Reviews

Puukotus-levyt

Bad Jesus Experience VII 10″

It seems that BAD JESUS EXPERIENCE has been around for a while, though this is my first encounter with their brand of chaotic, emotive hardcore. Off-kilter, angular, and discordant, BAD JESUS EXPERIENCE is the 2026 Finnish response to ’90s screamo like ONE EYED GOD PROPHECY, OTTAWA, ORCHID, THREE STUDIES FOR A CRUCIFIXION, etc. The most abrasive aspects of the genre propel this forward at a pace that feels pregnant with urgency and franticism, rooted in what was called emo before the term became associated with swoopy haircuts and teenage mall goths. Tough to endorse a band that calls themselves BAD JESUS EXPERIENCE, and the cover art is equally atrocious, but if you get down with any of the aforementioned bands, then you can probably look past those transgressions.

Karkaisu Tulenarkaa EP

Hardcore crust out of Finland. Very thrashy at points. In fact, this feels more like a metal album than a punk one. Not that I’m complaining, I’m a big fan of this release. It was almost a little shocking to see this was recorded within the last year—it honestly feels like this was unearthed from the early ’80s. Very tight recording, and the guitars are absolute fire. Blistering fast galloping that never wavers. Fantastic stuff, and the album art is the icing on the cake. For fans of early METALLICA and ZNOWHITE.