Entwine

History

Entwine began as Kaamos in 1995, formed by guitarist and vocalist Tom Mikkola, drummer Aksu Hanttu, and bassist Teppo Taipale. At that time, they played death metal with harsh male vocals. In 1997, the group changed its name to Entwine and switched to a gothic metal and rock style. Later that year, rhythm guitarist and vocalist Panu Willman joined, and in December the band recorded its first demo, Divine Infinity. Keyboardist Riitta Heikkonen came on board in February 1998. Their debut album, Treasures Within Hearts, arrived in September 1999. In April 2000, both Willman and Taipale left the band; Taipale was replaced by Joni Miettinen, and vocalist Mika Tauriainen joined the following month. The second album, Gone, was released in April 2001. It earned the title of Album of the Month from German magazine Hammer, and the single New Dawn reached a top-ten position on the Finnish Single Charts. Jaani Kähkönen joined as a live session guitarist in late 2001 and soon became a permanent member. In early 2002, the band recorded its third album, Time of Despair, produced by Anssi Kippo, and toured Europe alongside Theatre of Tragedy and Ram-Zet. The fourth album, diEversity, came out in March 2004. It marked a shift toward a heavier sound, with de-tuned rhythm guitars and more melodic vocals. The single Bitter Sweet hit number three on the Finnish Single Charts, and the album itself reached number eleven on the Official Chart of Finland. An EP called Sliver was released in August 2005. The fifth album, Fatal Design, followed in August 2006, and the band toured Europe with German gothic rock act Zeraphine. On December 8, 2006, keyboardist Riitta Heikkonen left the group for personal reasons, with no replacement planned. On May 3, 2008, Entwine announced work on a sixth studio album, produced by Hiili Hiilesmaa. Originally scheduled for January 14, 2009, it was pushed back to January 28 and titled Painstained. A compilation album, Rough n' Stripped, was released on June 23, 2010.