HOKKA

Formed in Finland around the singer Joel Hokka after his departure from Blind Channel in the spring of 2025, HOKKA also brings together guitarist Pauli Rantasalmi, former member of The Rasmus, and drummer Jimi Aslak. The trio operates in a spectrum between alternative rock and gothic rock, with English-language songs marked by dark melodies, direct choruses and an aesthetic that recalls as much the Finnish rock of the early 2000s as a more contemporary writing style. The project takes shape when Joel Hokka and Pauli Rantasalmi begin to compose together from their respective experiences outside their previous bands. Signed to Nuclear Blast, HOKKA releases its first single In the Darkness in November 2025, followed by Death by Cupid’s Arrow in early 2026, then Heart Said No and Blackbird in the same year. HOKKA releases its debut album Via Miseria IV on 24 April 2026. The live debuts go first through Oulu for the New Year’s concert 2025, before a first club date in Helsinki, at Tavastia, in May 2026. In this tightened format, HOKKA develops a sound where melodic tension, loaded guitars and a nocturnal atmosphere shape the band’s identity.