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The best thing to happen to nu-metal since Linkin Park or a mutant hybird of Nickleback or Busted. Finnish doom rockers the Rasmus has split opinion. Their band of lyrically bleak but tuneful metal doesn’t make them cred but as current single ITS prove it does make them very successful indeed. With a new LP Dead letters just out, PS spoke to lead singer Lauri and asked Why the long face? The Rasmus frontman Lauri is actually aware of the cred issue and how his band aren’t hip flavour of the month. I was surprised the single took off in England because the country’s obsessed with credibility. Bands are either radical or uncool and we fall somewhere in between says the 24 year old star.” our songs are melody driven like say Linkin park, I don’t even think we’re a metal band we’re closer to a band like weezer” Lyrically Finnish band the Rasmus new LP is obsessed with suicide, loners, insomnia, futility and all the big stuff. Front man Lauri says melancholia is embedded deep into the Finnish psyche. “Finnish people are quite introverted and reserved. There’s always something wrong and an air of desperation.” “Although my songs are bleak I try to give hope I try to make people think about themselves to take control of their lives and give themselves hope. Finnish rockers the Rasmus currently riding high with ITS formed 10 years ago after meeting at school I was a loner as a teenager explains The Rasmus Frontman Lauri. Then I went to high school and met the other guys and suddenly there were like minded people into the same music as me. Sharing a love of mostly crue, quo and guns n roses they would go on to play more than 1,000 gigs supporting the likes of the chillies and garbage. With success of new single ITS and a blitz of the us planned. The Rasmus are now officially Finland’s biggest rock export surpassing Hanoi rocks, him and yes, even panoptica. Who knows if we will crack the us says Rasmus front man Lauri. I think the secret is to stay resolutely Finnish and not become transatlantic rockers like Hanoi rocks who are hilarious. We feel the pressure for the next LP but we’re banning drugs which may help. The Rasmus current hit ITS is autobiographical for lead singer Lauri. “I was going though a bad time in my life and looking for answers I was suicidal I was trying to avoid the draft into my National Service. Now my philosophy is life for tomorrow. “Many fans have come up to me and said my songs have helped them through bad times and that’s great. I just want to give hope to people through my music.