### Sotajumala: Teloitus

#### 04/01/08 || Kampfar

It’s a fucking pleasure introducing you all to this fine, fine death metal outfit hailing from the land of a gazillion swamps and alcoholics a plenty, Finland. Sotajumala translates to war god, quite the same as Kampfar, and is therefore one of the best monikers ever. Nah, not quite, but a non-English name alone make the guys a bit hail worthy. I’d like to send a hail to Ukko as well.

“Teloitus” may hold as many surprises as Christmas do for those who are old, like me, but in this case it would be like complaining on an excellent evening ‘cause Santa didn’t strip, rape and strangle granny for dessert. Fucking absurd, and the reason why is because this is a band giving it their all with raw talent to boot, in all departments, one very hard to find tedious unless you happen to be the most jaded fan of death metal ever. I’m not saying every fan of grunts and down tuned guitars should be on their knees already, but if you manage to find “Teloitus” below par and boring I wouldn’t trust your recommendations, just like you shouldn’t trust mine. Piss off.

One band I just reviewed, Corpus Christii if you care, sounded as if they recorded an idea as soon as it came into their heads, never touching it afterwards, at least ending up with an album, “Rising,” ya curious cunts, with a lot more filler than killer. Refinement could’ve been the solution to their problems, a solution the Sota boys know all about. Not to be confused with the final solution.

“Teliotus,” or execution if you like, is a thoroughly worked through album with vitality to boot. Lots of it, and the whole band is to blame. This death feast supreme is sprinkled with excellent touches, ones never taking command but always making sure us fans are satisfied. Every damn solo, for instances, is made with utter care and with the music in mind, not to flabbergast us listeners with technical prowess. I highlighted the solos, but nothing on “Teliotus” is simply made to impress and show off.

I wouldn’t be this fucking gay and cheerful if “Teliotus” had been produced by Varg Vikernes through a tape recorder, that’s for ducking sure. Nor would I be a happy camper if it had been polished to sterility like oh so many releases nowadays, like the new Britney Spears for instance. So why am I gay and cheerful then? Well, it could be because the mix on “Teliotus” makes sure every hit counts, always making room for details but never sacrificing any of the power. This shit fucking stomps when played loud, and since it’s not an entirely clean mix, it fucking rips as well. Yeah, that’s the reasons.

Suck my balls.

If you are a speed freak, needing like 300 bpm to enjoy music, you would be wise to fuck off and die. “Teliotus” is not yet another attempt at making the fastest record in the world, not even close. There are blasts, oh yeah, but they are a part of the music, not the foundation it is built upon.

A good friend of mine said that after hearing this album he wanted to learn fucking Finnish and growl like Mr. Luukkainen, and you won’t hear me calling him crazy. Fuck, the vocals on this disc are exquisite, and they wouldn’t be half as good if the Finn had to struggle with a foreign language. I’m so sure of that. Thanks to this wise move, Mr. Vocalist is free to let the passion flow, or metal as Chuck would have put it, and the result is him adding depth to every damn riff on the disc. He is, by the way, helped out by the bass player, who’s accredited with backing vocals. Ace, mates.

Death metal as a genre definition is nowadays watered down as drinks served on AA meetings, and is therefore pretty much useless. Let “Teliotus” be the new benchmark, ‘cause it sure as hell is death to the core. US death with an European touch, to be laser precise.

Enjoy

9 out of 10.

- Information
- Released: 2007
- Label: Woodcut records
- Website: www.sotajumala.com
- Band
- Mynni Luukkainen: vocals
- Pete Lapio: guitar
- Kosti Orbinski: guitar
- Tomi Otsala: bass, backing vocals
- Timo Häkkinen: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Tappaja Ja Tapettu
- 02. Arkku Vailla Vainajaa
- 03. Kuolinjulistus
- 04. Riistetty Viattomuus
- 05. Verellä Kirjoitettu
- 06. Oikeutus
- 07. Kidutus
- 08. Teloitus