The Rasmus

Originally from Helsinki, Finland, Rasmus was formed in 1994 by four high-school students: singer Lauri Ylönen, bassist Eero Heinonen, guitarist Pauli Rantasalmi and drummer Jarno Lahti. The latter soon gave way to Janne Heiskanen. Their first album, Peep (1996), was well received, reaching number 16 in Finland. After leaving high school, the musicians released Playboys (1997), accompanied by the single "Blue". With Hell of a Tester (1998), the band made a major musical shift from the funk of their early days to energetic rock. While The Rasmus were supporting Red Hot Chili Peppers, drummer Janne Heiskanen retired to India to meditate, and was replaced by Aki Hakala. Renamed The Rasmus to avoid confusion with an artist of the same name, the band released their fourth album, Into (2001), which topped the charts in its homeland with the track "F-F-F-Falling", also a number one. With Dead Letters (2003), the band's success extends to Europe: number one in Germany, with the hit "In the Shadows " reaching number three in the UK. In 2005, Hide from the Sun maintains the band's status in Finland with a platinum certification. While the band maintains its level of popularity in its home country, a decline is observed in other countries with the albums Black Roses (2008), The Rasmus (2012), Dark Matters (2017) and Rise (2022). In 2025, the band released their eleventh album, Weirdo, featuring contributions from Niko Vilhelm (Blind Channel) and Lee Jennings (Funeral Portrait).