Turmion Kätilöt are back to set the dancefloor alight.
After celebrating their 20th anniversary last year, MC Raaka Pee (vocals), Master Bates (bass), Bobby Undertaker (guitar), RunQ (keyboards), DQ (drums) and Shag-U (vocals, Fear Of Domination) continue their world conquest with Reset, their eleventh album, released by Nuclear Blast.
We start with the danceable Yksi Jumalista, which would put anyone in a good mood with its catchy groove, but the track gets much heavier as soon as the vocalists enter the fray. The riffs remain energetic before turning darker on the intro to Päästä Irti, eventually revealing themselves to be as upbeat and rhythmic as ever thanks to the keyboards and lighter disco influences, which are also found on Pulssi, which begins with fairly soft clean vocals. It doesn’t take long for the rage to emerge, but it’s contrasted by the playful tones before a final, effective chorus leads us onto the disquieting Sinä 2. 0, where a female voice brings a little diversity, even making the track softer. The ferocity returns with Musta Piste, which is immediately more oppressive and jerky, reminiscent at times of the band’s early days thanks to aggressive patterns coupled with a few Electro touches, but the instrumental becomes more raw on Trauma, letting the vocalists take the reins to guide us between the different parts of the track, speeding up and slowing down at will. The sound becomes more martial with Otava, but the Industrial additions are paradoxically much steamier, feeding the contrast also found on Se Mitä Et Näe, where modified vocals appear from time to time to complement the devastating flow of the vocalists and the thick riffs. Hostilities resume immediately with Kerran Kuollut, which once again features danceable elements borrowed from the world of nightlife and its hypnotic dances, before Puuttuva Naula offers a touch of lightness coupled with communicative vocal parts. The madness takes hold of the band for Schlachter, especially with that sort of heady siren that will dictate the track’s over-the-top patterns, then the rhythm becomes calmer with Reset 7 (not to be continued), the long final track that adopts a more intriguing, almost even strange atmosphere at first, then becomes more solid while retaining the mocking female vocals right up to the last moment.
There’s no doubt about it, Turmion Kätilöt knows how to get us moving! The twelve new tracks on Reset perfectly fit with their discography, and are sure to be a hit with their audience!
85/100