Waltari facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Waltari
Waltari in Palac Akropolis, Prague 3, 2010
Background information
Origin	Finland
Genres	Avant-garde metal Progressive metal Alternative metal Punk Pop
Years active	1986–present
Labels	Stupido Records, EMI, Bluelight Records
Associated acts	Stone Kyyria Velcra Carnival in Coal
Members	Kärtsy Hatakka Sami Yli-Sirniö Janne ImmonenJariot Lehtinen Ville Vehviläinen

Waltari is a cool alternative metal band from Finland. They started playing music in Helsinki in 1986. The first members were Kärtsy Hatakka, Sale Suomalainen, and Jariot Lehtinen. The band's name comes from a famous Finnish writer named Mika Waltari. He was a favorite author of the band's guitarist, Jariot Lehtinen.

Waltari is quite popular in other parts of Europe, even more so than in Finland. The band members really like the Czech Republic. They have worked with a Czech punk rock band called Wohnout. Kärtsy Hatakka is also good friends with singer Lenka Dusilová. Waltari has teamed up with many other artists too. They made albums with the Finnish folk band Angelit. They also appeared on Apocalyptica’s album. And Tarja Turunen from Nightwish sang with them during a live show called Yeah! Yeah! Die! Die!.

What Kind of Music Does Waltari Play?

Waltari's music is known for mixing many different styles. They don't stick to just one type of rock or metal. Their heavy sound often includes parts of electronic music, pop, rap, disco, funk, and even grindcore. This mix creates a unique sound that can be called avant-garde. The lead singer and bass player, Kärtsy Hatakka, has a very special voice. This makes Waltari's music even more recognizable and one-of-a-kind.

What Are Waltari's Songs About?

The words in Waltari's songs are as varied as their music. They sing about many different things. These topics include everyday problems, personal challenges, and even science fiction ideas. They also ask big questions about the music world. One thing all their songs have in common is a lot of irony. They often use humor to make fun of things, including themselves.

Waltari's Albums

Waltari began their music journey by making demo records. Their longest demo was called Monk Punk. This album mixed punk and funk music in an interesting way. But the first album that got them really good reviews was Torcha!. This was also their first album to combine many different music styles. It even has their cover version of Madonna’s song "Vogue".

Their next two albums, So Fine and Big Bang, were also very successful. These albums mostly focused on mixing heavy metal with techno. This was a new and exciting sound at the time. Waltari had their biggest success with death metal fans with the album Yeah! Yeah! Die! Die!. This album blends death metal with classical music. It feels like a musical story, telling an epic tale from the future through different characters singing.

The album Space Avenue has more electronic sounds and a pop feel. Their next album, Radium Round, went even further in that direction. It's almost a pop/disco album with some metal parts. Waltari then returned to a more rock sound with albums like Rare Species and the very popular Blood Sample. Their last two albums, Release Date and Below Zero, focus mainly on a heavy sound with some progressive rock elements.

Here is a list of some of their albums:

• Monk-Punk - 1991
• Torcha! - 1992
• So Fine! - 1994
• Big Bang - 1995
• Space Avenue - 1997
• Radium Round - 1999
• Rare Species - 2004
• Blood Sample - 2005
• Release Date - 2007
• Below Zero - 2009
• Covers All - The 25th Anniversary Album - 2011

Images for kids

• 

  Waltari performing at the Tavastia Club in Helsinki in January 2006.

See also

In Spanish: Waltari (banda) para niños