Starting the year off on a high note for heavy music fans is the debut album by Helsinki's own CENTIPEDE. The Finnish three-piece, already with two solid EPs under their belts, bring more than the standard blues-and-menace of their peers on "Sarnath."

In keeping true with its Lovecraft-ian title, "Sarnath" is both impressively dark and sonically enveloping. The band don't have the same relationship with groove and rhythm as bands like ELECTRIC WIZARD or GOATSNAKE, but they don't quite get into PRIMITIVE MAN-level depravity, either. Opening track "Drown" has some classic-sounding melodic progression that shifts smoothly through different shades of the same inherent blackness. "The Unspoken" brings the band's 80's Thrash influences more clearly to the front with its relentless rhythmic pounding. "Frostbite" follows up by putting the band's collective foot on the brakes, but stays just as grating and urgent as the songs prior with its strained intensity. Markus Nurminen's furious, throaty bellows roar from the chaos like a freight train down a long tunnel, and that reverb-heavy sound works hand-in-hand with his gritty rhythm playing. The latter two songs show that Nurminen isn't afraid to test the range of his pipes, and whether the results gel with you or not, it's just one of ample instances that CENTIPEDE prove that they are not simply content to follow genre-blueprints blindly, and are actively invested in creating new vibes and sounds with their music.

"Abyssal" gives the listener a slight chance at a breather before the band launches into the foot-stomping Doom-and-Roll of "Black Mead." There are plenty of tried-and-true themes explored throughout the album, so the fact that CENTIPEDE eventually got around to beer isn't too surprising, but "Sarnath" manages to stay engaging consistently throughout due to its strong songwriting and energy. The final validation of this effort is the closing title track, simultaneously announcing the band's arrival and concluding the metallic rampage they started seven songs ago.

In terms of heavy Doom and Stoner Metal, "Sarnath" is more than just a good representation of the style(s): it is a confirmation and a celebration of all things malevolent and heavy without over-relying on groove or gimmicks. For fans of bands like HIGH ON FIRE and GRAND MAGUS, CENTIPEDE is sure to please.<