Kohti Tuhoa: Vakivaltaa 7″ Blue Vinyl

Description

The hardworking Helsinki 4-piece are back with a new EP, which shows the band experimenting with different sounds on each side of the record. On side A the band draws inspiration from early Spiderleg Records EPs and Killing Joke, with raw, catchy guitar parts and vocals nicely layered on top of a heavy, driving beat. Side B offers 3 tracks of catchy yet relentless hardcore punk where intense screaming, pogo beats and broken-sounding guitars create a backdrop for a great mix of Finnish hardcore, Disorder and modern bands like Colombias Muro. The lyrics illustrate a violent world plunging into chaos at an alarming rate, which seems to be the case in all parts of the planet in 2021.
VKIVALTAA 7 was recorded and mixed by the band and mastered by their trusted engineer Jack Control at Enormous Door Mastering. The record comes with a booklet-sleeve, lyrics and original artwork from Jaakko Karjula and C.S.M 101.

Our take: Helsinki band Kohti Tuhoa has cemented themselves as mainstays of Finnish hardcore. Since their emergence onto the scene 7 or 8 years ago, the bands discography boasts 3 full-length LPs and a couple of 7s. Their self-titled first release on Svart Records presented listeners with 6 blazing tracks of noisy, chaotic raw punk. Even from the beginning, it was clear the band was hellbent on dismantling any notion of formula. Over the course of their 3 LPs, you can hear Kohti Tuhoa expand their sound and bring a fresh sonic identity with each release. I remember hearing the El Totuudesta EP from last year and thinking it was their strongest release. Their songwriting seemed to move in a more tuneful direction, but El Totuudesta only hinted at the experimentation on their brand new EP Vkivaltaa. The opening track Suden Hetki is a minute-long instrumental that functions like a brooding, ambient mood piece to set the tone. Then we launch into Hpe, which is unique to any song Kohti Tuhoa has ever released. Drawing more inspiration from anarcho and post-punk, the propulsive, driving drum beat and cold, melodic sensibility recalls early Killing Joke. In direct contrast, the B-side serves up 3 tracks of explosive and chaotic hardcorebut not chaotic like the noisy, crusty sound of their previous releases. The band seems to have broken down creative barriers, throwing ideas against the wall and, as a result, theyve put together a batch of inventive and well-orchestrated crushers that feel unusual and exciting. Kohti Tuhoa has found a killer stride with Vkivaltaa, and Im itching to hear an LPs worth of material heading in this new direction.