INITIATED - World on Fire CD

Once upon a time, in the not too distant past in a small town in southern Finland, Harri Kuokkanen stopped in his tracks, realizing that what the country needs is a proper straight forward heavy rock band which would not shy away from punk rock and heavy metal influences. Clutching his Samhain and Dictators LPs, he took the matter to heart and compiled a group of like-minded individuals, who call themselves Initiated.

Kuokkanen (also known from bands such as Horse Latitudes, Hooded Menace, Perikato, Ride For Revenge) and his cohorts have been initiated into the dark world of raw underground rock music and proudly carry their influences on their sleeves. In addition to Kuokkanen’s vocals, instruments in the group are handled by Jaakko Hietakangas (lead guitar, also in Speedtrap and the crossover hardcore act Foreseen), Mårten Gustafsson on drums (also in Foreseen)and Timo Ketola (lead vocalist of the doom metal mutants Caskets Open) on bass. In the summer of 2015 this five-piece self-released a tape, titled Seed of Evil, recorded at their rehearsal room.

These seeds of evil took root, and Svart Records took notice. A series of nightly negotiations were held, and the label agreed to help the band in their intentions to set the world on fire with rock’n’roll. Come spring 2016, the fearsome foursome found themselves in studio, laying down material for what was to become the album World on Fire.