Believer

Believer "extraction from mortality" ( 1989, 2007 )

I had to bought this shirt about 3 years ago when i noticed that Believer was releasing a new album.

i listened a lot of the Christian metal bands when i was younger and Believer was one of the best ones. The thing about Christian metal bands, as i see it nowdays( didnt get it when i was younger) is that they all wanted to sound like some other ( secular) band but with bold, Christian lyrics.. like Barren Cross or Bloodgood sounded like Iron Maiden, Mortification tried to sound like Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse etc etc, you get the point? Very few of them sounded original. Tourniquet, Believer, Stryper, couple of bands that i see now as "original" bands.. maybe some more..

It felt "safe" to listen Christian bands that had "safe" lyrics but heavy music, i understand it well, i was part of it back in the days. I had a rule maybe to age 14 or 15 that i shouldnt listen any "secular" bands ( i hate that word ) but i failed.. ;) luckily! CCM, i hate that term nowdays.. it`s too narrow-minded.. music is music, that`s all, all the bands have different messages

Now i feel nostalgic, i have to put my top 10 Christian metal bands list ( 80`s and 90`s )

1. Believer

2. Tourniquet

3. Stryper

4. Vengeance Rising

5. Paramaecium

6. Saviour Machine

7. Living Sacrifice

8. Betrayal

9. Whitecross

10. Mortification

of course there are other good ones also like Circle of dust, Klank, Extol, Schaliach etc etc..

GUAPO ( 2006 )

Guapo "Black Oni" ( 2006 )

I think i heard Guapo back in 2005 for the first time, little after when Black oni was released.

They played in Turku, 2006, awesome show, that is where i bought that shirt. There wasnt that much people though..

Sullivan is also a member of Ulver nowdays + Aethenor + Miasma& the carousel..

nice band indeed!

Solstafir + Sufjan Stevens

Solstafir "lady" ( 2010 )

Bought this shirt from their show in Turku. Really nice band, and through our vinyl releases we are labelmates via Svart records. I think i have seen them live maybe 3 times, 2 times in Turku and one time in Germany, in summer breeze festival where we also played with Callisto.

Sufjan Stevens "michigan" ( 2009 )

When i heard this artist long time ago, i didnt like it at all. Sounded too indiecrap to my ears, but things change, feelings change, nowdays, i really enjoy this artist. There is something pure in Sufjans music that i cannot describe, something celestial or something..

No love lost, when all is said and done!

Carcass "Heartwork" ( 1993, 2005 )

I think the original version of this shirt came in 1993 or 1994 because heartwork was released back then. I bought this shirt from some internet site in 2005.

Man got to have Carcass shirt, right? ( Actually my wife hates this shirt because of the ugly long haired guys on the back ) i think the guys look good! ok, at least Bill Steer and Walker..

Carcass vocals influensed me a lot back in when we started Callisto, or actually it was Zao first and then i noticed, what? Dan W has obviously taken some influence from Walker..

Maybe one of the best metal bands out there. Maybe the best?

IRON WILL

Grand Magus "iron will" ( 2008 or 2009 )

Bought this shirt when Grand Magus played last time, here in Turku. I think it was 2009.

Great heavy metal band!

Singer was the singer of Spiritual Beggars earlier, but not anymore.

Check out the drummers other band, Plankton. Great 60/70`s stylish band from Stockholm.

Ulver

Ulver "Shadows of the sun" ( 2007 )

Ordered this shirt along the vinyl + signed photograph, yes i`m a fanboy!

This Ulver album goes to my top3 Ulver albums.

What is my top3?

1. Perdition City

2. Shadows of the sun

3. Teachings in silence ( 2 eps )

Number four would be Bergtatt.

So you could say that i`m new school Ulver fan, my first Ulver album that i listened was Perdition City back in 2002 or 2003.. and i`m not that guy who yells at shows "play those old black metal songs" :)

Kolt

Kolt "Cowboy" ( 2006, 2007 )

Can`t remember when i bought this shirt from Kim ( the singer of Kolt ) i think it was 2006. Or maybe in 2005 ?

