Brief Review : Rippikoulu - Musta Seremonia

When I think of "Ball-Crushing Death Metal", Rippikoulu's Musta Seremonia is sure to cross my mind among others. Rippikoulu hails from Finland, Death Metal from where rarely fails, and like a lot of Finnish bands, Rippikoulu relies on the atmosphere rather than aggression, but it creates the atmosphere coupled with skull-crushingly heavy and muddy guitar tone. All songs are mainly slow, but speed up at times, with pounding double-bass and blast beats. The riffing varies from doomy single-chord riffs to tremolo riffs during faster sections, so even though it is not easy to differentiate between songs, monotony is avoided. The vocals are low and morbid which perfectly suit the sound of the band. Keys are used at times, but only to compliment the atmosphere, like in Pimeys Yllä Jumalan Maan and Musta Seremonia.

Overall, it is a highly recommended release for Death/Doom and Death Metal fans and for those who love exploring demos.