What kind of special project can bring together musicians and singers from all of the following bands: Nightwish, Tarot, Teräsbetoni, Sonata Arctica, Northern Kings, Ari Koivunen, Sub-Urban Tribe, Charon, Machine Men, Stratovarius, Children Of Bodom, Sinergy, Kotipelto, Ensiferum, Kilpi, Leningrad Cowboys, Peer Gunt, Los Bastardos Finlandeses, Thunderstone, Joe Doakes, Urban Tale, Kiuas, Dyecrest, Ancara, Verenpisara, Mauron Maiden, Twilightning, Maija Vilkkumaa, Havana Black, Wigwam, Amoral, Soulcage and others?
It's all about celebrating christmas and it's music tradition mixed with metal. RASKAS JOULU has combined these elements for 5 years now and it looks like the end is not in sight.
Erkka Korhonen (ex-Urban Tale) got the idea of the project in 2004. T2 productions quickly signed the project for a full length album with Erkka as a producer, musical director and main arranger with Tero Kostermaa supplying arrangement help, keyboard parts and programming. The project's debut album, "Raskasta Joulua" ("Heavy Christmas") was released for the 2004 christmas market, featuring both international and Finnish classics from "Valkea Joulu (White Christmas)" and "Oi Jouluyö (OHoly Night)" to "Varpunen Jouluaamuna" and Sylvian Joululaulu". The sales of the album woke the interest to do a mini-tour in 2005.
The 2005 band played succesful shows in Tampere, Kuopio and Helsinki. This gave the project a great possibility to start planning a follow-up album. The recordings for the album started in July 2006 at Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki. The arrangements became heavier and more complex, combining different songs and themes. Vili Ollila, Aleksi Parviainen and Peter Lerche also contributed on the arrangements. The vocalist and musician list of the album was extensive, from Marco Hietala and Tony Kakko to Alexi Laiho and Peter Lerche.
December 2006 also witnessed the project's first real tour. The guys played 10 shows in 9 cities around Finland, bringing the sound of the new album along with the first album's classics fo the audiences. The tour was a success and the band became a very strong unit. Subsequent tours followed in 2007 and 2008. Each year saw the project grow bigger, playing and selling out more shows. 2008's highly succesful 17-show tour climaxed in Helsinki's Tavastia club where the band played 2 sold-out shows during the same evening!
As the Christmas season of 2009 comes closer, the project is getting ready to celebrate it's 5th anniversary. The tour will again be bigger than before and it will also feature new faces and some new song arrangements. See you all on the road!!!
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"Oi Jouluyö (O' Holy Night)" Live sung by Marco Hietala in Teatria, Oulu on 9/12/2006.
