The Rasmus

The Rasmus is a Finnish rock band from Helsinki. The band made its debut in 1994, when its members were 16 years old. At that time, it was composed of Lauri Ylönen (vocals), Pauli Rantasalmi (guitar), Eero Heinonen (bass), and Janne Heiskanen (drums), who left the band in 1998. He was replaced by Aki Hakala (drums). In 1996, they released their first album Peep, followed by Playboy the following year. The music of The Rasmus was then more funk-oriented. In 1998, the album Hell of a Tester appeared, and funk gave way to melodic rock. Their best-of Hell of a Collection was released the following year.

Even before establishing themselves in Finland, the band was called Antalla. Before the release of their fourth album in 2001 (Into), the band was called Rasmus, but they changed it to avoid confusion with a Swedish DJ. In 2003, they found success with their album Dead Letters and their hit song In the Shadows, which brought them worldwide recognition, notably in France with On n'est pas couché.

The Rasmus is one of the most successful Finnish bands, with over 1.5 million albums sold worldwide, certified eight times gold and five times platinum. They have 12 albums, the latest released in 2025. The band's most famous songs are In the Shadows, F-F-F-Falling, Shot, First Day Of My Life, Guilty, and Livin' In a World Without You.