In the age of an over-proliferation of metal subgenres, it's hard to pin down AITTALA. I've seen everything from Traditional Metal to Doom to Groove. The one I like best is Eclectic Doom, so we'll go with that. For those unfamiliar with AITTALA, this Eclectic Doom band formed in the Netherlands in the way back of 1991. Their demo was well received in the Dutch scene, and they opened for bands such as THE GATHERING and SADIST. Unfortunately, the band had to go inactive when the founding member, Eric Aittala, repatriated to the US. In 2009 he reformed the band and they have been fairly active since then, releasing seven full-length albums and, as of November 21, 2025, one EP, "Ill-Gotten Gains."  

"Ill-Gotten Gains" comprises five tracks, spanning just over 20 minutes. As the title suggests, each track describes a type of misanthropic dysfunction—that is, people who inevitably wreak destruction, to others or to themselves, as they seek to capture gains for themselves. Truly, a theme for our age. Adorning the cover is an updated depiction of Frank, AITTALA's mascot. In this instance, he's a human wearing a pig mask and standing against a pentagram backdrop, a call back to their 2014 track "Pigs" from the "Effigy" album.

Musically all the tracks are fairly good, but the lyrics can get a bit didactic in the way that some Thrash bands can get preachy. Maybe I've been listening to too much Black Metal, but I like a heavy dose of evil mixed in my metal. With that said, my favorite of the five tracks is "Even After." I mean the track isn't some ode to Lucifer or anything, but it does speak to the futility of redemption. On the choice between salvation and damnation, Eric intones: "It doesn't matter in the end / The decision is irrelevant." Okay, not exactly evil, but pretty damned grim. And true . . . which makes it even grimmer.  

The other four tracks are solid enough. The title-track gets after some nice groove-laden riffs and "Isolation" lays down some bluesy Doom. "Blacklisted" and "Ashes" perfectly capture the Eclectic Doom moniker. "Blacklisted" in particular has some nice slide action as well as a nasty solo.

AITTALA gave us two albums in 2025, which gives them plenty of material to tour with in 2026 and with the recent addition of Dane Taylor on bass, they have a full stage compliment. Just saying, hoping to catch them live soon. As for "Ill-Gotten Gains," it's an EP for our times both musically with its diverse approach and thematically for its on-point indictment of the destructive personalities that dominate our age.