With the release of an EP and two full-length albums between ’79-80, guitarist Kimmo Kuusniemi, known for the crude amateur pyrotechnics of the flamethrower guitar he wielded on stage, had established his band Sarcofagus as one of the few heavy metal acts in Finland - certainly the most innovative and intriguing.

At the time, Kuusniemi had a job doing PR and sales for the record label that released the first two Sarcofagus records. By 1981, Kuusniemi was working on a new LP, but the label was skeptical of the band’s prospects. Leery of the name Sarcofagus, the label insisted on using Kimmo Kuusniemi Band. It was just one of several necessary concessions Kuusniemi would make in order to bring the Moottorilinnut album into existence.

Despite the name change, the inclusion of keyboardist Esa Kotilainen and bassist Juha Kiminki, both of whom appeared on the two previous Sarcofagus albums, maintained continuity for the band. For the vocals, Kuusniemi sought out singers Kirka Babitzkin and his sister Muska. A third unknown but highly talented vocalist named Jukka Ritari sang 3 songs. When writing the lyrics, Kuusniemi departed from the Ancient Egyptian themes that permeated his earlier work, focusing instead on more contemporary and existential subject matter. While working on the album, Kuusniemi became inspired to make videos for the tracks—not just live performance-style videos, like those he made for the previous album, but more conceptually tied to the songs.

Kuusniemi acknowledges that Moottorilinnut was a bit “too much” for people back then, with its unpopular heavy metal sound, three different vocalists, Finnish lyrics, unsuitable cover art, and music videos for each of the tracks. But the passage of time has benefitted Moottorilinnut, garnering legions of new fans with a series of Sarcofagus reissues and a complete reevaluation of Kuusniemi’s legacy. Indeed, for many fans of Kuusniemi’s work, Moottorilinnut is his magnum opus.