REVIEW: BIZARRE UPROAR - SIKIÖASENTO (Noise) ENGLISH

Bizarre Uproar has undertaken many a rather remarkable journey over these last years. Having gained notoriety, respect and disgust for the authentic BDSM and fetish aesthetics, the crude and sadistic sounds and a variety of intense live actions, Pasi Markkula has never feared to reinvent techniques and follow paths which could be hard to digest to say at least. More recent outputs such as “Vihameditaatio” or “Dekadenz” could probably be described best as static sickness, which draws its power from skilled interactions between monotonous bleakness and harshest brutalism. The newest beast is titled “Sikiöasento” and is presented on both double CD and double LP format.

The first CD features one track that goes on for a duration of 51 monolithic minutes. Those who appreciate the new vein of BU should instantly feel at home. Dark, bassy crunches looped into hypnotic frenzies and an ever-deepening cesspool of filth. A buildup of agony until the metaljunk sounds set in – and these strike as hard as they possibly could! The hammering blows flow into each other perfectly but still coexist in singular harsh brutality. Throughout the next ten minutes, layers seem to thicken progressively and the sounds become more and more pounding along the way.

“Sikiöasento” is a great example of how Bizarre Uproar succeeds at fusing new ideas with old (but gold) tricks. Possibly, this album recaptures the mania and hate of past triumphs like “Purification” or “Mother” more than the last ones but maintains the same level of darkness and disgust that defined the younger outputs. Be that as it may, “Sikiöasento” strangles its listener with hate-filled eyes and foam running from its mouth. Markkula's iconic vocals howl with heavy delay and spite and narrate the peaks and depths of the sonic rage enclosed. The performance borders on the demonic, especially in the second track. Here, the metal highs are replaced with heavily distorted bass and feedback. Just as before, hate, chaos and death are merged into one and the result is nothing short of pulverising. Especially within the first 20 minutes of this 38 minute piece that makes up the second CD the violence reigns supreme and the intensity is as high as it could possibly be.

It is hard to find final words for Bizarre Uproar's “Sikiöasento”. On the one hand, there are the strongest elements of over 20 years of existence carefully assembled to one bludgeoning whole. On the other hand, there is a feeling of focus, arrangement and craftsmanship that makes the album especially spot-on. These two aspects form a draining and unrelenting experience that portrays Bizarre Uproar on the top of their game. Nothing short of brilliant.