Kimmo Perämäki – Guitar & Vocals
Ossi Raiski – Bass
Mika Maunus – Keyboards
Marko Ylä-Häkkinen – Drums

Masquerage is a Finnish melodic metal band founded in 1998, blending elements of AOR, heavy metal, and power metal into its distinctive sound. The band was formed by cousins Kimmo Perämäki (Spiritus Mortis, Celesty) and Marko Ylä-Häkkinen.

In its early days, the band operated under the name Unchained, and in 1999 the lineup was completed by keyboardist Mika Maunus. At their very first rehearsals as a trio, Marko introduced Mika to Kimmo with the words: “Here’s Mika, our new keyboard player. Can’t really play anything, but he learns fast.” Well, the credentials were clearly sufficient, and Mika was in. This core trio—Perämäki, Ylä-Häkkinen, and Maunus—laid the foundation for Masquerage’s early sound and released the band’s first two demos.

In 2000, the band changed its name to Masquerage, reflecting the roles and masks people wear in different situations—and what may lie beneath them. This theme has remained a strong element in the band’s lyrics ever since. That same year, bassist Mikael Kontolampi joined, and the band began moving more deliberately toward a professional direction.

The early 2000s were marked by active live performances and several demo releases.

In 2004, the lineup expanded with a second guitarist, Jukka Viitasaari, and with this formation Masquerage released its debut album Work-Holic-Fool (2005) in collaboration with Soultonics. Its follow-up, Moonlight Time (2008), was released independently.

In 2009, Viitasaari stepped aside, and the four-piece lineup released their third album Backstabber in cooperation with 57Records.

In 2014, longtime bassist Kontolampi departed, and Kimmo and Marko began collaborating with the U.S.-based Stormspell Records—a partnership that would shape Masquerage’s future releases.

Bassist Ossi Raiski joined the band in 2015, after which Masquerage reactivated and released the albums Breaking the Masks (2016) and Hangman’s Revelations (2018) through Stormspell Records.

The COVID-19 pandemic briefly slowed the band’s activity, but in 2024 Masquerage returned to working on new material. The new album entered production in 2025, resulting in the band’s sixth studio album, Atomic Spies, set for release on May 29, 2026, in collaboration with Stormspell Records and Inverse Records.

Masquerage continues its determined journey toward a firmly established position in the melodic heavy rock and metal scene—combining strong melodies, infectious hooks, and thematically rich lyrics.

Work-Holic-Fool (2005)
Moonlight Time (2008)
Backstabber (2010)
Breaking the Masks (2016)
Hangman's Revelations (2018)
Atomic Spies (2026)

Power Metal
Finland