Review Summary: Heavy, groovy, gloomy and melodic alternative metal goodness!
A vulgar display of Affection: a new full-length from the Finnish metalheads released in early 2022
Brought up in 2013, Finland’s Affection kicks off the year with the third installment in their discography - Remnants LP. The album took almost a decade to mature and ripe, and now is present to the metal community.
Affection combines the most traditional tropes and newer alternative influences for all the metal fans alike, with tangible references going as wide as Pantera, Disturbed, Fear Factory, and Drowning Pool. The band has also found their signature sound for this release, defined by a very readable mix - the guitar tone and sound is pretty narrow and accented, drums are always on the front, the bass is rich and has that fresh string feel. What really deserves the attention are the vocals, as Andy has a very charismatic voice and approach; the lyrics are sung in English, with a slight accent that adds up to the band's personality.
The first part of the album is more aggressive and straightforward. Wasting no time, Man in the Shadow sets the mood with its Machine Head riffing and catchy vocal lines - Escape picks up the same attitude with a little more punk/alternative inclination.
Since Blood is the absolute gem of this album (and the whole band's catalog IMO) - the opening riff leaves your jaws dangling somewhere on the floor and only gets better from there. The song is worthy of the first echelon metal bands, like Mastodon and SYL.
Transformation marks the end of the first part of the album as it, ahem, transforms to display bands' more creative and tranquil side. Exploring different moods and tempos (and killer riffs as in Animal Kingdom), Remnants end in an absolute epic of Absorbia, an eight-minute song that manages to remain interesting as it progresses and it slowly fades out, leaving you asking for more.
Remnants is Affection’s most thoughtful and convincing release to date, encompassing the band’s musical and aesthetical concepts, positioning them as one of the most interesting Finnish acts to look after in 2022.
