EXCALIONEXCALION was born in December 2000 in Konnevesi, central Finland. Keyboards-player Jarmo "Jappe" Myllyvirta had written some melodic Power Metal-style songs and began looking for a group to play his ideas aloud. So, Jappe, drummer Henri Pirkkalainen, bassist Timo Sahlberg and guitarist Tero Vaaja gathered in a tiny rehearsal room and after some playing, they realized that they had a band. For reasons that have partly escaped everyone, the band was named Excalion. Jarmo Pääkkönen was a guy known of his big voice and as his former band had recently split up, so he joined the band. Excalion played the first gig ever in spring 2001 at Työväentalo, Konnevesi. Soon after that, the band acquired its full line-up when Kimmo Hänninen.
In autumn 2001 EXCALION recorded their first demo "Forlorn". The army service of some of the band members and other practical difficulties prevented EXCALION to play gigs on this time. Years 2002 and 2003 saw some scattered gigs and reasonably hard rehearsing. Jappe also wrote new songs with more development and variety than before. This was above all a time of learning how to be a band, and growing together musically.
In autumn of 2003 EXCALION started to make their second demo "Obsession To Prosper". At the end of 2003 the band signed a deal with Sound Riot Records. Middle of 2004 they recorded a Promo with some new songs which would be featured on the album. This material showed a big improvement of the band proving they were ready for an album really. So, the recording of the EXCALION´s debut album was fixed to Autumn 2004. So, the recordings of 10 tracks were done at Watercastle Studio in September and the album got entitled "Primal Exhale". In March 2005 all production for the album got finished completely and its release was scheduled to out in May 27 but appeared a licensing offer in the Japan in April. For this reason, the release date in the Europe was postpone to July 27 since the album would be released June 17 in the Japan. Nevertheless, Sound Riot decided change the album format from a usual CD to a nice Digipak including the Finnish version of "Forlorn" as a bonus track. EXCALION are a new Finnish talent of Symphonic Power Metal with real potential and "Primal Exhale" is the best example of that !
Line Up : Jarmo PAAKKONEN—Vocals
Jarmo MYLLYVIRTA—Keyboards
Kimmo HANNINEN—Guitars
Tero VAAJA—Guitars
Timo SAHLBERG—Bass
· Henri PIRKKALAINEN—Drums
Discographie : 2005 - Primal Exhale Digipack,SOUND RIOT RECORDS / UNDERCLASS
Primale Exhale (Sound Riot)
L'édition limitée Digipack de ce jeune groupe Finlandais qui pratique un Power / Heavy Metal symphonique meurtrier et mélodique de tout premier plan. Attention très bon disque !!!
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