Apocalyptica is a Finnish musical group primarily known for performing metal music on cellos. It was founded in 1993 in Helsinki by three students of the Sibelius Academy: Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Antero Manninen. Later, drummer Mikko Sirén joined them.
Apocalyptica gained worldwide popularity thanks to their unique performance style, which combines metal sounds with classical string instruments. The band gained recognition for their arrangements of Metallica’s songs, and their debut album “Plays Metallica by Four Cellos” (1996) brought them significant attention.
Since then, Apocalyptica has released several studio albums exploring various musical styles, including symphonic metal, alternative rock, and industrial. The band often collaborates with other artists, both from the metal scene and from other musical genres, which has diversified their sound and introduced new elements into their music.
Apocalyptica remains active in the music scene, touring worldwide and continuing to release new music. They are considered one of the most innovative and influential musical groups at the intersection of metal and classical music.
