Esa Holopainen

Esa Holopainen (born 1 October 1972) is a Finnish musician, currently the main songwriter, occasional lyricist, founding member and lead guitarist of the Finnish metal band Amorphis.[1] He is one out the two longest standing members of the band (the other being Tomi Koivusaari) and one of the four original members in the band (the others being Jan Rechberger, Tomi Koivusaari and Olli-Pekka Laine).

Esa Holopainen
Esa Holopainen live at Jurassic Rock 2008
Background information
Born	1 October 1972
Genres	Thrash metal, death metal, death/doom, melodic death metal, progressive metal, folk metal
Instruments	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1987–present
Labels	Nuclear Blast (with Amorphis)
Associated acts	Amorphis, Chaosbreed, Violent Solution, Gorefest, Exit-13, Phobia, Goreaphobia, Epica

He was also formerly the guitarist of the bands Violent Solution (1990) and Chaosbreed (2003–2004).[2]

Holopainen did the guitar solo on "Dambuster" from Hellroad Caravan by Mannhai.

His influences include Ritchie Blackmore, David Gilmour, John McLaughlin and Petri Walli of Kingston Wall.[3] Holopainen uses ESP guitars and Koch amplifiers.[3]

Discography

With Violent Solution

• Period of Depression (demo, 1990)
• Paralysis / Individual Nightmare (EP, 1990)[4]

With Amorphis

• Disment of Soul (demo, 1991)
• Amorphis (single, 1992)
• The Karelian Isthmus (album, 1992)
• Privilege of Evil (EP, 1993)
• Tales from the Thousand Lakes (album, 1994)
• Black Winter Day / Fear (split with Gorefest, 1995)
• Black Winter Day (EP, 1995)
• Elegy (album, 1996)
• My Kantele (EP, 1997)
• Divinity / Northern Lights (single, 1999)
• Tuonela (album, 1999)
• Alone (single, 2001)
• Am Universum (album, 2001)
• Mourning Soil (single, 2003)
• Far from the Sun (EP, 2003)
• Day of Your Beliefs (single, 2003)
• Far from the Sun (album, 2003)
• Evil Inside (single, 2003)
• Relapse Singles Series Vol. 4 (split with Goreaphobia, Phobia, and Exit-13, 2004)
• House of Sleep (single, 2006)
• Eclipse (album, 2006)
• The Smoke (single, 2006)
• Silent Waters (single, 2007)
• Silent Waters (album, 2007)
• Silver Bride (single, 2009)
• Skyforger (album, 2009)
• From the Heaven of My Heart (single, 2009)
• Martyr of the Free Word / From the Heaven of My Heart (split with Epica, 2009)
• Forging the Land of Thousand Lakes (DVD, 2010)
• Magic & Mayhem - Tales from the Early Years (compilation, 2010)
• You I Need (single, 2011)
• The Beginning of Times (album, 2011)
• Circle (album, 2013)
• Under the Red Cloud (album, 2015)
• Queen of Time (album, 2018)

With Chaosbreed

• Unleashed Carnage (EP, 2003)
• Brutal (album, 2004)[5]

References

1. Hill, Gary. "Biography-Amorphis". Allmusic. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
2. Henderson, Alex. "Biography-Chaosbreed". Allmusic. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
3. "Esa Holopanien". Amorphis. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
4. "Esa Holopainen". Past Bands. Encyclopedia Metallum. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
5. "Esa Holopainen". Active Bands. Encyclopedia Metallum. Retrieved 20 July 2012.