Customer Reviews

Pro Patria Finlandia

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you have never listened to black metal before, Impaled Nazarene is not for you. These guys have been banned in many countries, and just listen to one of there CD's and you will understand why. With Pro patria finlandia, they don't hold back anything. For some odd reason, I love this CD. Many of these songs get stuck in my head (and they will in your). They have been more defined as a blackened-punk band, and it does suit them very well. Very catchy choruses, reminds me somewhat of Dark Fortress at times.

I picked this up the other day and really didn't know what to expect. I've heard of the band for years but didn't know their exact genre or where they were from.

Thankfully, they are not a metal core, hard core, or nu-metal band. They are brutal and fast death metal. One could say the songs are generic death metal but I found their sound interesting in that they actually sneaked in a guitar solo or two in spots. They have some great riffing, and the vocals are not annoying or totally Cookie Monster. I could actually understand some of the lyrics though I don't really care what they are singing about as much as I like the articulated vocal noises.

The band may be considered old school and kind of generic, but I found that I really like their sound, and the flashes they throw in there to make it interesting. It'll be on my must play list for a while. Recommended.

I don't do many reviews but I take music seriously. I prefer metalcore and thrash.
I listen too and I have read many reviews and find them not too informative for various reasons.
This is what I prefer from a group:
1. A clean and clear production (I use headpphones so I can catch every sound.) I don't give extra points because a group performs "live" excellently but sucks on their disc.
2. Creativity and originality.
3. My benchmarks are Dew Scented "Inwards" and Carnal Forge "Firedemon". I am a lover of thrash but not Slayer (Slayer fans please do not be offended.)
4. I like guitars "in your face". I can overlook most vocals if the guitar production is there.
So, you want to know what I think about Impaled Nazarene? I think they fall in the category of what I will call "hyper speed" (meaning faster than thrash).
Here is my rating based on 10 out of 10:
1. The production is excellent, the guitars are outstanding. 10 out of 10.
2. The vocals are more like black metal type screechy, which is OK with me but may irritate some. 7 out of 10.
3. Creativity is very good. 9 out of 10.
4. You may or maynot like their super/hyper fast sound. I like it and that is a 10 out of 10 for me.
I listen to and buy many discs. The other group that comes to mind and is hyper spped is "Hellshock" but their production/clarity was not as good.

mpaled Nazarene's ninth full-length, 2006's "Pro Patria Finlandia," is primarily a is primarily rooted in the blackened death metal genre. Its "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas"-era Mayhem and old-school Morbid Angel influences create a sound not unlike Belphegor and Vital Remains. But it also makes sure to include plenty of elements from several other areas of extreme music. Slayer and Sepultura-worthy thrash, and "Effigy of the Forgotten" -era Suffocation-esque speed metal are two of its other main ingredients. And there is an equally-as-healthy portion of grindcore to be heard here, as well. (Most of the time, it is akin to Bolt Thrower, Napalm Death, and Terrorizer; but it sometimes evokes The Berzerker's industrial/cyber-grind.) Furthermore, it has a few freakish crust punk tinges. And finally, one cannot deny that some traditional punk, and Sick Of It All/Corrosion of Conformity-style hardcore ingredients are tossed into mix, too. All of this considered, Impaled Nazarene's sound may not be the most innovative; but it is also not that one that is heard every day, either.

It is true hat this album may initially seem to be kind of monotonous. (This is because the guitar work heard in any one given song ultimately become almost interchangeable with that in most others.) But you fully crack its surface (through repeat listens), you begin to realize that there is actually more going on, here, than probably first thought. As a result, an increased number of standout tracks should now be apparent. And even though the guitar work may not be as technical as, say, Behemoth's, it is certainly powerful and memorable enough to compensate for any repetition. After all, Tuomio Louhio and Onraj 9mm are constantly, savagely dueling back-and-forth against one another (in the end sounding like one guitarist with four hands), unleashing barrages of sharply biting and terrifically scorching buzzsaw riffage. Of course, it wouldn't be nearly as effective without an impeccable drumming of Repe Misanthrope. He anchors the songs with a very brutal and blistering grindcore blastmania. Top it all off with a thick rhythm section, and a performance from Sluti666 that is long on cool deathly growls, nightmarish black metal rasps, and blasphemous subject matter, and the result is a piece of music that bubbles over with frothing energy, scathing vitriol, vertebra-shattering speed, and visceral heaviness.

"Something Sinister" and "Weapons To Tame A Land" showcase Impaled Nazarene's undeniable knack for rather nice and nifty melodic riffing and occasional pinch harmonics. However, this tuneful prowess is slipped in amidst their usual steamrolling rhythms, crazed and pummeling drum blasts, and dizzying guitar work that alternates between lightning-fast leads and strong, driving, black metal tremolo picking. In addition, the former song boasts some exceptionally-technical (especially for black metal) bass work (including a bass interlude), and a careening guitar solo. "Something Sinister" also has memorable choruses, as does "Contempt" (its great, shout-along refrain evokes textbook hardcore, and are sure to catch your ear). Elsewhere, the jackhammer-fast "For Those Who Have Fallen" and "Kut" (which augments rip-roaring, smoke-inducing twin-guitar riffing with two shredding solos and "rat-tat-tat" machine gun blast beats) are two especially numbers; the deep, adherent groove and low, downtuned, grumbling and dirty-sounding guitar and bass lines behind "I Wage War" threaten to shake the listener's headphones; and "Cancer" features a short but sweet drum solo. But probably the biggest highlight of the bunch is track six, "Psykosis." It is more proof of the fact that bassist Arc V 666, although rarely heard, is probably the most technical member of the band. The track begins with a very technical, yet positively catchy, and almost Primus-esque slapped bass line, before launching into blistering speeds with great, machine-gun riffing. (Although a relatively mid-tempo, abrasively grinding breakdown pops-up from time-to-time.) All the while, another extremely punishing drum performance worthy of Hellhammer himself comes thundering through the mix.

So, yeah. All serious fans of extreme metal are advised to check-out "Pro Patria Finlandia," because this thing slays.