Description
Delta Force II is a Finnish crossover thrash band, and this is their third full-length album release. I’ve heard some songs from them before and saw them live in 2010, but as far as albums go, this is my first proper initiation to the world of DF2. The album is available as a CD and an LP with a bit fancier layout.
After two minutes of introductory warming up, “Perjantaipullo” explodes into motion with full intensity. The song is a traditional oldschool thrash tune with some shout-alongs, whereas it’s follower is, as its name implies, a less in-your-face metalpunk-tune. “Älä Niele Paskaa” starts with some street rap, but don’t be frightened as it only lasts for a brief moment – and surprisingly it fits the song pretty well. The album’s main focus is on oldschool thrash metal with some punk-vibes, but this mix comes in many differently spiced and arranged forms. Getting bored during “Megamosh 2011” is not likely.
The songs vary a lot style-wise, but they have a few unifying factors. Along with catchiness, the vocalist’s credible and tight shouts as well as the skillful and professional sounds and instrumentation, the main unifier is the songs’ intensity and highly energetic delivery. The compositions are simplistic (as oldschool thrash should be), but the capable musicians deliver them with such attitude and feeling that they’re bound to make an impact. A lot of the impact is created by the guitar. It has a rock’n’roll-vibe throughout the album, and its solos are fittingly over-the-top; you will notice it while listening to the Sodom-cover, if not earlier. These songs are meant to be played and moshed live. The vocal lines get repetitive on occasion, most notably on “Pitsa Ilman Juustoa ja Natseja,” but I believe that even those moments work well when witnessing the band live.
The lyrics are about working class life and -annoyances and playing metal, along with usual punk-themes such as vegan food and anti-fascism. They’re more and less humorous and fit the music perfectly, so as long as you aren’t waiting for something highly intellectual lyrics from your crossover, you should be okay with them. The cover of Sodom’s “Outbreak of Evil” has been changed to tell about eating spicy vegan food (no joke), but it’s a good cover if you can get past that alteration. It’s loyal to the original version, but comes delivered with the band’s careless and vibrant attitude.
My main concern with the album is its short length of mere 23 minutes, including two minutes of intro and a three-minute cover song. Other than that and the songs varying a lot, causing the album to slightly lack in cohesion, there aren’t any major flaws. The visual side is stylish and fittingly humorous, too, and the photo-collage in the inlay tells a lot about the band’s rock’n’roll-attitude to those who don’t understand the Finnish lyrics.
If this review sparked your interest towards the band, go see them live if you get the chance. DF2’s music is made to be played live, even though they’ve now demonstrated their capabilities in delivering a lot of that same energy through their records. It’ll be interesting to see whether or not the band is capable of surpassing this record in the future. (Damned by Light)
