Artist: APOCALYPTICA
Album: CULT RE-ISSUE + 2 (CD)

Release date: 2000/ 2014
EAN/UPS: 4260341640525
Media type: CD

An unexpected hit from an unlikely source. Four Finnish cellists reinterpetrated METALLICA tunes in a sparse classical format. The album 'Apocalyptica Plays Metallica By Four Cellos' was such a success APOCALYPTICA undertook live dates. A second album, Inquisition Symphony', emerged in 1998 which alongside more METALLICA renditions included reworks by contemporaries SEPULTURA, FAITH NO MORE and PANTERA. That year the group performed at the Dutch 'Headbanger's Heaven' festival, the show including the 'Mandatory Suicide' / 'South Of Heaven' medley with SLAYER drummer DAVE LOMBARDO guesting.

The band issued a single 'Path Vol. 2' in March of 2001 from the third album 'Cult' featuring guest vocals from Sandra Nasic of GUANO APES. Other tracks on the album included Matthias Sayer of FARMER BOYS as well as live tracks. The band would also guest on the 2001 SEPULTURA album 'Nation'.

Touring in the UK found the Finns guesting on MEGADETH's summer dates. Max Lilja would decamp in January of 2002. Recordings taking place in 2002 for a new studio album 'Reflections' would witness the inclusion of the esteemed DAVE LOMBARDO of SLAYER infamy on drums. The band undertook a further interesting collaboration in 2003 when they united with German Punk Rock diva NINA HAGEN to record a cover version of RAMMSTEIN's 'Seemann'.

Eicca Toppinen guests on the track 'Juoksevan Veden Aika' featured on the 2004 TIMO RAUTIAINEN & TRIO NISKALAUKAUS album 'Kylma Tila'. APOCALYPTICA's 2004 album, seeing SLAYER drummer DAVE LOMBARDO featured on the album track 'Betrayal', would be preceded by the single 'Bittersweet', this featuring guest appearances by H.I.M.'s Ville Valo and THE RASMUS' Lauri Ylonen. Both singers also put in showings in the accompanying Antti Jokinen directed video for 'Bittersweet', the single finding success by entering the national Finnish singles charts at no. 3. The song, featuring both Valo and Ylonen, was premiered live on 17th January at a benefit concert for the victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster at Helsinki's 12,000 seat Hartwall Arena. That week, 'Bittersweet' rose to no.1 on the Finnish charts.

APOCALYPTICA lent support to leading German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN throughout Europe in February 2005. The band then announced their debut North American shows for March. A second single picked from the album, 'Wie Weit', added three different language versions of Quutamo'. The French version featured Manu of DOLLY whilst both English and German versions included Marta Jandova of Germany's DIE HAPPY. Touring the USA in September saw support from Orange County's EYES OF FIRE.

TRACKLIST:

01. Path
02. Struggle
03. Romance
04. Pray!
05. In Memoriam
06. Hyperventilation
07. Beyond Time
08. Hope
09. Kaamos
10. Coma (Live)
11. Hall Of The Mountain King
12. Until It Sleeps
13. Fight Fire With Fire
14. Path Vol. 2 feat. Sandra Nasic (Guano Apes) - Bonus Tracks
15. Hope Vol. 2 feat. Matthias Sayer (Farmer Boys) - Bonus Tracks


LINE-UP:

Antero Manninen (cello)
Max Lilja (cello)
Paavo Lotjonen (cello)
Eicca Toppinen (cello)