†┼†┼

In sharp contrast to yesterday's happy-go-lucky post I bring you the latest wretched release from Finland's reigning mutacore legends. Not to be confused with their eponymous albums of 2005 and 2007, Loinen is the band's first non-collaborative full-length release since the suicide of primary vocalist Secundus in 2009. Information on the band is annoyingly scant (other than on this somewhat current page), solo vocalist Primus steps up to the plate with commendable aplomb but just doesn't have the tortured desperation Secundus conveyed with his ear-bleeding vocal assault. Still, the record doesn't disappoint. The opening two tracks are reminiscent of the Loinen of old; slow and pounding sludge that may or not still be played with two bassists (no liner notes on this one) - it's brutal and heavy as fuck. "Jerusalem" can best be described an experimental jam - probably influenced by a recent collaboration (2012's Mutajazz) with improvisational jazz outfit Paanin Kuoro - interesting but ultimately forgettable. "Rubber Jesus" showcases the band's faster, grindier talents while the 10-minute closer "Useless Animal" is the real star of the album. A miserable dirge of angst and despair, it plods along for the first half before exploding in a lo-fi feedback-laden tumult. Reminds me of the shit GG was doing on Suicide Sessions - absolutely raw as fuck and never boring - a true keeper.

Nauttia

Low Slow Ragnarök-core

Yep, another heartwarming compilation CDr of abominable lo-fi sludgecore straight from the icy republic of Finland. Opening the aural assault is GranG, a brutal three-piece playing wretchedly distorted sludge with so much overdrive it almost degrades into an inaudible wall of noise. Awesome stuff for purveyors of Loinen, Stumm and their miserable ilk. Phenylketonuria follows with an epic half hour of trippy sludgy funeral doom which has its moments and is much better then most offerings in a genre that I don't really like anyway. The warm hum of blazing amp tubes adds a unique layer on this surreal melodic ode to destroying the world - it's surprisingly hypnotic and almost sounds like something Ween could have done had they gone into darker places with The Pod. Wrapping up F.F.13.1970 (named for the release date of Black Sabbath's debut record) is the aforementioned Loinen and their abject composition "Lapamato" ("Tapeworm"). Imagine summoning the worst memories of your life and condensing them into a agonizingly bleak 16-minute opus and you get an idea of what to expect. Truly one of their best recordings (in the feedback-laden cassette-deck lo-fi style of Muta Core) from a band who constantly amazes me with their unrepentant self-loathing. Speaking of whom, I just discovered a webpage apparently written by one of the band members which showcases their entire discography, lyrics and song history - cool stuff. Enjoy.

Hail The Klaan Of The Anal Witch!

Murder Murder Suicide

After years of searching I was happy to finally find Loinen's evasive split CDr with fellow countrymen MurhaMurhaItsemurha. Was it worth the wait? Well, yes and no. Loinen's opener, "God Of Plague" is a raging sixty-second blast of screaming sludgecore - wonderfully lo-fi in extremis. Brilliant shades of their early material. The second track, "Plant" is a strange, quasi-industrial (?) loop-heavy dirge with lots of samples and screams that left me feeling a bit empty. Oh well, making up for it is the hilarous noise/tardcore awaiting on the flip side. MurhaMurhaItsemurha sound like a even more retarded Sockeye and are just as entertaining. Lots of weird screaming, experimentation and nonsense - one track, "Epätietoisuus Eläimistä" (loosely Google translated into "Uncertainty About Animals") is simply the sound of someone eating. Solid stuff. Enjoy.

Shoot Me Too

Finnish for "Parasite"

How to describe Loinen? Pretend everyone in Eyehategod played bass (with their amps turned up as loud as possible) and they had Seth Putnam's vocals dubbed onto two tracks. Incredible sludge from these Finnish gods - pounding, miserable and unbearably depressing. Sorrowfully, singer Secundus passed away in 2009 from suicide, leaving the band's future unknown. This 2005 self-titled release is a great introduction - four tracks of absolutely depressing dirge that will make you think you blew the tweeters in your speakers before you realize your ears are just ruined.

Ladata