Wyatt Marshall, a friend of BogFires, wrote an interesting paper as his course work at the Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, USA. With his permission, we publish the text below.
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The Rise of Finnish Heavy Metal: A Survey of Finnish Heavy Metal and its Export to North America
By Wyatt Marshall
A small European nation intersected by the Arctic Circle, typically known abroad as the home of the cell phone giant Nokia, can safely add heavy metal music as a component of its national identity. Finland, as the native land of internationally successful and critically acclaimed heavy metal acts such as HIM, Children of Bodom, and Nightwish, has truly become what a recent documentary following the rise of Finnish metal music has called the “Promised Land of Heavy Metal.” Finland’s heavy metal bands feature musicians who are often classically trained and write exceedingly complex compositions, and their talents and efforts are regularly rewarded with top spots on Finnish charts. Although in Finland heavy metal rests comfortably within the parameters of mainstream music, internationally Finnish metal bands cater to a niche audience and compete for market share with heavy metal bands of other nationalities. An examination of export techniques and strategies for the North American market employed by Finnish heavy metal bands and Finnish music and art industry support organizations showcases the ways in which Finland has marketed its heavy metal as a uniquely Finnish cultural product with remarkable results.
Finland’s heavy metal has been exported in a variety of formats that reflect the complexities of the amorphous music industry. Although traditional cornerstones of the music industry such as touring and sales of compact discs remain staples of the business, an increasingly diverse range of alternate income sources are available to bands and record labels seeking to reach consumers. Digital media downloads, web stores that sell band merchandise to fans anywhere in the world, licensing deals with instrument manufacturers to create signature models named after bands’ stars, and even downloadable ring tones for cell phones are all ways in which bands can monetize their music [1]. Finnish heavy metal bands have embraced both these newly emerging methods of monetizing their product as well as the more traditional approaches.
Measuring their success at doing so, however, can be difficult. Musex (Music Export Finland), an organization comprised of a number of companies and organizations that “facilitate the marketing, promotion, and sales of Finnish popular music abroad” provides some comprehensive data for the export of Finnish music. For the purpose of gauging the export of Finnish heavy metal to North America, a 2007 study published by Musex in which forty-nine record labels and industry-related organizations were surveyed offers some insight. Within the survey, record labels reported that North America accounted for fourteen percent of total export sales in 2007. Furthermore, seventeen percent of these companies believed that North America was their most important export region in 2007, up from fourteen percent in 2006 [2]. Assuming that labels featuring heavy metal bands were fairly represented in the study, North America became an increasingly attractive market for record labels seeking to promote heavy metal bands over the 2006-2007 period.
Touring schedules of Finnish heavy metal bands in North America over the past few years appear to confirm the increasing importance of the region in bands’ efforts to export and reap profits from their music. Touring is an effective method of spreading interest in a band and a successful tour will result in increased album sales and additional opportunities to gain market share in the region toured. Though touring can serve as a means to make inroads into a given market, touring is also important as a profitable venture in and of itself through sales of tickets and merchandise at merchandise booths. The Musex study of 2007 reports that twenty four percent of record labels believe touring will be the most profitable method of monetizing their bands’ music in the future. Toni-Matti Karjalainen, a researcher at the Helsinki School of Economics studying the Finnish heavy metal industry, has similarly suggested that “touring is an even more important measure of attention than album sales in metal, and increasingly important as album sales are generally diminishing" [3]. As Karjalainen and respondents to the Musex study indicate, touring remains a secure way to monetize music in the face of rising concerns about piracy and the difficulties it presents to the traditional music market.
Measuring venue capacities played by bands serves as an effective method of gauging a band’s success in penetrating a given market [4]. Over the past few years, Finnish heavy metal bands have toured the North American market extensively and have played larger venues on each successive tour, either as headliners or as support for popular American metal bands. Finnish metal pioneers Amorphis, for example, headlined a tour in 2005 supported by three bands and played twenty-nine dates at venues with an average capacity of 864 occupants. Amorphis’ follow-up 2008 headlining tour featured a more focused schedule of nineteen dates also with support from three bands and visited venues with an average capacity of 1096 occupants. The decreased number of tour dates and larger venues seems to reflect a better understanding by Amorphis’ tour managers of Amorphis’ position in the North American market and points to a more efficient allocation of resources.
