Biography
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Years Active
2003 – present (21 years)
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Members
- Janne Lahtinen
Widescreen Mode was formed in Riihimäki in 2003 by drummer Janne Aaltonen, singer Samu Brusila, guitar player Janne Lahtinen and bass player Janne Stenroos. The name of the band represents the things you can't see on the screen. Eyes wide open to the world.
The debut album, "Until The End" was released in Finland on November 2007 through Dark Sentiments and Playground Music Scandinavia. It was produced and recorded by Jani Loikas (also the "Hello World" and "Another Day" EPs), mixed by Anssi Kippo (Children of Bodom, Stam1na, etc.) and mastered by Thomas Eberger (The 69 Eyes, Opeth, etc.).
“Until The End” debuted on the Finnish Top 40 album chart at the end of 2007. The first single "Everlasting Bomb" stayed No. 1 for several weeks on the official Finnish download chart and has received massive airplay on the national Finnish radio stations. The second single “Dead Inside” shot to No. 1 on official Finnish Top 40 singles chart in January 2008.
"We just wanted to make the album that we always dreamed about", says singer Samu Brusila. Adds drummer Janne Aaltonen: "We wanted the album to be pure, organic, and real". Mission accomplished. With electrifying riffs, compelling melodies and a classic metal attitude, Until The End is a collection of everything that makes Widescreen Mode one of the most unique new artists in heavy rock: pure, uncompromising metal that refuses to stick to any single formula.
Not that the natives sons of Finland are new to this game. Actually, they've been playing separate or together in various outfits for years. At 15, Janne Aaltonen (drums) shared a band with then-16-year-old Janne Lahtinen (guitars) called Aggessive Influence. In 1993, Samu Brusila (vocals) and Janne Stenroos (bass) joined them to form Fairlane. While they honed their skills together in Finnish clubs, career decisions forced the group to split up in the late 1990s. "At the time it felt natural to move on", Brusila remembers. "Aaltonen accepted a job in Helsinki as an Art Director, and he was building his career there. Everyone had so many things going on.".
It wasn't until 2003, when Brusila and Aaltonen moved back to Riihimäki, that the band began playing together again. "We had dozens of discussions about forming a new band over the years", Brusila recalls, "But they were just discussions.". One day, fate intervened, in the form of Aaltonen's fiancee. "She was tired of us dreaming about it, and not doing enough to make our dreams a reality", says Aaltonen. After a few months, Stenroos returned, rehearsing new material with the pair. Then, at Brusila's birthday party, Stenroos invited Lahtinen to play. "We had the old group back together", Brusila smiles. With a renewed sense of purpose, Widescreen Mode began writing new music in earnest. Adds Aaltonen: "The timing was finally right. We were ready to give everything for the music again. We take this very seriously." .
And so do Widescreen Mode's fans. In 2005, the band made steady progress with a pair of four-song demos. The demos earned great reviews. Widescreen Mode played important festivals, supporting bands like Paradise Lost, the Cardigans, Anathema, and Die Krupps. In 2006, Widescreen Mode made it to the final round of MTV Nordic's unsigned competition out of 1,700 bands. Interestingly, thanks to the Internet, Widescreen Mode has even more fans outside of Finland. The band has amassed a community of more than 65,000 fans worldwide on MySpace. "It's great to see how well our music has received around the world", says Aaltonen.
The music has been well received at home, too. Widescreen Mode's first single "Everlasting Bomb" reached #1 on the official Finnish download charts last summer, and has received airplay on the national rock radio stations such as Radio Rock and YleX. With deep harmonies, electronic synth, and a chugging guitar, "Everlasting Bomb" is a "a tribute to our musical roots" according to Aaltonen. The original lyrical concept was inspired by the movie "Planet of the Apes".
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