Review by Alex on November 5, 2018.

For a debut outing this isn’t bad at all, and to be fair, I’ve never been disappointed by a Finnish metal band apart from a mainstream one for releasing that abominable 2015 record. Thus said Ratbreed deliver the good tunes on here from start to end.

With Evoke the Blaze, Ratbreed brings a mixture of melodies and tempo changes all the while rocking fun guitar solos. The songs have a very empowering feeling to them from the first track to the last, you get the sense you can overcome any obstacle confronted by in life. Yes, it does have a progressive feeling too, thanks to the vocalist’s voice that helps to evoke a confident state of mind and an optimistic perspective. However there are some songs that deal with pessimistic thoughts and feelings of regressive behavior. ”Decay of the Mind” is the best song on the record and encapsulates this negative feeling I am speaking of, but the way it is structured gives the listener a feeling of fighting back or trying to repel the negativity. I admire this blend of pessimism and optimism on the record. It’s not all fantasy driven or ‘devour and conquer’ as usually portrayed in traditional heavy metal; no, Ratbreed uses various tempo changes and riff patterns to highlight other unseen factors that many encounter. 

Evoke the Blaze has an aplomb flow; Ratbreed does not fall victim of adding too much, they keep things simple and sensible. As you progress further towards the end of the record you start to realize that the A side is much stronger than the B side. Tracks are more memorable and catchy on the A side, not saying the B side isn’t good; the are fewer songs that stand out in the listeners ear, in comparison to side A. For instance on “Through the Flames”, the guitarist gives his best solo of the album that feels more in tune with the primary rhythm of the song and even brings to light a bit of technical skill; mixing such attributes often lead to memorability. Though various tones and moods are present on the record, as a whole Evoke the Blaze possesses a comforting and controlled feeling, perhaps this has come to be due to the pacing of the music, which mostly lies within the middle range. The vocalist does sound aggressive but not to the excessively rowdy point of negatively impacting her vocals. You can still hear the harmony in her voice even though the passion is very much audible. 

All together Evoke the Blaze is a fun listening experience. Also Ratbreed’s cover of Warlock’s “I Rule the Ruins” is a fantastic and well executed attempt at paying homage to one of the legendary traditional heavy metal bands; I’m sure Warlock would feel exalted once having heard it. Ratbreed took the song and nurtured it as if their own.

Favorites:

Review by Alex on November 5, 2018.

For a debut outing this isn’t bad at all, and to be fair, I’ve never been disappointed by a Finnish metal band apart from a mainstream one for releasing that abominable 2015 record. Thus said Ratbreed deliver the good tunes on here from start to end.

With Evoke the Blaze, Ratbreed brings a mixture of melodies and tempo changes all the while rocking fun guitar solos. The songs have a very empowering feeling to them from the first track to the last, you get the sense you can overcome any obstacle confronted by in life. Yes, it does have a progressive feeling too, thanks to the vocalist’s voice that helps to evoke a confident state of mind and an optimistic perspective. However there are some songs that deal with pessimistic thoughts and feelings of regressive behavior. ”Decay of the Mind” is the best song on the record and encapsulates this negative feeling I am speaking of, but the way it is structured gives the listener a feeling of fighting back or trying to repel the negativity. I admire this blend of pessimism and optimism on the record. It’s not all fantasy driven or ‘devour and conquer’ as usually portrayed in traditional heavy metal; no, Ratbreed uses various tempo changes and riff patterns to highlight other unseen factors that many encounter. 

Evoke the Blaze has an aplomb flow; Ratbreed does not fall victim of adding too much, they keep things simple and sensible. As you progress further towards the end of the record you start to realize that the A side is much stronger than the B side. Tracks are more memorable and catchy on the A side, not saying the B side isn’t good; the are fewer songs that stand out in the listeners ear, in comparison to side A. For instance on “Through the Flames”, the guitarist gives his best solo of the album that feels more in tune with the primary rhythm of the song and even brings to light a bit of technical skill; mixing such attributes often lead to memorability. Though various tones and moods are present on the record, as a whole Evoke the Blaze possesses a comforting and controlled feeling, perhaps this has come to be due to the pacing of the music, which mostly lies within the middle range. The vocalist does sound aggressive but not to the excessively rowdy point of negatively impacting her vocals. You can still hear the harmony in her voice even though the passion is very much audible. 

All together Evoke the Blaze is a fun listening experience. Also Ratbreed’s cover of Warlock’s “I Rule the Ruins” is a fantastic and well executed attempt at paying homage to one of the legendary traditional heavy metal bands; I’m sure Warlock would feel exalted once having heard it. Ratbreed took the song and nurtured it as if their own.

Favorites:

Review by Alex on December 17, 2018.

Usually when a band takes so long to put out their first full length release, in most cases they are dedicating all energies into crafting something that will have a serious impact on the scene they represent. Letheria first emerged in the year 1999 with a demo residing under the name Profane Oath, since then, the Finish band has only been releasing material in the form of Ep's and demos up until 2018. The one thing I admire the most about the Finish metal scene is the quality of music they strive to create; under no circumstance do they relax or take music for granted, they always give their best attempt at molding their craft and presenting it for listening pleasure and scrutiny. What Letheria has done on this latest offering titled Death-Principle, is take influences of melodic death metal, punk metal, hard rock, old school death metal, hardcore and black metal and somehow mix them effectively to produce a piece of work that has many faces each boasting a proficiency in a select sub-genre of metal. 19 years of experience has done nothing but equip and harness Letheria’s growing strength in diverse musical compositions. Letheria’s drive to command attention is brilliantly put on a display with Death-Principle due to the multiple styles and song writing techniques used in the generating of their first full length record. There is so much happening on each track that it would be unfair to label Death-Principle “run of the mill” death metal. Death-Principle is the culmination of experience and dedication, it’s a monster comprised of many horrors that comes to surface ever so often before being restrained.

