Wintersun

Wintersun is a Finnish melodic death metal band from Helsinki, active since 2003. Jari Mäenpää, formerly of Ensiferum, forms the group and handles vocals and guitar, with the project beginning as a solo-leaning vehicle before becoming a full band. Its sound is described through several overlapping styles, including folk metal, melodic death metal, symphonic metal, power metal and progressive metal, and the group itself is associated with a broad, technically detailed form of metal.

Formation and first album

Wintersun records its self-titled debut in 2004 and releases it through Nuclear Blast Records. On that album, Mäenpää performs the vocals, bass, guitars and programmed synthesiser parts, while Kai Hahto appears as the session drummer for drums and percussion. The release reflects the project’s early identity as a studio-focused undertaking centred on Mäenpää’s writing and arrangement.

Line-up

The group’s live line-up includes Kai Hahto on drums, Teemu Mäntysaari on guitar and Jukka Koskinen on bass, alongside Mäenpää. The listed members also include Oliver Fokin and Asim Searah. Wintersun’s music uses intricate keyboard passages, and live keyboards are handled through background tapes because a permanent keyboard player has not been established.

Style and second album

Wintersun’s music sits around melodic death metal but also draws on folk, symphonic and other metal forms. Mäenpää describes the band’s style as difficult to place in a single genre, emphasising its mix of extreme, majestic, technical and epic elements. The second album, Time, is associated with long recording delays and technical difficulties.