Stam1na is a Finnish Metalplaying musical group native of Lemi, South Karelia. Their music is perhaps best described as progressive metal with some thrash, death and alternative influences, and is sung in Finnish. Background The band originally started as a three-piece in 1996, but it was only after several demo recordings that they got signed late in 2004 by Sakara Records, a label founded and headed by the fellow South Karelian band Mokoma. The founding trio Antti Hyyrynen on vocals and guitar, Pekka Olkkonen on lead guitar and Teppo Velin on drums are all still members of the band, and the lineup was completed in November 2005 by bassist Kai-Pekka Kangasmäki who had been performing with the band as a session musician the whole year. The band chose to use a '1' in their name to represent the 'I' in the word 'Stamina' to make them more distinct, primarily making the band easier to find in search engines.