Friday 16 March 2018

Cold Case 3-Way Tape - Pohjamuta/Cicutoxin/Rutsa


Labels: Ramekuukkeli-Levyt
Formats: Tape
Release Date: 27 Jan 2018

Tracklist:-

1. Pohjamuta - Uhrimiekka
2. Cicutoxin - The Fury
3. Cicutoxin - Junkies With Dogs
4. Rutsa - Raadonsyojat

I'm doing something tonight that I haven't done in a very long time...I'm reviewing a tape using a tape player! In an age when people (including myself, I'll be honest) are lazy and like to review things digitally, I decided to dust off the tape/cd combi I procured from my sister when I moved out and use it, secretly hoping that it doesn't chew up the first tape it sees. 

That first tape in question is the new 3-way tape from Finnish label Ramekuukkeli-Levyt and it features both Cicutoxin and Rutsa (who have been featured here before) and Pohjamuta (who haven't). All three bands play sludge metal but in their own ways. 

Pohjamuta takes up the whole of a-side of this tape with their song Uhrimiekka. They’re perfectly suited to the tape format as their sound is raw and noisy. Some people may not understand the format’s resurgence of late but it’s got a place in my heart nevertheless. Pohjamuta plays a crazed brand of sludge that features loads of up-tempo groove and a bizarre vocal delivery. It’s a lot of fun and will definitely frighten off anybody with a nervous disposition. At times is sounds more like black metal yet it never looses it’s sludgy backbone.

Cicutoxin is allowed two songs on the b-side and their first, The Fury, is distinctly more melodic though not necessarily clearer. Again, much like Pohjamuta on the a-side, they’re bleak in their own way. Their take on sludge is slower and more traditional with a very bass-heavy sound. The amusingly titled Junkies With Dogs is their second song and is instrumental for the most part. At times they sound like a slowed down (early version of) Mastodon instrumentation-wise and the vocals are screamed out in a sparing but vile fashion. 

Rutsa is a shock to the system with the grinding, fierce intensity of Raadonsyojat. It’s full of feedback and heavy riffs that are buried amongst a constant fuzz of white noise and snare crashes. When Rutsa eventually settles into a sludgy passage, they manage to sound even more violent. It’s a frenetic end to a tape that’s far from easy-listening. All three bands have their own originality and yet seem to fit together with ease here. If you like underground DIY music and don’t mind taking a risk then I would recommend this tape wholeheartedly.

There's no digital stream of the full tape but the participating bands are streaming their contributions below:-







Tape copies can be purchased from Ramekuukkeli-Levyt here - http://ramekuukkeli.nettisivu.org

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