Tag Archives: pohjois-pohjanmaa

Album Review – Revulsion / Revulsion (2021)

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This ruthless Finnish unity is on fire in their debut full-length opus, offering us all an aggressive, sharp and viciously groovy form of Death Metal that begs for repeat listens.

Hailing from Pohjois-Pohjanmaa, a region of Finland that borders Lapland, Kainuu, North Savo, Central Finland and Central Ostrobothnia, as well as the Russian Republic of Karelia, the unrelenting Death Metal unity known as Revulsion has been carving their name in the local and international scene with their aggressive, sharp and viciously groovy form of Death Metal that begs for repeat listens. Now in 2021, this furious five-piece act comprised of Aleksi Huhta on vocals, Jari Toppinen and Jarkko Viitasalo on the guitars, Tuomas Alatalo on bass and Atte Karppinen on drums returns in full force with their self-titled debut full-length opus, following on the very positive feedback received for their 2010 demo Undressing External Humanity and their 2011 EP Defiled, being highly recommended for fans of bands the likes of Dying Fetus, Depravity, Suffocation and Morbid Angel, among several others. Featuring a straightforward artwork by Polish illustrator Kuba Sokólski, the album brings forward Death Metal that is contemporary and practical, taking the best elements from all over and delivering it flawlessly without pulling any punches, helping the band pave their destructive path that started in the already distant year of 2005.

Revulsion kick off the album with Last Echoes of Life, a pulverizing, demonic extravaganza serving as the welcome card by the quintet where Aleksi is a true beast on vocals, and you can already sense a lot of Groove Metal influences in their sick Death Metal as mentioned, whereas the razor-edged riffs by Jari and Jarkko, together with the classic beats by Atte, generate a thunderous atmosphere in the menacing tune Pyre, displaying an amazing job done by all band members (in special Tuomas with his Alex Webster-inspired bass jabs). Then it’s time to slam into the circle pit like a demented metalmaniac to the sound of Walls, where Aleksi continues to bark and growl manically while his bandmates don’t let the energy level go down not even for a single second in this hammering Death Metal chant. After such infernal tune we’re treated to Mustaa Hiiltä, or “black carbon” from Finnish, and as the name already indicates it’s by far the darkest and most devilish of all songs form the album, blending the heaviness of Death Metal with the obscurity of Doom Metal, and once again presenting Tuomas’ rumbling bass to make things even more infernal; while Lihaan Sidottu Kirja (“a book bound by flesh”) brings forward another round of their deranged music, presenting Jari and Jarkko’s trademark riffage and the brutality flowing from the kitchen crafted by Tuomas and Atte. Put differently, this is Death Metal at its finest.

Revulsion Wooden Coffin Box

Blasting their sonic weapons without showing a single drop of mercy, those Finnish metallers will decimate your ears in Wastelands, again bringing forward a perfect sync between Aleksi’s hellish growling and the vicious drumming by Atte, and more of their classic Death Metal comes in the form of Unravel, offering the listener blazing riffs and smashing drums while Aleksi continues to vociferate the song’s words with tons of anger, albeit not as dynamic nor as creative as its predecessors. Back to a more ferocious sonority, it’s time for Atte to take the lead with his wicked beats and fills in Silence, while the band’s evil guitar duo continues to slash our ears with their dirty, intricate and venomous riffs; followed by Pawns, a high-octane, straight-to-the-point Death Metal explosion crafted by Revulsion that will please all fans of old school savagery, with Atte displaying all his heavy artillery throughout the song’s two intense minutes. Finally, there’s nothing better than closing the album with six minutes of sheer darkness and malevolence like what they offer us in Viimeinen Rituaali (“the last ritual”), the perfect tune for banging your head like a deranged maniac, with the Stygian riffs by Jari and Jarkko being a work-of-art.

You can find more information about Revulsion, their music, tour dates and plans for the future on Facebook and on Instagram, and of course in order to show those Finnish death metallers all your support and admiration you can purchase their bestial self-titled album from their own BandCamp page or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ webstore by clicking HERE or HERE, but if I were you I would definitely go for the jaw-dropping Revulsion Wooden Coffin Box with laser engraving of the band logo, containing the wooden box and an 8-panel digipak CD with metallic effect and UV lamination, plus an autographed card, a metallic logo patch, a badge, a beer coaster, a bottle opener with keychain and a metallic sticker. What else can you ask for, right? This is top-notch Death Metal made in Finland that’s definitely going to stand out in your collection, showing everyone in your family and all your friends that you’re indeed a revulsive headbanging bastard.

Best moments of the album: Pyre, Mustaa Hiiltä and Lihaan Sidottu Kirja.

Worst moments of the album: Unravel.

