In keeping with my remit, here is some more metal from Finland. Mekanism are a very knowing cock-rocking, leathery band, with one of the most beautifully self-referential videos I have seen in recent months.
This homage/pastiche of the genre they are clearly deeply in love with renders the 5 piece instantly likeable, as does the fact that they refer to themselves as pop-orientated. Nothing is hidden, no underground cred is professed, it’s all exactly as it should be.
The End Of Fear takes the band’s release count to three. A significant escalation in craft from the much less definite sounding Unearth The Unknown EP, which sounds a like it was bolted together by 7 different people, …Fear is more confident, less childish and better produced. Opening with the title track, the plinky Ibiza keyboards play second fiddle to the knurled guitars and well-observed drumming. The vocals have been taken back a step from the cloudy multi-scream of yore to become a real melodic force. There are hints of second-album Soilwork in the harsh vocals and the solos, despite being widdlingly European, are accurately conceived and carefully written.
A special mention must go to closing track The Ruler Of Ashes, which is properly on it. Punishing, rollicking beatdowns explode from the fog, not outstaying their welcome and thus retaining their density. It is hard not to imagine second track Live And Die Today not inspiring much, much air guitaring at Wacken and the like, and the chorus is pitched perfectly to be roared back at the band by their adoring public.
There’s a lot of bands ploughing this furrow in mainland Europe, accustomed as they are to symphonic bombast and shirtless longhairs endlessly windmilling while singing about goblins, but as in any genre, those with a true gift for the formula can expect success. Mekanism’s terrible name initially caused me no shortage of concern, but I was pleased to be decimated by their well thought out material. It might be worth dialling the keyboards back a bit, but deployment of this oft-derided instrument is difficult in a metallic context. Mekanism also take great care to make their quiet sections truly noteworthy by stripping them to a single line rather than confusing matters with a lot of squealing guitars.
Properly good, and a right laugh in its own way.
Boss.