Mikko Viljami Lindström ( born 12 August 1976 ) , more commonly known as " Linde " , is a Finnish musician and songwriter , best known as the guitarist for the Finnish gothic rock band HIM . Influenced by the likes of Black Sabbath and Steve Vai , Lindström began playing guitar at age ten , joining the band Aurora in his teenage years , where he met Ville Valo . In 1995 , the two reformed Valo 's previous band HIM , which would go on to release eight studio albums and become one the most commercially successful Finnish bands of all time , and the first to receive a gold record in the United States . In 2017 , the band announced their plans to retire following a farewell tour , and played their final show on New Year 's Eve 2017
farewell tour
Bang and Whimper 2017 – The Farewell Tour
Linde Lindström