Linde Lindström

(Redirected from Mikko Lindström)

Mikko Viljami "Linde" Lindström (born 12 August 1976) is a Finnish musician, best known as the guitarist for the gothic rock band HIM. Influenced by the likes of Black Sabbath and Steve Vai, Lindström began playing guitar at age ten, joining the band Aurora in his teenage years, where he met Ville Valo. In 1995, the two reformed Valo's previous band HIM, which would go on to release eight studio albums and become one of the most commercially successful Finnish bands of all time, and the first to receive a gold record in the United States.[2][3] In 2017, the band announced their plans to retire following a farewell tour, and played their final show on New Year's Eve 2017.

Linde Lindström
Lindström performing in 2014
Lindström performing in 2014
Background information
Birth nameMikko Viljami Lindström
Also known asDaniel Lioneye, Linde, Lily Lazer[1]
Born (1976-08-12) 12 August 1976 (age 48)
Klaukkala, Finland
Occupations
  • Musician
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • bass

Aside from HIM, Lindström has released three albums with his own band Daniel Lioneye, which he formed in 2001 with Valo and bassist Mikko "Mige" Paananen. In 2018, Lindström reunited with HIM's former drummer Gas Lipstick to form the band Flat Earth, along with Anthony Pikkarainen and Niclas Etelävuori. Lindström has also collaborated with various other artists during his career, including Jeffrey Walker and the supergroup WhoCares.

Early life

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Mikko Viljami Lindström was born on 12 August 1976 in Klaukkala.[4] His father was an engineer while his mother worked for Finnair.[4] Lindström also has a younger brother who was born in 1980.[4] Lindström first became interested in music as a child from hearing cassettes of Elvis Presley in his father's car.[5] At age 10, Lindström received a Landola acoustic guitar for Christmas, and immediately began taking lessons.[4][5] The first thing he learned was the opening riff of "Heaven's on Fire" by Kiss.[4][5] Some of Lindström's early influences also included Steve Vai, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin.[5]

Lindström met future HIM-bandmate Ville Valo in seventh grade at the Oulunkylä comprehensive school.[6] The two later began playing together in a band called Aurora.[6] At age 15, Lindström also attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston for two months.[7] As a teenager, Lindström was also arrested twice.[8] The first arrest came when Lindström and a group of friends were charged with theft and breaking-and-entering for breaking the windows of a rehabilitation center for war veterans, and sneaking in to swim in the establishment's pool.[8] The second arrest came, when, at age 15, Lindström was caught driving under the influence.[9] Lindström applied to the Sibelius Upper Secondary School of music and dance, but was rejected, and began attending Käpylä night school, from where he eventually graduated.[9][5] Lindström was permitted not to perform Finland's national military service, as he was deemed "insane, incapable for warfare."[10]

Career

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Linde Lindström (right) performing with HIM at Provinssirock 1999

HIM was first formed in 1991 by Ville Valo and bassist Mikko "Mige" Paananen, under the name His Infernal Majesty.[11] The band broke-up in 1993, but was reformed in 1995, by Valo and Lindström.[11] Later rejoined by Mige, as well as keyboardist Antto Melasniemi and drummer Juhana "Pätkä" Rantala, the band, now called HIM, released their debut album Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 in 1997.[12] In 2000, now with drummer Gas Lipstick and keyboardist Juska Salminen, HIM released Razorblade Romance, which reached number 1 in Finland, Austria and Germany.[13][14][15][16] Its first single, "Join Me in Death", also charted at number one in Finland and Germany, eventually going platinum in their home country, and gold in Germany and Austria.[13][14][17][18] Following the addition of Janne "Burton" Puurtinen on keyboards, HIM released Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights and Love Metal in 2001 and 2003, respectively. Both cracked the top ten in several countries, and became the band's first albums to chart in the United Kingdom and the United States.[19][20]

After relocating to the US, HIM released Dark Light in 2005, which became the group's most successful album to date, going gold in Germany, the UK, the US, and platinum in Finland.[17][21][22] In 2007, HIM released Venus Doom, which went gold in Finland and Germany, and gave the band their highest US chart position at number 12.[20][17][21] After 2010's Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice, HIM went on hiatus after drummer Gas Lipstick was diagnosed with a repetitive stress injury and nerve damage in his hands.[23] After eight months of uncertainty, the band regrouped and eventually released the album Tears on Tape in 2013.[23] In 2015, Gas Lipstick announced his departure from HIM after 16 years, to pursue other musical projects.[24] He was subsequently replaced by Jukka "Kosmo" Kröger.[25] On 5 March 2017, HIM announced the end of the band following a farewell tour in 2017.[26][27] The band played their final show on New Year's Eve 2017 as a part of their annual Helldone Festival.[28]

Daniel Lioneye

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In 2001, Lindström, along with Mige and Ville Valo, released the album The King of Rock 'n Roll, under the name Daniel Lioneye, which featured Lindström on guitar and vocals, Valo on drums and Mige on bass.[29][30] Prior to the album's release, the group had only played a handful of shows at various parties around Finland.[30] In 2010, Daniel Lioneye reformed and released the album Vol. II, with Lindström on guitar, bass and vocals, Burton on keyboards, and Black Vomit Bolton on drums.[31] In 2011, the band toured the US for the first time, in support of Cradle of Filth.[32] The band's touring line-up consisted of Lindström, Mige, Burton, Seppo Tarvainen on drums, and Manu Patel on backing vocals.[32]

On 30 December 2014, the original line-up of Daniel Lioneye reunited for a performance at HIM's annual New Year's Eve festival Helldone.[33] On 29 June 2016, it was announced that Daniel Lioneye would release its third album Vol. III on 19 August 2016, with Lindström on guitar and vocals, Mige on bass, Burton on keyboards and Seppo Tarvainen on drums.[29] The band also announced five Finnish tour dates for September 2016.[29] On 30 June 2016, Daniel Lioneye released the official track-listing for Vol. III, as well as its first single "Ravensong".[34] Daniel Lioneye was also scheduled to perform several European shows later in the fall of 2016, but the dates were cancelled, after drummer Seppo Tarvainen suffered a broken arm.[35]

Other work

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Lindström in 2014

In 2004, Lindström played guitar on the track "Loiste" on Ihmepoika's self-titled debut album, and in 2006, he played on Welcome to Carcass Cuntry by Jeff Walker und Die Fluffers.[36] In 2007, Lindström wrote and recorded several songs on Manna's debut album Sister.[37] In 2011, Lindström took part in the WhoCares supergroup, with Ian Gillan, Tony Iommi, Jason Newsted, Jon Lord and Nicko McBrain.[38] The group recorded the double single "Out of My Mind / Holy Water", with the intent to support the rebuilding of a music school in Gyumri, Armenia, which was destroyed in a 1988 earthquake.[38]

In February 2018, it was announced that Lindström had reunited with former HIM drummer Gas Lipstick to form Flat Earth, along with Polanski vocalist Anttoni "Anthony" Pikkarainen and bassist Niclas Etelävuori, formerly of Amorphis.[39] It was also announced that the band were in the process of recording their debut album with producer Hiili Hiilesmaa, which would be partly financed through an online crowdfunding campaign.[39] The group's first single "Blame" was released on 30 April 2018, with the official music video premiering the following May.[40][41] The band's second single "Cyanide" was released on 21 September.[42] The band also opened two shows for Kamelot that same month in Finland.[43] On 26 October, the band released their third single "Given Time".[44] Flat Earth released their debut album None for One on 9 November 2018, through Drakkar Entertainment in Europe and the band's own label Suur Etikett in Finland.[45] The band then embarked on a tour across Finland.[46] In September 2019, the band announced they were working on their second album.[47]

In 2020 and 2021, Lindström played several shows across Finland with Michael Monroe and Sami Yaffa, both formerly of Hanoi Rocks.[48] He also made an appearance in the music video for Sami Yaffa's solo single "The Last Time".[49]

