Discovery of the Week: Santa Cruz
Finnish 21st-century glam metal: explosive guitar solos, wild 80s energy, and a rebellious drive that conquered the global rock scen
Santa Cruz is a Finnish hard rock band formed in Helsinki in 2007 by vocalist and guitarist Arttu “Archie” Kuosmanen and guitarist Joonas “Johnny” Parkkonen.
The lineup was later completed with the addition of bassist Mitja “Middi” Toivonen and drummer Tapani “Tazzi” Fagerström. After self-releasing two EPs, Santa Cruz signed with the major label Spinefarm Records in 2012, releasing their debut full-length album, Screaming for Adrenaline, a year later, which was followed by their first European tours.
In 2015, Santa Cruz released their self-titled second studio album.
The lineup was later completed with the addition of bassist Mitja “Middi” Toivonen and drummer Tapani “Tazzi” Fagerström. After self-releasing two EPs, Santa Cruz signed with the major label Spinefarm Records in 2012, releasing their debut full-length album, Screaming for Adrenaline, a year later, which was followed by their first European tours.
In 2015, Santa Cruz released their self-titled second studio album.
It peaked at number three on the official Finnish albums chart and allowed the band to expand their horizons by launching performances in the US and Japan. Their third full-length release, Bad Blood Rising, came out in 2017 but only reached number five on the national chart. By the following spring, Johnny, Middi, and Tazzi announced their departure from the band, even though Santa Cruz was in the middle of a US tour.
Commenting on the decision, Johnny stated that he could no longer remain in a situation where he constantly had to fear that someone would cause irreparable harm to themselves or others. Archie, on the other hand, claimed that he had been kicked out of the band's tour bus and that canceling the tour was not his choice. In March 2018, Santa Cruz made an announcement explaining that they were sorting through the situation, noting that all bands have issues, they were currently working through one of them, and everything would be fine. After canceling a series of shows, Archie stated that the breakup was the result of years of heavy rifts, comparing the split to an exploding pressure cooker. Among the former members, Tapani Fagerström has since joined Lost Society, while Mitja Toivonen was part of Bodom After Midnight. Joonas Parkkonen transitioned into production and now works with bands such as Blind Channel, Apocalyptica, Lost Society, Reckless Love, and Amaranthe, among others. Arttu Kuosmanen also served as the bassist for the Finnish cover supergroup Local Band alongside Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom), Olli Herman Kosunen (Reckless Love), and Jussi Vuori (The 69 Eyes).
Archie is currently the only remaining member from the original lineup, and the list of former Santa Cruz members continues to grow to this day. Backed by a revolving door of new musicians, the band released two more albums: Katharsis in 2019 and The Return of the Kings in 2022.
Over the course of their career, Santa Cruz earned a total of three Emma Award nominations and was even featured on Rolling Stone's 2017 list of ten new artists you need to know. Their tracks have been featured on the American sports network ESPN, and in 2016, Santa Cruz appeared on the AXS TV show “Breaking Band.”
Commenting on the decision, Johnny stated that he could no longer remain in a situation where he constantly had to fear that someone would cause irreparable harm to themselves or others. Archie, on the other hand, claimed that he had been kicked out of the band's tour bus and that canceling the tour was not his choice. In March 2018, Santa Cruz made an announcement explaining that they were sorting through the situation, noting that all bands have issues, they were currently working through one of them, and everything would be fine. After canceling a series of shows, Archie stated that the breakup was the result of years of heavy rifts, comparing the split to an exploding pressure cooker. Among the former members, Tapani Fagerström has since joined Lost Society, while Mitja Toivonen was part of Bodom After Midnight. Joonas Parkkonen transitioned into production and now works with bands such as Blind Channel, Apocalyptica, Lost Society, Reckless Love, and Amaranthe, among others. Arttu Kuosmanen also served as the bassist for the Finnish cover supergroup Local Band alongside Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom), Olli Herman Kosunen (Reckless Love), and Jussi Vuori (The 69 Eyes).
Archie is currently the only remaining member from the original lineup, and the list of former Santa Cruz members continues to grow to this day. Backed by a revolving door of new musicians, the band released two more albums: Katharsis in 2019 and The Return of the Kings in 2022.
Over the course of their career, Santa Cruz earned a total of three Emma Award nominations and was even featured on Rolling Stone's 2017 list of ten new artists you need to know. Their tracks have been featured on the American sports network ESPN, and in 2016, Santa Cruz appeared on the AXS TV show “Breaking Band.”
- Tuuli TalvinenFounder & Editor-in-ChiefInterviewer