Eternal Tears of Sorrow

Infobox musical artist
Name = Eternal Tears of Sorrow
Img_capt =
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Background = group_or_band
Alias =
Origin = Pudasjärvi, Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland
Genre = Melodic death metal
Symphonic metal
Gothic metal
Occupation =
Years_active = 1994–2001, 2005–present
Label = Suomen Musiikki
Spinefarm
X-Treme
Associated_acts = For My Pain..., Kalmah, Scyron, Tarot, Virtuocity, Turmion Kätilöt, To/Die/For, Soulrelic
URL = [http://eternaltears.info eternaltears.info]
Current_members = Altti Veteläine
Janne Tolsa
Jarmo Puolakanaho
Petri Sankala
Risto Ruuth
Past_members = Antti-Matti Talala
Antti Kokko
Pasi Hiltula
Olli-Pekka Törrö

Eternal Tears of Sorrow (commonly abbreviated to EToS) is a Finnish melodic death metal band. They were formed in Pudasjärvi in Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland. They have also sometimes been considered as gothic metal band due to some gothic metal influences on their albums including romantic lyrics and soft keyboard melodies uncommon in melodic death metal.

Biography

The band was officially formed in 1994 by Jarmo Puolakanaho, Altti Veteläinen and Olli-Pekka Törrö, after some previous various metal projects in the early 90s. Initially all started when Altti and Jarmo started to playing the speed/thrash/industrial metal, but after they went on became a death/doom/thrash metal group under several names. These pre-EToS projects featured several people who play or have played in Eternal Tears of Sorrow.

Andromeda, a first death/doom/thrash metal project, had been put on hold in late 1992 because the rehearsal place had burned down. It seemed their home town wasn't able to give them a new rehearsal place, so the three members decided to start up a new, drummerless sideproject (M.D.C.) and recorded a demo tape "Beyond The Fantasy" in autumn 1993. However, the songs on the demo were better than they had expected, so they decided to go on with the project.

In spring 1994, they recorded a new demo, "The Seven Goddesses of Frost". because their home town was still unable to provide Andromeda a new rehearsal place, and the project had become a serious band, the band decided to change their name to more serious "Eternal Tears of Sorrow". [cite web |url=http://www.eternaltears.info/cms/index.php?page=bio94 |title=Official EToS Biography, years 1994] Between 1994 and 1996 the band was busy (in spite of all of the members doing their compulsory military services) [cite web |url=http://www.eternaltears.info/cms/index.php?page=bio95 |title=Official EToS Biography, years 1995] : they recorded their first studio demo tape ("Bard's Burial"), had a couple of songs on some compilation CDs in Europe and Canada and recorded their debut, "Sinner's Serenade". It took more than a year for the debut album to get released by X-Treme Records, [cite web |url=http://www.eternaltears.info/cms/index.php?page=bio97 |title=Official EToS Biography, year 1997] a small underground label from Gothenburg in Sweden.

After recording the second album (that the band recorded on their own money and which was their first melodic death metal record), "Vilda Mánnu", Spinefarm Records approached the band and soon they signed a deal with the label. [cite web |url=http://www.eternaltears.info/cms/index.php?page=bio98 |title=Official EToS Biography, year 1998]

Their third album "Chaotic Beauty" (on which the band had three new members as Olli-Pekka Törrö had left the band) [cite web |url=http://www.eternaltears.info/cms/index.php?page=bio99 |title=Official EToS Biography, year 1999] might have been the most successful album so far as they went to a European tour with Nightwish and Sinergy promoting the album. However, it was their fourth album, "A Virgin and a Whore", that went to the Finnish Album TOP 40 charts.

After releasing four albums, the band announced having a break just after the release of "A Virgin and a Whore". In 2002 the band announced they were going to have a long break. However, they broke up in January 2003, the reasons being the members' interest in trying something completely different, or just taking a complete break from the music business.

In February 2005, the band announced they were to make a comeback. The album was being written and recorded during the year, and the fifth album "Before the Bleeding Sun" was released in April 2006 (excluding releases in Russia and Japan that were released later). This album also went to the Finnish Album Top 40 charts, this time with the position of #26. [cite web |url=http://www.yle.fi/lista/listat/tuote.php?id=6814 |title=The official Finnish TOP 40 album charts]

The band broke their 66-month gig silence in late 2006 with two session members as Petri Sankala and Janne Tolsa were unavailable at that time. [cite web |url=http://www.eternaltears.info/cms/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=5&cntnt01returnid=51 |title=Official EToS News, December 11, 2006]

Currently, the band are writing material for their sixth, unnamed album [cite web |url=http://www.eternaltears.info/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5 |title=The Official EToS FAQ, January 17, 2008] that will come out in March 2009 through Suomen Musiikki in Finland, Massacre Records in Europe excluding Finland and Marquee/Avalon in Asia. [cite web |url=http://www.puolakanaho.com/blog/?p=158 |title=puolakanaho.com, May 8, 2008]

