Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus

Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus was a metal music band from Finland, formed in 1997. A very dynamic band, they were led by Timo Rautiainen, leading member of Finnish metallers Lyijykomppania, a band which still has an underground cult following in the scene. The musical influence of the band ranges from Black Sabbath to more modern metal acts. They have released 7 albums to date. Lyrically, themes are very strong, including nuclear waste deliveries, the global warming phenomenon, the death of a loved one, the Russian orphan crisis and betrayal among others. Also, Rautiainen's point of view is often more mature because Timo's "off-stage" occupation is a teacher, which is quite uncommon for heavy metal musicians. For more than 20 years, Timo has made music in the Finnish language. However, when a friend came up to him with the idea of making a German spoken album, Timo became very interested. The album produced during this session, In frostigen Tälern ("In Frozen Valleys") (2001), was the first German album by a Finnish act, and arguably one of the band's finest albums to date. In 2004 the band released their second album in German, titled Hartes Land. The albums in German basically consist of songs which have already been released in Finnish and later translated. Instead of embracing stage theatrics (as many metal bands do) or playing nothing but speed riffs to show off, Timo along with the band choose to play the music strong and concentrate on the music alone. This honesty with his bandmates and fans, along with strong lyrics and music, have made Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus repeat toppers on the Finnish charts. Also, a biographical book about Timo and his bands was released in 2003. It was written by Finnish journalist Timo Isoaho. The band announced that it would be going on break for an indefinite period of time as of December 2004. On November 1, 2006, the band announced that they would be breaking up. Members: Timo Rautiainen Vocals, guitar (1997-2006) Jarkko Petosalmi Guitar (1998-2006) Jari Huttunen Guitar (2002-2006) Nils Ursin Bass (1999-2006) Seppo Pohjolainen Drums, backing vocals (1997-2006) Karri Rämö Guitar (1997-2001) Arto Alaluusua Bass (1997-1998) Teppo Haapasalo Guitar (1997-1998) Valtteri Revonkorpi Keyboards (1997)