The second, in Scandinavia already in 2007 released album of Finnish Death Metal band SOTAJUMALA comes as a real surprise.
On the debut album Death Metal Finland the title said it all (although the band goes more into the direction of Florida Death Metal), but was too edgeless and monotonous over the entire running time to leave a bigger impression, although there was nothing to nag about heaviness and techniques.
In the meantime, the guys obviously attended to the lacking aspect thoroughly, because Teloitus (means: execution) just teems with variation, without reducing heaviness any tiny bit. Quite the contrary! Due to improved compositional skills and sophisticated arrangements the relentlessly brutality of the new songs gets even maximized!
For that SOTAJUMALA got goal-oriented boosted: the old string fraction got added by a new and permanent drummer (Timo Häkkinen) and a new singer (Mynni Luukkainen). First one emerges as a master of skins and adds an unbelievably power to the band’s music, while his breaks and fills even polish the songs. And the new man behind the micro is a perfect match! His extremely deep-throated growls sound really nasty and easily range on an international level.
So, no idea why it took over a year to release this masterpiece outside Finland. Excellent crushers such as Kuolinjulistus or the title track with its ingenious end, every fan of uncompromising yet challenging Death Metal should know! But also at the other six tracks left on Teloitus, SOTAJUMALA manage to combine fancy and complex riff work that is catchy and brutal at the same time. Passages that can’t keep the high level must be sought with a loupe.
The extremely powerful production likewise leaves nothing to be desired, but leaves me done ;) Just the running time is a bit under dimensioned.
If SOTAJUMALA live up live to what Teloitus promises on CD and finally tour and get some label support, I think, they should then experience an enormous boost of popularity. The have at least a lot of potential in this matter!