Peace, love and death metal

And This Army - “Blackbeard” mp3

Rarely, music I listen to paints an image of a city, its streets or other, should I say, man-made structures. Mostly my music is all about backing up what comes inside of me, soundtracks to emotions and current feelings. Of course there are exceptions, like Swedish Broder Daniel’s Cruel Town, that spoke so clearly about a place and about leaving it for survival. It still was an album that gave notes to every cruel town there is and especially to those located give or take 1 000 kilometres from folkhemmet of nordic safety. (On this matter, if you have an old issue of Vice, The Laisvall Issue to be precise, stored somewhere, please read it.)

While listening to New York’s And This Army they kind of invite me to their home. Their self-released debut Foe is by all means an album full of organic and emotional music that depending on your mood, makes you either transcend or descend into other levels. However, And This Army’s keep their feet well on the ground: Foe trusts on the holy trinity of recognizable vocals, innovative guitar work and strong beats. It makes it all sound like it have never been made before, even if you can pinpoint references from Neurosis to Sonic Youth and Gang Of Four to Black Sabbath.

It’s not that And This Army comes flawless. At times their music feels as if it’s being dragged or forced through the route. Also, I would’ve changed the track order. Still, at least by the time Foe reaches “Blackbeard” and “Stranglehold” it becomes evident that this band truly masters their vision of music. Their representation of urban insecurity does have an breath of fresh air which makes Foe so well worth remembering.

Listen to Foe

Hebosagil - “Temple” mp3

When I write, I love to start describing a band by saying something like: “Imagine being hit by a train”. I use figure of speech to describe the weight and velocity of music, so that you, a reader, would believe me that the band I’m talking about really is heavy metal music.

In Hebosagil’s case, it’d be an underestimation to say “Imagine being hit by a train”. There is a short cut, no imagination required: just listen to their music and you are being hit by a heavy object, in this case a heavy sonic object.

Hebosagil is relatively young and unknown Finnish band. Some thrashy demos under their bullet belt they’ve refocused to much more original and way more heavier sound. They use reference points such as High On Fire, Autopsy and Skitsystem. Sludge, filth and destruction indeed are the keywords here.

Cosmic EP is 25-minute multiheaded monster. The core is in the slower, but oh so heavy (believe me?) songs, such as the opener “Temple”, but for the sake of not stagnating at times Hebosagil’s music burst into blastbeats, noisebreaks and stoned guitar leads. Everything is kept well together - and even if this quite far from what you’d call lovely, this EP has a charm you can’t help but love. Drums sounds like a violent thunder and that’s always a compliment.

For the lovers of heavy and filthy music, Hebosagil’s Cosmic EP is available for free download at their homesite. Highly recommended, this is one of the best Finnish self-financied (and other) work I’ve heard for months, if not years.

Medeia - “Shards” mp3 
Medeia - “Medeia” mp3

You all know those circulating links that lead you to a website that innocently asks you to put on the speakers and then to find three differences from the included pictures. You start to closely look at the picture, hmm, they look the same, and then all of a sudden some damn ugly undead pops in front of the pictures screaming way too loud - and you shit your pants.

I love those stupid links.

Medeia is the band equivalent. Just lay back, listen to how ”Had This Dream” turn into “Had Clean Underwear”… Even if the band’s name connects with the emocore/whatever scene we all so righteously abhor, Medeia is first and foremost about heart attacks, not heartaches.

It’s hard to pinpoint Medeia’s sound since they borrow from a large variety of extreme music styles. They don’t compromise, but still at times that - being uncompromised - makes them sound too obvious or even naïve. Especially, knowing that this is self-financied album and also a project that have taken so much time that it’s unhealthy, suspicions whether it was worthy in the first place or not, arise. Always when the band lists dates when music for the album was written and it ranges over - say - five years period, raise red alert. After few more listenings, however, the band’s sound justify the means while all the small details start to unveil. It is possible for the listener to appreciate this music in a manner that it is being held dear for the band.

