Xysma
{{Short description|Finnish rock band}}
{{Infobox musical artist
|name = Xysma
|image =
|image_size =
|caption =
|background = group_or_band
|instrument =
|genre = Early: Grindcore, death 'n' roll
Later: Garage rock, hard rock, stoner rock
|Ocupación =
|years_active = {{hlist|1988–1998|2006|2011–present}}
|label = Spinefarm
|associated_acts =
|website =
|current_members = Janitor Mustasch
Olivier Lawny
Dr. Heavenly
Marvellous Sidney Safe
|past_members = Vesa Iitti
Thee Stranius
}}
Xysma is a Finnish rock & early metal band that was founded in 1988 in Naantali, a small town near Turku. The band split up in 1998, but reunited in 2006 for a memorial gig, and reunited again in 2011.
History
=Formation and early years=
In the beginning Xysma played grindcore and death metal. The band played at the Turku underground center Panimo, and created an intense yet short-lived scene. Soon after, the death metal/grindcore influence spread to the Helsinki area, with bands such as Abhorrence (which soon evolved into the melodic death metal band Amorphis).
Xysma's first demo, Swarming of the Maggots, was widely distributed via tape trading and became a cult classic (it was remastered and released in the 2004 Xysma compilation CD). The band’s music was inspired by the early pioneers of the genre like Carcass and Napalm Death. With the following mini-albums, Above the Mind of Morbidity and Fata Morgana, the latter being released in the United States with the famous Seraphic Decay label, Xysma evolved towards less extreme metal.
=''Yeah'' and ''First & Magical''=
Since Xysma was a part of the rise of Scandinavian death metal, they had close bonds to the scene in Stockholm, Sweden, occasionally travelling to and playing in Stockholm, and visiting their colleagues from Entombed and others. Xysma also recorded their first album, Yeah (1991), in Sweden, in the Sunlight Studios of producer Tomas Skogsberg.
Yeah mixed death metal and Black Sabbath structures in a complex fashion. Their second album, First & Magical (1992), revealed more changes and more musical evolution, featuring something akin to death'n'roll.
=''Deluxe'', ''Lotto'' and ''Girl on the Beach''=
Xysma's third album, Deluxe (1993), continued to evolve their death'n'roll sound, with the instrumentals becoming more rock-like. The songs were hard-paced, in the vein of Helmet. This was the last album on which Janitor used growled vocals. The next album, Lotto (1996), was a full-blooded rock album with a very retro style; one of the tracks was featured later in Brian De Palma's movie Snake Eyes (1998). The band also released an EP called Singles, containing covers of classics sung in a schlager style.
Xysma's fifth and final album, Girl on the Beach, was more or less a pop rock album, and tension between the members grew. Eventually the band decided to quit, and though they played occasional gigs since, there had been no talk of reunion.
=Reunions and ''No Place Like Alone''=
Guitarist Toni Stranius (9-6-1972 – 7-7-2006), member of both Xysma and Disgrace, died in 2006 after a heart attack, in Ireland, where he lived. A memorial gig in his honour was held on 15 September 2006 in Bar Päiväkoti, Turku. All of Stranius' bands (including Disgrace, Xysma and Finnish rock band Kalsaripaita) played at the occasion, reuniting Xysma just for this special event.[http://meteli.net/tapahtuma/76628 Toni Stranius in Memoriam]
Xysma has been playing live concerts again since 2011.{{cite web |title=Xysma Concert Setlists & Tour Dates |url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlists/xysma-2bd304be.html |website=setlist.fm |access-date=26 August 2018}}
On 3 February 2023, the band released a new single "Sigh for Sore Mind". Their sixth album, No Place Like Alone, was released on 24 March. It is the band's first album in 25 years.{{cite web|url=https://www.freemanpromotions.com/xysma-release-new-single-sigh-for-sore-mind/|title=Xysma Release New Single "Sigh for Sore Mind"|publisher=Freeman Promotions|access-date=March 24, 2023|date=February 3, 2023}}
Line-up
= Current members =
- Marvellous Sidney Safe – drums (1988–1998, 2006, 2011–present)
- Janitor Mustasch – vocals (1988–1998, 2006, 2011–present), guitar (1988–1989)
- Olivier Lawny – guitar (1989–1998, 2006, 2011–present)
- Dr. Heavenly – bass (1992–1998, 2006, 2011–present)
- Janne Lastumäki – keyboards (2019–present)
= Former members =
- Thee Stranius – guitar (1988–1998)
- Vesa Iitti – bass (1989–1992)
Timeline
{{#tag:timeline|
ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:18
PlotArea = left:100 bottom:80 top:0 right:10
Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy
Period = from:01/01/1988 till:{{#time:m/d/Y}}
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Colors =
id:vocals value:red legend:Lead_Vocals
id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar
id:bass value:blue legend:Bass
id:drums value:orange legend:Drums
id:keys value:purple legend:Keyboards
id:studio value:black legend:Studio_Album
id:demo value:gray(0.6) legend:Demo
id:bars value:gray(0.95)
BackgroundColors = bars:bars
Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4
ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1988
ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1989
LineData =
layer:back
color:studio
at:06/01/1991
at:06/01/1993
at:06/01/1994
at:06/01/1996
at:06/01/1998
at:03/24/2023
LineData =
layer:back
color:demo
at:04/16/1989
BarData =
bar:Janitor text:"Janitor Mustasch"
bar:Olivier text:"Olivier Lawny"
bar:Thee text:"Thee Stranius"
bar:Vesa text:"Vesa Iitti"
bar:Heavenly text:"Dr. Heavenly"
bar:Sidney text:"Marvellous Sidney Safe"
bar:Janne text:"Janne Lastumäki"
PlotData=
width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:Janitor from:01/01/1988 till:07/01/1989 color:guitar
bar:Janitor from:01/01/1988 till:07/01/1989 color:vocals width:3
bar:Janitor from:07/01/1989 till:10/01/1998 color:vocals
bar:Janitor from:09/15/2006 till:09/15/2006 color:vocals
bar:Janitor from:01/01/2011 till:end color:vocals
bar:Olivier from:07/01/1989 till:10/01/1998 color:guitar
bar:Olivier from:09/15/2006 till:09/15/2006 color:guitar
bar:Olivier from:01/01/2011 till:end color:guitar
bar:Thee from:01/01/1988 till:10/01/1998 color:guitar
bar:Vesa from:01/01/1989 till:06/01/1992 color:bass
bar:Heavenly from:06/01/1992 till:10/01/1998 color:bass
bar:Heavenly from:09/15/2006 till:09/15/2006 color:bass
bar:Heavenly from:01/01/2011 till:end color:bass
bar:Sidney from:01/01/1988 till:10/01/1998 color:drums
bar:Sidney from:09/15/2006 till:09/15/2006 color:drums
bar:Sidney from:01/01/2011 till:end color:drums
bar:Janne from:12/29/2019 till:end color:keys
}}
Discography
;Studio albums
- Yeah (1991)
- First & Magical (1992)
- Deluxe (1993)
- Lotto (1996)
- Girl on the Beach (1998)
- No Place Like Alone (2023)
;EPs
- Above the Mind of Morbidity (1990)
- Fata Morgana (1990)
- Singles (1997)