Personal life

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Lindström currently resides in the countryside outside of Helsinki, with his dog and three cats.[5] In the 1990s, Lindström dated Finnish-English singer Sanna-June Hyde, who sang on HIM's cover of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" by Blue Öyster Cult.[50] On 12 March 2003, Lindström's then-girlfriend, Finnish-Algerian singer Mariam "Manna" Jäntti, gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Olivia.[51][52] Lindström and Manna later married, but divorced, and in 2010 Lindström became engaged to Toni-Marie Iommi, the daughter of Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi.[52] In 2013, the couple were reported to have broken-up.[53]

Equipment

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Lindström giving a guitar recording master class in October 2015

Lindström has used Gibson SGs most of his career. He currently uses only one SG live, which is fitted with a Seymour Duncan pickup in the bridge position.[54][55] Lindström has also used Fender Telecasters, an ESP Baritone, and a Gretsch Country Gentleman in the studio,[7][56] as well as a Gibson Flying V and a Gibson EDS-1275, as seen in the music videos for HIM's "Right Here in My Arms" and "In Joy and Sorrow" respectively.[57][58]

Lindström uses two Laney amp heads, as well as one Peavey 5150, which is used for the main lead sound.[56] One of the two Laneys has an Electro-Harmonix Octave Multiplexer, while the other one uses a Black Arts Toneworks Pharaoh Fuzz.[56][59] The signal from the amps is routed with a Voodoo Labs Amp Selector.[59] Lindström uses a Dunlop 105Q Bass Wah as opposed to a regular guitar wah pedal, because he finds the bass wah "more aggressive than the normal one."[54]

Discography

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Daniel Lioneye

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  • The King of Rock 'n Roll (2001)
  • Vol. II (2010)
  • Vol. III (2016)

Flat Earth

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  • None for One (2018)

