The Rain

A Finnish hard rock band with a Christian message, the Rain broke through to mainstream success in 2008, nearly topping the charts with their fourth album, Yhtä Kuin Voitto. Founded in 1988 in Ikaalinen, Finland, the band underwent a succession of lineup changes over the years and later reestablished itself in Tampere, a highly populated industrial metropolis in the south of the country. The band eventually settled into a steady lineup comprised of Sami Haveri (vocals, keyboards), Tatu "Tatsi" Haveri (bass, vocals), Jussi Salo (guitar), and Pasi Hakala (drums). This lineup made its recording debut in 1996 with a four-track eponymous CD-EP. A few year later, the Rain made their full-length album debut with Kiitos Ja Anteeksi (1999). In 2001 the band released another eponymous CD-EP, followed by the full-length albums Tie 316 (2002) and Ellipsis (2005). The Rain then had a banner year in 2008 with their fourth album, Yhtä Kuin Voitto, which nearly topped the charts, going all the way to number two in its first week of sales. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi