Marko Hietala

Marko Hietala built his reputation long before joining Nightwish. Founder of Tarot alongside his brother Zachary Hietala in the 1980s, the bassist and vocalist developed an identity based on heavy riffs, progressive formation and a rough voice, capable of alternating authority and vulnerability. He also participated in projects such as Sinergy and Northern Kings, in addition to collaborating with Delain, Ayreon and Avantasia. His entry into Nightwish, in 2001, added instrumental weight and a decisive vocal counterpoint to the band. Hietala participated in albums from Century Child to Human. :II: Nature., taking on central moments in songs like “The Islander”, “While Your Lips Are Still Red” and “Endlessness”. His presence helped the group go through vocalist changes and develop a more dramatic sound, in which his voice functioned as a contrast, support or confrontation to the female interpretations. In 2021, he left Nightwish and temporarily stepped away from public life to take care of his own health and review his relationship with the music industry. He returned to the stage and deepened the solo career he began with Mustan Sydämen Rovio, released in Finnish in 2019. Roses from the Deep, from 2025, expanded this repertoire in English, mixing heavy metal, progressive rock and more personal atmospheres. Hietala remains one of the most recognizable voices in Finnish metal, not because of an acrobatic vocal range, but because of a timbre that seems to carry decades of travel in each phrase.