Inverse Records

Rioghan – Different Kinds Of Losses

Different Kinds Of Losses Album Cover Art

Rioghan – Different Kinds Of Losses
Inverse Records
Release Date: 09/12/22
Running Time: 49:10
Review by Laura Barnes
9/10

It is to my shame that I hadn’t heard of Rioghan prior to her appearing in Ever Metal’s inbox. Finnish songwriter and poet Rioghan Darcy fuses Gothic Rock, Folk, and Alternative Metal in a way that is right up my street. The sound she achieves through this fusion is one that is contemporary and progressive, deserving of a place beside similar genre fusing pros such as Cellar Darling, Sylvaine and Euphrosyne.

“Different Kinds Of Losses” opens with teardrop-like keyboards, and Rioghan making a quiet yet decisive declaration: “I am rain / creeping on your window”. The verse continues in this vein, gradually introducing guitars before exploding into a heavy, stormy, Katatonia-like chorus followed by a bluesy guitar solo. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, but lucky for Rioghan, she doesn’t need one. ‘Sight’ is a strong song that works as a sneak-peak trailer for the reset of “Different Kinds Of Losses”. If you liked that, then the introspective and atmospheric journey that Rioghan is about to take you on is one you’ll be grateful for.

For the most part, Rioghan’s touch is a gentle one. Even with the heavy instrumentals on tracks like ‘Breath’ and ‘Bruises’, her expertly controlled vocals provide a compelling contrast. As a result, the album achieves a certain psychological quality, creating the impression of an ordinary human being grappling with emotions far larger and wilder than anything they’ve ever felt before. This aspect of the album especially shines through on ‘Innocence’, a stellar song about enacting justice on your own terms, for your own sake. It’s an extremely powerful song that will undoubtedly resonate with people who are struggling in the aftermath of hurt. ‘Home’ is another album highlight – the moody verses build up beautifully towards an almost poppy chorus that you can easily belt out with your ist in the air. If “Different Kinds Of Losses” was a live show, ‘Home’ is the song they’d sing for the encore.

All in all, Rioghan is a difficult artist to categorise. The doominess of bands like Oceans of Slumber fuses with the electronic elements of Banshee, yet the music still remains catchy and accessible. The genreless sound of “Different Kinds Of Losses” means that this album will reach and touch audiences from all sectors of the music world. A very exciting debut!

TRACKLISTING:
01. Sight
02. Promises
03. Breath
04. Home
05. Bruises
06. Time
07. Innocence
08. Reflection
09. Lights
10. Summer

LINE-UP:
Rioghan Darcy – Vocals
Teemu Liekkala – Guitars, Bass, Keys
Valtteri Revonkorpi – Drums
Marko Hautamäki – Cello
Tony Kaikkonen – Harmonica

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Laura Barnes and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Wyrmwoods – No Sun Nor Moon

Wyrmwoods – No Sun Nor Moon
Inverse Records
Release Date: 04/11/22
Running Time: 36:00
Review by Paul Hutchings
8/10

“No Sun Nor Moon” is the fourth album by Wyrmwoods, a single-man project from Oulu, Northern Finland. Described as avant-garde in style, there’s plenty going on. Just from the first track ‘Where Was A Worm Before’, we get blasts of percussion, black metal, progressive jazz and wild saxophone and confirmation that this is going to be a very interesting record to listen to.

The project was started in 2014 by the figure known only as Nuurag-Vaarn, whose three previous albums have been littered with awkward and unnatural musical styles, with plenty of saxophone that jars and challenges. I don’t know what the first three albums are like, but this is a wonderful 36 minutes of creative chaos which adds in a bit of death metal to the other styles already noted.

Single ‘Year of Dearth’ switches from frantic passages to melancholic ethereal segments, dark growls and roars emanating from deep. Darkened growls combine with delicate parts, all wrapped up in a swirling maelstrom. It’s measured, yet at times undeniably unhinged in places. Whirling effects create a fabulous atmosphere of intrigue. This continues throughout the album. There are eerie, haunting touches to ‘Raged with Curses and Sparkles of Fury’ which descends into harrowing black metal blasts and abstract bursts of saxophone. It’s all captivating and bewitching.

