OFF: APOCALYPTICA

[Karen Kusic]

Just came across mention of this group while surfing.  The sound clips
aren't bad.

Anyone have this or would recommend it?

Really like "Symphonic Led Zeppelin" as well
http://www.polygram-us.com/kashmir/
produced by Jaz Coleman and Youth of Killing Joke

Don't want to turn Hawkwind or BOC into "muzak" just yet ;-) but some of
these interpretations seem kind of interesting . . .

APOCALYPTICA
Albums: Plays Metallica By Four Cellos (Zen Garden/Mercury 1996).
INQUISITION SYMPHONY PGD/POLYGRAM Released Sep 22 1998.

A highly unusual development even by the esoteric standards of Finland's
popular music industry, Apocalyptica comprise four classically-trained
cellists from the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki who interpret heavy metal
classics.  Their debut album consisted entirely of Metallica songs - and
was not, apparently, intended as a joke. Instead, the quartet attempted
to recreate the urgency and bombast of such Metallica standards as
'Enter Sandman' and 'Master Of Puppets' by re-arranging them for cello.
The group, founded by Eicca Toppinen, Max Lilja, Antero Manninen and
Paavo Lotjonen, were drawn together because of what Toppinen describes
as 'our love of metal.  We wanted to see how metal would work
classically, and I especially wanted to try Metallica songs, as they've
been a favourite of mine for more than 10
years.' The group was founded in 1993, playing a number of acoustic
shows before graduating to an amplified show at a Helsinki hard rock
club in the early months of 1996. The idea to record their set was the
result of an approach by audience member Kari Hunninen, now the group's
manager, who took them to his Mercury Records' subsidiary label, Zen
Garden. After the album's release, Apocalyptica achieved another of
their dreams when they became support band to Metallica's two shows in
Helsinki in November 1996.