To say that a band is a legend in the Metal scene can be depicting older acts that started concomitantly into a specific genre. To think about it on Black Metal, the Second Wave was composed mainly of band that started their careers between the end of the 80s and the early days of the 90s, and such bands reignited the old flames created by VENOM, BATHORY, HELLHAMMER and CELTIC FROST, but in different countries (what means that even left aside by great media vehicles back then, the genre was alive into underground). Things weren’t happening solely on Norway, but on Greece, Sweden, Germany, Brazil and Finland. And Finnish Black Metal scene had on BEHERIT, ARCHGOAT and IMPALED NAZARENE their roots, but other band is as important as these and is a pioneer on Finnish Black Metal as well: BARATHRUM, here with their latest release, “Überkill”.

As a 10th full-length, it depicts what everyone already knowns of their work: a ruthless and crude form of Black Metal with slow paced tempos inherited from Doom Metal, as they’re faithful to the way they created to their music back on the days of their Demo Tapes. Obviously that the quartet shows that the years have mature and sharpened their music in a way that’s personal and full of energy, even depicting some elements inherited from Punk/Hardcore (as heard on the hooks of “Mountain of Bones”), but they don’t open hand of what they do since their early days (besides some influences of 80s’ Thrash/Black Metal are more evident). It’s a BARATHRUM release, after all, as it’s great!

The band hired Jesse Könönen to work on the recording and mixing, and their old comrade Ahti Kortelainen (who work with them from “Legions of Perkele” to “Anno Aspera: 2003 Years After Bastard's Birth”) is back on the mastering. And the sonority makes the difference between what the quartet learned on all these years with those who wants to sound lo-fi just to ‘be real’: it’s very good and defined, with the rawness and dirtiness of their music coming from the instrumental tunes used on the recordings (that show influences from old German Black/Thrash Metal releases of the 80s), what gives “Überkill” an organic touch. And the artwork depicts the political correctness isn’t something for them to care about.

Even being released after 7 years since “Fanatiko” (their previous full-length, released back on 2017), “Überkill” is what a fan of the band expects of their work, as depicted by “Death by Steel” (a slow-paced song with that usual funeral feeling for those who knows their work, with a bone-crushing oppressive ambience pierced by the shrieks and snarls of the vocals), “Mountain of Bones” (a fine and simple song with traces of old Punk Rock/Hardcore elements, especially on the guitars, but during the moments with intense double bass drumming, it’s oppressive to the bones), “Spark Plugs of Purgatory” (here influences of German Black/Thrash Metal are evident on the rhythmic contrasts, with brutal bass guitar and drums parts), “Black Magick Rites” (again the influences of Black/Thrash Metal and Hardcore are evident, especially on the shrieks and guitars), “Ritual Murder”, “White Red Black and Pale” (the rhythms are slow and oppressive, with nasty riffs filling all the spaces), “Denial of God”, “Dark Sorceress 3 (Spring Siege)” (a seven minutes song with very good rhythmic contrasts and hypnotic parts) and “Überkill”.

Again: “Überkill” is a BARATHRUM release, so the old fans will love it, and new ones as well.