While Amorphis has headlined smaller venues, the more commercially successful and musically extreme Finnish heavy metal band Children of Bodom have played in support of popular American metal bands at bigger venues on larger “blockbuster” tours. Over three tours, two in 2006 and one in 2009, Children of Bodom played venues with average capacities of 1402, 9636, and 3843 persons respectively. Children of Bodom played as second support in the first and third tours and as third support during the second tour, therefore either playing in an increasingly prominent spot on the billing order or before a larger audience on each successive tour. Although by playing as support Children of Bodom would receive a smaller percentage of the pooled revenue from tour ticket sales, the opportunity to play before larger crowds presents an attractive trade-off for a band seeking greater market share. To date, the highly successful “love metal” band HIM has been the only Finnish heavy metal band capable of playing large venues as a headliner. On their most recent tour in 2007, HIM played thirty-two dates at venues with an average capacity of 1967 persons.
Finnish heavy metal bands’ increasing success at penetrating the North American market and the global market generally has been due to a number of factors. Many credit the extremely high quality of Finnish heavy metal bands for their success abroad and critics typically praise their technical proficiency [5]. Also, the majority of Finnish heavy metal bands sing in English, thereby making their music accessible to a much wider audience than if they sang in their native language. Although these qualities undoubtedly appeal to consumers of heavy metal music, the uniqueness of Finnish metal comes through in the discernible traces of Finnish culture that color it.
Critics and musicians have a tendency to wax poetic when describing the elements of Finnish heavy metal that distinguish it from metal of other nationalities. An article published by the Finnish Music Information Centre entitled “It’s So Heavy to be a Finn,” explains the unique qualities of the Finnish landscape and Finnish identity that shape Finnish heavy metal:
But what is it that makes Finnish metal so unique? Anyone interested in the answer should dig deep into the snow and live the long, dark cold winter. They should also look for the answer in the woods, behind the trees. And do not forget the Slavic melancholy, either. For when the somber Finnish mentality meets yearning melodies, the result is something you’re not going to get elsewhere. [6]
Although the inspiration for Finnish heavy music is doubtlessly important for the individual listener who appreciates the music, Finnish metal bands have managed to successfully turn the inspiration for their music into a largely genre-defining and marketable characteristic. By focusing on unique elements of Finnish culture, Finnish metal bands, their record labels, and organizations that support them have separated Finnish metal bands from competitors in other subsets of the heavy metal genre.
An ongoing study at the Helsinki School of Economics and funded by the Academy of Finland entitled “BogFires” seeks to understand the ways in which Finnish heavy metal bands have marketed themselves using such techniques [7]. A large component of the study focuses on analyzing “concept building,” and in particular the ways in which Finnish heavy metal bands have drawn upon elements of Finnish culture to distinguish themselves in the heavy metal market, with the result that a “collective ‘Finnish Metal’” genre has emerged [8].
The BogFires project has thus far focused on the band Amorphis as a case study and studies their consistent use of Finnish cultural heritage as inspiration for their artistic concept. The research analyzes how the development of a concept, which is evident in musical tonality, lyrical themes, band artwork as found in CD booklets, and band image in terms of personal appearance onstage and in the media can be helpful in terms of marketing a heavy metal band as a unique identity that distinguishes itself from and surpasses the simple understanding of a musical group. Amorphis’ front man and lead guitarist Esa Holopainen, who has drawn upon the Finnish national epic the Kalevala for inspiration in his band concept, believes that the Kalevala concept has made a difference for Amorphis’ success in US and Japanese markets. The study, though in its preliminary stages, has also concluded that “tentative observations suggest that a considerable share of [Finnish metal bands’ international success] is based on the distinctive musical and visual concepts [Finnish metal bands] have created and communicated" [9].
