Discovery of the Week: Rain Diary
The sound of the Finnish autumn and winter captured by a single band
Synth-rock band Rain Diary was formed in 2006 by Tommi Suomala, who was still a member of SoulRelic at the time.
Just a year later, Rain Diary released their self-titled debut EP, which became a success and even climbed into the top of the YleX Himotuimmat chart as one of the most played releases of 2008.
Rain Diary continued to search for their sound, as well as a label and a producer, until they teamed up with Jaani Peuhu, the frontman of Iconcrash, who was also working with Before The Dawn and To/Die/For at the time.
Under his guidance, the band's sound shifted closer to darkwave.
Just a year later, Rain Diary released their self-titled debut EP, which became a success and even climbed into the top of the YleX Himotuimmat chart as one of the most played releases of 2008.
Rain Diary continued to search for their sound, as well as a label and a producer, until they teamed up with Jaani Peuhu, the frontman of Iconcrash, who was also working with Before The Dawn and To/Die/For at the time.
Under his guidance, the band's sound shifted closer to darkwave.
Later, Rain Diary released the single “Lost,” which reached number 18 on the official Finnish charts. Germany began showing considerable interest in the band, but their debut album, The Lights Are Violent Here, released in 2013, was still put out by a Finnish label. Although it did not crack the top 10 of the national music chart, Levykauppa Äx, Finland's leading record store chain, recognized it as the number one alternative debut album of 2013.
This release was well-received in both Finland and Germany, which became the primary focus for Rain Diary. The band signed with a local agency and gained airplay on numerous German radio stations. They began performing outside their home country, completing several tours across Germany in 2014 and 2015 while simultaneously writing material for their next album.
Their second full-length record, titled Black Weddings, was released in 2017, with Jaani Peuhu returning as the producer. In an interview with MetalGossip, Tommi Suomala explained that the album feels more cohesive than The Lights Are Violent Here. He noted that while he wouldn't call it a concept album, there is a clear common thread running through it. Suomala pointed out that they chose the plural “Weddings” because each song represents a marriage of light and dark. He added that while marriage is traditionally viewed as something bright and white, black symbolizes the absence of all color.
The band hit the road once again, touring Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and the Czech Republic, occasionally appearing as the opening act for the German band Lord Of The Lost, who Peuhu had also collaborated with.
In 2020, Rain Diary’s lineup underwent its first changes since their formation, as Tommi Suomala left the band. In 2021, Rain Diary returned to working on new material, happily announcing that Otto Piirilä (ex-Typeface, ex-Intiaanikesä, Tapio Lempivaara) had joined as their new vocalist. However, his time with the band proved to be short-lived: after recording just two singles, Otto left due to serious health issues.
Rain Diary managed to overcome this setback as well, finding strength and inspiration in the face of repeated challenges. Joonas Verho became the band's new vocalist, and with him, Rain Diary released the single “Jesus Lizard” in April of that year. The band is currently working on their third album, titled Night Church. The release of the full-length record was scheduled for early 2023.
This release was well-received in both Finland and Germany, which became the primary focus for Rain Diary. The band signed with a local agency and gained airplay on numerous German radio stations. They began performing outside their home country, completing several tours across Germany in 2014 and 2015 while simultaneously writing material for their next album.
Their second full-length record, titled Black Weddings, was released in 2017, with Jaani Peuhu returning as the producer. In an interview with MetalGossip, Tommi Suomala explained that the album feels more cohesive than The Lights Are Violent Here. He noted that while he wouldn't call it a concept album, there is a clear common thread running through it. Suomala pointed out that they chose the plural “Weddings” because each song represents a marriage of light and dark. He added that while marriage is traditionally viewed as something bright and white, black symbolizes the absence of all color.
The band hit the road once again, touring Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and the Czech Republic, occasionally appearing as the opening act for the German band Lord Of The Lost, who Peuhu had also collaborated with.
In 2020, Rain Diary’s lineup underwent its first changes since their formation, as Tommi Suomala left the band. In 2021, Rain Diary returned to working on new material, happily announcing that Otto Piirilä (ex-Typeface, ex-Intiaanikesä, Tapio Lempivaara) had joined as their new vocalist. However, his time with the band proved to be short-lived: after recording just two singles, Otto left due to serious health issues.
Rain Diary managed to overcome this setback as well, finding strength and inspiration in the face of repeated challenges. Joonas Verho became the band's new vocalist, and with him, Rain Diary released the single “Jesus Lizard” in April of that year. The band is currently working on their third album, titled Night Church. The release of the full-length record was scheduled for early 2023.
- Tuuli TalvinenFounder & Editor-in-ChiefInterviewer