#hedonihil

Presently on tour supporting StS’ highly-acclaimed 2019 release, “When a Shadow is Forced into the Light”, Hedonihil is drummer Juuso Raatikainen, vocalist Mikko Kotamäki and guitarist Juho Räihä. Just so we’re clear, this is Mikko as you’ve never heard him before. He sounds nothing like the emotive, soulful guy on, “When a Shadow…” Hell, he sounds nothing like the guy who growls and screams on all the previous StS albums. On “I”, think Anaal Nathrakh, only Dave Hunt is even more angry. Then imagine him not letting up for one minute. Kotamäki belts out blackened death metal vocals like he’s been doing them his entire career.

Opening with “Otherworldly Embrace”, you are welcomed in with the sounds of rain, thunder, chimes, and just as you’re getting comfortable, BOOM – you feel like you’ve been blast beat into hell.

“Run You Scum” has Mikko changing his register to a lower octave, and “The Temple of Venus” features several tempo changes and melodies incorporated that hold the listener’s attention throughout. You don’t have to be able to make out every lyric in “Anti-Human Agenda (Misanthropy, Pt.1).” The hate emanating from this one is palpable.

An angry album needs angry drums, and Juuso Raatikainen delivers them in spades. You get the sense that his talent is not fully realized in a band as vocals/guitars/keyboards heavy as StS, but here he’s able to showcase his full capabilities. Consistent throughout with pummeling riffs and those intense blast beats, he is also a master when it comes to fills, a crucial component to making these songs come alive for the listener.

It’s also nice to see Juho Räihä step away from Juha Raivio’s shadow and demonstrate his own prowess. His skillful solos on songs such as “The Whole Human Species Systematically Murdered (Misanthropy, Pt. 2) provide the perfect respite from the continuous onslaught.

The cover of GG Allin’s “You Hate Me and I Hate You” (featuring Florida Man & Samy Elbanna) is the perfect way to end this album. You could go so far as to call it the theme of this album. Those words have likely percolated in your brain many times over.