Ironcross

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Ironcross was formed in 1976 in Turku, Finland. Founding members were Esa "Gona" Leinonen (drums and vocals), Kimmo Vanne (guitars), Pekka "Body" Nummela (guitars) and Tero Ovaska (bass). The band began with cover songs but soon they started to compose a material of their own which was mainly written by Gona. At some point Tero Ovaska left the group and Pekka "Body" Nummela started playing bass. The new second guitarist for Ironcross was Jari "Mizz" Lundqvist. Tero Ovaska later resurfaced with bands The Fabrics and Pepe Le Moko. Ironcross made a couple of demos and they were signed by a little record company called Master/Turun kasettituotanto.
The first Ironcross single "Let's Get Down to Business/Harder Than Stone" was released in the early autumn of 1982 and the band started making their first lp "Bloodhounds". Mizz left the band before the single was released although he appears on the inner sleeve of Bloodhounds. He played and sang later in a band called Venus Loon which made one single, "Parallel Lines/Losing You" in 1985. He also produced The 69 Eyes' first singles.
Before the recording of "Bloodhounds" took place Ironcross added ex-Noitawaimo skinsman Esko "Eddy" Mänty-Sorvari into the line-up because the new songs needed solid twinbass drumming. After "Bloodhounds" was recorded the band also recruited the keyboard player Kari "Case" Laihonen into fold.
In the early 1983 Ironcross parted ways with Kimmo Vanne and he was replaced by Peter Bredbacka. Vanne sadly passed away later. The new line up went to record a song called "Dealer" into the compilation album "Uusi Musa". Bredbacka wasn't a long time member in Ironcross and soon Ari "Steeler" Suomi took his duties. Like Eddy, Steeler had previously played in Noitawaimo, which made one single, "Keep Pushin'/What A Feeling" in 1980.
Ironcross had a new record deal with Finnlevy/Warner which was one of the biggest record companies in Finland. Single "Get Down'N'Get Away/Not Good For Your Health" was released in the spring 1984 and album "Steel Warrior" followed in summer. Ironcross did some gigs but nothing happened. The album didn't sell enough and as a result the band was shown the door in Finnlevy. In the spring 1985 Ironcross split up with the drummer Eddy. He has later played and recorded with bands called Skädäm and The Sharonees. In 2006 Eddy and his band Cold Sweat released a tribute album for Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy. Mänty-Sorvari also appears in Hanoi Rocks' Another Hostile Takeover album handling drums in Lynott cover Dear Miss Lonely Hearts.
In the mid 80's big hair and make up bands started to happen in Los Angeles and Ironcross realised that as well. They had a new drummer Jari Mäkeläinen and also started to create "an image" (read "to look like Ratt or Mötley Crue but Finnish..."). Before that they had been an usual NWOBHM-inspired "leather jackets and jeans"-band. Ironcross rehearsed even harder than before, went to gym (Athletic rock, didn't RAVEN play that?, ed.) and made a full length demo lp and a 3 track promotional video. Gona also lost 30 kilograms of his weight (about 60 pounds)! They re-named their music "tough rock" and the band had new artistic names: Tyrone "Gona" Tougher, Jon Steeler, Case Roberts, Buddy McSchulz and the new kid Jari Mäkeläinen turned into Jimmy Hammer. The aim was to conquer the world!
The EMI Finland signed the band and in July 1986 they went to record a new album "Too Hot To Rock". Ironcross released a single "Too Hot To Rock/Paradise Of Stars" in September and they even appeared in Finnish commercial television (MTV) performing the title track.
In February 1987 Ironcross appeared again in television. This time in Finnish National TV (YLE), with the track "Fight For The Strangers". The announcement party of "Too Hot To Rock" in Cafe Metropol, Helsinki was pompous; Rolls Royce, top models... Each member of Ironcross even had big crosses of iron done of precious metals and jewels. But again... Despite the strong publicitity and some touring, "Too Hot To Rock" didn't sell enough to confess the EMI people 'cause it was very expensive album to make. The band also got frustrated because of bad reviews and discouraging atmosphere.
In March-April 1987 Ironcross started to plan a promotional trip to the US . In the fall 1987 they went to the States for six weeks and made some performances like in Roxy, LA and Cat Club, NY. They also appeared in Manhattan Cable TV.
After they returned to Finland they made some gigs in Turku and demoed their more US-oriented new material. In the end of 1988 they made a 6 track promo cassette to show up for US record companies. There was also a smallprint single release "Immoral Love/Eye For An Eye" which was published by their own Brilliant label. The announcement gig was in Turku March 1989 with Tarot. The single and cassette were without a doubt best Ironcross products ever.
After that entered the silence. In Summer '89 Case left the band and moved to Florida, USA. Ironcross made their last gig in Turku December 1989 as a fourpiece. In 1990 their manager Anne St. James started marketing Ironcross with a new name, Dillinger. The band still struggled and there were plans for the 4th album but all of a sudden Gona turned into a jehovah's witness. He left the band and the music business for good. Jimmy would have wanted to continue the band with Steeler handling the vocals but Steeler and Buddy didn't want to continue and that was the very end of Ironcross. The final recording from Ironcross/Dillinger was a 1990 3 track demo with songs "Rock'N'Roll People", "My Credit Teacher" and "Shoot, Shoot Me".
Jari "Jimbo" Mäkeläinen was the sole survivor continuing playing hard rock in a band called Minx. They released a self financed mini-lp in 1990. After Minx he formed a band called Wardance with the ex-Lifeline members Jussi Vanto, Pekka Rautiainen and Kari Riihimäki. They recorded a song "Run To You" for a Turku rock compilation cd "Purematta Paras" in 1993 and made some gigs in Turku. In 1994 Wardance disbanded and vocalist Pekka Rautiainen started a solo career as Julius.
After Wardance Jimbo played in various jazz-orientated projects. From 2002 to 2006 he was a member of the Helsinki based 80's heavy metal band Battagia which is now defunct. More recently Mäkeläinen contributed drum tracks to the british WildKard's debut album Megalomania. He also continues as a loyal sticksman for the Jaakko Niitemaa's melodic hard project House Of Mirrors which has released so far two albums for Escape Music.