The progressive style makes this very much an album worth exploring. The vocals do centre on the low growls throughout, but there are changes of tempo and beautifully melancholic interludes such as on ‘Mother of Maladies’, while the short interlude of ‘Over the Disorganised Immortal’ sees a mournful saxophone solo over a dissonant bass line. This is countered by the more full-on blast of ‘Deeper Labyrinths of the Mind’, which is explosive and full of astonishingly fast black metal tropes that combines with frantic piano, carelessly thrown in brass and a quite ferocious conclusion.

Overall, it is quite a fabulous album. It’s powerful, confusing, at times bizarre and yet unique. With a quite hauntingly weird piece of artwork to boot, if you fancy something that will challenge the grey matter, draw deep into the psyche and leave you completely bemused, then “No Sun Nor Moon” is likely to be that album.

‘Year Of Death’ Official Audio

TRACKLISTING:
01. Where Was a Worm Before
02. Year of Dearth
03. Raged With Curses and Sparkles of Fury
04. Mother of Maladies
05. Woe and Wailing
06. Oberon’s Forests
07. Over the Disorganized Immortal
08. Deeper Labyrinths of the Mind
09. Shadows of Our Past and Future

LINE-UP:
Nuurag-Vaarn – Everything

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Paul Hutchings and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Black Widows – Among The Brave Ones

Black Widows – Among The Brave Ones
Inverse Records
Release Date: 21/10/22
Running Time: 48:48
Review By Laura Barnes
7/10

We’re seeing a lot of reboots nowadays. Michael Myers and Jamie Lee Curtis are beefing once again. Dinosaur-themed adventure parks are still not up to the desired health and safety standards. Bruce Wayne continues to take an unorthodox approach to grief. Sometimes, these reboots are unnecessary, a cheap way to cash in on misplaced nostalgia. Other times, these reboots give us the opportunity to reflect on how much we have changed, both as a culture and as individuals.

I say this because we might consider Black Widows’ latest album, “Among The Brave Ones”, something of a reboot. Their last album, “Sweet… The Hell” came out twenty years ago. To really put this in perspective: their last album came out when I was 2. I have changed a lot since then (eating solid foods, talking in full sentences, etcetera) and so has the Metal scene. An all-female metal band might have raised some (misogynistic) eyebrows back in the mid-nineties when Black Widows were formed, but now that bands like Venom Prison and Butcher Babies rule the roost, the time is ripe for Black Widows to make their return.

Of course, a reboot would be boring if everything stayed exactly the same. “Among The Brave Ones” keeps the Symphonic influences and Gothic atmosphere that lay at the heart of Black Widows, but brings in a fiercer, harsher edge. The production and mixing are more modern, adding a certain level of richness and refinement to the album. Metaphorically speaking, “Sweet… The Hell” is like your local graveyard, or empty castle ruins, and “Among The Brave Ones” is like the edgy inner city goth nightclub. It is eclectic and unpredictable – this spider bite now comes with beer-soaked fangs!

The menacing ‘I’m A Monster’ is a prime example of Black Widows’ new take-no-prisoners philosophy, with Death Metal infused verses that you simply cannot resist headbanging to. Those who prefer the slightly more melodic touch of Black Widows’ earlier work will enjoy tracks like ‘Dead Heaven’s Vibe’. Vocalist (and only remaining original member) Rute Fevereiro really shows off her range in this song, and the result is a song that is haunting and cinematic.

The real difficulty Black Widows face on “Among The Brave Ones” is merging these two styles together. ‘Schizo’ is a song that I deeply want to love, because it’s positively bursting with brilliant concepts and techniques. That build-up? Hair-raising. That gentle bridge? Beautiful. And that solo? That FUCKING SOLO?! Praise be to guitarist Íris Prado, because that was a hoot and a half! The only issue is that these great moments work individually, but struggle to create the cohesive atmosphere and tone that would really make the song feel whole. However, the blending of old and new Black Widows is possible, and very impressive when done right. ‘Forgive To Forget’ sees distant and ethereal clean vocals laid atop powerful harsh vocals in a way that beautifully captures the struggle of forgiveness – AND there’s ANOTHER great solo! Absolutely superb stuff.

All in all, “Among The Brave Ones” is an album that is jam-packed with ideas and passion. It is a pleasure and a privilege to review such an exciting album from an all-female metal band. Black Widows’ comeback is an impressive and unique one. In case you were wondering what exactly Michael Myers and Black Widows had in common at the start of this review, I’ll tell you: they’ve both stood the test of time.

