Well, what do you know? Finland strikes again with another winner in the form of Satura Lanx, whose first album, "No Fighting the Furies", was released earlier this year by Brown Records. It's worth pointing out right off the bat, though, that this is not the kind of Finnish hardcore that most readers are accustomed to seeing covered here. In fact, I'm pleasantly surprised that, while not unfamiliar, I've not really encountered this brand of hardcore from the Finnish scene in the past. Satura Lanx covers quite a few bases, from the energetically paced chord progressions of traditional hardcore given a dissonant facelift, to post-hardcore accoutrements that blend both subtle melody and a chunkier metallic undercurrent. And then there are some Botch-esque pull-off runs or unexpectedly little rocked out twists… among other influences. Plus, the vocals are absolutely venomous snarls that somehow fit perfectly into the puzzle, which is awesome. I really don't know how the hell they do it, but these dudes basically take all this different shit, smash it all around, and spit out 10 tracks in 30 minutes that actually come across as focused and memorable. A rare but excellent occurrence, indeed! I quite enjoy the production as well, because the rhythm section has a great, warm punch while the guitars and vocals possess a certain rawness that really adds to the impact and atmosphere of the material. The packaging is killer, too. Metallic silver ink, matte finish… yep, I'm a fan all around! I'm damn glad this one came my way. Well done…

Satura Lanx "Glory Murder"
Satura Lanx "The Society of Others"

This one doesn't appear to be readily available in the US just yet, but according to the label's site they do work with both RevHQ and Surprise Attack Records. This is an awesome fuckin' disc, so I definitely encourage you to either pick it up straight from the label or get in touch with them to find out when it might be finding its way into an American distro or two:

@ Brown Records

Divider's from Long Island, I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've heard 'em, and I think the "At Twilight" EP (on Shock Value Records) is their first release. What you're in for here are six quick tracks in about 16 minutes that tear through loads of blisteringly chaotic riffs and abrasively screamed/shouted diatribes, but I actually really dig this stuff. The songwriting's definitely all over the place and frantic as hell, but something about the overall feel seems… I don't know… just… you know how some bands click and some bands don't? Well, I guess this just clicks for some reason!? It doesn't hurt that there are some unexpected melodic bursts or borderline crusty rhythmic breaks that add tangible moments to the surrounding frenzies, but they're also fairly controlled players when they need to be, and all of that adds up, in this case, to a compact and powerful release. Of course, it's also no detriment that Kurt Ballou was at the helm of the recording sessions, as that probably has a lot to do with the grittily textured guitar tone and the way the vocals are placed perfectly amidst the instruments in the mix… not to mention the crisp snap of the percussion (highlighting some rather intense drum work here and there). Also worth pointing out is that the overall tone of the lyrical content, while at times blunt and lightly sarcastic, is pointed in the socio-political direction, so there's more of a message here than is often the case with bands of comparable musical tendencies – and that can be important. I don't know, man, a lot of times I just can't hang with this stuff, but for the most part this band's got the right ideas in motion.

Divider "Doomsday"

Support the band and the label with a purchase if you're into it, okay? Get to it:

@ Shock Value Records
@ RevHQ
@ Very Distribution