This début by the Finnish quintet kicks right where it hurts and then does some foot stomping to add another tear to your eye. What they lack in finesse they more than make up for with pure aggression and a no holds barred speed attack. There are the unmistakable sounds of Bay Area thrash in there from Exodus to Sadus and Vio-lence to name a few of my favourites, and as with the latter two it’s sometimes the vocals that are the acquired taste.
Opening track “Slam Savagery” is a quick instrumental to get you in the swing of things, but “Death Injection” quickly kicks things up a gear as Mårten Gustafsson double times his snare attack to keep pace with Erkka Korpi and Lauri Martiskainen’s breakneck riffs.
The sharp snare sound punctuates Mirko Nummelin’s vocals as he spits out the lyrics for “The Prowler” before the screeching leads drown out everything in their frenzy, then open “Market Target” with their nimbly played high notes until the rapidly rattled off lyrics are spewed forth and come back at the end to finish the song in a flurry.
While no Steve DiGiorgio, Tatu Kuisma’s bass work on “Bonded By United Blood” could actually make Dan Lilker’s eyes water with its sheer ferocity.
“Interlude” is another fast instrumental with various influences clearly heard as it flows into “Structural Oppression” with its slightly stop/go feel as it slows right down before speeding up manically again.
I love the title “Delusions Of No Consequence” as it is so open to interpretation, but it’s the lightning fast lead in the middle that is truly spectacular to listen to.
The pace on “Both Sides Lose” steadily increases throughout the song until the lead break where the leads outpace everything else before being reined in a little for a sprint to the end.
The final track “Paving The Way” has a very distinct Slayeresque feel to it with its wailing guitars and the offbeat drumming patterns.
A fun, fast album that shall either leave you gasping for more, or just for breath, but either way it’s that sharp whack to the solar plexus that’ll get your attention.
(7/10 Marco Gaminara)
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