Description
Black vinyl with insert. Limited 350 copies
Finland is kind of an odd country metal wise. It’s a big name in the genre and it’s not hard to rattle off bands like Stratovarious, Sentenced, Children of Bodom, Behexen, and Nightwish but it has a long history of putting some really fucking weird bands. Bands like Thergothon, Skepticism, Demilich, Funcunt, and Maple Cross have given this isolated chilly domain a reputation for dwelling on the fringes of genre and its recent heavy metal output including bands like Legionnaire, Angel Sword, Mausoleum Gate, Rotor, Iron Griffin, Baltimor, and Chevalier stand apart from the usual pristine and spotless “retro” faire of today. Finland’s new wave of ancient heavy metal is raw, rough, and blunt as a sledgehammer but it is not without its own specific kind of artistry and majesty. One man war machine Tommi Varsala first caught the attention of many old school fanatics with Tyfon’s Doom’s sophomore demo, Yeth Hound, a chaotic explosion of classic metal barbarity with epic aspirations akin to Tyrant (Too Late to Pray) and Hyborian Steel. With their debut album Tyfon’s Doom have come hither to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under their snow-covered booted feet, now with the help of Rocka Rollas frontman Cedrick Forsberg handling drumming with nearly the same fury as his guitar work. Where some choose pop-catchiness, proggy polish, or technical velocity, Tyfon’s Doom arm themselves with tried and tested weaponry of their epic metal ancestors and a massive bombast symphonic in its intensity but formed of pure classic heavy metal craftsmanship. While it’s not going to win any awards for “innovation”, it’s nonetheless distinct in its particular take on classic heavy metal, belonging to a similar category as the aforementioned Hyborian Steel and Tyrant but differing in its less abrasive, speed metal influenced take and moving in more traditional NWOBHM derived influences for a rare mixture of melodic emphasis on titanic rhythmic onslaughts. Among the best trad/power/speed releases of the year.
Track list:
1. Tyrants Sceptre
2. The Hidden Hand
3. Sea Of Life
4. Beyond Treason
5. Endless War
6. Moonlight
7. Howling Danger
8. The Rider From Abandoned Town
9. Rising Earth
10. Strange Aeons
11. Emperors Path