Perikato
Kuka Hyotyy
(Svart Records)
Perikato is Finnish for “destruction” and it’s the perfect name for a grindcore band whose every track comes across as harsh and reeking of pissed jeans and disdain.
The band’s newest album, Kuka Hyotty arrives three years after their last 7” single, after a collaborative spell where the assorted members worked with other bands. Coming in at eighteen songs and a little more than thirteen minutes, the band has achieved something like a land speed record for punk and grind.
There’s a core audience for this record, I’m certain, but beyond that devious, fractious element, I don’t see much chance for any crossover appeal here. If you thrill in bands like Rattus or Dezerter, maybe these Finns are your breakneck speed. Perikato is a full on, full contact hardcore punk outfit, and they’re looking to achieve something beyond universal appeal: they’re more edgy and fierce than their contemporaries.
I kept writing the word “volatile” in my notes on Kuka Hyotyy. A half dozen times at least it came up as the sole descriptor of songs that were short (all less than a minute, except two generously reaching 86 and 90 seconds) aggressive and repetitious. While the speed isn’t necessarily an abrasive quality in their capable hands, the muddy production on these songs doesn’t do them any favors, whatsoever. The chords are lost to the sloppy mix, voices are at best garbled and any attempt at clarity or demonstrable songwriting craft ends up sacrificed on the chum bucket altar of snarl.
The album’s title translates to, “who benefits?”. This is an apt question to ask on a global scale, especially today, but what the band really does is bury the lead.
There isn’t much in the way of gems here, nothing progressive in the grimy lot. If you want a busted lip, I’d say here is your fist.
