Eppu Normaali

Finnish rock band from Ylöjärvi, founded in 1976. Founded by brothers Martti and Mikko "Pantse" Syrjä with their cousin Aku Syrjä and friends Juha Torvinen and Mikko Saarela, the band made their first public appearance in 1977 at a rock band contest in Tampere, Finland. The contest was not a success for the band, but soon their first demo tape was discovered by Epe Helenius, and the band signed a recording deal, resulting their debut album in 1978. Back then the band played punk rock, but by their third album , the band's musical style shifted towards new wave and then further into AOR. The band was very successful and prolific throughout the 1980s, releasing nine studio albums in nine consecutive years during 1978–1986. After that, the band released albums less frequently, and following their 1993 studio album Studio Etana, which had prolonged and arduous recording sessions and poor sales, the band radically decreased their live appearances and ceased the output of new material for over a decade. After an on-and-off hiatus of 11 years, the band made a strong comeback with their 13th studio album in 2004. Their most recent album of new material was released in 2007, and the band continues to tour regularly to this day. Eppu Normaali is the best-selling music artist in Finland, with certified sales of nearly two million records. Their 1996 compilation album is the second-best selling album of all time in Finland, with sales of over 250,000 copies. Line-up Martti Syrjä - vocals (1976–present) Pantse Syrjä - guitar, vocals (1976–present) Juha Torvinen - guitar (1976–present) Aku Syrjä - drums (1976–present) Sami Ruusukallio - bass (1989–present) Former members Mikko Saarela - bass, vocals (1976–1979; died in 2019) Mikko Nevalainen - bass (1979–1989)