Mika Vainio

Never a stranger to abrasiveness or pummelling electronics, Mika Vainio brings his guitar to the party this time for some hands-on axe grinding. Slate grey metallic collisions are the order of the day, with all the dread and violence you'd expect from a classic black metal album. What's impressive is how Vainio resists the pull into the sheer noise of power electronics, preferring instead to explore textures and song structures more akin to Ivan Pavlov's recent cOh output. The search and destroy gambit is eventually made explicit with his cover of the Stooges' "Open Up and Bleed." Most accomplished are the extended opening and closing tracks that crackle with electricity and booming echo chamber drum beats, but also allow space and ambience to play an equal part. As an electronics craftsman, Vainio's ability to choose the right tool for the job is proven once again.