ASYLUM 8 “Repress Released November 10th via Inverse Records
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Power metal, death metal, and EDM synths are generally never used by the same band all at the same
time, but they definitely could be used together. “Imagine if a death metal band got drunk, went to
the wrong party and ended up making a baby with a DJ that has a secret craving for some power
metal.” This is the perfect definition to introduce the Finnish Industrial Metal band, Asylum 8, that
was able to master the combination of these different genres, and the end result is fucking amazing.
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“In summer of 2017 they started recording their first full length album which is to be released
later the same year. After years of work and multiple changes in the lineup, the beast is ready to
be unleashed with a blast of discobeats mixed with actual blastbeats and intense guitar work.”
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This brutally artistic album is set to be released through Inverse Records on the 10th of November.
Included in this release are 8 tracks of symphonic/EDM infused death metal that keeps your feet
tapping the entirety of the time spent listening.
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The first track off of the album is titled “Thanatophobia”, which I later found out means an abnormal
fear of death. I have to say that I was hooked to these guys by the first half minute or so, just because it
starts the album off perfectly by incorporating what makes this band so unique, which would be the fast
upbeat industrial synths and power instruments with their doubling up of death metal growls and power
vocals. The next song “At the Edge of My Mind” continues with more awesome synths backing the
already awesome composition of instruments. The vocalist, Henry Hämäläinen, also does a perfect job
at knowing when to switch between his belting of power vocals and death growls, as he is always on
point with the song. Following this is the track named “Acceptance”. The drums and synths heavily
lead this song. The vocals are released at a much slower rate in this song, but they sound perfectly
placed against the quick pace of synths and drums.
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Things get stepped up a notch with the next track “Disarray”. There are quite a few tempo changes, but
is reflected by the vocals each time. The higher pitched faster parts are accompanied by slower death
growls/power vocals, and the lower pitched slower parts accompanied by faster vocals. All of the
different synth patterns are also incredible. “My Lamentation” is the next track, and the highlight of
this track for me was mainly the synth patterns and the lyrics themselves. This was one of songs that
had me tapping my feet for the entirety. “Deliverance” is the following track and keeps things going
with the repetition of strong guitar chugs and more subtle synth backings. I also wanted to take this
chance to point out how well compositionly each set of lyrics fits into the feeling of the instrumentals.
You can really feel the emotion from Henry’s words becuase of this fact. The next song “Passing”
includes a very slow synth opening, as opposed to the rest of the album. It then transitions into a much
faster tempo though however, as more elements are introduced to it including some grimy guitar
bridges and complex synth patterns.
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The outro song “True Survivor (David Hasselhoff)” definitely stands out the most for me, as they
change things up a bit to finish off the album. This track is much more heavily synth based than the
rest of the tracks, and also is mainly composed of Henry’s power vocals, but with a small heavy
transition towards the middle. Speaking of the vocals, this track is entirely in the Finnish language, but
this did not really phase me all that much since the compositon was strong, and the inflection of his
voice was spot on.
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Overall, I thought that this was a fun yet brutal album to listen to, as it really has the potential to be able
to make you feel like taking on the world. What made this album sound so amazing to me, were the
industrial/EDM synth patterns infused with death metal, the changing/doubling up of power/death
metal vocals, and the perfect matching-up of lyrics to composition.
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review by Kyle Kryst of Mayhem Music Magazine
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