Opium Warlords
Live at Colonia Dignidad
Cobra Records
It's difficult to write a general review this debut from Finn, Sami Albert Hynninen, as each epic song almost deserves a review in its own right. That doesn't necessarily mean they're all brilliant, although "Live at Colonia Dignidad" does offer a selection of decent tunes that range from crushing, doom metal to ponderous, stoner ambience. The predominant musical outlook from the offset is one of funeral doom although the vocals offer a more ritualistic uneasiness rather than the deathly growl characteristic of the genre. While a lot of this is enjoyable and well thought out, some tracks, such as "Suck my spear, servant of satan" overstay their welcome by a fair stretch and ruin any impact they may have initially made. "Feel the strength" seems like a pointless exercise in riff-testing, as if he just rattled out a couple of ideas and fired them onto the CD, while closing track "Support the satanic youth" reeks of an attempt to surprise listeners by blasting out a mere five seconds of blistering mayhem that, if done in the spirit of Nuclear Assault, is obviously meant to be funny. However, given that the album discharges a serious tone, it's probably the case that Hynninen is attempting to mimic the sporadic sonic outbursts of early Napalm Death or Brutal Truth. Neither works and it's a sad, transparent end to an album that's brimming with authentic, grim undertones.
- John Norby