Their successes have been actively supported by a number of Finnish organizations that promote the spread of Finnish music, and by extension Finnish culture, in a variety of ways. Particularly in the wake of the acclaimed monster-rock group Lordi’s victory at the 2006 Eurovision song contest, Finns have embraced their affinity for and talents in heavy metal. Musex, for its part, organizes and participates in trade conferences around the world in efforts to raise awareness about Finnish music and regularly promotes heavy metal bands. The Finnish Music Information Centre likewise seeks to spread Finnish music abroad and publishes a number of articles for the purpose of doing so both on its website and in print. Each year since 2006, the Finnish Music Information Centre and Musex have collaborated to publish a promotional collection of CDs entitled “Come hear. Finland.” [10]
The most recent edition featured four CDs, with one entire disc being devoted to metal music and another to rock music. There are also a number of governmental and non-governmental organizations that offer grants to artists of all kinds, and metal musicians have received grants alongside classical and folk musicians. The Finnish Performing Music Promotion Centre, ESEK, for example, has “awarded grants to hard rock/heavy metal bands quite often” [11]. Also worthy of note is RockPolis Oulu, an organization in the Central Finland city of Oulu funded by the Council of Oulu Region (EU) and the City of Oulu that seeks to guide aspiring heavy metal bands to commercial success with tips and guidance as to how to conduct themselves in the commercial music marketplace [12][13]. RockPolis Oulu also aims at development of the Oulu music industry as an alternative to the dominant music region in Southern Finland centered on Helsinki. The organization is particularly intriguing for study due to its focus on regional development, its grassroots approach, and its specialization in heavy metal that recognizes the importance of heavy metal in the Finnish music industry and Finnish culture.
With an active support structure in place, Finnish heavy metal bands look to enjoy continuing prosperity going forward. The focus on “Finnishness” in Finnish heavy metal, seems to only strengthen Finnish metal bands’ international prospects. Foreign markets, such as the North American market, have found the stylistic, tonal, lyrical, and visual concepts presented by Finnish heavy metal bands to be appealing alternatives to those put forward by heavy metal bands from America and other countries. The Finnish response to their newfound successes with heavy metal has also been remarkable. Although world-famous heavy metal festivals have filled public parks in downtown Helsinki for years, the success of Lordi at the Eurovision song contest has served as a unifying force in Finland that has helped shape national identity. In the “Promised Land of Heavy Metal,” one of the directors of the documentary asks Finnish President Tarja Halonen whether she minds that along with Finland’s pristine nature, technology, and high level of education, Finland is now also known internationally as the home country of Lordi. [14] Without hesitation she replies, “Do I mind? I love it.” With the president on board and recognizant of the importance of Finnish heavy metal in Finland, Finnish heavy metal has officially made it. Finnish heavy metal has taken Finland and the world heavy metal market by storm and it does not appear to be leaving anytime soon.
References
[1] Musex: Music Export Finland, “Market Value Research 2007,” http://www.musex.fi. (=Market Value 2007) See “Total Market Value and Structure of Finnish Music Exports in 2007” for a detailed breakdown of ways in which bands receive income.
[2] Other countries reported to be increasingly important export regions over the 2006-2007 period include Germany and the UK. The gains were offset by losses in perceived market potential in Japan, Sweden, Russia, and Others. It is noteworthy that the regions listed, with the exception of Others which defies analysis, are markets traditionally favorable to heavy metal. The focus on these regions suggests that heavy metal is significant in Musex’s study of Finnish music export value. Market Value 2007.
[3] Toni-Matti Karjalainen, e-mail message to author, April 28, 2009.