Other appearances

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References

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  1. ^ Razorblade Romance album sleeve notes.
  2. ^ "HIM myi kultaa USA:ssa". MTV3. 28 September 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  3. ^ "HIM 20 vuotta raskasta romantiikkaa". Helsingin Sanomat. 29 September 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p. 41. WSOY
  5. ^ a b c d e f ""En ymmärrä ihmisiä, jotka eivät kestä hiljaisuutta" – haastattelussa HIM-kitaristi Mikko "Linde" Lindström". Inferno. 1 September 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  6. ^ a b Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p. 16. WSOY
  7. ^ a b "HIM: Songs That Came Out From Linde's Riffs 'Only Can Be Heavy'". Ultimate Guitar. 15 April 2008. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  8. ^ a b Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p. 42. WSOY
  9. ^ a b Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p. 45. WSOY
  10. ^ Metal Hammer Presents HIM: Tears On Tape Fanpack Magazine – pg. 11
  11. ^ a b Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p. 23. WSOY
  12. ^ Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666 album sleeve notes.
  13. ^ a b "Discography HIM". FinnishCharts.com. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
  14. ^ a b "HIM Discography". Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  15. ^ "Chartverfolgung / HIM / Longplay" (in German). Musicline.de. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
  16. ^ "Discographie HIM" (in German). AustrianCharts.at. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
  17. ^ a b c "IFPI – Tilashot – Kulta- ja platinalevyt". IFPI.fi. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
  18. ^ "Gold & Platin" (in German). IFPI Austria. Archived from the original on 8 June 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
  19. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 239. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  20. ^ a b "HIM – Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  21. ^ a b "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (HIM)" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
  22. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Archived from the original on 31 December 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
  23. ^ a b Metal Hammer Presents HIM: Tears On Tape Fanpack Magazine – pg. 10
  24. ^ "Drummer GAS LIPSTICK Quits HIM". Blabbermouth. 27 January 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  25. ^ "HIM's VILLE VALO Talks New Drummer, Upcoming Studio Album". Blabbermouth. 15 August 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  26. ^ "Uutispommi: HIM ilmoittaa lopettavansa uransa – jäljellä on jäähyväiskiertue, ja sitten se on siinä". Soundi. 5 March 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  27. ^ "HIM lopettaa 26 vuoden jälkeen – massiivinen jäähyväiskiertue julki". Ilta-Sanomat. 5 March 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  28. ^ "HIM TO BID FAREWELL AT TAVASTIA CLUB ON NEW YEAR'S EVE". Tiketti. 7 August 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  29. ^ a b c "HIM-kitaristin Daniel Lioneye -projektilta uusi studioalbumi". Soundi. 29 June 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  30. ^ a b Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p. 185. WSOY
  31. ^ "DANIEL LIONEYE Featuring HIM Members: 'Vol. II' To Receive U.S. Release In April". Blabbermouth. 26 February 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  32. ^ a b "DANIEL LIONEYE: North American Touring Lineup Announced". Blabbermouth. 26 October 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  33. ^ "HIM-superprojekti kasasi vaihteeksi rivinsä – Kuvasetti nähtävissä". Soundi. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  34. ^ "Daniel Lioneye (Featuring Members Of HIM) Premieres New Song, 'Ravensong'". Revolver. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  35. ^ "DANIEL LIONEYE (Basement show), Live in Rock City Basement". Rock City. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  36. ^ Welcome to Carcass Cuntry album sleeve notes.
  37. ^ Sister album sleeve notes.
  38. ^ a b "WHOCARES Featuring GILLAN, IOMMI, LORD, MCBRAIN: Single Details Revealed". Blabbermouth. 6 April 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  39. ^ a b "Nyt tärähtää! Otahan haltuun HIM- ja Amorphis-muusikoiden uusi yhtye". Soundi. 12 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  40. ^ "Flat Earthin (HIM, Amorphis) uusi single "Blame" nyt kuunneltavissa". Kaaoszine. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  41. ^ "FLAT EARTH Feat. Former HIM And AMORPHIS Members: 'Blame' Video Released". Blabbermouth.net. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  42. ^ "Flat Earth julkaisi uuden singlen – HIM-, Amorphis- ja Polanski-muusikoiden esikoislevy ulos marraskuussa". Inferno. 21 September 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  43. ^ "Leaves Eyes sekä Flat Earth lämmittelevät lauteet Kamelotille syyskuussa". Kaaoszine. 28 April 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  44. ^ "Videopremiere: Flat Earth releasen ihre neue Single "Given Time"". Sonic Seducer. 26 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  45. ^ "FLAT EARTH Feat. Former HIM And AMORPHIS Members: 'None For One' Album Due In November". Blabbermouth.net. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  46. ^ "HIMin ja Amorphiksen muusikoista koostuva Flat Earth Suomen-kiertueelle marraskuussa". Kaaoszine. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  47. ^ Schildt, Saku (23 September 2019). "Amorphis- ja HIM-johdannainen Flat Earth työstää uutta albumia kovan lisävahvistuksen kera". Soundi (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  48. ^ Schildt, Saku (17 September 2020). "Michael Monroen ja Sami Yaffan trioon muutos: Costello lähtee, mutta apua tulee HIMin riveistä". Soundi (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  49. ^ "Sami Yaffa – The Last Time". Sami Yaffa – Sound Tracker. 11 June 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021 – via YouTube.
  50. ^ Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p. 72. WSOY
  51. ^ "H.I.M. Guitarist Welcomes Addition To Family". Blabbermouth. 12 March 2003. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  52. ^ a b "HIM Guitarist Engaged To TONY IOMMI's Daughter". Blabbermouth. 18 August 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  53. ^ ""Isäni pelasti minut" – Black Sabbathin kitaristin tytär kotiutui Helsinkiin". Helsingin Sanomat. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  54. ^ a b "DunlopTV – HIM Linde & Mige Show Us Their Gear!". YouTube. 9 June 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  55. ^ "Helldone 2014 – Documentary". YouTube. 3 March 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  56. ^ a b c "Dirty Work: HIM Guitarist Mikko Lindström Talks Gear, Influences and More". Guitar World. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  57. ^ "HIM – "Right Here in My Arms" (Music Video)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  58. ^ "HIM – "In Joy and Sorrow" (Music Video)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  59. ^ a b "HIM Mikko Lindström Gear Rundown". YouTube. 25 February 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
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