Released in 2021 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Last Echoes of Life 3:06
2. Pyre 3:23
3. Walls 3:13
4. Mustaa Hiiltä 5:21
5. Lihaan Sidottu Kirja 3:49
6. Wastelands 2:42
7. Unravel 3:53
8. Silence 3:21
9. Pawns 2:09
10. Viimeinen Rituaali 5:59

Band members
Aleksi Huhta – vocals
Jari Toppinen – guitar
Jarkko Viitasalo – guitar
Tuomas Alatalo – bass
Atte Karppinen – drums

Album Review – Nicumo / Inertia (2020)

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Let’s explore the vast and melancholic lands of Melodic Gothic Metal and Rock together with five talented Finnish musicians and their breathtaking new album.

Formed in 2007 in Ylivieska, a town and municipality of Pohjois-Pohjanmaa, Finland, the talented Melodic Gothic Metal/Rock institution known as Nicumo returns with another blast of their stylish “Melancholic Metal” in Inertia, the third full-length album in their solid career. Recorded and mixed by Olli Tainio at Joshua Music, mastered by Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers Mastering, and featuring guest saxophonist Mikko-Ilari Ojala, Inertia will guide through vast and melancholic lands together with lead singer Hannu Karppinen, guitarists Atte Jääskelä and Tapio Anttiroiko, bassist Sami Kotila and drummer Aki Pusa, keeping the band’s momentum going after the releases of their 2013 debut album The End of Silence and their 2017 sophomore effort Storms Arise. “Inertia continues kind of naturally from where our second album Storms Arise left. Atmosphere is even deeper and more intense than in previous albums. We have grown as a band during these years of course, and I believe that it can be heard on this album. Songs are more solid and thoughtful entities, composed by needs of the song. Sound-wise this album is most experimental in our discography. Saxophone and even concrete floor played with drumsticks can be heard from the album just for an example,” commented Aki about the band’s newborn spawn.

In the awesome opening track Three Pyres a melancholic and somber Gothic Rock-infused start gradually evolves into a feast of deep, dark vocals by Hannu and the delicate but piercing guitar lines by Atte and Tapio, being therefore highly recommended for fans of the music by HIM with a more obscure vibe, and we’re all invited to dive into the band’s Melodic and Gothic Metal waters in Dark Rivers, with the band’s guitar duo crushing their strings mercilessly while Aki dictates the song’s pace alternating between faster beats and more rhythmic passages. In Same Blood, a stunning ballad with the band’s guitar duo embellishing the airwaves with their solos together with Mikko-Ilari and his saxophone, Hannu darkly declaims the song’s introspective words accompanied only by acoustic guitars at times, whereas in Witch Hunt their music leans towards classic Melodic Metal, but of course bringing the band’s darker sounds. Moreover, Hannu delivers more of his enraged growls while Sami keeps blasting his rumbling bass nonstop, keeping the album’s Gothic flame burning bright.

Then alternating between thunderous sounds and cryptic, melancholic moments the band brings forward the captivating Tree of Life, where Sami once again delivers tons of groove through his bass while Hannu’s crisp vocals are effectively supported by all background elements, followed by Mother and the Snake, even more enfolding and atmospheric, with Atte and Tapio cutting our skin deep with their wicked riffs and solos while Hannu once again shines with both his clean vocals and deep roars. After such powerful display of Gothic Metal, get ready to dance and bang your heads to the sound of Who You Are, an amazing tune showcasing Hannu’s most visceral growls and the band’s characteristic, slashing guitar lines and spot-on drums; and venturing through the realms of old school Gothic Rock and Metal we have Time Won’t Heal, as melancholic as the best creations by Ville Valo and his HIM, displaying inspiring guitar lines and an embracing ambience that provide Hannu all he needs to thrive on vocals once again. Finally, closing such beautiful album of melancholic music we have Black Wolf with its almost seven minutes of serene passages and heavy riffs, darkening our hearts (in a good way, of course) and flowing like the unruly waters of a Stygian river until its climatic finale.

In short, Inertia is a very entertaining, pleasant and solid album of Melancholic Metal tailored for admirers of such distinct style, inviting the listener to join Nicumo in darkness and savoring every single moment of the album together with them. Hence, let’s show our utmost support to those Finnish metallers by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by listening to more of their music on YouTube and on Spotify, and above all that by buying your copy of inertia from Nicumo’s official BandCamp page, from the Inverse Store, from Record Shop X or from Discogs, and may the breathtaking and somber music by Nicumo serve as the soundtrack to your most serene and melancholic moments in life.

Best moments of the album: Three Pyres, Same Blood and Mother and the Snake.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Inverse Records

Track listing
1. Three Pyres 3:57
2. Dark Rivers 4:38
3. Same Blood 4:20
4. Witch Hunt 4:41
5. Tree of Life 5:12
6. Mother and the Snake 3:55
7. Who You Are 4:32
8. Time Won’t Heal 3:46
9. Black Wolf 6:55

Band members
Hannu Karppinen – vocals
Atte Jääskelä – guitars
Tapio Anttiroiko – guitars
Sami Kotila – bass
Aki Pusa – drums

Guest musician
Mikko-Ilari Ojala – saxophone