Custom Boards Finland

18/10/2025

A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who attended the book release party last Tuesday at , and especially to my fellow speakers – and

I felt the atmosphere was open and kind. Dozens of familiar, smiling faces I would have loved to talk with longer – but hopefully, there will still be a chance to continue the discussions at another time and in another place.

Given the difficult themes of the book, I honestly didn’t even want to hold a launch event, but Jenni encouraged me – and indeed, meeting people and interacting with them remains a truly wonderful experience. The event took place a day before the release, which in hindsight was an excellent choice, as under the shadow of the next day’s clickbait headlines, the spirit of the evening would undoubtedly have been very different.

A special thank-you to for his closing words and for the reassurance that I wasn’t alone with my thoughts on HIM’s enormous influence on 1990s Helsinki.

The debate continues, come to tell your thoughts at the following events:

22.10 Levykauppa Äx, Freda, klo 17.00 — with Pekka Laine

23.10 Kirjamessut, Esplanadi-lava, klo 18.30 — with Lari Mäkelä

5.11 Suomalainen Kirjakauppa, Aleksanterinkatu, klo 17.00 — with Jarkko Jokelainen, Timo Kalevi Forss and Timo Isoaho

Photos by Miika Storm. Check the links in bio

17/10/2025

“Oh, THE Pekka Laine!” exclaimed the woman author sitting next to me at the presentation training session for the Helsinki Book Fair, when she asked about the narrator of my audiobook.

Yes — I’m just as impressed myself by Pekka’s journalistic touch, his voice, and his extensive knowledge of music.

Pekka and I have met a few times and exchanged messages, but we’ve never before been granted the right moment to sit down for a proper conversation. Now, that opportunity has finally arrived.

Next Wednesday, October 22nd, Pekka and I will discuss my new book at the Freda branch of Levykauppa Äx. The debate kicks off at 17.00. Space is limited, so come early to linger among the record shelves. The book, I believe, will also be available there.

13/10/2025

Viimeinen kiertue – Electronic Press Kit Pt. 2/2

Book is released on 15th of October.

Come to say hi at the following events:

14.10 Bar Loose, Annankatu, klo 17.00 — book release party with Tellervo Kraft and Jussi Ahlroth

22.10 Levykauppa Äx, Freda, klo 17.00 — with Pekka Laine

23.10 Kirjamessut, Esplanadi-lava, klo 18.30 — with Lari Mäkelä

5.11 Suomalainen Kirjakauppa, Aleksanterinkatu, klo 17.00 — with Jarkko Jokelainen, Timo Kalevi Forss and Timo Isoaho

Check the links in bio

12/10/2025

Viimeinen kiertue – Electronic Press Kit Pt. 1/2

Book is released on 15th of October.

Come to say hi at the following events:

14.10 Bar Loose, Annankatu, klo 17.00 — book release party with Tellervo Kraft and Jussi Ahlroth

22.10 Levykauppa Äx, Freda, klo 17.00 — with Pekka Laine

23.10 Kirjamessut, Esplanadi-lava, klo 18.30 — with Lari Mäkelä

5.11 Suomalainen Kirjakauppa, Aleksanterinkatu, klo 17.00 — with Jarkko Jokelainen, Timo Kalevi Forss and Timo Isoaho

Check the links in bio.

06/10/2025

This is the last day to order Levykauppa Äx’s bundle for ”Viimeinen Kiertue”. You’ll get a book, a special T-shirt, and a tote bag in the same package, delivered straight to you. The book will be out in ten days, and when it comes to the author, there’s surely excitement in the air. Link to the bundle in bio.

03/10/2025

Working on the inventory for the studio pedalboard(s) setup of Mr. Kiko Loureiro, who’s currently on tour. This project might take some time, but the end result will be nothing short of epic! 🙂

30/09/2025

I got this picture of Amorphis’ Esa Holopainen at the end of January, when he was recording his guitar parts for the upcoming Amorphis album in Denmark.

I had built the pedalboard the previous year for the Music of Kingston Wall -shows, and Esa wanted to have the same sounds in the studio as well.

Now that album, ”Borderland”, is out, and it is a thrilling experience to listen to the record. And yes – the guitars on this album are full of little details and juicy tones. The same goes for the entire record.

Could ”Borderland” be the band’s best, or at least their most mature album? Hard to say yet, but the hits just keep coming one after another at a pace that feels like a direct strike tailor-made for metal-oriented radio stations.

