Sami Kuoppamäki

Sami Kuoppamäki playing for Samuli Putro's band at the 2011 Ilosaarirock festival.

Sami Kuoppamäki (born 1971) is a Finnish drummer who has been a very prolific jazz and popular music session musician after the break-up of his early-1990s band, Kingston Wall. He played on the Von Hertzen Brothers album Approach in 2006 before rejoining the ex-Kingston Wall bassist Jukka Jylli in the band Zook. In 2017 he rejoined Von Hertzen Brothers, and as of 2023, is still recording and touring with them.

Session work

In 1994 Kuoppamäki played session drums as a stand-in for the popular power metal band Stratovarius, for the recording of their third studio album, Dreamspace (his contribution can be heard on five of the album's songs). This was due to regular drummer Tuomo Lassila suffering from an arm injury.

In 2000–2001 Kuoppamäki played drums in the house band of the Finnish TV show Hotelli Sointu.

In 2003 he played session drums for Apocalyptica for the album Reflections, although the major credits for the drum recordings are given to Slayer's Dave Lombardo. After his participation, Apocalyptica hired Mikko Sirén as permanent drum player.

In 2006 he played drums for Von Hertzen Brothers for their second album Approach.

In 2007 and 2011 he played drums in the live band of the Finnish Idols TV show's finals.

Live work Kuoppamäki performed with accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen to rave reviews at the "Meltdown on the South Bank" festival in London in 2005.

Discography Year Album Artist Credit 1991 Silmänkääntötemppu Don Huonot Percussion 1992 I Kingston Wall Percussion, Drums 1993 II Kingston Wall Percussion, Drums 1994 Dreamspace Stratovarius Drums 1994 III Tri-Logy Kingston Wall Percussion, Drums 1994 Verta, Pornoa & Propagandaa Don Huonot Conga 1997 File Under: Finnish Ambient ... RinneRadio ... Percussion 2000 14 Diamonds: Best of Stratovarius Stratovarius Drums 2002 Finnish Jazz 2002 Various Artists Drums 2003 Dreamspace [Bonus Track] Stratovarius Drums 2003 Reflections Apocalyptica Percussion, Drums 2003 Seemann Apocalyptica Percussion 2005 Reflections [Bonus Tracks] Apocalyptica Percussion 2005 Open Eyes Metropol Drums 2006 Amplified: A Decade of ... Apocalyptica Drums 2006 Seasons of Life [Bonus Track] Janita Drums 2006 Approach Von Hertzen Brothers Percussion, Drums 2007 HumppAvanti Avanti Percussion, Drums 2007 Ipanapa, Vol. 1 Various Artists Voices 2009 Pitkä Kirja II Various Artists Drums 2017 War is Over Von Hertzen Brothers Drums 2022 Red Alert in the Blue Forest Von Hertzen Brothers Drums, Percussion, Arrangements 2024 In Murmuration Von Hertzen Brothers Drums, Percussion, Arrangements