Viikate (meaning "Scythe" in English) is a heavy metal rock band, formed in 1996 in Kouvola, Finland. It is known for its melancholy lyrics, drawing inspiration from Finnish romance movies of the 1950s and Finnish singers of the era, including Reino Helismaa. Their style has been variously described as "Helismaa-metal", "wire-metal" and "death schlager". The band began with Kaarle Viikate and Simeoni Viikate who remained the only members of the band until 2005, when Arvo and Ervo, the band's long-time live members, joined the band officially.