In common usage, the Finnish word rautalanka (literally "iron wire", referring to the strings of the electric guitar) means instrumental rock in general.
Typical features of rautalanka are sharp and clear melodies, fast tempos and extensive use of tape echo, but little or no overdrive or fuzz.
What distinguishes rautalanka most clearly from other twangy guitar genres is that melodies tend to be in minor keys and melancholic, based on folk tunes and schlager songs.
The golden age of rautalanka in Finland lasted from early 1961 to late 1963, at which point the interest of youth at large shifted away from the Finnish style to merseybeat, led by The Beatles.
While instrumental rock music was popular all around Europe, the term rautalanka is used only in Finland, Sweden (taggtråd) and Norway (piggtråd).
It has formed the basis for the whole of Finnish youth music, and the strong melodic heavy metal tradition in Finland has its roots in rautalanka guitar work.