Apart from the uncompromising overall style, I love the riffs - mostly. At times they are like Dimebag jamming couple of Converge riffs, couple of 1990s Testament riffs and also something that I think is a Slipknot riff. Low end shredding with artificial harmonies and bends, it just underlines the fact that it’s a metal band you’re listening to. Vocals are high-pitched shreeks, and even if they are livid and insane, I’d like to hear more variety in that department. Songwriting is - well - promising, but still I think the album as a whole is much better than any individual song.

For a Finnish band they are fresh, but globally it’s hard to make a career from Tampere, Finland, with this sort of music. I wish them strenght.

Electric Monk - “Beautiful Illusion” mp3 

Electric Monk sent me a demo release which hippy aesthetics (though the sharp-shaped card box is kind of cool) hold me back for a week or so before I managed to put that cd-r into my cd player. Glad I did. Wake Up the Neighbours! is 18 minutes of energetic music perfect for summer time.

I’m not an expert with this style of rock music, but I’d say the influence from 60’s and early 70’s is evident. This is not pretending to be original, this simply just rocks. Good for the Monks that they have their act so well together; if this would be any less tight this would be worthless, I dare say. This band however seem to have graduated from the School of Rock with good grades. Plus vocalist Topias Jerkku have a cool rock n’ roll voice with enough dirt to keep it interesting.
I won’t be missing this tomorrow, but while listening to this, it’s pleasing - which is enough.

Electric Monks’ mp3s are available at Mikseri, including this 6-song release in its entirety.

Russian Circles - “Death Rides A Horse” mp3
Russian Circles @ myspace, two songs

If you’re into ice hockey, the term ”russian circles” should ring a bell for you. I don’t know had Finnish hockey team ever fall into that trick – oh well, they must have – but what I know is, I’m falling quickly in love with Enter, the Russian Circles’ debut album (out May 16th on Flameshovel).

Enter includes six songs of instrumental music that roughly explained kicks ass and expands the genre while at it. And no, it’s definitely not post-rock. However, it doesn’t mean that this would not be highly emotional at times. It builds its themes more on destructive rather than constructive goals, having all the energy and the emotional framework rock music provides. At the end of the album listener is gasping for breath or optionally so delighted from the music that he/she is forgetting to breathe.

Biography likes to underline the fact that Russian Circles are a live band and I’m not second guessing that. Songs have a lot of catchy hooks, they are huge enough to take over any crowd plus the band plays so well that it must be nice to watch them perform. That at times slick, prog-rock alike playing might be the turn-off for some in Russian Circles case; however those fills are rather few. It’s very hard trying to describe Russian Circles sound more in detail since their interpretation of music takes from so many different sources.

If not else, it’s tenderly loud. That should be something easy to appreciate.

Swedish army of the apocalypse Circle Six have one of the greatest band names I know. Easy to remember with a cool ring in it, it comes from the sixth circle of hell, the home of the heretics, and it suits their music oh so well. I don’t mean that they’re heretics, I mean their sound is hellish.

Circle Six’s (members having names like Retaliation, Dawn and Roswell in their history) latest release is a four track demo from 2005, holding inside some 30-minutes plus of slow and crushing slowcore/sludge/doom metal. Hank’s agonizing vocals place music firmly on the same league as Cult Of Luna and the likes, although guitars and rhythm section brings a lot of doom metal groove into their music. Overall atmosphere is that of the end of the world; whereas bands like Isis and Neurosis have some of that beautiful sense of hope in their repeative riffing, Circle Six is beyond all that, left with only filth & misery to work with.

Four tracks share lot of same elements, however, luckily there is enough variation to keep the listener interested. Standout track is absolutely the last one, “Broken”, with its heavy as hell riffs and atmosphere that leaves me hopeless.

The promotional copy came with just a cd-r wrapped in plastic bag w/a single-paged cover, so that leaves something to be desired (I don’t know if that’s the original package). You can download two tracks from the band site. The whole demo is available for streaming and downloading at Circle Six’s Myspace.

