CONVULSE: Inner Evil

Release year: 2013
Label: Svart Records

World Without God, the debut album of Finnish Convulse all the way from 1991, is quite likely my favourite death metal album from Finland. And it’s not like there’s a lack of competition – the early nineties saw killer releases from a throng of groups, with early albums by both Amorphis and Sentenced being worthy contenders for the throne, not to mention Purtenance, Demigod and a score of others. However, soon after their classic debut album, Convulse developed their sound in a different direction, with their second album Reflections being more death ‘n’ roll, and after that the band folded and would remain quiet for almost 20 years.

2012 saw the rebirth of Convulse, coinciding with a renewed interest in Finnish death metal, and the following year the group from Nokia carved into wax (and silver disc) the proof of their return in the form of Inner Evil, an annoyingly short two-song EP. Two songs and a mere 12 minutes of music are barely enough to whet a parched mouth.

The most important thing with Inner Evil is, of course, that Convulse anno 2013 were pure death metal. No death ‘n’ roll here. The growls are deep, the melodies are ill-foreboding, the riffs are heavy and aggressive, and the metal of death is steeped in old school, with some obvious thrash metal nods in there. Maybe not quite like in the good old days, but close enough.

It will of course come as no surprise to anyone that in comparison to the classic material – the demos and the debut album – Inner Evil doesn’t rise to the same level. That notwithstanding, the two tracks on offer here are both competent slabs of old school death metal, which prove that a resurrected Convulse had something actual to offer. Short though the release is, it does justify its place in any death metal collection.

3.5/5

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