Kolt is a Finnish band and we have played with them couple of times over the years. I know all the guys in the band, nice guys, especially i know Kim really well. I think i met Kim 2002 in Turku for the first time, i have a nice story about this, but too lazy to tell it right now.. maybe some other day..

As some of you have noticed that i`m getting 30 soon, so maybe this is something like remembering the "good old times" through shirts :) i dont know, i am very nostalgic person.. Band shirts include certain history to me and the oldest ones go way back to 96 or 97 so that`s a long time.

Joensuu 1685 + Converge

Not that fitting pair ? :)

Joensuu 1685 "logo" ( 2009 )

Great Finnish band, coming from the same area where i am coming originally.

Saw them 2 times live, both times were great! The drummer and bass player have a new band called "Siinai" check it out.

Converge "angel" ( 2001 or 2002 )

This shirt has huge nostalgic feeling to me. i Bought it from Oslo, from records store, dont remember the name.

I think it was 2002 when we played there with Callisto, or maybe 2001 when we we`re seeing some bands in romjuls rock, the first time i visited Norway. But anyway, nice shirt and great band.

Om + Sleep

Om "swans" ( 2007 )

I bought this shirt along the "Pilgrimage" vinyl from Southern Lord. I like the design a lot, nice shirt, nice band also! :) Saw them live in 2008 if i remember right, in tavastia. This band is basically Sleep without Matt Pike. They started couple of years later after Sleep was disbanded.

Sleep "Dopesmoker" ( 2006 or 2007 )

This is the band before Om and High on fire. Sleep started in 1990 and disbanded in 1999. Altough they did a re-union in 2009. Dopesmoker song was featured in Broken flowers movie when these two rednecks are driving with some pick-up truck and Sleep is banging in the backround.

Doom over the world ( Cathedral + The Hidden hand )

Cathedral "tour 2006" ( 2006 )

Actually i was supposed to go to this show to Helsinki in 2006 but i was work or something, and friend of mine bought this shirt for me. Really dig this band!

The Hidden hand "whiskey" ( 2007 )

Bought this shirt from Southern lord webshop along the cd. Been fan since this band started to play. Of course i like Spirit Caravan also, plus Wino`s numerous other projects.

Eagle Twin

Eagle Twin "vulture" ( 2009 )

Bought this one from Southern lord webshop last year, along the vinyl.

Not necessary my all time favourite band, but maybe one of the best bands coming out lately from Southern Lord?

Mantric, Extol, Lengsel, Ganglion

What combines these bands ? = Almost the same 5 guys in the same bands :)

Mantric "logo" ( 2010 )

I bought this one from the internet along the cd, i think this band combines little bit of all bands i mentioned above. Nice band.

I think i have some special tide to Oslo "scene", first of all we played our first abroad show with Callisto in Oslo, i think it was in 2002, Extol also played there. Before that i have been big fan of Extol long time, also with Lengsel. I think i have witnessed Extol like 4 - 5 times live..

Guys from Selfmindead also moved to Oslo long time ago. From Sweden. Nowdays they are Benea Reach. Nice bands. Both bands give me good memories.

Before our Callisto show we visited Oslo, "romjuls" rock in 2001 with some friends, nice memories..

I think Mantric and Lengsel are the only Active bands from that collective.

Story could go on and on.. but you get the point. :)

Hauen Matti!!

High on fire "monster" ( 2005 )

This shirt has a lot of feeling and nostagia for me. We were touring in England with High on Fire, one of the best memories ever! I bought that shirt from that tour, or actually Matt Pike gave it to me, and all of us in Callisto. Some of us took the limited vinyl of Blessed Black Wings" album ( stupid me)

After the tour i started to listen High on fire little bit more and it became one of my favourite bands.

Great memories..