity, death, and loss. The lyrics contemplate historical atrocities and philosophical thoughts, ranging from the objective world to personal realms, confronting the inevitability of death and prompting a pursuit of life’s value and the essence of things, and elaborating on dedication to love and friendship. New member of the album: Lead vocalist Suvi Uura, as a talented and versatile musician, has brought a strong sense of impact to Noumena’s sound and live performances.
From tender singing to assertive growls, her voice stands out as a highlight of this album, conveying a broad and profound range of emotions to the listener. Noumena, who is about to celebrate 20 years of musical journey, released their album ‘Myrry Kääntö’ (in Old Finnish) on April 8, 2017. This album is a complete musical continuation of ‘Death Walks with Me’. While maintaining the melodic metal characteristics of the 1990s, the melancholic Finnish mollie tunes serve as the melodic foundation of this album, highlighting the band’s new attempt in melodic creation. To create a well-produced album, ‘Myrry Kääntö’ was fully produced by the renowned metal music producer Dan Swano, the main creator of Edge of Sanity and producer for Opeth. Their collaboration not only resulted in an outstanding sound quality but also highlighted the unique musical characteristics of this album. From flourishing optimism to steadfast desolation, the female vocalist Suvi Uura skillfully balances the growls of the male vocalist Antti Haapanen amidst the recurring melodies, improvisational passages, and the emotions expressed in the lyrics. Through the desolate musical emotions, a picture full of northern solitude and despair is depicted. Through the album ‘Myrrys’, Noumena expresses reverence for Finnish nature and cultural heritage. On September 4, 2020, the album ‘Anima’ presented the most tranquil and melancholic temperament to date. Melodies full of longing and Finnish folk music enhance the distinctive characteristics in a heavy tone. Markus Hirvonen, who joined the band in 2018, strengthened Noumena’s musical expressiveness with his guitar playing, singing, and composing skills. This album discusses death and loss from different perspectives. In Finnish folklore, Anima appears in the form of a soul bird, symbolizing the manifestation of spirit, soul, and vitality. It is an ethereal creature that brings the soul at birth and takes it away at death. Ultimately, everyone becomes a part of the symphony of souls, remaining in this world of echoes. This work, with lyrics in Finnish, is the crystallization of the collaborative creation of Noumena artists. In 2024, Noumena will embark on a large-scale China tour with this melodious and tranquil album ‘Anima’.
Seven artists will take the stage for an unforgettable live performance across eight cities in six provinces throughout China. Expect the soul-stirring metal melodies from Finland.
The full text will be released on November 25th, Monday, with the show starting at 20:00. The exact duration of the performance will be determined on site.
