Pasi Koskinen, also known as the vocalist of one of the greatest finnish bands, Amorphis, had this "need" in his mind, that it would be nice to do some heavier and darker music than Amorphis. He managed to get other guys also to play in his project, so Ajattara born.
They recorded a demotape called "Helvetissä on syntisen taivas" ("Sinner's heaven is in hell") in 1998. Somehow this demo reached the ears of Spikefarm, and Ajattara were signed to Spikefarm in 2000. Maybe the job as vocalist in Amorphis made getting that contract a little easier...
Then Ajattara travelled to Savonlinna to record their debut album. Album included 10 songs, and it was named "Itse".
Source: http://personal.inet.fi/musiikki/000/ajattara/history.htm
