TERVEET KÄDET: Kaikki kaikkia vastaan

Release year: 2023
Label: Svart Records

Terveet Kädet should need no introductions. But because this intro would be awfully short without it, we’ll do one anyway. So, Terveet Kädet are more than legends within hardcore and Finnish hardcore in particular. Formed already in 1979, and releasing a slew of hugely influential releases from 1980 onwards, they are absolutely one of the most influential groups within the style – globally. Never content to remain still, their musical expression would eventually first incorporate metal elements, and then in the 90’s basically move fully into metal. The noughties saw a return to their hardcore roots, culminating in 2015’s Lapin Helvetti.

Confusingly, after Lapin Helvetti the album, Terveet Kädet called it quits, and (mostly?) the same people formed a band called Lapin Helvetti who performed metallic hardcore, releasing one album of the same name. It sounded a lot like Terveet Kädet, to no one’s surprise. Then, in the 2020’s, Terveet Kädet made a comeback – but were they ever really away? And now, Kaikki kaikkia vastaan: the comeback album of the band who never really went away.

In a nutshell, Kaikki kaikkia vastaan sounds like Terveet Kädet, and ’nuff said. But again, if we left it at that, this review would be pitifully short, so we shan’t leave it at that. With a running time of 23 minutes and a total of 16 tracks, this is a frenetic, to-the-point blast of trademark Terveet Kädet hardcore fury. The tracks clock in at a minute, a minute and a half for the most part, containing nothing in excess.

Stylistically, Kaikki kaikkia vastaan adds a lot of fierce metal riffing to the frenetic hardcore pounding, which might become a bit monotonous if it wasn’t so aggressive and volatile. The (sort of) title track KKV features razor-sharp, hyperspeed thrash riffing, which aptly emphasizes just how metal Terveet Kädet can be when they choose to. Other tracks are pure, classic hardcore fury – with maybe a bit of a crust edge to it at times.

And over it all, legendary vocalist, Laplander of the century (no joke!) Läjä Äijälä shouts, rants, raves and shrieks in his inimitable style. Truly, there is only one Läjä, and it is his vocals which make Terveet Kädet Terveet Kädet. Not to belittle his band members’ input in any way: they provide a fierce backing, but with any other vocalist it just wouldn’t be the same.

Personally, I consider the aforementioned Lapin Helvetti (the Terveet Kädet album, not the band nor the album by the band of the name) to be the best latter day Terveet Kädet. Kaikki kaikkia vastaan is strong on all fronts, but not quite as strong. The sheer fierceness and rabid abandon of it is something Kaikki kaikkia vastaan can’t quite match.

But still, Kaikki kaikkia vastaan is a genuinely strong album. Admirably, it’s not one of those “pretty good for a band this age…” type of albums, either. It might not quite live up to the classic early 80’s recordings, but it’s not leagues below them either. So, 44 years on and Terveet Kädet are still delivering the goods. You gotta fucking respect that.

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