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Birth Of Terror

    
       
       
       
     
             
Metal Riot are a heavy metal band from Finland formed in 2015 releasing the bands debut album 'Birth Of Terror' in 2024.    
             
Founded by vocalist (and former guitarist) Joonas Myller and his bassist brother Benjamin Sairamo, the band has undergone a number of line-up changes throughout the years - the current line-up comprising drummer Joonas Kokko and guitarists Mika Takanen and Marcus Johansson alongside founders Myller and Sairamo. The bands debut album is eight songs and thirty five foot to the floor minutes of unabashed and unadulterated heavy metal with strong thrash metal leanings - album opener 'Dreams Die Young' straight into its stride with thunderous intentions! The meld of the iconic "metal gallop" with the harsher feel of thrash is exactly the kinda stuff I could listen to twenty four hours a day seven days a week - oh wait! I already do! The band are hitting hard to immediately grab the attentions of a worldwide audience, every listener turning their heads in the direction of the Finnish five-piece baying for more - and more the band give, 'Into The Fire' pounding the ground with an almighty foot stomp! The sound of anthemic metal rises high in the air, Metal Riot maintaining a little of the harsh thrash from the previous song, the guitar tone buzzing like a swarm of bees to remind me (and everyone else) of the sound of the iconic NWOBHM. And the turn of speed as 'Into The Fire' approaches the three minute mark is breath taking!    
             
A full on and in your face brace to launch the album, 'Birth Of Terror' accelerates furiously as 'Eternal Speed Death' goes supersonic - the level of head bang ability shooting right through the fucking roof! Good morning moshers, this one's for you - get up and bang your fucking head! It's the least 'Eternal Speed Death' deserves, 'War' entering the fray with one of the most gorgeous chugging guitar riffs you could ever wish to hear! The band are shuddering the ground with immense force as 'War' rumbles forth just like an army marching into, err, war! Metal Riot are categorised as a "heavy metal" band, but could so easily slot into the "thrash metal" one, the Finn's proudly straddling the border wall between traditional and thrash metal. And with a dramatic change of pace, tempo and feel, 'Echoes Of Eternity' brings anthemic hymn-like balladry to the fore - Metal Riot melding these three styles into their defiantly heavy metal roots. So feel free to raise your lighters high in the air - I won't be, I'm gonna carry on rocking my head back and forth! Admittedly not as vigorously as I have been across the albums first half.    
             
The sound of classic heavy metal at full tilt graces the album courtesy of the galloping 'Now Or Never', the Finnish five-piece echoing the eighties metal sound with total aplomb, the power-driven 'Now Or Never' full of energy and head bang ability! And let's be honest, 'Birth Of Terror' is loaded to the hilt with head bang ability, Metal Riot creating exactly what their band name suggests! And don't misinterpret the definition of "riot" either - the most common we all surely know, but riot is also defined as "an impressively large or varied display of something". And in the shape of the bands debut album, that something is "heavy fucking metal" - 'Birth Of Terror' marching on with the thrashiest song heard so far, 'Those Who Come Out At Night' displaying a rougher, tougher and more abrasive nature than any other song on offer. The pulsating intensity of the album is at its most intense here, the band keeping the heads of every listener, fan, follower, thrasher and metaller vigorously rocking back and forth. And to end the album, 'Pieces Of The Past' drops a gear but retains the harsher feel of the previous song, the band delivering one final mosh pit hurrah - the terrific old school guitar riffing at one minute ten seconds highly reminiscent of 'Powerslave' era Iron Maiden. And that style riffing remains as the band stretch their legs to energetically gallop to the (albums) finish line.    
             
Overall, a barnstorming barrage of thrash infused traditional heavy metal with tonnes of head bang ability and a sky high infectious level.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
Review is also featured at Metal-Roos    
             
             
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