The Rasmus
Finnish rock veterans who broke internationally with 'In the Shadows' after years of funk-inflected work at home — three decades of goth-tinged arena hooks.
The Rasmus formed in Helsinki in 1994 while its members were still in school, with Lauri Ylönen on vocals alongside Eero Heinonen, Pauli Rantasalmi and drummer Jarno Lahti; their first gig was at a school Christmas party that December. Lahti left the following year and was replaced by Janne Heiskanen.
An early EP, 1st, sold a thousand copies within weeks of its late-1995 release and led to a deal with Warner Music Finland. The debut album Peep, released in 1996, went gold in Finland, and the band won an EMMA award for best newcomer that year.
The sound shifted from the funk rock and pop of Playboys, a 1997 gold record with the gold single 'Blue', toward something heavier on Hell of a Tester in 1998, an album that marked a deliberate move from funk to rock and produced the single 'Liquid,' a Top 40 hit on MTV Nordic and a voted single of the year.
By the time of 2003's Dead Letters, the sound had darkened further into gothic-tinged alternative rock, and the single 'In the Shadows' broke the band across Europe and beyond. Drummer Aki Hakala had by then replaced Heiskanen, who left in 1999.
The Rasmus have sold more than six million albums worldwide, including 350,000 in Finland alone. Pauli Rantasalmi left in 2022 and was replaced by guitarist Emilia 'Emppu' Suhonen, the same year the band represented Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Jezebel.'
The Rasmus at a glance
What kind of music does The Rasmus play?
The Rasmus is tagged rock.
What festivals has The Rasmus played before?
The Rasmus has played Louder Than Life 2026.
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