Formed as a black metal project in Tornio, Finland by Rami Moilanen a few years before he formed and refocused on doom metal band Fall of the Idols in 2000, Black Mass Pervertor (Moilanen‘s stage name) didn’t really shape into anything publically tangible until 2007. When I see Finland, black metal and hand-drawn erections the first band I think of is Impaled Nazarene and doubly so when there is a hardcore punk kick to the sound of the band. But you’re not getting the second coming of ‘Latex Cult’ on this EP so much as Black Mass Pervertor resembles the mid-second wave of black metal from Finland in terms of pace, filth, and raw tone without relying on retro aesthetics.  It is a far cry from the raw crust-punked hell of their 2008 demo ‘Church of Apocalyptic Hyperbole’ which at the time featured fellow Fall of the Idols members on the rhythm section. Though it was ‘predictable’ hardcore riffing with a black metal demo tape sound, if you’re into that kind of thing like I am the 2008 demo is well worth a listen.

Black Mass Pervertor‘s 2016 debut full-length ‘Phanerosis’ was when I discovered the band and though it was raw and crazy enough for a Barbarian Wraith issue at the time, the album was maybe too ‘war metal’ for my taste. I’m all for hearing revival of that really early Sarcófago meets Carpathian Forest sound a la early Beherit and Impaled Nazarene but ‘Phanerosis’ wasn’t anything exceptional. The slower punkish sections were far superior to the blasted war metallic moments. Some of my old thoughts survive here two years later with ‘Life Beyond the Walls of Flesh’ but the relatively clearer production sound and nods towards more recent Finnish groups helps define the project’s own sound more. The resemblance to war metal is almost entirely lost and instead the pace is more thoughtful without losing Black Mass Pervertor‘s hardcore punk leaning.

One of my favorite demos from Finnish black metal is Horna‘s ‘Hiidentorni’ and if you’d taken that tape and tossed in something like early Nattefrost on the side to break up the seriousness of it I think it would resemble this newly primed Black Mass Pervertor sound. It is a short and fairly direct experience that is worth the 20 minutes it takes to soak in. Not the most mind-blowing black metal experience of the year but something of great interest to folks who like heavy punk influences in traditional black metal. Best tracks to preview are definitely “The Golden Spears”, “Suffering, Our Everlasting Bliss” and “Chains of Guilt”.

Freshly nailed palms. 3.25/5.0

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