TRACKLISTING:
01. Black Orchid
02. Schizo
03. Among The Brave Ones
04. Philosophy of Fools
05. Electrify Me
06. I’m A Monster
07. Drowning
08. Dead Heaven’s Vibe
09. Forgive To Forget
10. Eden Denied

LINE-UP:
Rute Fevereiro – Vocals and Guitar
Solange Campos – Bass
Íris Prado – Guitar
Mónica Rodrigues – Keyboards
Marta Brissos – Drums

LINKS:

My Funeral – Funeral Manifesto

My Funeral – Funeral Manifesto
Inverse Records
Release Date: 07/10/22
Running Time: 39:27
Review by Laura Barnes
7/10

Seven years have passed since Finnish Thrash Metal band My Funeral released their last full-length album, “Violence Academy”, but it appears that Thrash Metal is a force unburdened by the passage of time. My Funeral have come out swinging with this latest offering, “Funeral Manifesto”. From the title alone, it is clear that this album aims to be the definitive My Funeral album. Unrelenting in its heaviness and stubborn in its rage, this is just under 40 minutes of pure, no-frills Thrash Metal. If this sounds like your cup of metal tea, then keep reading.

To say that “Funeral Manifesto” is an angry album would be an understatement. It is fucking furious. It is so pissed off that it wants to eat your soul just for the satisfaction of spitting it back out. Frontman Ilkka Sepponen’s vocals sound like a dog’s growl and lion’s roar rolled into one and is a huge improvement from his performance on “Violence Academy”. Although the vocals on “Violence Academy” were far from bad, “Funeral Manifesto” boasts a newly established confidence that convinces and compels. There is a complexity to the anger within “Funeral Manifesto” that separates it from My Funeral’s previous work – there is a sadness to it, and a greater sense of depth.

There are a few standout tracks on this album. ‘Primitive Evil’ provides an ice-cold opener to the album, with an almost melodic chorus reminiscent of Locus-Era Machine Head. After this, the focus shifts from melody to hard-hitting riffs and snaking guitar solos. ‘Darkness Walks Beside Me’ chugs its way towards a venomous earworm of a chorus. The album reaches its emotional climax during ‘Confessions’, an absolutely devastating song that sums up the ethos of “Funeral Manifesto”. It is an anthem of shame and torment that really showcases My Funeral’s song-writing growth. A special shout out also goes to the guitar solo on this track – the combination of style and production produces a delightfully retro result. These songs are demonstrative of a My Funeral that are passionate about what they are doing and are confident in their passion.

I will say, however, that the only trouble with the no-frills approach is that sometimes, frills can help make things a little more digestible. “Funeral Manifesto” is an intense album, and for the large part, that’s a good thing, Sometimes, though, that intensity blurs songs together, especially in the latter half of the album. Each song on this album is a good listen, but some tracks – such as “The Night Will Come” – warrant an individual listen in order to be appreciated fully. That said, My Funeral do end the album on a strong note, with ‘The Uprising’. The clean vocals used during the verses on this track are fantastic at adding tension and structure to the song. When Sepponen bellows out the concluding, ‘YOU CAN’T BRING ME/DOOOOWWWWN’ it feels cathartic and earned. A sanguine ending for a grisly album.

All in all, this is a top-notch Thrash Metal album, perfect for hyping yourself up before beating the shit out of your enemies. It would be a great addition to any Thrash Metal collection.

TRACKLISTING
01. Primitive Evil
02. Suicidal Thrash
03. Darkness Walks Beside Me
04. When Darkness Falls
05. Nirvana of Negative
06. Confession
07. The Night Will Come
08. Twice Fallen Angel
09. No Regrets
10. The Uprise

LINE-UP:
Ilkka Sepponen – Vocals, Bass
Joonas Kivineimi – Guitars
Carlos Correa – Guitars
Tomi Louhesto – Drums

LINKS:

Khroma – Ex Nihilo

Khroma – Ex Nihilo
Inverse Records
Release Date: 10/09/2021
Running Time: 35:35
Review by Wallace Magri
9/10

Helsinki, Finland based band Khroma deliver an interesting mix of Djent/Nu Metal songs invaded by Electro elements on “Ex Nihilo”, their third album.

