Finnish Metal

Winterwolf – Lycanthropic Metal of Death Review

By Holdeneye on June 11, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, Finnish Metal, Reviews, Svart Records, Death Metal, 17 comments

“Today we take a trip back to 1993 when, while I was in 2nd grade listening exclusively to oldies music and getting my video games taken away for uttering vile profanities like “butt” and “fart,” old school death metal was death ‘n’ rolling along in Scandinavia. It’s a year that saw important releases from Dismember and Entombed, as well as one of OSDM’s more unique offerings, Demilich’s Nesphite. The latter retains a legendary cvlt status among death metal fans as it was the band’s only full-length release and it featured a bizarre unique musical style and unbelievably low belching vocals.” The monster is now a wolf in winter.

Kaleidobolt – Bitter Review

By GardensTale on May 29, 2019 in 2019, Finnish Metal, Heavy Metal, Proto-Metal, Reviews, Svart Records, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, 18 comments

“One of the things I love about metal is its endless potential for combining and re-purposing different sounds, styles and textures. Sure, one of the results is banal strings of genre designations, but who cares when you have such an enormous spectrum of influences you can pick from? Choose any mood, any feeling, any level of energy or intensity, there’s a band that delivers. Hell, there’s probably a dozen or more, no matter how outlandish your desires. Finland’s Kaleidobolt grabs bits and pieces of different proto- and heavy metal formations, both genres that have literally been around for almost half a century, and pieces them together in a way that it sets itself apart anyway.” New from olde.

Chevalier – Destiny Calls Review

By Eldritch Elitist on May 7, 2019 in 2019, Finnish Metal, Gates of Hell Records, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Speed Metal, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, 38 comments

“Speed metal is something of an oddity in the vast expanse of metal subgenres. Where most styles have endured through the decades, speed metal was more of a stepping stone to the birth of thrash than anything else, its caffeinated take on heavy metal giving way to something crunchier and more easily classifiable. Perhaps this was for the best, as I can’t think of a single instance where speed metal ever matched the best that either trad or thrash metal has to offer. This hasn’t stopped what I’ve decided to dub the Sneaky Scandinavian Speed Metal Revival, however.” No one expects the SSSMR!

De Lirium’s Order – Singularity Review

By Saunders on May 5, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, Finnish Metal, Inverse Records, Progressive Death, Reviews, Technical Death Metal, Progressive Death, Technical Death Metal, 22 comments

“I fucking love tech-death. When the style is done well it’s an exhilarating ride, spiking the adrenaline and creating an intoxicating blend of technical wizardry, memorability and brutality. Yet sadly, more often than not the style is inundated with bands content to cram their technical skills down your throat, tossing any semblance of songwriting skills out the window in a flood of over-the-top, soulless wankery. After toiling in the underground for many years, Finland’s De Lirium’s Order return to unleash their fourth LP, and first since 2012, in the shape of Singularity. So with equal parts optimism and trepidation I dive into the swirling sci-fi abyss of the De Lirium’s Order experience, hoping to get that giddy rush of the elite class of tech-death heroes.” Wanky cranky.

Hedonihil – I Review

By Ferrous Beuller on April 30, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Death Metal, Finnish Metal, Inverse Records, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 38 comments

“Expectations are precarious things. The older we get, the more we assume they will go unmet. This almost religiously applies to super groups. When I came across Finland’s Hedonihil, a death metal project comprised of members of Swallow the Sun, I expected great things. But when I delved into the press materials (always foolish) and saw them described as anti-poetry, I expected substantially less great things.” Angry pretense.

Oceanwake – Lights Flashing in Mute Scenery

By El Cuervo on April 29, 2019 in 2019, Doom Metal, Finnish Metal, Lifeforce Records, Post-metal, Reviews, Doom Metal, Post-Metal, 17 comments

“I wrote four years ago that “doom” metal is best when it is onomatopoeic. It should not just be a four-letter descriptor for a genre and should instead invoke feelings of cataclysm which match those four letters which can be as long as you want them to be. Doom. Doooom. Doooooom. Oceanwake arose from their Finnish lake with an understanding for this quality but have progressively widened the lens through which they viewed their craft, absorbing post-metal and progressive influences such that their sound is no longer so easily pigeon-holeable.” Pigeonhole we must.

Belzebubs – Pantheon of the Nightside Gods Review

By GardensTale on April 26, 2019 in 2019, Century Media, Finnish Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Melodic Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 231 comments

“The concept of the virtual band is hardly a novel one anymore. The first was arguably Alvin and the Chipmunks all the way back in 1958, though it was Gorillaz who popularized the concept. Metal has dipped their toes in the idea a few times as well, most notably with Dethklok from Adult Swim’s Metalocalypse cartoon. Yet something just feels different about Belzebubs, a new virtual band formed around the webcomic of the same name by Finnish author JP Ahonen. The comic is high quality in and of itself, mixing black metal tropes, an Adams Family theme of a dark and weird yet loving family, and a Calvin & Hobbes sense of adorable bubbly slapstick. But comics and music are extremely different media. How serious can we take an actual album by the bumbling ink-drawn band?” Anime to the Nightside Eclipse.

Countless Goodbyes – Cycles Review

By Mark Z. on April 19, 2019 in 2019, Finnish Metal, Inverse Records, Metalcore, Reviews, Metalcore, 43 comments

“It’s been pretty interesting to watch metalcore’s evolution over the years. I’m talking specifically about the strain of metalcore that cropped up in the early 2000s, the good cop/bad cop style played by the Killswitch Engages and As I Lay Dyings of the world, the type that infused At the Gates riffs with choruses cribbed from the latest alt-rock band. I ate that shit up in high school and stayed for the party when the style started adopting faster and more technical playing (see: August Burns Red and Texas in July). When djent had its heyminute in the early 2010s, bands realized chugs weren’t too different from breakdowns and thus began to add some djentiness to the proceedings (see: This or the Apocalypse’s Dead Years and Hollow).” The core cycle.

2 Wolves – …Our Fault Review

By Twelve on April 17, 2019 in 2019, Doom Metal, Finnish Metal, Inverse Records, Reviews, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, 37 comments

“I used to think Finland must be the single coolest place in the world. Unsurprisingly, this view coincides with my discovery of symphonic metal music, which, for a long time, remained comfortably nestled in the frosty inspiration of that country. It wasn’t long before I crossed the threshold and met doom metal, which, would you believe it, also kept my attention rapt on Finland. 2 Wolves hail from Finland, and bring gothic-tinged doom metal to light in their fourth full-length, …Our Fault.” Nobody’s at fault.

Wheel – Moving Backwards Review

By GardensTale on April 14, 2019 in 2019, British Metal, Finnish Metal, Odyssey Music Network, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Progressive Metal, 67 comments

“The astute reader may have noticed this review is, as the youngsters say, hella late. But to err is human, and even the lords who guard the jail cells above the skull pit are of our own kind, they may begrudgingly admit. So when I saw the spectacular Wheel open for Soen and immediately sought an explanation for why we hadn’t reviewed them, the voice through the trapdoor thundered in its brazen might: ‘Whoops.'” Mistakes were made.