Virhe - S/T EP

Labels: Starving Light Collective

Formats: Digital/Tape

Release Date: 01 Nov 2021

Tracklist:

1. Parasiitti

2. Diktaattori

3. Hapea

4. Myrkky

5. Pehmeys

6. Keuhkot

7. Bambi

8. Pilkka

9. Affluenza

10. Valvepainajainen

11. Sisyfos

Some of you reading tonight's review will recognise Starving Light Collective from Finland, as I reviewed the Cold Hell Corrosion - Exposure/Three Step Program 7" they helped to release, back in November 2020 (has it been that long already!). The label is back with a slew of new releases, including a tape version of the self-titled EP from Finnish powerviolence band Virhe, following it's digital release by the band in November 2021. This is eleven songs in nowhere near that time!

I’m going to have to go some to keep up with this. Virhe is a new band to me and the quartet starts off with a blast-drenched slab of rawness in the form of ‘Parasiitti’. It’s barrage of percussion is matched by screeching feedback, buzzing guitar/bass riffs and scathing high-pitched vocals. That’s the blueprint for the whole release, as ‘Diktaattori’ shows, albeit with a nice change of pace later in the song.

‘Hapea’ is awash with the crash of cymbals, which loom large on the recording alongside the vox, not giving the guitars much of a look in sonically. ‘Myrkky’ does show how powerful Virhe’s riffs can be though, when they’re allowed to breath.

As with a great number of powerviolence bands, Virhe makes use of samples between songs, like the one that closes ‘Myrkky’ and opens ‘Pehmeys’. If you want truly caustic grind then you’ve come to the right place for sure, as very few songs make it anywhere near a minute and before you know it you’ve reach the mid-point of the EP with ‘Keuhkot’. Again the riffs here are slightly more meaty, but you’re never to far away from sheer chaos. 

‘Bambi is one of those songs that nears the sixty-second mark and it’s much more orientated towards Virhe’s instrumentation. It’s still no easy listen though and the face-ripping ‘Pilkka’ proves that further. ‘Affluenza’ has a much greater metallic tone, which is nice to hear even if it doesn’t last that long. 

Penultimate number ‘Valvepainajainen’ is pure auditory terror that acts as a precursor to ‘Sisyfos’, the single longest song on the EP at just over a minute. Song lengths really don’t mean much anymore I know, but in powerviolence terms an extra thirty seconds can mean a lot. Here, Virhe uses the extra time to batter you some more.

This is a ferocious EP from start to end and certainly won’t be for everyone. If you like extremes, both in speed and frequency terms, then you’ll find everything you need right here. Finland’s fast community is growing rapidly and Virhe will no doubt be amongst it’s noisiest. Play loud all the time!

You can stream and purchase the EP as a name-your-price download below:-

Tape copies have sold out via Virhe but you can get in touch with Starving Light Collective, in case any copies remain, via social media/e-mail here - https://www.facebook.com/starvinglight/