Every time that I review an album from a Metal genre that doesn’t match exactly with my musical taste, I try to form my impression of the songs by searching for what may be interesting and worth listening to, instead of just complaining about certain stylistic standards that bother me, here and there.

And what is heard on “Ex Nihilo” are songs based on a good sense of composition and arrangements, that sustain everything harmoniously as a whole, sometimes highlighting the Djent Metal aspect of Khroma’s music, on such songs as ‘Tread Light’ – but with a little bit of Pendulum-like Electro-Techno interventions – which are aligned to the New Metal/Rap vocal lines.

Sometimes, like on ‘Tidal’ for example, the Electro touches are emphasised, sounding like a retro-wave 80’s revival, invaded by Djent Metal riffs and the above-mentioned Nu Metal singing styles, like Limp Bizkit used to do.

Speaking of Nu Metal and Limp Bizkit, ‘Drop That Treble’, and ‘Waste All Reason’, among others, would fit just fine for fans of those kinds of bands, if, somehow, those bands were dipped on a greyer pallet of electronic layers.

That’s pretty much what is heard on “Ex Nihilo”: Nu Metal strengthened with Djent riffs and some electronic features. Is it my favourite Metal style? No. It’s not a style that connects me to music, but saying that, it is definitely worth a listen, if that is your kind of thing.

TRACKLISTING:
01. Slaves
02. Dead Arrive (Run Tell Them)
03. Tread Light
04. Tidal
05. Drop That Treble
06. Kill the Friction
07. Waste All Reason
08. The Overthrow
09. Trace Amounts

LINE-UP:
Riku Rinta-Seppälä – vocals, electronics
Mikko Merilinna – guitars, keyboards
Maarik Leppä – bass
Antti Honka – drums

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Wallace Magri and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Scars Of Solitude – If These Walls Could Talk EP

Scars Of Solitude – If These Walls Could Talk EP
Inverse Records
Release Date: 26/11/21
Running Time: 21:56
Review by Simon Black
7/10

This Finnish Melodic Metal four piece have been quiet for a while. Having been around since 2015, and with 2017’s “Deformation” album being quite a long way in the past, the band have clearly been impacted by all things COVID, with this six track EP only now seeing light of day. I’ve not come across them before, and at first thought they might be British, given that they’ve got a lot in common with the more Emo sounding Bullet For My Valentine, but there’s some positively shredding guitar work hidden in there, which bizarrely sits alongside all the melancholy melodies and moody keyboards quite well. What this ends up meaning is that you have a band that, whilst clearly having one foot in the Alternative camp, also has enough touches of more Modern Metal to be interesting.

It takes a little bit of listening to, but once your ear starts to get caught by the subtle complexity and time changes going on here, you realise the depth and ingenuity that has gone into the songwriting – none more clearly than on the title track itself. At first it came across as cacophonous, but on repeated listens it becomes quite the earworm. Even when things speed up a bit, such as the Metalcore verging on Thrash ‘Lullaby Of The Ill-Fated’, the bizarre contradictions continue to work in a disconcerting but highly effective way.

Prolific output is not a trademark of these guys, given that over the years we’ve only had one album (and that’s quite a short affair), plus various singles, and as run times go, this twenty-two minute six track is a little on the short side even for an EP. But the material on here is interesting, clever and complex and leaves me hoping that a full length album with the space and depth to explore this experimental side in a meaningful way is going to be something worth waiting for.

TRACKLISTING:
01. Dark Matter
02. Left on Read
03. No Riddance
04. If These Walls Could Talk
05. Lullaby of the Ill-Fated
06. Burden

LINE-UP:
Tuomo Laulainen – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Jasper Ranta-Nilkku – Lead Guitar
Lassi Pollari – Bass Guitar
Niki Kuivakangas – Drums & Percussions

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Simon Black and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Aleksander Susi – Transformations

Aleksander Susi – Transformations
Inverse Records
Release Date: 19/03/2021
Running Time: 29:52
Review by Wallace Magri
8/10

Aleksander Susi played in several Finnish bands, such as ALEXANRED, A:S:Örchestra and ”a.s.andtheloudorchestra”, and also was founder and ex-member of 2 Wolves and ex-member of the Death Metal outfit Scent Of Flesh, during the first decade of this century. He is also associated with various other bands and projects in his homeland.