Circle Six - “All That Is Left” mp3
Circle Six - “Broken” mp3

Murska - “Minä vihaan sinua” mp3

Now this feels a bit weird writing a review in English of a Finnish-sung music. Anyway, Murska from Seinäjoki, Finland, sent me their latest Rajamailla EP for reviewing weeks ago already.

At least I’ve had time to chew on this release. Time and more precisely time to adopt is exactly what this takes. From the first track “Ihminen” to fourth and last, “Lupaus”, Murska presents quite a spectrum of different styles or more likely approaches of playing metal-edged, angst-filled music. It’s not just Kotiteollisuus or Maj Karma with different lyrics: they actually go to their Sielun Veljet influences and straight to the source also, without watering it down using filtered second-hand sounds from the original artists.

Songs are put together from numerous different parts that seemingly doesn’t have much to do with each other, but still somehow Murska manages to find a certain flow that guides them through the worst of hell and high water. Still, it must be added that the music of Murska requires a lot of interest from the listener, something that I’m definitely lacking. However, Murska’s take on Finnish-sung metal is brave enough for giving them the respect they deserve: they have growls here and there and progressive show-offs among the catchier hooks.

The standout track is definitely number two, “Minä vihaan sinua” (meaning “I hate you”) that is also downloadable from their site.

CMX:n Kysymyksiä ja vastauksia -palsta:

[22.11.2005]
Missä vaiheessa myönnätte sen, että tää Pedot on välityö?

Joskus ens vuoden puolella.

(Continued)

Nokialaisen Vala-yhtyeen nuoret valveutuneet jäsenet olivat niin reippaita, että promosivat itseään minulle uuden II -demo/ep:n muodossa. Saa ottaa mallia, kyllä minä levyjäkin kuuntelen.

Yhtyeen biografia kertoo yhteisen taipaleen alkaneen jo viime vuosituhannen puolella - silloin yhtye piti vielä nimeä “mush” fiksuna vaihtoehtona - ja ennen tätä uutta neljän biisin levytystä on julkaistu debyytti-ep ja yhden biisin Ansat-promo vuonna 2003.

Vala sanoittaa suomen kielellä ja soittaa etäisesti metallia muistuttavaa musiikkia. Suomi-metallia tämä ei silti herra suo ole. Tämä on yhtä paljon suomi-metallia kuin Disco Ensemble, jos he laulaisivat “ensiapupakkauksista” tai “mustasta eurosta”. Riffejä Valalta onneksi löytyy, tarttuviakin, mutta sovituspuoli ja melodiantaju menee jonnekin populaarimman musiikin puolelle. Tässä on nyt vaarana pudota sinne kuuluisaan väliin.

Ensimmäinen biisi “Maailma” on samalla julkaisun paras. Pääriffin tarttuvuus on tarranauhan luokkaa ja myös kertosäkeeseen on saatu pintaa. Kakkosbiisi, sekunnilleen edellisen biisin mittainen “Haavat” lipuu ohitse huomaamattomammin. Kolmas “Sanoista ja teoista” -biisissä on jo enemmän väriä kasvoilla; etenkin muutamat nykivät rytmit ja niiden mukana möyrivät riffit miellyttävät. “Salaisuus” onkin sitten se pakollinen sytkäribiisi: “Jokaisella on uskonto/ sinä olit uskoton“. Tarttumapintaa on tässäkin rutkasti, toteutus vaan ei vielä ihan ontumatta etene.

Niin, se ontuminen. Yhtye soittaa hyvin, dynamiikkaakin on, ja etenkin kun kokemus ja tyylitaju kasvavat, niin taatusti kuulostaa ensi kerralla vielä paremmalta. Ongelma on laulu. Peräänkuulutan aina voimaa ja itseluottamusta. Se on helpompi huudella täältä kuin studion tarkkailuhuoneesta, mutta toivoisi, että etenkin äidinkielellä esittäessä joidenkin sanojen ääntäminen hoidettaisiin tyylikkäämmin ja tarkemmin, ilman ikävää venyttelyä-hää. Mutta en enempää en osaa sanoa, kysynpä lisää noilta Idols-tuomareilta. *supinaa* Me äänestetään.

