The Rasmus (FIN)

Year 2004 was a remarkable year for four young men from Helsinki. After 11 years together as a band, and each still only 24 years old, they finally captured Europe with the release of their fifth studio album, ‘Dead Letters’. With over a million and a half copies sold worldwide, eight Gold and five Platinum Awards, and Top 10 placings in eleven countries for their signature anthem ‘In The Shadows’, which was the No.1 Most Played Video on MTV Europe, THE RASMUS had finally made it.

And now, the Finnish Grammy Award winning quartet are back with the follow-up to ‘Dead Letters’. Set for release on September 12th, ‘Hide From The Sun’ is the Helsinki-based foursome’s sixth studio outing. Displaying striking new textures through bold arrangements, the addition of strings and piano to the band’s signature infectious dark rock sound, topped off with Lauri’s smoldering vocal, results in an injection of Muse-like drama. It’s an album the band found easy to write despite the obvious pressures which come in following the success of smash hit singles ‘In The Shadows’, ‘Guilty’ and ‘First Day Of My Life’, singles which shot the band to the fore, took them around the world and saw them building up a massive and loyal fan base. “There are more contrasts in the music this time,” explains Lauri. “It’s beautiful melodies set against cutting lyrics, or sweet words over intense, heavy guitars. We’re proud of the arrangements on the new album.”

‘Hide From The Sun’ was recorded at Stockholm’s Nord/Hansen Studios with producers Martin Hansen and Mikael Nord Andersson, the duo responsible for the band’s last two long-players ‘Into’ and ‘Dead Letters’.

A feeling clearly reflected in ‘Hide From The Sun’, The Rasmus’ most confident outing yet, which sees them raising their own musical bar and experimenting with light and shade to produce attention-grabbing soundscapes with dark lyrical themes of hiding and escaping influenced by their hectic 12 months.

Spiritually re-invigorated, the songs came rolling out with tracks such as lead single, the hook-laden, power-rock track, ‘No Fear’, the obvious first choice single and, similarly as ‘In The Shadows’ had been to ‘Dead Letters’, one of the last songs that the band wrote and recorded, or the dynamic of ‘Shot’ or ‘Immortal’, both of which follow the theme of protecting those close to you and going beyond the call of duty to do so. Other songs include ‘Night After Night (Out Of The Shadows)’, a lyrical sequel to ‘In The Shadows’ and one of the album’s highlights, ‘Dead Promises’ with string arrangement by Finnish metallers-with-cellos, Apocalyptica, who have been linked to The Rasmus since they released ‘Bittersweet’, a single featuring a duet with Lauri and HIM’s Ville Valo. Lauri also added his vocal to ‘Life Burns’ from the band’s self-titled album.

Forming 11 years ago and signing a deal with Warner Music Finland at 16, the band quit school for a life on the road. They released their debut full-length ‘Peep’ which rapidly went Gold, followed by second-album ‘Playboys’, which again went Gold, earned them their first Emma (Finnish Grammy award) and saw them sharing stages with the likes of The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rancid and Garbage. Third album ‘Hellofataster’ followed in 1999, the year which also saw former merch-guy Aki joining the line-up. Signing to Stockholm’s Playground Music in 2000, The Rasmus have since gone from strength to strength.

http://www.therasmus.com/