When a band morphs from a pretty much by-the-numbers speed/thrash act into a strange hydra of noise rock, abusive sludge and identifiably Scandinavian punk, it’s a chance taken; but when the change happens over the course of nearly two decades – and seems natural – it’s downright impressive. Think about it. Do any of our precious 2nd wave black metal bands sound the same as they did in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s? Well, there you have it.

So, though the core ethics/beliefs may not have changed, through age and experience they have developed, much like the sound of HEBOSAGIL on its 5th long-player amid a veritable sea of demos, splits and EPs, Yössä. Opener ‘Tämä on nähy’ owes as much musically at the start to an ‘80s action television series theme as it does to pulse & throb of grebo ala POP WILL EAT ITSELF, albeit filtered through two guitars and as many drummers, which explains the spot-on interplay between. As footloose and fancy free as this might sound, ‘Mitä jos’ is raw noise skronk, grating at times, chaotic, UNSANE on amphetamines and no sleep for a week. That the sextet doesn’t lose sight of itself once during the tune is testament to both its willingness to explore after so many years, and also to its ability to make virtually any genre its own.

Witness ‘Kellot soi’, a near-surf rock/indie vibe at the start – think RED HOUSE PAINTERS or the recently departed MARK LANEGAN at his most wistful. Mind you, the vocals are in Finnish, so I could be utterly wrong about the lyrical subject matter, but you know what? That’s perfect, and I think how HEBOSAGIL would want it; listeners free to interpret as they will, to paint their own mindscape, as it were.

‘Pitkät Varjot’ is thunderous, clamor ‘n’ cacophony un-deities of sonic force hurling lightning from a mountaintop, pounding ritual and multi-layered manifestations of noise once more into our ears, until washing over us with a slow, deliberate and, yes, beautiful coda. I’m not sure that I’ve heard as scattered an album as Yössä yet this year, but what I do know is that it sounds like home to my ears.
Review By: Lord Randall

HEBOSAGIL
Yössä
Svart Records
4.5 / 6