# band
Matias Muotio - vocals & guitar /// Hanna Sjöberg - bass /// Magnus Löfroth - drums /// Harry Sjöberg - guitar
THE EARLY DAYS
The foundations of Metaphor were laid in the winter of 2004. The band, then called "The Four Horsemen", had
four members, Magnus Löfroth (drums), Matias Muotio (guitar), Otto Eklund (guitar/vocals) & Emil Soininen (bass),
and were playing Metallica covers. After some time Otto and Emil decided to leave the band, but Magnus and Matias
didn't want to bury the band quite yet.
four members, Magnus Löfroth (drums), Matias Muotio (guitar), Otto Eklund (guitar/vocals) & Emil Soininen (bass),
and were playing Metallica covers. After some time Otto and Emil decided to leave the band, but Magnus and Matias
didn't want to bury the band quite yet.
BLACK GUARDIANS
Matias and Magnus heard that their childhood friend Harry Sjöberg was playing guitar and asked him to join the band.
The guys decided to change their name to "Black Guardians" and continued playing Metallica covers for some time.
However, it didn't take long until their first own song "Road to Nowhere" was born. In the cold winter nights of 2005
the bass player Markus Nyholm joined Black Guardians and completed the band. In the end of 2005 the studio was
booked and Black Guardians recorded their first demo, titled "Road to Nowhere" at Test Music Studio together with
Christer Rönnholm. Black Guardians kept writing new material and in less than a year, in October 2006, the band
headed to the studio again. This time they recorded the songs "Insanity", "Arapes" (this is actually the Greek word for
'black guardian') and "Cursed Souls".
The guys decided to change their name to "Black Guardians" and continued playing Metallica covers for some time.
However, it didn't take long until their first own song "Road to Nowhere" was born. In the cold winter nights of 2005
the bass player Markus Nyholm joined Black Guardians and completed the band. In the end of 2005 the studio was
booked and Black Guardians recorded their first demo, titled "Road to Nowhere" at Test Music Studio together with
Christer Rönnholm. Black Guardians kept writing new material and in less than a year, in October 2006, the band
headed to the studio again. This time they recorded the songs "Insanity", "Arapes" (this is actually the Greek word for
'black guardian') and "Cursed Souls".
THE BIRTH OF METAPHOR
After some negotiations with Tomas Ståhl the band teamed up with SSG Management Ltd in the beginning of 2007.
Matias' dad had just gotten a Black Guardians tattoo, but the band still decided to change their name once more and
so Black Guardians became Metaphor. Metaphor spent most of the summer of 2007 in Magnus' parents garage playing
music and drinking beer. In the end of the summer Metaphor's song "Wasted Generation" had been spotted on Myspace
and the band was offered to be a part of the compilation CD "Kill City Vol.3". The CD was released in the entire United
States and Metaphor got some well deserved publicity for their hard work.
Matias' dad had just gotten a Black Guardians tattoo, but the band still decided to change their name once more and
so Black Guardians became Metaphor. Metaphor spent most of the summer of 2007 in Magnus' parents garage playing
music and drinking beer. In the end of the summer Metaphor's song "Wasted Generation" had been spotted on Myspace
and the band was offered to be a part of the compilation CD "Kill City Vol.3". The CD was released in the entire United
States and Metaphor got some well deserved publicity for their hard work.
The year 2008, or "the 80's", as the band calls it, was a very good year for Metaphor. In the spirit of the 80's it was a
year filled with partying, playing gigs and writing new material. The band also went back to the studio to record some new
songs. After a kickass year, 2009 was the worst year so far. All the band members were "doing their time" in the military
and got stuck in the Finnish Marine for a year. Despite this minor setback, the band still managed to play a gig or two and
rehearsed whenever possible. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do!
year filled with partying, playing gigs and writing new material. The band also went back to the studio to record some new
songs. After a kickass year, 2009 was the worst year so far. All the band members were "doing their time" in the military
and got stuck in the Finnish Marine for a year. Despite this minor setback, the band still managed to play a gig or two and
rehearsed whenever possible. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do!
2010 -
In 2010 everything was getting back to normal. The band members were free men again, but Markus left Vaasa to study
in southern Finland. The distance started to become a bit of a problem, so eventually Markus decided to leave the band.
Harry's sister Hanna Sjöberg was playing guitar and bass in a number of bands and had been filling in for Markus when he
couldn't make it to a gig, so it felt like an obvious choice to ask Hanna to take over the bass playing in Metaphor - after all
she had been with the band in a way or another since the very beginning.
Due to the setback in 2009 Metaphor was filled with energy and, now enforced with a new bass player, more determined
than ever. 2010 was filled with a lot of touring and interviews for different magazines. Metaphor also played their first
festival gig at Popkalaset in Pietarsaari in pouring rain, but still got a big crowd. The gig was also recorded by YLE and
broadcasted on TV in the autumn of 2010. Being huge Iron Maiden fans it was also a big moment for the band to open for
Maiden's first singer Paul Di'Anno i Vaasa. In December 2010 Metaphor went on the "Die with a Smile" -tour with their
friends in Bob Malmström and Neglected Fear and then took a well deserved break for Christmas.
2011 started off in Kossu Studios with Sami Salonen when Metaphor went back to record the new songs "Disruptive",
"Hate" and "Save me from myself". While Metaphor mainly focused on rehearsing and writing new songs, the band
members had a lot of fun playing gigs with their 'secred' project and party band "Beaver Fever". The goal for 2011 is
however to play a lot of gigs and keep kicking ass the Metaphor way.
To be continued...
in southern Finland. The distance started to become a bit of a problem, so eventually Markus decided to leave the band.
Harry's sister Hanna Sjöberg was playing guitar and bass in a number of bands and had been filling in for Markus when he
couldn't make it to a gig, so it felt like an obvious choice to ask Hanna to take over the bass playing in Metaphor - after all
she had been with the band in a way or another since the very beginning.
Due to the setback in 2009 Metaphor was filled with energy and, now enforced with a new bass player, more determined
than ever. 2010 was filled with a lot of touring and interviews for different magazines. Metaphor also played their first
festival gig at Popkalaset in Pietarsaari in pouring rain, but still got a big crowd. The gig was also recorded by YLE and
broadcasted on TV in the autumn of 2010. Being huge Iron Maiden fans it was also a big moment for the band to open for
Maiden's first singer Paul Di'Anno i Vaasa. In December 2010 Metaphor went on the "Die with a Smile" -tour with their
friends in Bob Malmström and Neglected Fear and then took a well deserved break for Christmas.
2011 started off in Kossu Studios with Sami Salonen when Metaphor went back to record the new songs "Disruptive",
"Hate" and "Save me from myself". While Metaphor mainly focused on rehearsing and writing new songs, the band
members had a lot of fun playing gigs with their 'secred' project and party band "Beaver Fever". The goal for 2011 is
however to play a lot of gigs and keep kicking ass the Metaphor way.
To be continued...