Down to basics take on thrashy, blackened speed metal
Black Rock might be one of the most fitting band names in recent times; The Finnish crust punk and Hellhammer aficionados from the township of Hyvinkää take the term 'rock n roll' and extrapolates it to fit a blackened speed metal aesthetic coupled with a raw, shouting vocal style in a simple setting.
Though speed metal is the name of the game, they're quite far removed from their countrymen in Ranger or Speedtrap. Songs like Into the Dungeon or The Forbidden Portal more closely resemble something that Darkthrone could have spewed forth in their Underground Resistance era, although in a very crude way.
Though speed metal is the name of the game, they're quite far removed from their countrymen in Ranger or Speedtrap. Songs like Into the Dungeon or The Forbidden Portal more closely resemble something that Darkthrone could have spewed forth in their Underground Resistance era, although in a very crude way.
"It could almost sound like the origins of a Finnish Hellhammer."
One could easily imagine the likes of Nocturno Culto or Tom Warrior grunting these occult lyrics to the sound of Black Rock's prominent guitar and drums. The band itself is a duo consisting of Vehmaa behind the drumkit and Willberg shredding the strings and screaming for vengeance at the microphone. On this demo they were joined by Kuusisto on the bass. It could almost sound like the origins of a Finnish Hellhammer.
Compared to the bands and groups mentioned, Black Rock follows a more obvious inspiration from punk in their simple song structures. The brutish directness of their compositions takes some getting used to, and seen in the light of how easy it is to make something sound pleasing in this day and age, the Finnish duo/trio comes dangerously close to just sounding dated and sloppy for the sake of reverence for the bands of yore.
Taking in their self-titled demo and fully appreciate their beastly outings takes quite a few listens. If the demo EP hadn't been so short, I'm confident I wouldn't have given it the benefit of the doubt and listened to it as much as I ended up doing. It's more easily digestible in length than it is in sound, but if one doesn't expect too much and just want to sit back and relax with a beer or seven, one could easily enjoy the oddly beseeching choruses, bridges and elementary riffs.
Compared to the bands and groups mentioned, Black Rock follows a more obvious inspiration from punk in their simple song structures. The brutish directness of their compositions takes some getting used to, and seen in the light of how easy it is to make something sound pleasing in this day and age, the Finnish duo/trio comes dangerously close to just sounding dated and sloppy for the sake of reverence for the bands of yore.
Taking in their self-titled demo and fully appreciate their beastly outings takes quite a few listens. If the demo EP hadn't been so short, I'm confident I wouldn't have given it the benefit of the doubt and listened to it as much as I ended up doing. It's more easily digestible in length than it is in sound, but if one doesn't expect too much and just want to sit back and relax with a beer or seven, one could easily enjoy the oddly beseeching choruses, bridges and elementary riffs.
7/10
Released in 2013 independently
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