Given the somewhat shaky beginning of the record, it was difficult at first to make sense of what Letheria had set out to accomplish. The songs were not too shabby at all, they however were not very effective at cohesively blending the various styles thus leading to mixed feelings about the opening moments of the band’s debut record Death-Principle. It however picked up interest immediately on “One Spit of a Thousand Swears”. At this time the formula begins to demonstrate signs of potency, the idea behind the record sparks understanding and from that point everything else etches onto the record with purpose. With the arrival of “Pestchrist” Letheria start pelting out the melodies and man what a treat they are to hear; you get the feeling of listening to an entirely different record. The arrangements groove into the rhythm much more smoothly instead of sounding stranded and searching for its place. Following sudden burst of momentum, more wicked tunes begin to crawl from the dark, songs like “Call the Horns”, “The Kingdom in Coffins of Kings and Gods” and my favorite, “Malaria Magdalena” battle for the spotlight while delivering catchy guitar leads and riffs. The drumming is a definite highlight on Death-Principle, it goes from mid-paced groovy, to hardcore, to melodic black metal, to black/death blasts beats and constant snare stomping. It must require a level head to memorize and execute such ever changing drum styles; well done the drummer. The riffs hold up against the test of the drums; they partake in the musical journey with a few added surprises where you least expect them. The vocals are a blend of snarling grunts, punk laden declarations in the form of shouting and a chants that lay naked and raw on Death-Principle. The vocalist delivers an array of blends during the lyrical passages spoken on each entry thus adhering to the multiple faces of Letheria’s Death-Principle. 

In most ways you may consider this venture an experimental one judging by the diverse patterns of Letheria’s sound. Death-Principle seems as though the band is just having fun and after being around for nearly decades who can tell them not to. 

Pestilential Passages of Protest

• “Pestchrist”
• ”Call The Horns”
• ”The Kingdom in Coffins of Kings and Gods”
• ”Malaria Magdalena”
• ”With Tears of Urine You Will Cry His Name”
• ”Fire Speaks”

Rating: 8.2 out of 10

Review by Alex on December 17, 2018.

Usually when a band takes so long to put out their first full length release, in most cases they are dedicating all energies into crafting something that will have a serious impact on the scene they represent. Letheria first emerged in the year 1999 with a demo residing under the name Profane Oath, since then, the Finish band has only been releasing material in the form of Ep's and demos up until 2018. The one thing I admire the most about the Finish metal scene is the quality of music they strive to create; under no circumstance do they relax or take music for granted, they always give their best attempt at molding their craft and presenting it for listening pleasure and scrutiny. What Letheria has done on this latest offering titled Death-Principle, is take influences of melodic death metal, punk metal, hard rock, old school death metal, hardcore and black metal and somehow mix them effectively to produce a piece of work that has many faces each boasting a proficiency in a select sub-genre of metal. 19 years of experience has done nothing but equip and harness Letheria’s growing strength in diverse musical compositions. Letheria’s drive to command attention is brilliantly put on a display with Death-Principle due to the multiple styles and song writing techniques used in the generating of their first full length record. There is so much happening on each track that it would be unfair to label Death-Principle “run of the mill” death metal. Death-Principle is the culmination of experience and dedication, it’s a monster comprised of many horrors that comes to surface ever so often before being restrained.

Given the somewhat shaky beginning of the record, it was difficult at first to make sense of what Letheria had set out to accomplish. The songs were not too shabby at all, they however were not very effective at cohesively blending the various styles thus leading to mixed feelings about the opening moments of the band’s debut record Death-Principle. It however picked up interest immediately on “One Spit of a Thousand Swears”. At this time the formula begins to demonstrate signs of potency, the idea behind the record sparks understanding and from that point everything else etches onto the record with purpose. With the arrival of “Pestchrist” Letheria start pelting out the melodies and man what a treat they are to hear; you get the feeling of listening to an entirely different record. The arrangements groove into the rhythm much more smoothly instead of sounding stranded and searching for its place. Following sudden burst of momentum, more wicked tunes begin to crawl from the dark, songs like “Call the Horns”, “The Kingdom in Coffins of Kings and Gods” and my favorite, “Malaria Magdalena” battle for the spotlight while delivering catchy guitar leads and riffs. The drumming is a definite highlight on Death-Principle, it goes from mid-paced groovy, to hardcore, to melodic black metal, to black/death blasts beats and constant snare stomping. It must require a level head to memorize and execute such ever changing drum styles; well done the drummer. The riffs hold up against the test of the drums; they partake in the musical journey with a few added surprises where you least expect them. The vocals are a blend of snarling grunts, punk laden declarations in the form of shouting and a chants that lay naked and raw on Death-Principle. The vocalist delivers an array of blends during the lyrical passages spoken on each entry thus adhering to the multiple faces of Letheria’s Death-Principle. 

In most ways you may consider this venture an experimental one judging by the diverse patterns of Letheria’s sound. Death-Principle seems as though the band is just having fun and after being around for nearly decades who can tell them not to. 

Pestilential Passages of Protest

• “Pestchrist”
• ”Call The Horns”
• ”The Kingdom in Coffins of Kings and Gods”
• ”Malaria Magdalena”
• ”With Tears of Urine You Will Cry His Name”
• ”Fire Speaks”

Rating: 8.2 out of 10