Finnish Rane Rautiainen & Paha Kaksonen Unleash Raw Finnish Heavy Rock with New EP

Forget trends. Forget polish. This is pure, unfiltered rock from the heart of Finland. Jyväskylä's own Rane Rautiainen & Paha Kaksonen return with a five-track EP that drips sweat, grit, and attitude: Ilman pimeyttä valo ei ole mitään (Without Darkness, Light Is Nothing).

From the opening riff of Spiritus Fortis to the closing blaze of Pieni kuolema (A Small Death), the band delivers heavy, groove-driven rock where nothing is tamed by metronomes, autotune, or sterile editing. It's the sound of five lifelong rock devotees going full throttle—fiery solos, pounding rhythms, and choruses that demand to be shouted back.

Fronting the chaos is Rane Rautiainen, former vocalist of Finnish heavy metal pioneers Rajuilma, whose uncompromising voice still roars like a storm. Backed by guitarists Otto J and Hässi, bassist Pectus, and drummer T. Müller, the band proves that raw energy and conviction never age.

"Trends come and go — who cares? This is what rock should be," says guitarist Otto J. "We've always been stubborn rock freaks. No ballads, no mellowing out. Ever."

First four tracks feature melodies and lyrics by Antti "DeeAa" Heikkinen (Mosfite), a longtime collaborator whose touch adds a melodic edge without sacrificing heaviness.

The vocal melodies and largely the lyrics of the first four tracks on the EP were penned by Antti "DeeAa" Heikkinen from Kuopio. Nowadays, DeeAa serves as the singer-guitarist of the metal band Mosfite. The collaboration has a long history: guitarist Hässi and DeeAa played together in the Jyväskylä-based band Brutaali Magneetti in the late 1990s. Today, the two run also hard rock band HÄ/DA, which released its debut EP, (Almost) 20 Minutes Of Love, in early 2025.

The closing track Pieni kuolema is composed and written by Otto J.

Paha Kaksonen was founded as a four-piece in 2004. By 2016, the band had released four albums, with Hässi and Otto J sharing lead vocals.

Rane Rautiainen is known as the vocalist of Jyväskylä's Rajuilma, a band that stirred controversy in the 1980s with lyrics about sex and Satan. Rajuilma was a pioneer of Finnish-language heavy rock, and its story ended in 2008 after guitarist Aki Vilkamaa's suicide.

Rane's collaboration with Paha Kaksonen began in autumn 2016. Under the name Rane Rautiainen & Paha Kaksonen, they've released two albums and several EPs so far.

The partnership also produced the book Rautaratsun selässä - Rajuilman nousu, uho ja tuho (On the Iron Steed (The Rise, Fury, and Fall of the Storm), published by Docendo in September 2017. The well-received band history was written by guitarist and journalist Juho "Hässi" Hämäläinen.

At gigs, the band performs its own material as well as Rajuilma classics.