BLOOD REGION – Of Northern Fire
- by Matt Coe
- Posted on 24-05-2016
Not the most productive band considering they formed in 2002 and "Of Northern Fire" is only their second EP in fourteen years, Finland’s Blood Region call their brand of music ‘Korpi-metal’ – a fusion of traditional metal, semi thrash, and epic strains pulled together in a primal, raw final product. "Intergalactic Psychonaut" contains a number of computerized narrative squeals and atmospheric oddities, almost in a Voivod-ish meets traditional metal cocktail where bass solos and bluesy guitar breaks pop in out of nowhere. Closer "December" is a doomy affair, the snare hits cold and the whispered vocals heighten the heaviness and evil tension throughout this 6:53 arrangement.
Imagine a mix of NWOBHM, 1980’s power riffing, and the occasional left field quirkiness and that’s where Blood Region stand out amidst the crowd. Probably will gain a cult following as a result, but can be difficult to handle all of the sub-genres smoothly even on this short release.