EXCALION started by keyboards-player Jarmo "Jappe" Myllyvirta in Konnevesi, Finland in December 2000. In that purpose, drummer Henri Pirkkalainen, bassist Timo Sahlberg and guitarist Tero Vaaja gathered in a tiny rehearsal room. The musical style is Melodic Power Metal that mixes heaviness and symphonic elements with very will.

After this enthusiastic beginning the guitarist joined the army in January 2001, which meant that rehearsals with full line-up became more rare. It was also obvious that the band needed a singer so; Jarmo Pääkkönen was invited to the band since that his former band Slave Of Wisdom was split up. EXCALION played its first gig in May 2001 at Työväentalo in Konnevesi, the performance was far from good. At this time the band noticed that making music with more variety and personality, they would need another guitarist.


Kimmo Hänninen, former Slave Of Wisdom as well, arrived at the rehearsals and took his place as a part of EXCALION in about ten minutes. With him the band got a lot of musical and technical knowledge. In July 2001 Tero´s time in the army came to end, but only a couple of days later it was Jappe"s turn to start carrying land mines around the forests of Middle Finland. The problems of the band with regular rehearsals didn"t ease up.

However, in September 2001 it was time to record their first Demo, entitled "Forlorn". Three songs were recorded and mixed swiftly in two days at Kaktus Studio, it was a good experience for the band as well as they got the chance to see opinion of friends and people involved in the press about their music. Starting January 2002, the band has a precious half-year period when no band members going to the army. That was surely a very active time for EXCALION; more gigs, more new songs, hopefully continuous musical progress. In May 2003 finally the new demo "Obsession To Prosper" got ready. The feedback for this new material was very surprising for them. Although the band needed to improve some details on their music here and there, this Demo showed that band was very promising, and they could easily to be added to the growing list of great new Finnish bands.

In November 2003 EXCALION signed a deal with Sound Riot Records and, we can say they are more a talent band that we found hidden in the Finland. The band will enter at Watercastle Studios (same studio used in Requiem "The Arrival") to record their debut album in Summer 2004. They promise a startling album!

(Source: Sound Riot Records)