CHTHONIC Frontman Freddy Lim Appointed as Taiwan’s Ambassador to Finland
Freddy Lim, vocalist of the renowned Taiwanese metal band CHTHONIC, has been appointed as Taiwan's next ambassador to Finland.
CHTHONIC have a long-standing connection with Finland, having signed with Finnish label Spinefarm/Universal and released several internationally distributed albums, including Mirror of Retribution (2009), Takasago Army (2011), and Bu-Tik (2013). The band have performed in Finnish cities such as Helsinki, Tampere, and Turku, toured with Finnish acts like Ensiferum, Turisas, and Korpiklaani, and even collaborated with Finnish violinist Olli Vänskä at Wacken Open Air. Freddy’s ties to Finland run deep.
Finland, often cited as the most heavy metal-loving country in the world, boasts over 80 metal bands per 100,000 people. The idea of appointing a heavy metal vocalist as ambassador to the metal capital of the world is a truly unique and fitting decision.
From 2010 to 2014, Freddy served as Chair of Amnesty International Taiwan, actively participating in global human rights initiatives and frequently interacting with counterparts from Finland, Sweden, and Germany at international conferences. From 2016 to 2024, he served two terms as a member of Taiwan’s legislature, becoming the first heavy metal musician in the world to enter a national parliament. During his tenure, he pushed for legislation that made Taiwan the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage and advocated for stronger protections for indigenous rights. He also supported budgets to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine and championed transitional justice, calling for the declassification of documents from Taiwan’s authoritarian past to ensure truth and justice in society.
Freddy was a key figure in the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, where he played an active role in parliamentary diplomacy. He spoke at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit in Denmark in 2022 and the Oslo Freedom Forum in Norway in 2023, highlighting the universality of human rights and freedom, and garnering international support for Taiwan.
Freddy states: "Beyond my musical ties, my long-standing commitment to human rights, progressive values, and the fight against authoritarianism are ideals that Taiwan and Finland deeply share. These are all areas where our future cooperation and exchange can grow stronger."
CHTHONIC recently released a new single, Endless Aeons, a new live EP MEGAPORTAL2425 and announced that a new album is in the works. When asked whether there will be future musical collaborations with Finland, Freddy responded: "There are no specific plans yet, but I definitely hope to bring more Taiwanese music, film, and cultural works to audiences in Finland and across Europe!"
CHTHONIC have released several albums including Mirror of Retribution (2009), Takasago Army (2011), and Butik (2013) on Spinefarm/Universal Music. In their time they've performed at such fêted events as Ozzfest, Download Festival, Wacken Open Air and have toured Europe and North America multiple times.
However, the band's activity halted in 2016 when lead vocalist Freddy Lim was elected to Taiwanese Parliament.
For almost a decade, Freddy has been occupied with parliamentary work, and other members have been working on their own projects - resulting in only occasional large Taiwan performances for the CHTHONIC. Occasional musical output followed (2018's Battlefields of Asura album and 2023's 'Pattonkan' single, which was selected to GRAMMY's Global Spin) but almost all overseas performances were halted.
Although CHTHONIC have stayed low-profiled in recent years, in 2019 they performed with an orchestra in front of Taiwan's Presidential Palace to an audience of 50,000.
Now, CHTHONIC return. The band are working on new songs, and could possibly return to global stages once more again soon.
CHTHONIC are:
Freddy Lim (lead vocals)
Doris Yeh (bass, backing vocals)
Jesse Liu (guitars, backing vocals)
Dani Wang (drums)
CJ Kao (keyboards, synthesiser)
For more information:
https://www.instagram.com/chthonictw
https://chthonic.tw/en
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3mBFvlqINbTNsRB6htlJEY
https://www.facebook.com/chthonictw
