Oz

Finland's first foray into the international heavy metal arena -- at least the first one hailed by critics and fans alike -- Oz's 1983 LP, Fire in the Brain, captured lightning in a bottle for a band whose career was otherwise mired in personnel issues and stylistic inconsistencies. Although the group was originally founded in 1977, in the small Finnish burg of Nakkila, around vocalist the Oz (real name Eero Hämälainen), its slow rise from obscurity would go largely undocumented until 1982, when the band's debut album, entitled HM Heroes, was released by Swedish independent Tyfon Grammofon.

By then, Oz's lineup was completed by guitarist Kari Elo, bassist Tauno Vajavaara, and drummer Mark Ruffneck (aka Pekka Mark), but only the latter would remain with Oz a year later, when they delivered their aforementioned masterstroke, Fire in the Brain, featuring Pekka, lead singer Ape De Martini (real name Tapani Anselm), guitarists Speedy Foxx and Spooky Wolff (Jurki Taipele), and bassist Jay C. Blade (aka Jukka Homi, ex-Sarcofagus)