The spirit of Hardcore lives on with "Slime and Guilt", the first long-player by the Finnish three-piece CHESTBURSTER. Formed in 2007, the band delivers old school-influenced punk with a lean, muscled songwriting approach.

Hardcore punk has been around for so long that it has been done, redone, and redone again. Because of that, it is a little harder to stand out due to the glut of bands in the scene; whether they sound unique or not. On "Slime and Guilt", CHESTBURSTER supplement the lessons of AGNOSTIC FRONT and THE MISFITS with psychedelic wails and lean song structures that explore a variety of speeds and tones.

As mentioned, the band's sound is very much rooted in the classic, anthemic style of their predecessors; but there are a number of more diverse and divergent moments that make CHESTBURSTER's sound specific and identifiable. Opener "Faces in the Rain" is especially strong with the Glen Danzig vibes and its malevolent, crunching guitars chasing after the listener like a shadow in the night. You can hear bits of CANDLEMASS-tinged Doom in the buildup to a salvo of infernal Black Metal raving. "Experienced Virgin" leans more towards the aggressive and adventurous side, and takes the listener for a ride with its challenging pace.

Much of the same can be said of the unhinged title track, which flails and screams with crackling intensity, acting as a brilliant set-up to "Gas Station Pilgrim", a mountainous slab of primal, driving Rock music. The band change tempo without losing the focus and attitude that defines their music. In the latter song, even when they are at their most mellow, CHESTBURSTER are getting the most impact and resonance out of each note that they can, and the song's Bluesy lead guitars raise the ante on the heaviness factor another notch still. Other cool moments include the dangerous "Rojo Sangre" and the metallic onslaught of "Tame."

While CHESTBURSTER borrow plenty of plays from the traditional Hardcore punk playbook, the band delivers a satisfyingly diverse and confident release with "Slime and Guilt", which fans of the genre would do well to check out.