Y'know how sometimes you feel like you've already heard everything there is to hear? Then when you hear a new band you end up judging them compared to other bands that do the exact same thing? So when you hear something unique, it takes you a while to decide if it's cool or not... Anyway, that's how I felt listening to AITTALA. This band has a different sound, and after a second listen, I've finally decided; it's cool.

Now, the band's new album "Haunt Your Flesh" has its peaks and valleys, and I can say it's that great all the way through. I can, however, say that their sound is unique enough, and select tracks are cool enough to get a "Thumbs Up" from me anyway. I think Metal fans should check this band out. Eric Aittala's guitar riffs are excellent, and they really hold the rest of the music up very well. His vocals, on the other hand, are sometimes monotone and hard to get into. There are points though, where his style actually works very well. As for the bass and drums; as with most Metal, it isn't really noticeable. So it's not much to complain about, nor praise.

I would describe them as an eclectic Doom Metal band, although their sound is a bit tough to define. That's ultimately a good thing though, and I enjoy the refreshment of something different. My only major complaint is that on some songs, the vocals and lyrics are so drawn out that they become a little boring and you end up waiting a bit for something cool to happen. The good news is something cool usually does end up happening.

Bands like this need some love, because there are far too many bands (especially here in the United States) who go around claiming to be the most unique band out there and talk about how awesome they are. Usually they're just a bunch of boners who think they sound a thousand times better than they actually do. AITTALA on the other hand, is a truly original band, and yet they appear to keep a pretty modest attitude about it.

I really liked the song "Juliet", as it is the most different track on the album and tells a trippy little story that keeps me interested. I always like it when bands can switch things up like that to keep the listeners' attention in a clever way. I also dug "Human Waste" for its killer riffs, and the fact that it reminds me of GWAR in a few spots.

I say check out the album's single "Holocaust", and if you dig it; definitely get the album and check the rest of it out. Then show it to your friends and tell them to do the same thing. The Metal scene is really weak right now when it comes to originality, and bands like this should be heard more often. Hopefully, AITTALA improves the few lacking qualities in their sound, and we may be looking at a very interesting band in the future.