Hanging Garden

History

Idea of a band playing slow, doomy metal is born between singer Ari Nieminen and bassist Matti Reinola in 2004. Soon after, drummer Janne Jukarainen and guitarists Mikko Kolari and Saku Manninen join the band. After hard song writing and rehearsing, recordings of the first promo-CD start. The band is named Hanging Garden and the 'Promo 2006' is finished just before Finnish Metal Expo in February 2006. One promo ends up on hands of Sami from Spikefarm Records, and eventually Hanging Garden inks a deal with the label.

On fall 2006 Hanging Garden travels to northern Finland to record their debut album at the legendary Tico Tico Studios. Release is set to February 2007. Album is titled 'Inherit the Eden', and receives great feedback & reviews around the world. Afterwards Hanging Garden plays gigs all over Finland.

During the writing of their 2nd album, Saku is replaced by a new guitarist Jussi Hämäläinen. After long and hard creating period, studio sessions finally start on July 2009. Album is titled 'TEOTWAWKI' and introduces a more variating and rawer musical style, compared to its predecessor 'Inherit the Eden'. English death doom influences and acoustic parts are accompanied by post-metallic harshness, post-rockish fragility and hard core style vocal parts. The overall sound is less keyboard orientated and unpolished. Lyrically 'TEOTWAWKI' draws a gloomy image of mankind and decadence, natural disasters and the inevitable downfall. Album is mixed and mastered at Toontekning Recording, Sweden by Magnus Lindberd and released November 11th 2009 by Spikefarm Records.

The third album, 'At Every Door', featuring several line-up changes, was released by Lifeforce Records in 2013. On said album, Nino Hynninen had joined the band playing keyboards, Antti Ruokola had taken the place of Janne Jukarainen in drums, Toni Toivonen had replaced Ari Nieminen on vocals, and Jussi Kirves was recruited as the bassist after Matti Reinola had left the band. Style-wise, the band had taken a significant step away from the classic doom genre on 'At Every Door', flirting with various styles and genres beyond metal.

The fourth album, to be released in September 2015, titled 'Blackout Whiteout', takes this change further; the new album has incorporated classical instruments, varying vocal styles, and boasts a many-faced dramatic arc spanning from crushing heaviness to ethereal mellow tunes, and back again. Just after the completion of 'Blackout Whiteout', Antti Ruokola leaves the band. Sami Forsstén, known to many of the members from earlier projects, fills the vacant seat.

(source: Hanging Garden, August 2015)