Review by Adam M on April 21, 2013.

This is an interesting and Avant-Garde album that makes use of every emotion that is possible. The band creates an ethereal atmosphere that breathes life into the songs. The choruses will stick in your head with the gentle beauty that each mood creates. There is very much an emphasis on this mood that elevates this album above recent material like "Amanethes".

The religion aura of the cover permeates itself into this spiritually pleasing experience. Right from the first track 'The Scarred People' one is enraptured by this newer song the band reaches for. There are influences of bands like Pink Floyd and Anathema and I feel this is the style of sound that suits the band the best. 'The Sun Also Rises' which must be likened to the Hemingway novel, is another catchy piece that will have you humming the lyrics in no time. There is also a likening to singer-songwriters like Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen that rises above the rest of the music. The mood is generally mellow and dreamlike and this leads to an album that competes with the likes of recent material by Anathema.

There are enough high and lows in emotion throughout the make the most stern person sit up and take notice. To improve, the band could make a concept and make it flow more seamlessly than it does here. As a collection of songs, this is a very complete work, however and should be enjoyed by both fans of Heavy Metal and Rock. Add in some nifty vocal work and "The Scarred People" is a nice album overall.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8.5
Atmosphere: 8.5
Production: 8.5
Originality: 8
Overall: 8.5

Rating: 8.4 out of 10

Review by JD on March 23, 2014.

Finland is known for some very intense metal and some of the most polarizing death metal on the planet but punk/thrash with gore lyrics and a dose of older metal for good measures? Sounds very interesting to the ears of this Canadian Headbanger… Hummm… let’s see what is what.

You cannot say this too much: this is fun music, right off the bat but by the same token, that is all what I get. It is blatant in it’s over the top gore and straight forward music, not to mention the strength it is delivered with. This is truly a band that does it for the pure love of it all - and yet I am left with wanting a bit more out of this Finns that what they have given us.

Songs like unusually named "Undead Nazi Bastard" and the sick "Skullfuckers" are amusing and supposed to be very shocking with a fun factor level of 10, and yet I still feel empty even as I listen to those tracks. I do love any band that does things with a tongue-in-cheek attitude and have an undeniably irreverent style like these Finns do – but in the end, Scarecrow leaves me wanting more humour and less of a half-hearted and cartoonish.

It’s hard to give a good review, especially if I find the band I am reviewing doing things that are to their own ways and yet not hitting the mark. I think I will give the review the rating I am thinking of, but yet giving my honest opinions to back it all up. Perhaps they are better live, but on CD it my not be worth what you pay for in the end.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Production: 4
Originality: 5
Overall: 5

Rating: 4.8 out of 10