SCALPING SCREEN

The album cover says it all: a menacing black and white rendering of an enraged canine with teeth bared and eyes set squarely on its prey. That's the way Finland's SCALPING SCREEN rolls on "Twelve out of Chamber", a metal infused hardcore album, which in this case doesn't equate to "metalcore" in the sense of what the MC youth movement has been peddling these last several years.

Primarily, "Twelve out of Chamber" is based in hardcore, particularly the kind you'll hear from bands in the community of brass knuckled rabble rousers located in countries like Sweden and Denmark, to some extent inclusive of the crust element (yep, it's grimy and distorted). In the case of SCALPING SCREEN, the very first release from the aptly named Kneesplitter Records, the style also reminds of something along the lines of ENTOMBED meets BARCODE. Specifically, it is the teeth-spittin' pugilism of hardcore meshed with a massive, Sunlight guitar/bass overdrive. The vocals are closer to grind and death metal, mainly the Barney Greenway variety, albeit with more bark than grunt, as well as the periodic use of an actual death vocal.

Beyond that sonic dissection, the members of SCALPING SCREEN turn out songs that are more than palatable. The motion is forward and fast and played with early Swede-death locomotive rumble. A handful of tunes, such as "Turning Point" and "One Way Ticket to Hell", are quite good. The breakdowns are pit worthy (e.g. "Game Over") and changeups neck-wrecking. At 12 songs in 29 minutes little time is left for pontification. What SCALPING SCREEN does most notably well on "Twelve out of Chamber" is attack with rabidity and malice of forethought. The level of violence perpetrated is alarming. My guess is that folks on this side of the pond previously unaware of SCALPING SCREEN's existence will be pleasantly surprised with "Twelve out of Chamber". Guaranteed to get the adrenaline pumping.