Alamaailman Vasarat ("The Hammers of the Underworld") is an unusual phenomenon not only in their home country Finland, but around the globe! In the Alamaailman Vasarat music you can find traces of tango, klezmer, jazz, psychobilly, cabaret, circus music, new age, progressive avant-garde and heaviest of heavy metal.

It is fairly typical to hear the band sail between creepy “Christmas-songs-for-the-poor”-type melancholic Finnish melodies to hot desert mirages of Ancient Persia just to engage an up-tempo Klezmer-wedding when you least expect it!

Whatever the mood or style, the main elements in all Alamaailman Vasarat compositions are a strong visual image and powerful melodic content, preparing the listener for an unforgettable musical journey to places yet explored, strangely distant but at the same time curiously familiar. True world music!

Alamaailman Vasarat was founded in 1997 by Jarno “Stakula” Sarkula and drummer Teemu Hänninen. Stakula had just bought a soprano sax - a reason enough to start a new band! After a few months of experimenting the line-up was already primed for live action, but has never stopped evolving.

Split between six members, the band's weaponry consists of various saxes & clarinets, trombone, tuba, two cellos with multi-effects, pump organ, grand piano, drums & percussion. The most recent addition is truly a rare beauty – special contrabass saxophone called Stakula's Tubax, already a favorite of the audience!

In 2000, the debut album "Vasaraasia" entered the World Music Chart Europe Top-20 at the seventh position. In 2003, the second album "Käärmelautakunta" portrayed a mature band with refined sound and evolved compositions. In 2005 saw the release of a collaboration album "Kinaporin Kalifaatti" with Finnish singer Tuomari Nurmio. It received five stars all over and was awarded with a highly sought-after TEOSTO PRIZE by Finnish Composers' Copyright Society.

The fourth album "Maahan" was released March 2007 in Europe and Japan. Getting back to their beloved instrumental form, the band once again proved its unique ability to blend wide variety of styles into pure and distinctive Alamaailman Vasarat mix, a perfect example of true Vasaraasian sound.

The next album Huuro Kolkko combined wide-scale world music elements with progressive concept. This musical story of a Finnish explorer in the early 1900's is really the band's most memorable and timeless masterpiece. Recorded in Italy during late 2008, the album was released April 2009 in Finland, Central Europe and later in Japan by famous indie label P-Vine. It climbed to World Music Chart Europe Top 10 and was raved in all reviews!

Early May 2010, the biggest Alamaailman Vasarat masterpiece was released – a mammoth live DVD “Haudasta lomilla”. With five hours of live stuff, music videos, short films and animations, this massive release jumped 1st on Finland Music DVD Top 10 right away. The release of this DVD marks the end of an era for the band and also acts as a perfect companion for studio albums.

Just to make it more interesting, in August 2010 the band released an iPhone game called HammerBlast! In this special release, the fans will be able to listen several live tracks from the DVD with a stand-alone music player while shooting away our musical instruments in an action- packed blast'em up game!

The next album, already in the making, is destined to hit the shelves in May 2012 and aimed perfectly for the band's 15-year anniversary. It'll be a special album and surely a special event!

Alamaailman Vasarat have also done film music; most recently for an animated movie Elukka ("The Animal") which was awarded for best music score at French film festival Premiers Plans 2006. The band's music has also been used in numerous theatre, short films and art projects plays during the years around the world.

Starting as early as 2000, Alamaailman Vasarat have constantly performed outside Finland, spreading the word of Finnish instrumental music and leaving many mouths open in the process. Such is the intensity and performance power of this act that many bands refuse to go on stage after the crazy Finns, realizing there is nothing more to offer!

During the years venues have varied from big time world music festivals to huge progressive rock gatherings, never forgetting intense rock clubs and creepy jazz dives. The band has played in Portugal (Festival Músicas do Mundo), Netherlands (Stranger Than Paranoia), Germany (TFF Rudolstadt), Sweden (Urkult Folk Festival), Japan (Pit Inn, Tokyo), USA (NEARfest, Trenton) and in all major festivals of Finland such as Ruisrock, Provinssirock and Ilosaarirock.

The summer of 2008 the band was all over: Mission Folk Music Festival in Canada, massive Sziget in Hungary, Bardentreffen in Germany, Festival Musicas do Mar in Portugal and Ethnomechanica in St. Peterburg. Year 2009 took the band from Midnight Sun Festival in Sodankylä, Finland to legendary Roskilde Festival in Denmark, back to Sines, Portugal and finally to Duo Music Exchange in Tokyo, Japan and Festival Internacional de Puebla, Mexico.

In 2010 the band was in M.A.D.E. Festival, Sweden and legendary big time rock festival Colours of Ostrava, to name a few. In 2011, the band started up with visit to Portugal's Gouveia Art Rock and headed almost straight after to Tokyo for two gigs, sharing the stage with Värttinä. September 2011 will see band on it's first tour in France and blow up the WOMEX expo in October!

For countless occasions, Alamaailman Vasarat have proved that old wood and brass can really beat the shizz out of any modern day instruments. But do not mistake the band to be just a master of Wall of Sound – it is just as important to play Silent. According to loyal fans across the globe, the most breath-taking moments are in fact those creepiest seconds when the band plays so quiet and so petite you can almost hear the dead moaning six feet under. And when the distorted cellos kick in once again…

The saga of Alamaailman Vasarat has spanned almost 15 years, but this Hellish ensemble is just getting warmed up! Be ready to witness some hot brass and burning wood to light up all the stages of the world in the years to come!