Discography

Full-length albums

* "Sinner's Serenade" (1997)
* "Vilda Mánnu" (1998)
* "Chaotic Beauty" (2000)
* "A Virgin and a Whore" (2001)
* "Before the Bleeding Sun" (2006)
* "TBA" (March 2009)

Singles

* "Sacrament of Wilderness" (Split single with Nightwish and Darkwoods My Betrothed) (1998)
* "The Last One For Life" (Finland only) (2001)

Cover songs

* "As I Die", by Paradise Lost
* "Black Tears", by Edge of Sanity
* "Flight of Icarus", by Iron Maiden
* "Sick, Dirty and Mean", by Accept

Demos

*"The Seven Goddesses of Frost" - (May 1994)
*"Bard's Burial" - (October 1994)

Pre-EToS demos

*"The Fourth Dimension" - (as Andromeda, May 1992)
*"II" (unfinished demo) - (as Andromeda, August 1992)
*"DWN" (instrumental demo) - (as D.W.N., June 1993)
*"Beyond the Fantasy" - (as M.D.C., October 1993)

Band members

* Altti Veteläinen, vocal, bass 1994- (see For My Pain..., Kalmah, Scyron, also in all the previous pre-EToS projects)
* Jarmo Puolakanaho, guitar 1994- (also in all the previous pre-EToS projects)
* Risto Ruuth, guitar 2005- (see Scyron)
* Janne Tolsa, keyboards 2005- (see Tarot, Virtuocity, Turmion Kätilöt)
* Petri Sankala, drums 1999- (see For My Pain..., Kalmah, Scyron, also in Andromeda 1992)

Former members

* Olli-Pekka Törrö, guitar 1994-1999 (see For My Pain..., also in Andromeda 1992 and M.D.C. 1993)
* Pasi Hiltula, keyboards 1999-2003 (see Kalmah, Scenery Channel)
* Antti-Matti Talala, guitar, drums 1997-2000 (see To/Die/For, Soulrelic, Kalmah)
* Antti Kokko, guitar 2000-2003 (see Kalmah)

Guest musicians on albums

* Heli Luokkala - guest vocals on "Vilda Mánnu"
* Kimberly Goss - guest vocals on "Chaotic Beauty" (see Sinergy, Therion)
* Juha Kylmänen - guest vocals on "A Virgin and a Whore" (see For My Pain..., Reflexion)
* Jarmo Kylmänen - guest vocals on "Before the Bleeding Sun" (see Scyron, Rautavaara Inc.)
* Miriam Elisabeth Renvåg - guest vocals on "Before the Bleeding Sun" (see Ram-Zet, For My Pain...)
* Tony Kakko - guest vocals on "Before the Bleeding Sun" (see Sonata Arctica)
* Marco Hietala - guest vocals on "Before the Bleeding Sun" (see Tarot, Nightwish, Sinergy)

ession tour musicians

* Petri Sankala - drums, 1997-1999 (before officially joining the band)
* Antti Kokko - bass, 1997-1998 (before officially joining the band, see Kalmah)
* Pekka Kokko - bass, 1999 (see Kalmah)
* Heidi Määttä - keyboards, 2000 (see Embraze), temporarily replacing Pasi Hiltula.
* Juha Kylmänen - clean vocals, 2001 (see For My Pain..., Reflexion, To/Die/For)
* Veli-Matti Kananen - keyboards, 2006-2007, temporarily replacing Janne Tolsa
* Tuomo Laikari - drums, 2006 and 2007, temporarily replacing Petri Sankala
* Jarmo Kylmänen - clean vocals, 2006 and 2007
* james Root - guitar,2000-2002

Trivia

* Every EToS album (and the last promo tape) has been recorded at Tico-Tico Studio. The only exception are the keyboard tracks on "Before the Bleeding Sun" and some instrument and vocal tracks on previous albums. Some other bands known for recording their albums at Tico-Tico are Sentenced and Sonata Arctica.
* The band was one of the first Finnish bands to have a website. Their first website was put online in early February 1996. [cite web |url=http://www.eternaltears.info/cms/index.php?page=bio96 |title=Official EToS Biography, year 1996]

External links

* [http://eternaltears.info/ Official website of the band]
*
* [http://spinefarm.fi/ Spinefarm Records]
* [http://metalstorm.ee/bands/view_band.php?band_id=eternal_tears_of_sorrow Band info @ Metalstorm.ee]
* [http://tartareandesire.com/bands/etos.html EToS biography @ Tartareandesire.com]
* [http://puolakanaho.com Jarmo Puolakanaho's website]
* [http://ristoruuth.com Risto Ruuth's website]

References