Since 2020, he decided to launch himself into a solo project, called simply, Aleksander Susi, his given name, where he plays all the instruments, sings and takes care of the programming, as well.

Gothic Rock with Dark Electro elements is what defines most of what is heard within the 10 songs performed on “Transformations”, his first full-length, after releasing several singles and one EP, that takes only 30 minutes long to make its point clear.

Aleksander Susi kept everything pretty simple on the songs, hugely influenced by Type O’ Negative, especially due to the vocals lines on songs like ‘Industrial Zone’ and ‘Green And Grey”. Sometimes that Pete Steele’s seminal band influence comes packed in a much more Electro vibe, thanks to Darwave programmed ambiences, that adds an even more obscure approach on such songs as ‘Children Of The 80’s’!

Some songs bring a pop dance appeal into the mix, turning ‘World Has Changed’ into a radio friendly kind of track, bringing to my mind Linkin Park in their darkest hours (‘One Step Closer’, for instance), but yet palatable to Darkwave Electro Pop fans.

Honestly, I got a little bored during the listening of the full record, but even though, I guess I was able to understand the musician’s proposal – after almost 20 years, he got tired of bandmates and the business part of music and decided to care only about expressing feelings about the world we live in nowadays, with deep sincerity and no concerns about market exposure.

That is something to be applauded and which has also allowed him to get all the way into the, already mentioned, Type O’ Negative Gothic Metal emptiness, met halfway with 80’s Synth and Darwave, giving a kind of post-punk aura, what is noticed on the minimalistic ‘Office Driver’ and ‘The Gates With Two Songs’, that closes the record, flirting with elements from The Mission and The Sisters Of Mercy.

Yeah, “Transformations” provides the listener a really linear listening experience, with nothing exactly new, but full of sincerity that reflects the transformations Aleksander Susi is going through in his musical career, deciding to isolate himself in his own musical state of mind.

I’d definitely like to listen to the next material from Aleskander Susi, bringing more diversity into the arrangements and caring a bit more about the programming sessions and the synths lines, in order to keep things more dynamic. But, even so, it is a good choice to listen to during a short walk outside in the woods, on dark rainy days.

‘Children Of The 80’s’ (Audio)

TRACKLISTING:
01. The New Songs
02. Industrial Zone
03. Green And Grey
04. Our Star
05. Officer Driver
06. Children Of The 80’s
07. Life Is A Funnel
08. World Has Changed
09. Our Peaceful Green Path
10. The Gate With Two Suns

LINE UP:

Aleksander Susi – Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keys and Programming.

LINKS:

Dark The Suns – Suru Raivosi Sydämeni Pimeydessä

Suru Raivosi Sydämeni Pimeydessä Album Cover Art

Dark The Suns – Suru Raivosi Sydämeni Pimeydessä
Inverse Records
Release Date: 09/04/2021
Running Time: 44:17
Review by Beth Jones
7/10

Finland has always looked like a fascinating place to me. Situated in the frozen north, on the Baltic Sea, with rugged countryside full of forests and lakes, steeped in folklore, myth, and legend. Given its powerful natural beauty, it’s not surprising that so much great music emanates form it’s shores, and Melodic genres are a firm favourite. Dark The Suns, the subject of my musings here today, are a Finnish duo, who like to dabble in the Melodic Metal genre, but with a very blackened, gothic edge, and their 4^th studio album, “Suru Raivosi Sydämeni Pimeydessä,” has recently been released.

Musically, this melancholy duo fuse sweeping strings and synth with heavy guitars, haunting piano melodies, and more death/black vocals that you may expect from the opening few bars of the album. It’s a very expansive sound, that encapsulates that feeling of lore and legend I associate with their geography.

The opening track, ‘Spirit In The Dark,’ is pacey and begins with a cacophony of discordant melodies and harmonies, giving it a real sense of frantic movement. It makes me visualise a witch’s coven, deep within a forest, preparing for their next ritual. The dark vocals, which have a lot of effects piled on them, add to this vision. It’s certainly a fiery start to an album, and it does make you sit up and listen.

The album continues in this vein, with intricate piano melodies and accompaniments woven throughout. Being a pianist, this pleases me, as keys often play second fiddle to the guitars. However here, they sit nicely forward in the mix and play a huge part in the overall sound.

