Viikate

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Viikate" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Viikate
Viikate at Kuopio Rockcock music festival 2008
Background information
Origin	Kouvola, Finland
Genres	heavy metal folk rock rautalanka
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Ranka Recordings
Members	Kaarle Viikate Simeoni Viikate Arvo Viikate Ervo Viikate
Website	viikate.com

Viikate ("Scythe" in English) is a Finnish rock band from Kouvola, formed in 1996. The band is known for its melancholic lyrics,^[1] drawing inspiration from Finnish romance movies of the 1950s and Finnish singers of the era, including Reino Helismaa. Their style has been variously described as "Helismaa-metal," "wire metal," and "death schlagers." The band began with Kaarle and Simeoni Viikate who remained the only members of the band until 2001, when Arvo and Ervo joined. The band's most well-known hits are Pohjoista viljaa (Northern Crops), Ei enkeleitä (No Angels) and Viina, Terva & Hauta (Booze, Tar & The Grave).

Kaarle and Simeoni got the idea of starting the band when watching Lyijykomppania's last concert.