Marko Hietala

Finnish bassist and singer Marko Hietala was born in Kuopio in 1966 and first gained attention in the early 1980s with the heavy metal band Tarot, which he founded with his brother and with whom he recorded several studio albums. Under the name Marco Hietala, he joined the symphonic metal group Nightwish in 2001; his bass, backing vocals and occasional lead parts shape the albums from Century Child (2002) to Human. :II: Nature. (2020). At the same time he pursued various activities in the Finnish metal scene, notably with Sinergy, Northern Kings and the seasonal project Raskasta Joulua. Marko Hietala’s solo project took shape in the late 2010s, blending hard rock, melodic metal and progressive touches, driven by an expressive voice and often dark lyrics. He first released the Finnish album Mustan sydämen rovio (2019), then its English version Pyre of the Black Heart (2020). A stable band formed around Marko Hietala, including guitarist and producer Tuomas Wäinölä, keyboardist Bob Engstrand and drummer Anssi Nykänen, a lineup that extends the legacy of classic rock and metal while moving toward a more personal aesthetic with Roses From The Deep, announced for 2025.