These two are obviously very talented musicians and they make a great sound. But it’s at this point that I kind of run out of things to say about the album. It might just be me, but I’m finding the whole thing a little bit ‘samey’ throughout. Every song has pretty much the same rhythm, regardless of pace, and they don’t really explore outside of the minor key. There’s some choral accompaniment to a few choruses, but that’s really where the exploration stops. It’s left me feeling a little flat. Annoyingly. My other irk is the snare drum sound. For me, it’s too ringy, has too much reverb, and is way too far forward in the mix, which makes it stick out like a sore thumb.

Apart from that, I can’t really knock this album, so if you can get past those things, and love a bit of dark melodic metal, then this is for you.

‘The Secrets Of Time’ (Official Video)

TRACKLISTING:
01. Spirit In The Dark
02. Everywhere
03. Suru Raivosi Sydämeni Pimeydessä
04. Hope in Our Hands
05. The Secrets Of Time
06. Seeker
07. Storm Of Fire
08. Taivas Itki Tulta
09. Shadows In The Void
10. Enkelsiipi

LINE-UP:
Mikko Ojala – Vocals, Guitars, Drums
Inka Ojala – Bass, Keyboards

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Beth Jones and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

Soulwound: The Suffering

Soulwound: The Suffering
Inverse Records.
Release Date: 11/09/2020
Running Time: 48:10
Reviewed by Tammy Lomax
9/10

Hello lovely people. Today I have the amazing privilege to review Soulwound’s new album “The Suffering” which was released in September via Inverse Records. It’s the third album from Soulwound, who formed in the 90’s, and come from a small village called Myllykoski, Kouvola, in Finland. They offer fast, brutal aggressive metal with a hint of old school.

Their motto (which I love) is “fuck what anyone else thinks”, and to be fair, it is spot on. One thing I’ve learned in my life is, it’s human error to judge. We don’t even realise we do it sometimes, but we do.

Personally, my family never really understood my passion for metal music. My mother calls it the ‘Devil’s Music’, which I accept, as it’s her opinion. Doesn’t mean I agree though! Nor will I waste energy debating to try change her mind. Instead, I’ll go sailing in my music bubble boat, ready to press play on this album.

‘The Waste Of Life’ opens the album. There’s definitely some suspense, and my instincts screamed at me that something was coming. As the track developed, I found myself waiting for the unknown. I’ve never heard any Soulwound until now, so I had no idea what to expect. Then BOOM! Absolutely crazy fast, they launch some meaty guitar solos into the mix, along with gut erupting vocals. Oh! I may not have known what to expect but by this point, I felt extremely excited.

Wasting no time at all, track ‘Ritual Cleansing’ appears. The drums made me dribble, they were so incredibly intense and fast. Wow these guys have some huge balls that’s for sure. My face felt like it had been set on fire! I was barely inside the album and had already started jumping about like a chicken who’d lost its head! This track had got me thinking, “I am unsure if I will be mentally sound after listening to this album in its entirety!”

The next track, ‘Pleasures’, is perfectly placed. I REALLY enjoyed the deep doomy gloomy vibes here. Vocalist IIkka Valkonen’s range and variations have me in absolute awe. It’s a weighty 6 min track, with some belting guitar work, especially when the solo comes flooding in. Why have I only just now heard of these fellas?! ‘The Cult Of I’ follows this, and you really feel their passion in it. They are drip feeding us bit by bit throughout the album, adding something a little extra, something a bit different, totally opposite to ramming it all in straight away.

‘Meat Puppets’ keeps the consistency going after ‘Hivemind’, however it’s more together than ‘Hivemind’. I am not lying though, when I tell you I kept running out of breath as I listened. I just kept getting smashed repeatedly, it’s absolutely relentless!

I couldn’t have begged harder for, or been happier, when ‘This Hatred’ arrived. It gave me just a moment to take everything in, because ‘Error In The System’ broke me a little. I am astounded that a band has managed to do this to me! They literally are the full pudding. Well, for a few moments anyway, before they slaughter you up all over again. You can’t deny that these guys fit their own personal mould. They are literally peeing on everything, claiming ownership.

