Kesä-Kesä

Svart Records
2015

Formed in the summer of 2014, Kesä (which translates to Summer) is a brand new Finnish rock project from a group of musicians with prior ties to such local hardcore and punk bands as Lighthouse Project, ILLS and Total Recall. Based in Helsinki, Kesä  is lead by vocalist/lyricist Toni Salminen with Eetu Blomqvist, Santeri Suominen, Antti-Ville Muurman and Kimmo Saastamoinen rounding out the fold. Despite the roots of it's band members, Finland's Kesä is more post-rock than punk rock with hardcore all but scrubbed out of the equation in favor of new wave, industrial/electronic rock and New Romanticism. On their soon to be released debut album (which you can be pre-order here) lead vocalist Toni Salminen and his companions embrace the look and feel of 1980 something punk/new wave while simultaneously throwing themselves head-first into the underground post-rock/post-punk sounds of tomorrow. It's a case of all or nothing/do or die for the members of Kesä and even if their eponymous debut is cold and bleak it's still capable of leaving a warm impression inside. Available on CD and LP, "Kesä" beats it's own drums proudly and without a hint of fear and for that I can't help but fully embrace it all the more!

Graveborne-Through the Window of the Night

Séance Records
2014


Helsinki-based Graveborne have been active since 2008. "Through the Window of the Night", which is due for release this upcoming Monday, January 20th,  is the band's second full-length release. With an additional EP (the group's 2009 debut recording, "Astride over the Grace") and a lone, 2013, 2-track single (the digital-release, "Burn the City of God" which features an exclusive track entitled "Temple Without Walls" that was recorded during the sessions for this album) this Finnish collective focuses their attention on 90's-era black metal and, without getting too carried away with descriptions like "raw", "bleak", "unholy" and "evil" (all of which would and do apply!), they do it well! I'm tempted to go rambling on about each and every track and the utter sense of despair and hopelessness that such music elicits, but instead I'll just leave this as a means of description (you are free to fill this one in with your own imagination). There are dreams that still haunt me...memories for which even the passing of time can never soften. Events that will forever remain buried within the darkest regions of my mind where they will lie in wait until they are forcibly exorcised from their slumber...which I fear more then anything. Graveborne's "Through the Window of the Night" could be, no, make that is, the soundtrack to that inner torment that I want nothing more than to be buried away and never addressed. Enough said. 

Ranger-Knights of Darkness

Ektro
2013


After 3 demos, the last of which, the 3-track "Combat Metal", was actually released earlier this year, Helsinki-based Ranger are ready for the big time with "Knights of Darkness". Having been at it since 2009, and reportedly going by the name of Turbo early on,  this four-piece Finnish band stirs up some serious speed metal shit on this 5-track MLP!  Lead vocals come courtesy of Dimi (aka Dimi Pontiac) who also handles bass duties here with Ranger. Incidentally Dimi also plays bass in the thrash metal/crossover act Forseen...for what it's worth and all. With his shrill, banshee-like (and damn near bat shit crazy!) vocal delivery, Dimi unleashes all kinds of hell while he's on the mic! Even if it sounds at times as if he went out and enlisted Lizzy Borden for vocal training, which is truly a scary proposition, it's not quite that over the top. Thankfully it never reaches the finger nails on a chalkboard level or anything and, in reality, his voice actually gels with the metal on hand here.With dual lead guitars from the pair of Jaakko (Steel Machine, Swallowed, ex Damnation Pride and ex-Deathraiser) and Verneri and pounding drums from Miko (ex-Tornado where it looks as if he actually played guitar there) this 4-piece band thrashes their way through this MLP! Comparisons are fairly easy when it comes to Ranger. First off there's a very distinct appreciation shown for early Slayer. But, since we all love Slayer, it's easy to side-step the copy-cat tag that might be thrown Ranger's way. Especially as Ranger come across as a much more speed metal version of Slayer. Furthermore let's just say we're in an alternate universe where Slayer was first starting out and they had been influenced by the likes of Heathen's Rage, Griffin, Tyrant (the U.S. version), Phantom, Riot, Toxik, later day Megadeth and early Running Wild. Only with Ranger it's a much more straight to the point/go for the throat delivery then any of those influences would suggest. Confused? Don't be. All you really need to know about Ranger is that they sound as if they were forged out of molten lava and custom shaped to play heavy metal! If that idea thrashes your insides then come September, when this 5-track little rocker of an MLP is released, scoop this one up!