Perusasiat Valalla on kohdillaan. Minä toivoisin, että bändi saisi musiikkiinsa enempi vihaa; joku toinen voisi toivoa enemmän siloteltua angstiheviä.

Vala @ Mikseri.net

Melko poikkeuksellista, että Aleksis Kiven päivänä pystyy lukemaan tenttikirjaa ulkona. Näin kuitenkin on. Istun jonkun kampuksen vanhan rakennuksen kivijalalle ilman pelkoa, että muurahaisöttiäiset kiipeäisivät lahkeesta sisään ja paistattelelen auringossa tutustuen globaalin demokratian mahdollisuuksiin. Soitin johdattaa korviin Wojciechin uuden levyn avausraidan (”Aamiainen avaruuslaivalla”) hellyyttäviä sointuja -selloa, pianoa - ja tunnen olevani suurin (81 kg) pseudohippi Tampereen ja napapiirin välillä.

Kun “Aivan kevyt mielentila” tarttui hetkeen, tämän kesän oravanpoikanen tulee kiipeilemään edessä oleviin mäntyihin. Taatusti on tämänkesäisiä, sen verran leikkisästi se juoksentelee. Hippi! “Haukotellaan (Ollaan tylsää seuraa)” ja “Kuuliainen ampiainen” jatkavat Ampiainen ompeli -levyn hittikimaraa; taidan tarvita jo vastapainoksi jotain ranskalaista death-metallia tähän, kiitos.

Kun luento unkarilaisesta mediasta ennen järjestelmämuutosta on ohi, käärin hihat ylös, mutta työnnän kädet taskuun. Outo syksy tämä. Soittimesta soi jälleen Ampiainen ompeli ja minun ei tarvitse miettiä juurikaan, mikä on Suomen söpöin yhtye tällä hetkellä. Se on tässä, Wojciech. Liekki hiipuu, Abso on rokkia - kaikki muut ovat liikaa itseään: ei välttämättä pahalla tavalla, mutta ei tälläkään tavalla. Voitsekki on sopivan outo ja sopivan pop. Ainakin sopivasti minun makuuni.

Ampiainen ompeli todellakin alkaa neljän biisin täsmäiskulla, jonka jälkeen ote säilyy, mutta ei niin terävänä. “Hiekkaa, jne.” , “Poltekuu” ja “Mnemonumenteille” hiipivät ohi sen enempi jälkeä jättäen, muuta kuin että Wojciechin tunnelma on se, joka puree. “Aavejoen” syntikkamelodia tuo mieleen Opethin “Closuren” loppurevityksen - saatan olla väärässä kappaleennimessä - mielleyhtymä, jota ei ihan ensimmäisenä Wojciechiin liittäisi. Levy loppuu hartaasti vajaa tunti sen alettua, ja on helppo uskoa, että yhtye saa tällä tusinoittain uusia ystäviä ja jokainen vanhakin säilyy.

Abduktion Tuli kulje kanssani -levyn ja Staminan debyytin kanssa Ampiainen ompeli on suomalaista kärkimusiikkia tänä vuonna; aivan sen toiselta laidalta, mutta samat laatu- ja tarkoituskriteerit täyttäen. Hyvän musiikin tunnistaa.

En ole löytänyt mistään mp3-maistiaisia levyltä, harmi. Ja koska kaappasin kansikuvan Levykauppa Äxän sivuilta ja se on muutenkin hiano kauppa, niin linkataan tästä yksi mahdollisuus hankkia levy itselle. Toki sen voi ostaa muualtakin, vaikka suoraan levyn julkaisseelta Plastic Passionilta.