Violent Journey Records (2012)

Starting as a result of a Possessed reunion show in 2007, this Finnish extreme metal quartet are a combination of death metal brutality with occasional flashes of black metal insanity and uncompromising thrash. Bassist Markus Makkonen handles the underwater growls, very much in the Cannibal Corpse/Morbid Angel tradition on tracks like the mid-tempo steamrolling “Code For Liberation” or thrash meets blast galloping “It’s Raining Napalm”. Strengths of the band include the dual guitar tandem of Matti Salo and Antti Heikkinen who flash more than speed salvos as “Violent Confrontation” and “Entrapment” prove these gentlemen know their way beyond whammy bars and down tuned heavy ethics and the band’s overall belief that it’s okay to blend the past with the present in extreme metal to achieve their own niche.

Musically I’m fine with “Death, Doom Radiation”- vocally it’s too one dimensional to hold my interest, as you’ll need a lyric sheet to make out Markus’ subject matter. The older death generation will probably salute with devil horns.

www.sadistikforest.com
www.violentjourneyrecords.com

Rating: 3.5 / 6

Composed by Matt Coe