SAASTAA SUOMESTA compilation 7"
It delivers what expected. Harsh noisecore assaults from several Finnish bands. Aunt Mary was expectedly good, Unpeace was GREAT surprise being so good after pretty clumsy live set. Funeral Mongoloids perhaps let down after utmost killing material on Suomi Finland Noise Core, now quite average. These all are good examples how noisecore, theoretically always garbage, can transform into powerful garbage with good ripping sound and perhaps little tightness, but can remain very untight, phlegmatic rubbish... Which couple bands on the comp certainly are.
SELF / FIRE IN THE HEAD split 10"
Listened this several times. I was never huge fan of these. SELF being Slogun side project what takes more atmospheric and instrumental approach. LP was good, but not phenomenal. FITH has been pretty solid work from beginning, but just slightly out of my range of interest. This 10" manages to contain possibly the best of SELF material, having more noisy and rugged elements in well composed atmospheric sound layering. FITH with one side of 10" manages to keep my attention all the time, even multiple spins. There's nothing revolutionary different compared to some his other things, but simply length and format is advantage this time!
Sniper / Nordic Wrath split CD. Latest from the Finnish wp rock legends who've been churning their offenses for c. 20 years by now, non-stop.. It's unfortunate that modern recording technic is very much disadvantage for brute force underground rock & metal. When production values match basically the radio standard, it takes away half of the power. There's some good riffs / melody from Sniper, perhaps more reminding of their early/mid period, but I'd hope they someday again would return to write more in Finnish (few lines in this CD). Nordic Wrath kind of "contemporary german RAC" which hardly competes with highlights of the 90's. OK for car ride background. I see recently re-issued Macht & Ehre demo materials on double LP's, that's more of German sound that's needed, hah...
