Showing posts with label Gate Of Deliria. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gate Of Deliria. Show all posts

Sunday, 12 April 2020

Fuck-Ushima/Fosforos - Split LP


Labels: Gate Of Deliria/Ramekuukkeli-Levyt
Formats: Vinyl/Digital
Release Date: 05 Jan 2020

Tracklist: 

1. Fuck-Ushima - We Are Doomed
2. Fuck-Ushima - Hervanta Acid Onslaught
3. Fuck-Ushima - Jazz Violence
4. Fuck-Ushima - Give Unto Suffering -
5. Fuck-Ushima - Merridew
6. Fosforos - Still Life
7. Fosforos - Welcome The Beast
8. Fosforos - Into The Horror
9. Fosforos - Let Go

At the same time as receiving the Frogskin/Taser LP that was released last October, Ramekuukkeli-Levyt was also kind enough to send me the 2020 split LP featuring Finnish PV band Fuck-Ushima and death/crust countrymen Fosforos. It's the first time I've come across either band, but you can pretty much put any Finnish heavy music in front of me and the chances are I'll dig it. This is the first vinyl release to feature Fuck-Ushima, as they've previously only released tapes after forming in 2012.  Fosforos formed a few years later in 2015 and prior to this they released a tape and a 7" EP. 

First up is Fuck-Ushima with five quick-fire ragers. ‘We Are Doomed’ is the most aptly titled song to kick things off with as it perfectly harnesses the helplessness and frustration that we’re all feeling right now. The music is crazy, feedback-laden PV/Sludge with growled dual-vocals. It’s all gloriously off-kilter and at times it could be considered anti-music but there’s lots to like about Fuck-Ushima’s racket. ‘Hervanta Acid Onslaught’ is a fast/slow beast that seems to run for longer than it’s actual playing time, as they put so much into it.

I was hoping that ‘Jazz Violence’ would be some really off the wall free-grind but alas it isn’t. It’s still great though and like the rest of the band’s music, it’s full of sludge that makes you feel anxious and occasionally nauseous, especially when the screaming guitar hits the front. You can tell it’s good when feedback is all that’s heard between songs, save for the very brief pauses. ‘Give Unto Suffering’ starts slow but then get’s fast, which is at odds with the rest of Fuck-Ushima’s songs so far. One thing’s for sure, this is intense especially this early in the day. Final song ‘Merridew’ is probably the grooviest, taking their sludge influence to further heights. The riffs are giant as is the overall atmosphere of it all. As first impressions go, these five tracks have left me floored. They’re not an easy listen by any means but that’s the fun of it. Nice one Fuck-Ushima!

Fosforos calls their side of this split The Horror Cycle, which is ominous. Their sound is more crusty and death metal influenced, genres with which Finland has a long and rich history. ’Still Life’ has the now recognisable crust-reverb applied to the deep growls, while the music is pretty melodic. ’Welcome The Beast” is more on the raw side, which is fine because crust was never supposed to over-produced and clean. There’s a lot of snotty punk attitude going on too, which adds to the energy of it. Fosforos slow’s everything down on the lumbering ‘Into The Horror’, which is more deathly and sludgy. It’s delivered in such a tortured way that it’s hard to feel energised when it’s playing, such is the crushing sense of dread that’s portrayed. 

Closing with ‘Let Go’, Fosforos demonstrates how they’re able to create varied songs with ease. It sounds almost funky at the beginning and it’s only the harsh vocals that remind you of what you’re listening to. It may sound like the vocalist is throwing up towards the end, but they’re not. It’s just annunciation and it fits perfectly. Again, first impressions are really good. Fosforos don’t seem to have a specific remit when it comes to their filthy noise, instead they just keep throwing different things into the mix. Great stuff for an unholy Sunday morning!

You can stream and purchase he Fuck-Ushima side of this split digitally below:-



The Fosforos side can be found here:-




Physical copies can be purchased from the labels below:-


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Monday, 10 February 2020

Frogskin/Taser - Split LP (Gate Of Deliria/Iron Coffin/Penny Whistles And Moon Pies/Ramekuukkeli-Levyt)


Labels: Gate Of Deliria/Iron Coffin/Penny Whistles And Moon Pies/Ramekuukkeli-Levyt
Formats: Vinyl/Digital
Release Date: 21 Oct 2019

Tracklist:

1. Frogskin - Settling For Leftovers
2. Taser - Shovel Face
3. Taser - Broken Christ

Yesterday ended up being a washout (literally, due to flooding and me having to help clear the mess from outside the flats that I reside in) and also because I wasn't able to write as many reviews as I had planned for the day. I did hint on social media though that I'd be focusing my writing efforts on Finnish bands this week and here we are. This split LP was one half of a package I received from Ramekuukkeli-Levyt. It split features Frogskin and Taser, both of whom are Finnish doom/sludge bands. It feels very apt to be writing about this release given what I had to endure over the weekend. Thanks go to Tuukka for sending this to me and I'm sorry for the delay with my review.

The artwork on both sides of this split is great. There’s just something about holding the physical release in my hands and pouring over it. It came with a lyric insert and has been pressed on nice thick black vinyl (there’s also a green variant too). Frogskin’s side of this split contains the song ‘Settling For Leftovers’ and it weighs in at nearly fifteen-minutes. With the wind blowing heavily outside my window, it seems only right to jam this now. An eerie spoken word sample plays atop of slow and bass-heavy doom/sludge. It’s not pretty and nor should it be. It’s feedback-laden passages ringing from the speakers as the growled vocals enter the fray. They sit perfectly nestled within the menacing recording. The further in you get, the slower Frogskin’s music seems to become, dragging you down into a blackhole of despair and claustrophobic fear. Towards the song’s conclusion, you’re left with a screeching noise passage that’s even more terrifying than the music that precedes it.

Taser’s side is more to the point and groovy. ‘Shovelface’ is a driving beast with rock n roll sensibilities and vocals that could pass for white-noise such is their high-pitched ferocity. Their approach is to batter whatever functioning faculties you have left with hard and heavy sludge. It works too. The brilliantly named ‘Broken Christ’ continues in the same way and with it’s earth-rumbling riffs, it takes no prisoners. While Frogskin’s contribution is one born of utter harshness and misery, Taser’s duo of songs are slightly more upbeat (if that’s at all possible). I’ve always been a fan of this form of sludge and doom but this split makes me realise why I hold it above all else. It really hits that spot in my brain that wants solitude and distance from humans. 

Both sides of this split are great and while I was already aware of Frogskin, Taser was a new name and I’m glad that Tuukka put them on my radar. They both show how twisted and heavy Finnish heavy music can be. I wholeheartedly recommend this split to anyone who likes the noisier and slower things in life. You won’t be disappointed.

You can stream and purchase the split digitally below, where I've included both the Frogskin and Taser sides for you two stream here via their respective bandcamp pages:-






Physical copies can also be purchased from the bands or from the links below:-



 Penny Whistles And Moon Pies is a label that belongs to Taser's guitarist. I don't have a link, but that have copies for sale via their bandcamp page above, as I've already mentioned.
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