[4] David Throsby, Economics and Culture (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001), 113. Throsby recognizes that measuring the output of an artistic activity can be difficult, but suggests that in the performing arts “output might be measured in different circumstances as the number of performances staged by a theatre company over some time period, the number of seats available or sold for a symphony concert series, or box office revenue for an opera or musical production.” In the absence of information about the box office revenue for specific tours, I have turned to venue capacity to gauge the value of a tour. Venue capacity, unlike total tour revenue, also has the added benefit of providing a sense of the amount of exposure a band receives on a given tour. Venue capacity data was obtained either from venue web sites or confirmed across multiple news outlets. Tour schedules were obtained either from band websites or confirmed across multiple heavy metal news websites.
[5] Gary Sharpe-Young, author of Metal: The Definitive Guide, writes that “…many [Finnish metal bands] are of such high quality that they have made serious inroads into the global market.” In profiles of individual bands in his encyclopedic book, he praises the talents particular to each band. Gary Sharpe-Young, Metal: The Definitive Guide (London: Jawbone Press, 2007), 390.
[6] Matti Riekki, “It’s so Heavy to Be a Finn,” trans. Tero Valkonen, Finnish Music Information Centre, http://www.fimic.fi/.
[7] BogFires Research Project, “Heavy Metal Bands as Entrepreneurs, Cultural Export, Finnish Identity,” http://bogfires.blogspot.com/.
[8] Toni-Matti Karjalainen, “Analyzing Concept Building and Visual Communication within Heavy Metal Music (Forging the Canopy of the Sky),” (paper presented at the 8th NORDCODE Seminar & Workshop Program, Kolding, Denmark, May 27-29, 2009).
[9] Karjalainen, Concept Building.
[10] Finnish Music Information Center, “FIMIC Publications on Finnish Popular Music,” http://www.fimic.fi/.
[11] Leena Hirvonen, e-mail message to the author, May 25, 2009. Unfortunately at the time of writing this I am waiting on a list of band names from Ms. Hirvonen, an employee of Gramex Finland, the parent organization of ESEK. It is currently around the date that all grant applications are due and she is very busy. How often metal bands apply for grants, however, is uncertain and is a subject of further study; Mr. Karjalainen has suggested that “many people in the [heavy metal] field that we have talked with [in the Bogfires study] are quite negative towards governmental support in general [due to the fact that] it ‘distorts’ competition and selection is not necessarily made on the basis of the bands’ musical qualities…” Toni-Matti Karjalainen, e-mail message to the author, May 29, 2009.
[12] RockPolis, “Info in English,” http://www.rockpolis.fi/.
[13] Matthew McCambridge, “Oulu’s Rock Police: One Year Up and Running,” 65 degrees North: News and Views from Oulu Finland, http://www.65degreesnorth.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=119&Itemid=73.
[14] Promised Land of Heavy Metal, “Promised Land of Heavy Metal,” http://www.promisedlandofmetal.com/
Bibliography
1. BogFires Research Project. “Heavy Metal Bands as Entrepeneurs, Cultural Export, Finnish Identity.” http://bogfires.blogspot.com.
2. Karjalainen, Toni-Matti. “Analyzing Concept Building and Visual Communication within Heavy Metal Music (Forging the Canopy of the Sky).” Paper presented at the 8th NORDCODE Seminar & Workshop Program, Kolding, Denmark, May 27-29, 2009.
3. McCambridge, Matthew. “Oulu’s Rock Police: One Year Up and Running.” 65 Degrees North: News and Views from Oulu Finland. http://www.65degreesnorth.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=119&Itemid=73.
4. Musex: Music Export Finland. “Market Value Research 2007.” http://www.musex.fi.
5. Promised Land of Heavy Metal. “Promised Land of Heavy Metal.” http://www.promisedlandofmetal.com.
6. Riekki, Matti. “It’s so Heavy to Be a Finn.” Translated by Tero Valkonen. The Finnish Music Information Centre. http://www.fimic.fi.
7. Sharpe-Young, Garry. Metal: The Definitive Guide. London: Jawbone Press, 2007.
8. Throsby, David. Economics and Culture. Cambridge: University of Cambridge Press, 2001.
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