The last tracks on this monster album are ‘Apex Parasite’ and ‘Death Of The Sun’. And they literally left me speechless, I no longer have any words! They do calm it down massively at the start of the final track, but they make it work. I actually preferred this after what I’d just gone through. I felt all sway-ey and black metal-y with ‘Death Of The Sun’. However, I got a feeling they would close the album the same way they opened it, and I wasn’t wrong! Around 6 mins in, I was getting bashed to hell again 😅 I contemplated taking a break, just to go put my face in a bucket of ice!

Well, what can I say?! That was intense. All hell broke loose in my lounge. Soulwound’s music is created and crafted by guys who know what they like and know exactly how to bring it. They mention “It will probably take repeated listens to take in all the details embedded in the songs” I see no problems with this statement, I have stored it into my playlist anyway, y’know, so I can do all that to myself again!

‘The Suffering’ seems to me to be an evolution of Soulwound’s journey. Go and check them out.

And one final thought. Let’s be more accepting of others liking different things. Don’t make anyone feel outcast because they like a particular something that you don’t. One day in the future, humanity will accept others, regardless of race, religion, likes, or dislikes. Let’s carry each other. ❤🖤

TRACKLISTING:
01. The Waste Of Life.
02. Ritual Cleansing.
03. Pleasures.
04. The Cult Of I.
05. Hivemind.
06. Meat Puppets.
07. Error In The System.
08. This Hatred.
09. Apex Parasite.
10. Death Of The Sun.

LINE – UP:
IIkka Valkonen – Vocals.
Niko Huusari – Guitars.
Mikko Huusari – Guitars.
Join Järvenmäki – Bass.
Janne Huusari – Drums.

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Tammy Lomax and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

King Satan – I Want You To Worship Satan

I Want You To Worship Satan Album Cover

King Satan – I Want You To Worship Satan
Inverse Records
Release Date: 22/11/2019
Running Time: 41:28
Review by ‘Dark Juan’
10/10

