The band
Embreach is, left-to-right: Jari, Sami, Jaakko, Edu and Jake (not pictured)
Jari Aarniala, guitars
Equipment
Ibanez J-custom RG8420ZD
PRS Singlecut Satin trem
Engl Invader 100 into Framus Dragon 4×12″
Eventide Timefactor
Musical influences
Pain of Salvation, Queen, Opeth, Insomnium, Muse, Katatonia, SikTh
Musical goals
A whole album’s worth of Embreach.
Life outside Embreach
The missus & the dog. Travelling. Work at Reaktor.
Playlist, July 2009
Mew – No More Stories EP
The Mars Volta – Frances the Mute

Sami Honkonen, vocals
Equipment
Sennheiser SKM 500-935 G3
Sennheiser EM 100 G3
Audix OM-5
Musical influences
Opeth, Mokoma, Killswitch Engage, Stam1na
Musical goals
My goal is to finish the 1-year singer education at Complete Vocal Institute. I’m hoping to learn more about the technique involved with extreme vocal effects and how to produce them safely. I would also like to do some more teaching, because it’s the best way to learn.
Life outside Embreach
I’m an actor in an improvisation theater group called Vinkkeli. I’m also fanatic about sports, gym and jogging in particular. I work as a software engineer at Reaktor Innovations.
Playlist, August 2008
Opeth – Watershed
Mokoma – Kuoleman Laulukunnaat
Jaakko Mäkilä, bass
Equipment
Spector Legend 4 Custom
Gallien-Krueger 700RB-II
Gallien-Krueger 410 RBX
Gallien-Krueger Diesel Dawg
Musical influences
Pink Floyd, Faith No More, Killswitch Engage
Musical goals
To improve my notes per second average
Life outside Embreach
Family and friends
Playlist, November 2009
Katatonia – Night Is The New Day
Insomnium – Across The Dark
Paradise Lost – Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us

Toni Enqvist, guitars
Equipment
Jackson RR
Krank Revolution into matching 4×12″ cabinet.
Musical influences
In Flames, Katatonia, Killswitch Engage, Foo Fighters, Lamb of God, Mokoma
Musical goals
To continously develop myself as an artist, and preserve creativity as I go along writing music.
Life outside Embreach
I don’t understand the question?-)
Playlist, August 2008
Mokoma – Luihin ja Ytimiin
Amorphis – Silent Waters
Jarno Vanhanen, drums
Equipment
Yamaha drums & pedals
Sabian cymbals
Musical influences
Beethoven, Arch Enemy, and many others.
Musical goals
To be the best!
Life outside Embreach
Playing the piano, composing classical music and hanging out – without alcohol, naturally!
Biography
The roots of Embreach lie within its predecessor Blindfold, which was founded in 1999 by Jari Halonen (guitar), Sami Honkonen (vocals) and Toni Enqvist (guitar). Blindfold released two demos, “Through these eyes” in 2000 and “Vanity of Vanities” in 2001.
With a new lineup of Juho Karenko (bass), Sami Honkonen (vocals) and Toni Enqvist (guitar), Jarno Vanhanen (drums) Jari Aarniala (guitar) the band was reincarnated with a new name, Embreach and released their first demo “End of the Line” in 2004, which was recorded and mixed by Toni Näykki, guitarist from such bands as Soulgrind, Twilight Ophera and lately Million Dollar Beggars.
The next huge plunge was the promo “Her Grace”, recorded at D-Studio in 2006. It was well received and got good reviews in metal magazines and web sites and proved that the band really had potential. The style of Embreach had formed to be melodic death metal with a progressive touch. “Her Grace” has three songs but still runs over 21 minutes.
Juho Karenko took a job as a peace keeper in Kosovo and he was replaced by Jaakko Mäkilä. Also very shortly after the release Vanhanen had to leave the band because of his duties with his other band, Tacere. Embreach started looking for a new drummer, but replacing Vanhanen turned out to be quite a challenge.
In the beginning of 2008 Embreach had several great songs ready, but no drummer to play them. The auditions were ceased and Vanhanen was asked to play the songs in the studio. Embreach reinforced with Vanhanen recorded four of the best new songs in the turn of June and July at Sound Supreme Studios in Hämeenlinna with Janne Saksa, a sound engineer well-known for his work with, for example, Mokoma, Turisas and Amoral.
On 11th of August 2008 the EP bearing the name “Deafening Silence” was released. In the aftermath of the release, Embreach won Radio Rock’s “15 minutes of fame”-competition with the track “Shadow’s Song”. The song was selected from over 300 competitors with a public voting and jury decision.
The prize was to play as the opening act on the Unholy Alliance tour with Slayer (USA), Mastodon (USA), Amon Amarth (SWE) and Trivium (USA) in Helsinki and Tampere Ice Halls in November 2008. Embreach received a lot of media attention and the biggest Finnish newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat, interviewed them.
In January 2009 Noise.fi, one of the biggest music web sites in Finland, reviewed “Deafening Silence” with a full score of 5 out of 5 and elected Embreach as the band of the month.
Vanhanen had been playing with Embreach since he left, simply not as an official member. Drummer auditions produced a few great drummers, but none of them equalled Vanhanen. Lately Vanhanen had had enough time to devote to the band and thus he re-joined Embreach.
In February 2009 Embreach warmed up for Five Finger Death Punch (USA) in Nosturi, Helsinki. Since then Embreach has been playing gigs all around Finland. Embreach is also writing new material and looking for a record company to work with in releasing their debut album.
