Finnish word "sarvas" means non-castrated reindeer stag. And here it comes, fully weaponized with balls, if not the heaviest of metals, but at least of lead. And it's pretty truculent...

This 6-legged beast is the debut release of this Southern Finnish band. Packed in a simplistic yet effective (okay artwork and lyrics included) 3-panel digipak, it looks but also sounds professional. It's aural spectrum is wide, from pulsating/juggernaut bass to sharp clangs of cymbals. It also sounds clear and everything is easy to perceive in the mix. And I have to mention steel-stringed acoustic guitar heard on a couple of tracks; it sounds like it was playing next to a listener.

In their music, Sarvas mix sludge, doom and some pinches of death metal. To pin down some boundaries, I'd name old Finnish band Corporal Punishment, US heavy-weight legends Crowbar and Dutch Gorefest, and especially their latter works. Rusty, heavy, and at times intentionally ponderous guitar riffs and some melancholic harmonies are heard throughout the album. While the songs contain sharp hooks, they tend to have rather much turns. This certainly ain't easy 1-2-3-4 rock, mind you! The attitude is streetwise, but just like life, it has somber and quieter moments. Sarvas do not sound particularly Finnish, as they do not rely on typical Finnish melodiousness that so many bands carry nowadays (like for example Swallow The Sun), but have kind of a twisted vibe. That's also due to the use of various math-beats ('Spinecracker'). The vocal delivery is rough, potent, reverbed shouting, in hardcore style.

This isn't a happy album, as this tells a story of depression and rising up from it. It presents quite an unique-sounding band, who walks its own path, not caring about trends. It requires some real focusing from a listener, and might well stay abstruse till the end of times. But for those who dare to give it a try, this is true bloke metal!

Rating: 6 (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
02/13/2015 16:26