Band:	Kotiteollisuus
Album:	Jumalattomat
Style:	Heavy metal
Release date:	May 2021

01. Menestys
02. Kaikki On Pyhää
03. Saatanan Työmaa
04. Herttarouva
05. Äiti Kuolema
06. Tuoni Peiton Alla
07. Verenmaku Suussa
08. Umpimielet
09. Jumalattomat

Foul-mouthed, hard-hitting, danceable, and catchy. Kotiteollisuus (and Tuomas) welcome you to Finland, then seriously question your decision.

Kotiteollisuus (Cottage Industry) are best summed up as a very Finnish take on Killing Joke. In fact, they covered "Pandemonium" for the tribute album Absolute Respect, and with lyrics in Finnish, to boot. Their brand of leaden, industrial schlager metal is responsible for five albums, from the strangely unforgettable Tomusta Ja Tuhkasta (Of Dust And Ash) in 2000 through their 2003 breakthrough Helvetistä Itään (Eastward From Hell) to their 2006 apex Iankaikkinen (The Eternal One), that to this day provide the same level of undisputable entertainment they did however long ago I started listening to them.

On the albums released the past 15 years, Kotiteollisuus opted for more of a hard rock, sometimes nearly pop/punk sound, presented through a somewhat lighter production than the dark and danceable wall of metal featured on their best works. Jouni Hynynen's unique, boyishly enraged voice used to bellow about living as a feeling and thinking man in a society preferring to escape said feelings by blaming each other, and said thoughts by opening yet another bottle of Kossu, with a hefty seasoning of references to the darker aspects of Christianity and the Lord Of The Rings-inspiring high-fantasy of the Kalevala. Set to steady thumping percussion and some of the best riffs ever put to tape, it made for music I will be taking with me to the grave. Then, in 2007, my interest started declining to nothingness.

Until now, because going into a new album by a former favourite band and being hit by an obvious return to form is one of the topmost musical experiences ever. The title Jumalattomat (The Godless Ones), the grayscale, iconic album cover of a giant ready to hammer the world, and Tuomas Holopainen (Nightwish etc, you know who) being back as session keyboardist raised my expectations. Then, I hit play, and was instantly pummelled by the sort of amelodic, hydraulic riff I secretly wished for, but officially did not expect, these guys to ever write again, and was only intrigued further as I followed the lyrics. "Menestys" (Success) is an anti-capitalist rags-to-riches story detailing, in first person, increasingly sociopathic acts on a quest for money simply for the sake of more money, ending with the insight that this can hardly be called a success.

Kotiteollisuus always had a penchant for sickly-sweet choruses given extra heft by relentless verses such as the thrashy assault in "Kaikki On Pyhä" (All Are Holy), and most of all, the closing title track with its sublime Black Sabbath riff, tasteful piano hooks, and raging one-word chorus. Tuomas adds some folk influence with accordion synths on "Saatanan Työmaa" (Satan's Workplace), and acoustic strumming behind thick distortion adds a singer-songwriter touch to the karaoke-friendly "Verenmaku Suussa" (Taste Of Blood In The Mouth) in the same way it brought a new layer to Sentenced on Crimson.

While it pales somewhat beside my Kotiteollisuus favourites, Jumalattomat is a true return to form, and I am more than content to listen to it over and over in wait of complaints from my new neighbours about that dude singing gibberish upstairs.