Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )

Forty-two years after its original release, Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ANCIENT STREAMING ASSEMBLY brings a pioneering ecometal classic into the modern age with a 4K re-release of Kimmo Kuusniemi Band (Sarcofagus) “Metallinen Sateenkaari” (Metallic Rainbow). This unique version merges Muska’s original 1981 vocals through AI technology, with the band’s 2010 recording with the original lineup except Anssi Nykänen steps in for the late drummer Upi Sorvali, honoring his legacy.

Watch the 2024 video version of Kimmo Kuusniemi Band’s “Metallic Rainbow” here:

Kuusniemi’s revisit is more than a nod to nostalgia. “Reintroducing ‘Metallic Rainbow’ to today’s audience reaffirms a long-standing truth,” he says. “The message, as resonant now as it was four decades ago, serves as a poignant reminder of our environment’s vulnerability.” The Kimmo Kuusniemi’s Ancient Streaming Assembly (ASA), his latest venture, continues this narrative, underscoring our responsibility towards a sustainable future.

In ASA multi instrumentalist, Kimmo Kuusniemi, in collaboration with violinist and ethnomusicologist Tuomas Rounakari, casts a stark light on environmental threats, advocating a return to ancestral wisdom for solutions.

The recent release by Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA “Perpetuae Memoriae,” a collaborative effort with Testament’s Steve DiGorgio, underscores ASA’s environmental urgency. Set against a dystopian backdrop, it teases an upcoming ASA environmental music documentary.

Kimmo Kuusniemi’s Ancient Streaming Assembly (ASA) is dedicated to sparking tangible change.
Through their music, film and initiatives, ASA encourages viewers to not only understand the environmental challenges but also to be part of the solutions needed for a sustainable future.

Explore ASA’s vision and “Perpetuae Memoriae”:

•   Video: https://youtu.be/zyV0x8duK0Y
•   Song: https://social.tunecore.com/linkShare?linkid=Kd3jkr93s9vRK0yh5HoH2Q
•   www.ancientstreaming.com

For collaborations, inquiries, and more, please contact:
Tarja Virmakari, Press Media Officer
ASA Team
tarja@ancientstreaming.com

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Sarcofagus: Metal Milestones and Core Values Through Decades

Pioneering Influence: Sarcofagus, formed in 1977, is hailed as one of the most influential and original Scandinavian Progressive Heavy Metal Bands, inspiring numerous new metal acts.

Metallic Milestones:

First Finnish Heavy Metal Band.
First Finnish Heavy Metal Band to sing in Finnish.
First Scandinavian Heavy Metal Band with a female vocalist, Muska Babitzin.
First in the world to release a full album-length story/broadcast quality video (Moottorilinnut/Motorbirds), predating the MTV era.

Discography Highlights (1979-1982):
Released 1 single and 3 albums, including “Cycle of Life” (1980), “Envoy of Death” (1980), and “Moottorilinnut” (1982).

Cultural Impact:
Kimmo Kuusniemi served as the first spokesperson for Finnish Heavy Metal and initiated the Finnish Heavy Metal Association, uniting metal fans.
Kuusniemi played a pivotal role in bringing metal to Finnish radio, TV, and print media.

Revivals and Reissues:
Albums like “Cycle of Life” and “Envoy of Death” were re-released on CDs in Italy in 1996.
Various re-releases and web versions were made available in the 2000s.
“Core Values” was released in 2007. This album, released after a 25-year hiatus, saw most of the original band members onboard, including Kimmo Kuusniemi (guitars/drums), Esa Kotilainen (keyboards), Juha Kiminki (bass), and Tanja Katinka Karttunen (vocals), marking a significant reunion and reaffirmation of Sarcofagus’s core principles of innovation and originality.
A Sarcofagus anthology was published in 2009, showcasing the band’s early works.

Technological Innovations:
First Finnish Metal Band to have an iPhone App (2010).

Legacy Album: “Back from the Valley of the Kings” (2016) marked the final original Sarcofagus lineup album, recorded in a single day studio session after comeback gigs.

Farewell: In 2020, a limited compact cassette release titled “Absence Of Light” signaled the end of Sarcofagus.

About Kimmo Kuusniemi

Finnish-born visionary, Kimmo Kuusniemi stands at the intersection of art, music, film, and environmental advocacy. In the late 1970s, Kuusniemi established the legendary band Sarcofagus. Blending progressive and experimental elements with heavy rock, Sarcofagus crafted a version of heavy metal that was distinctly ahead of its time. Always at the vanguard of innovation, Kuusniemi has consistently harnessed the latest technology to expand his artistic expression.
In 1981, showcasing his forward-thinking prowess, Kuusniemi produced and directed a full album length broadcast quality music video for his third album, Kimmo Kuusniemi Band “Moottorilinnut”. Coincidentally, this was the same year MTV made its debut in the USA, signalling the onset of a new era for music and visual media. Though MTV was launching on the other side of the Atlantic, Kuusniemi’s ambitious project underscored his position at the forefront of the evolving music-video landscape.

In the 1980s, Kuusniemi ventured deeply into environmental film-making. He produced a series of informational short films and documentaries highlighting various environmental topics, aimed at educating and raising public awareness.

This commitment to environmental consciousness culminated in the 1991 with the Double Vision’s “Dream On” project—a compelling film and extended single produced for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). More than three decades ago, “Dream On” music video projected a cautionary tale of an impending environmental crisis. Disturbingly, the future once envisioned by the “Dream On” project has now become our present reality, showcasing humanity’s prolonged inaction.
Following “Dream On”, Kuusniemi continued to make his mark in the realm of film and television. He produced several TV documentaries that achieved international distribution.
Among his most notable works is the groundbreaking 8-hour adventure/history TV series, “Baltic Sea Adventure/Hunt For U479,” which garnered widespread acclaim and captivated audiences globally.
Whether through his compelling documentaries, informational films, or innovative projects like the Ancient Streaming Assembly, Kuusniemi’s work continues to intertwine ancestral wisdom with the pressing concerns of the modern world. His efforts resonate with the imperative need to harmonise with nature, drawing insights from the past and weaving them into the tapestry of today’s narrative.