Jani Allan Kristian Liimatainen (born 9 September 1980) is a Finnish guitarist. He came to prominence as the guitarist for the

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within a symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in co ...

band

Sonata Arctica Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, Finland. Created as a hard rock band named Tricky Beans, they later changed to Tricky Means and finally to Sonata Arctica, when they shifted to power metal. The current lineup c ...

between 1996 and 2007, and has since played in and founded bands such as Cain's Offering and The Dark Element. Liimatainen's playing style is well known for his meticulous and fast soloing and riffs.

Early life

Liimatainen started playing the guitar when he was around 12 years old. Later, he founded the band Tricky Beans together with young people from Kemi. The band adopted the name Sonata Arctica in 1999.

Career

Sonata Arctica

Liimatainen was a founding member of Sonata Arctica and appeared on the band's studio albums ''

Ecliptica ''Ecliptica'' is the first full-length album by the power metal band Sonata Arctica. It was released in 1999 through Spinefarm Records in Europe and through Century Media Records, Century Media in the United States. It is the band's only album ...

'', ''

Silence Silence is the absence of ambient hearing, audible sound, the emission of sounds of such low sound intensity, intensity that they do not draw attention to themselves, or the state of having ceased to produce sounds; this latter sense can be exten ...

'', '' Winterheart's Guild'', '' Reckoning Night'' and '' Unia '' and on the band's four EPs and two live albums between 1999 and 2007. Sonata Arctica's fourth studio album ''Reckoning Night'' contains the song "My Selene" composed and written by Liimatainen. Liimatainen was fired from Sonata Arctica due to conscription ambiguities in May 2007. Along with Sonata Arctica, Liimatainen was a member of the Altaria band between 2001 and 2004. He can be heard on the band's ''Invitation'' and ''Divinity'' albums, of which ''Divinity'' has the songs "Unchain the Rain" and "Falling Again" composed and written by him. Liimatainen also played keyboards on both albums.

Cain's Offering and Timo Kotipelto

Nowadays, Liimatainen plays guitar in the band he founded Cain's Offering, whose first album '' Gather the Faithful'' was released in autumn 2009. The second album '' Stormcrow'' was released in May 2015. Liimatainen is the band's producer and main songwriter. Liimatainen also gigs with

Stratovarius Stratovarius is a Finnish power metal band. Formed in 1984, they have released sixteen studio albums, six DVDs and six live albums. The band's line-up has changed many times, with no founding member left since the departure of drummer Tuomo ...

and Cain's Offering singer Timo Kotipello as the Kotipelto & Liimatainen duo. The duo released the acoustic cover album '' Blackoustic'' in October 2012. The album also contains one new song by Liimatainen, "Where My Rainbow Ends".

Other projects

Liimatainen has a band called Sydänpuu with drummer Risto Koskinen from Kemi, where he sings and plays guitar, bass and keyboards. The band was founded in 2004 and has released two singles and demos so far. The single "Malja" was released in 2013. Liimatainen also works as Antti Railio's gig guitarist and played some of the guitars on Railio's ''Vieras maa'' album. Starting in 2015, Liimatainen worked occasionally as guitarist-singer Ville Friman's accompanist on Insomnium's tours. He later became an official member of the band Insomnium from July 2019 until February 2024. In 2016, Liimatainen started collaborating with former

Nightwish Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee. The band was formed in 1996 by lead songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former lead singer Tarja Turunen. The band soon picked up drummer Jukka Neval ...

singer

Anette Olzon Anette Ingegerd Olsson (born 21 June 1971), known by the stage name Anette Olzon, is a Swedish singer, best known as the former lead vocalist of Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish from 2007 to 2012. She is also the vocalist of Swedish class ...

, and the first album of the resulting The Dark Element project was released in November 2017. Liimatainen was also in a band called Dream Asylum. Liimatainen's solo album ''My Father's Son'' was released on 6 May 2022.

Songs for other bands

Liimatainen has composed the song "River Runs Dry" for the band

Sturm und Drang (, ; usually translated as "storm and stress") was a proto-Romanticism, Romantic movement in German literature and Music of Germany, music that occurred between the late 1760s and early 1780s. Within the movement, individual subjectivity an ...

. Liimatainen wrote lyrics for most of the songs on

Arion Arion (; ) was a kitharode in ancient Greece, a Dionysiac poet credited with inventing the dithyramb. The islanders of Lesbos claimed him as their native son, but Arion found a patron in Periander, tyrant of Corinth. Although notable for his mu ...

's debut album '' Last of Us''. The

album ''

Nemesis In ancient Greek religion and myth, Nemesis (; ) also called Rhamnousia (or Rhamnusia; ), was the goddess who personified retribution for the sin of hubris: arrogance before the gods. Etymology The name ''Nemesis'' is derived from the Greek ...

'' has two songs that Liimatainen contributed to the composition and lyrics of: "If the Story Is Over" and "Out of the Fog".

Guest appearances

In October 2007, Liimatainen played guitar in the backing band of Paul Di'Anno on the singer's Finnish tour. He has also made a guest appearance on Celesty's ''Reign of Elements'' album on the song "Revenge" and on Human Temple's ''Insomnia'' album in the song "Animal".

Other

In 2013–2014, Liimatainen studied songwriting at the Lappia conservatory. Liimatainen writes a blog called ''Jani Hates You All''. The name of the blog is a tribute to Hank Moody from the series ''

Californication Californication may refer to: *Californication (word), an expression that refers to the influx of Californians into various western states in the U.S. *Californication (album), ''Californication'' (album), a 1999 album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers ...

''.

References

External links

Cain's Offering Official Facebook Page

Jani Hates You All blog

Official Facebook page of the Kotipelto & Liimatainen duo

Sonata Arctica website

Altaria site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liimatainen, Jani 1980 births Living people Finnish heavy metal guitarists Altaria (band) members Insomnium members Sonata Arctica members People from Kemi