The cover art is stunning and perfectly reflects the sound world within. The listener is treated to a professionally composed, played and produced whole – an album rich with layers to chew on for a long time to come. All I can say is: well done, guys – once again! 🙏

27/09/2025

This photo was taken on October 23, 2017, in Phoenix, Arizona, on the first day of HIM’s farewell tour.

It’s a true “calm before the storm” moment, just before our gear arrived and all hell broke loose.
The first day of an international tour is always a real struggle—trying to pull all the gear together while being jet-lagged, of course.

Pictured here is my colleague Kari Reini, who worked as the tour’s drum tech. Facing away from the camera is our monitor tech Viltsu Haapala. Kari’s laugh is genuine, but he hasn’t seen his rental drum kit at this point yet 😅

The events of this day are described in detail in my forthcoming book Viimeinen Kiertue, out on October 15, 2025. Join us for the launch party the evening before at in Helsinki and celebrate the release together! Link in bio.

@ hypertourist

25/09/2025

This picture was taken on August 2nd, 2011. At that time, I had been touring nonstop for six years, gone through a divorce, and burned myself out with work.

That summer, I got the chance to work at a Custom Shop guitar store, which became a real turning point in my life. My daughter was only three years old then, and after seeing how much fun we had together in the shop—and how much I enjoyed helping musicians with their sound and gear—I decided to buy the store and become an entrepreneur. That adventure lasted, in various forms, for the next twelve years.

I truly believed my days as a touring guitar tech were behind me, but little did I know. Still, this move marked the beginning of something new and steady, and this picture will always remind me of that feeling.

The book ”Viimeinen Kiertue” will be released on October 15th. Join us for the launch party the evening before at in Helsinki and celebrate the release together!

07/09/2025

I am very thrilled to announce that we will be hosting a masterclass with Linde on Thursday, October 30, 2025, at Tonefest Guitar Gallery.

Linde Lindström, who built a long international career with HIM, is one of Finland’s most renowned guitarists, whose sound and playing style continue to be admired worldwide. In October, HIM’s guitar technician Kimmo Aroluoma will release his book “The Last Tour”. It offers a glimpse into the band’s life on the road and takes a deep dive into Linde’s playing techniques and gear.

The Gallery Sessions evening with Linde and Kimmo is an exclusive event that no fan of HIM’s music should miss. Tickets are limited, so secure yours quickly!

Evening schedule:

6:00 PM – Doors open. Coffee, refreshments, and light snacks available.

6:30–8:30 PM – Gallery Sessions

-How was the HIM guitar sound born, and how did it evolve over the years? We’ll show how anyone can recreate it.
-We’ll dive into HIM’s most iconic riffs, as Linde demonstrates his playing style and chord voicings along the neck.
-We’ll also discuss the challenges of touring, preparing for shows, and how different artists deal with stage fright.

8:30 PM – Q&A and Meet & Greet

9:00 PM – Evening concludes

Info:

-The session will be held in Finnish.
-Your webshop order confirmation serves as your ticket.
-The venue is fully accessible.
-More information: Petri Matero / +358 44 3737376

31/08/2025

This shot was taken on June 28th, 2009 in Moscow, backstage at Olimpiysky, after a three-week tour in Russia. The line-up featured Scorpions, Alice Cooper, The Rasmus and Kingdom Come. Alice was clearly the most legendary star of the tour, and he was kind enough to invite our whole entourage backstage and offer us the chance to take a photo with him. I took mine, but this pic features Aksu Rönkkö, who at the time worked as The Rasmus’ monitor engineer. The following year, I worked with him on a HIM tour before he began his longtime collaboration with Nightwish.

The tour itself started off hectically. Alice Cooper’s production manager ran the show, and it took us a few gigs to earn his trust and prove we were a quick in-and-out crew with minimal hassle. Scorpions were hugely popular in Russia, and we got along nicely with both the musicians and their crew. Kingdom Come’s singer Lenny Wolf, on the other hand, was by all means the epitome of the ego-driven lead singer stereotype. He played with his band overtime, forcing us to do our changeovers in the minimum possible time.

Looking back now, only good memories remain as this trip was a unique chance to see Russia from Vladivostok to Moscow, something that sadly is no longer possible for reasons we all know too well.

As the book Viimeinen kiertue focuses on HIM, this tour is only mentioned in a few sentences, even though there was more than enough happening on that trip for at least a novel. Maybe I’ll share more photos from the journey later, so stay tuned!

Pre-order for the book can be found in bio.

05/07/2025