Album Review: Damage S.F.P. – Damage S.F.P. (Rockshots Records)

Finland’s Damage S.F.P. will unleash their upcoming self-titled debut album due out on June 14th via Rockshots Records. The album is an amalgamation of 30 years of music created by the band after first forming in 1989 as three childhood friends.

“The album is like a time-leap straight to ’90s, since all of the tracks were composed between 1991-1994.” states the band.

During the band’s existence, they released three demos in the ’90s: 1992, 1993 and 1996 along with a promo tape in 1994 and continued performing until 1996 before disbanding. Moshing in 2018, Damage S.F.P. was reformed by guitarist Nikkilä and drummer Lipsonen with bassist Remes hearing the call to arms to rejoin his schoolyard headbangers. Solidifying the original line-up, the trio returns 30 years after first picking up their instruments to destroy audiences and are now ready to unleash what has been a long time coming in their debut self-titled album, which features eleven of their best whip lashing tracks.

The band adds:

“This album is our debut, but at the same time collection of our best songs. It is diverse, bringing in influences from both thrash and death metal, but not forgetting the beautiful melodies of heavy metal. At the far end of the album you can find a short track called ‘Grain Brain’, which is almost grindcore, then on the other end is ‘In Termination’, an epic song with Amorphis and Iron Maiden vibes.”

Taking us back to the heady days of blackened thrash at its most intense, this throwback is fast, angry and heavy. Exactly what we want from an album that promises no nonsense old-school heaviness.

The energy starts off at 11 and doesn’t really drop throughout their self titled release. The hyper riffing of Ride is an absolute raging way to begin, Death of Innocent then focuses on the the heavier and more death side of their sound. Still insanely fast but the vocals are far more feral here. It changes tempo at the halfway point for a gunfire style assault of drums and guitars highlighting this as a track to be remembered.

Ruthless Fate bursts forth with energy and delivers some absolutely killer riffs before Tyrants gives a masterclass on how to get heads banging.

The first half of the album is solid gold metal as even Insomnium’s mellow strumming is sweet and memorable sounding.

The second half then brings us Ode to Sorrow and Tragedy, a pair of tracks with a bit of doom going on. Way more prevalent in the former, the latter isn’t lacking either. The difference being the former is a little more miserable while the latter is deep, chuggy and angry.

A short fiery blast of heavy from Grain Brain will snap anyone awake who may be feeling a bit thrashed out waking them up for one final effort as Damage S.F.P. come out with some their most ‘wrecking’ tracks is far. Crying for Relief, In Termination and Burst of Rage combine everything great about Damage S.F.P. and show that they’re aware of the advancements made in the genre. One of the best thrash releases this year.

Damage S.F.P. – Damage S.F.P. Full Track Listing:

1. Ride
2. Death Of Innocent
3. Ruthless Fate
4. Tyrants
5. Insomnium
6. Ode To Sorrow
7. Tragedy
8. Grain Brain
9. Crying For Relief
10. In Termination
11. Burst Of Rage

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