Welcome to the Netherworld, you obsidian questing souls of black. If you wish to follow the Left Hand Path, I am Dark Juan and I will be your guide as you descend the circles of hell to find your own special brand of damnation. Or I will in a short while as I am currently fighting off food induced lassitude and am lounging upon my Satanic sofa after consuming my own body weight in provender earlier this evening.
“Bewildered and weak, yet with colossal chippy tea replete, I won’t be hungering for anything apart from copious quantities of fucking slamming industrial metal from Finland. And perhaps a very cheeky IPA that caught my eye in Shamansbury’s! Citrusy, bitter and fruity! Just how I like the keyboard players in fucking slamming Finnish industrial metal bands!”
Well, that Cradle Of Filth quote went totally wrong, even if it was indeed factually accurate. Sorry, Dani. Tonight, for a change, boys and girls, we are going to just plunge into a record review instead of you all having to wade through pages of entirely 100% true stories of what occurs in my life. Never have I lied to you, my flock. Never…
King Satan are from Tampere, Finland, which explains the fact that they are quite stupendously more bonkers than Evil Scarecrow, Nazi shitbiscuit, Varg Vikernes and an entire cheerleading squad off their tits on magic mushrooms dancing to Boney M songs on a mirrored revolving dancefloor. In space. Oh shit. I hate my imagination sometimes. Now the song has changed to Baccarat’s “Yes, Sir, I Can Boogie” and they are all wearing roller-skates. Fucking hell! FOCUS, DARK JUAN!
Yes. King Satan. A band that sounds like nothing I have ever heard. Like Cubanate without the grimness and the iron greyness! Like Combichrist with sexy, molten dollops of metal guitar slathered all over Andy LaPlegua’s vigorous torso. Like Rob Zombie’s technicolour horror universe if he had discovered techno at a formative age. Like aggrotech, metal and hellektro met and had a frenzied, bloody three-way in a filthy Venetian back alley after meeting when wasted on PCP. All underpinned perfectly with the gut-wrenching roar of King Aleister Satan. This is violent shit, man. You’re losing limbs in a King Satan moshpit. We all know I am partial to a bit of industrial music now and again, and you’re probably all quite sick of me spouting on about aggrotech on a heavy metal website, but this is a bit fucking special. There’s everything in here. It’s schizophrenic musical promiscuity in its purest form! There’s utterly murderous industrial metal a la “Houses Of The Mole” era Ministry overlaid with the strident sonic warfare of Christ Analogue, then there’s waves of synth fuelled fury over 1980’s New Jack hip hop beats. This transcends mere metal, and welds it into a wholly different musical form. THIS is what terror EBM and metal have been threatening to do for years and their love child is frankly terrifying.
Opening song ‘The Killing Of God’ sets the tone for the album in stunning style, with Ultraviolence style gabber keyboards over serrated, precise riffing – kind of like a slower, less intense, more musically minded Berzerker song. The throat ripping vocal style fits the violence in the music perfectly. The only other band I have heard in the industrial genre who is as musically diverse is one man French horror show Obszon Geschopf, and even they are not close to the level of savagery King Satan display. The amusingly (and accurately) titled second song is ‘Fuck Yoga’. Quite! Anyway, it kicks off with full on techno keys and beats before settling into an almost Rammstein sort of groove. But faster! The guitar work (and how it dovetails with the keyboards) on the whole record actually reminds me a lot of the work of Neue Deutsche Harte bands like Rammstein, Eisbrecher, Stahlmann and Megaherz. You know, the endless pursuit of perfection in the riff and the metronomic precision of the palm muting…
Synth player Katherine Boss also shares vocal duties, and her demented cutesy little girl meets Mike Patton at his most insane when he was in Mr. Bungle voice adds another level of madness to an already clearly psychologically fucked up band. Peak “Oh shit, they are madder than a box full of tiny pissed Ozzy Osbourne’s next to an historic monument” moment hits three songs in on ‘Psychosadomasochism’ which can charitably be described as deranged. And that’s being nice to them because they are approaching the levels of insanity Dark Juan normally operates at. If you want a picture of what the inside of my head looks like, listen to this song and then run away. Save yourself…
Oh, hang on. I thought they had finally purged the madness. This was not the case. They’ve gone completely off piste again. Just when sanity had temporarily restored itself with a most satisfying slab of industrial grind, they are back again with church organ overlaid with techno beats, one of the most incongruous guitar solos I have ever heard and yet more girlish babbling on ‘Fuck The World’. ‘The Antichristification’ is pure hardcore techno with fucking killer guitar – exactly how I imagine Cubanate picturing their acidic music when they were developing their sound.
I fucking love this record. I’m on my third spin through the album already and I’m not losing interest. It’s vaudevillian, carnival music for demon hellspawn… It’s perfect music to flagellate your dogboy to. It’s filthy, dirty, musically slutty, coruscating, shockingly heavy and dense music. It is BDSM in musical form. It’s black latex covered in blood and sweat, unguents and lubricants. It is whip welts on alabaster flesh, livid scars over intricate tattoos of inverted pentagrams, a Chelsea smile on a beautiful girl’s face. It’s savage, violent, unpredictable and utterly impossible to resist. I can’t see how King Satan will ever top this. It’s absolutely fucking insane.
If you are musically adventurous, you’ll love this. If you are like me and have a foot in both the camps of metal and EBM, you’ll fucking love this. If you appreciate demented humour, you’ll like this. If you’re a purist, you might not, but I beg all of my acolytes reading this nonsense, give this record a chance. If you listen to nothing else on my recommendation ever again, listen to King Satan. I truly do think they are that good.
Holy fuck. Just… holy fuck.
The Patented Dark Juan Blood Splat Rating System (Patentoitu Dark Juan Blood Splat-luokitusjarjestelma – there’s umlauts in there somewhere) is currently sitting silent in a darkened room wondering whether he should quit his Satanic ministry and just join King Satan instead, and awards 10/10 for the industrial record I always dreamed of.
TRACKLISTING:
01. The Killing Of God
02. Fuck Yoga
03. Psychosadomasochism
04. I Want You To Worship Satan
05. All Magick Is Chaos Magick
06. Fuck The World
07. The Antichristification (Is that even a real fucking word?)
08. Circus Of The Mind
09. Transgression
10. Raison D’Etre
11. The Portrait Of Darkness
LINE-UP : King Satan are: fucking mental!
King Aleister Satan – Vocals and programming
Katherine Boss – Synths and vocals
Jerry Rock ‘N’ Roll – Bass
Pete Hellraiser – Drums
Frater E.F. – Live guitars
LINKS:
http://www.kingsatan.net/
https://www.facebook.com/kingsatan616/
https://www.instagram.com/kingsatanofficial/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3_nV0hfri-8wi7wzmxWO3Q

Promo Pic1

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Dark Juan and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.