Jani Liimatainen

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Jani Liimatainen

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Img_capt = Live at Helmond, Netherlands on April 28, 2006.
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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Jani Allan Kristian Liimatainen
Alias = Allan Anderssén (Sydänpuu)
Born = birth date and age|1980|9|9
Kemi, Finland
Died =
Origin = Finland
Instrument = Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
Genre = Power metal
Melodic death metal
Rock
Occupation = Musician
Years_active = 1996−present
Label = Spinefarm
Nuclear Blast
Associated_acts = Sonata Arctica
Altaria
Sydänpuu
Neverday
Graveyard Shift
Dream Asylum
URL = [http://www.janiliimatainen.net www.janiliimatainen.net]
Notable_instruments =

Jani Allan Kristian Liimatainen (born September 9, 1980, in Kemi, Finland) is the former guitar player and one of the founding members of the power metal band Sonata Arctica.

Most of his technique is self-taught, even though he had a few guitar lessons early in his life. He is endorsed by Ibanez plays a Destroyer DT 200 Custom, the Ibanez JPM4, John Petrucci's signature model and his own custom shop RG Series guitars. He cites Freak Kitchen, Dream Theater, and Pain of Salvation as his biggest musical influences.

As well as playing, he has also contributed to the band's songwriting with "My Selene" on 2004's "Reckoning Night".

In May 2007, as a result of his failure to do his mandatory civil/miltary service, he and the other members of Sonata Arctica reached an agreement that they would go their separate ways [http://www.sonataarctica.info/site07/index.php?s=2&l=uk&nid=24&ntop=0] . He left the band on good terms and was then replaced by Elias Viljanen.

Jani also played with Altaria, recording two full-length albums, before leaving them to concentrate on his work with Sonata Arctica. In addition, he has a melodic death metal side-project called Graveyard Shift with Sonata Arctica bandmate Henrik Klingenberg. He also plays in a band called Sydänpuu (Hearttree), that plays rock music in Finnish. In Sydänpuu, he sings and plays guitars, bass, and keyboards alongside drummer, Risto Koskinen.

In October 2007, he was the lead guitarist for metal singer Paul Di'Anno's Finnish tour.