Formed 20 years ago in Finland, Turmion Kätilöt has firmly established themselves as one of the front runners in the industrial metal scene. From the start in 2003, these energetic Fins have built a solid fan base, and are growing stronger and bigger with every new release culminating in Turmion Kätilöt landing a record deal at the end 2019 with one of the leading record labels in metal music Nuclear Blast.
Turmion Kätilöt can be known for their energetic and up-tempo music. Filled to the brim with synth’s, heavy and up-tempo guitar, aggressive drumming, and a live performance that is both shocking as well as unrivalled, these Fins have found themselves a perfect way to translate their music into something that makes an lasting impression on the listener. And although Turmion Kätilöt has become somewhat notorious for some of their live performances, they maintain the high standard in their music that they have got since day 1!
With the release of Omen X, Turmion Kätilöt released their 11th studio album to date, and the second one to be released with Nuclear Blast. The album has 11 brand new songs on it and has a total playing time just a little short of 40 minutes. For those of you who know Turmion Kätilöt, Omen X will be an album that truly screams Turmion Kätilöt! From the opening song Totuus the tempo is immediately there, the vocals are instantly recognisable as Turmion Kätilöt and the changes in tempo throughout the songs has become a key feature for them.
Throughout the album, there are songs that have an high tempo and beat whilst others are a bit more melodic. That makes for a nice change and a good listen, as it creates some “room to breathe” and thus makes sure you fully appreciate the album.
Turmion Kätilöt’s albums to date are mainly in Finnish (although they have released songs in English) and with Omen X they do not stray from their path. The Finnish language is really suitable for their music and brings a certain aggression to it and although some lyrics are somewhat gruesome , and can be downright shocking, it all is part of what makes Turmion Kätilöt!
Perhaps the best way to learn what Turmion Kätilöt is all about, is to listen to the last 2 songs of Omen X. Kun Kesä Kuoli is in every aspect a true Turmion Kätilöt song. Loads of tempo changes, aggressive vocals, a lot of synths, but above all a true Turmion Kätilöt song. With the last song Kuolettavia Vammoja Turmion Kätilöt shows their wide range of possibilities. The piano opening is something these Fins don’t use often, and although the aggression and sound of Turmion Kätilöt shines through in this song, for Turmion Kätilöt’s understanding this is almost a “sweet” song. That is until the guitars and heavy singing take over.
Conclusion:
With the release of Omen X, Turmion Kätilöt shows they still are front runners in this genre. To put only the label “industrial metal” on them, is not fair. They have some other influences as well, and perhaps is best described as “industrial techno metal” draped with a Suomi sauce. Although the album itself isn’t the longest album ever released, it has no “filler-up” songs. The balance between tempo and aggression is perfect, and the music itself is instantly recognisable as Turmion Kätilöt. As a long-time fan of this energetic gang of weirdo’s (in a positive way) I truly can say Omen X is yet another successful chapter for Turmion Kätilöt. With a career spanning over 20 years now Turmion Kätilöt has always been true to themselves. When you listen to their 2004 album Hoitovirhe you will here the same Turmion Kätilöt you will find on Omen X. Offcourse they have grown and use more and more “sounds” but the high standard that was sat all those years ago, hasn’t changed a bit.
All in all Omen X is a must have for all Turmion Kätilöt fans and a fantastic album for those who want to get to know Turmion Kätilöt. As far as lyrics go, they can be shocking and gruesome sometimes, but that’s part of their way of making music and translates to their live performances. Highly energetic music draped with the unmistakable sound of Turmion Kätilöt is the best way to describe Omen X.
Omen X has been released in physical form and on all digital streaming platforms.
Score 8.5/10.0
Turmion Kätilöt:
Vocals – MC Raaka Pee
Vocals – Saku Solin
Bass – Master Bates
Guitar – Bobby Undertaker
Synth’s – RunQ
Drums – DQ
IF YOU DONT WANT TO MISS ANYTHING TURMION KÄTILÖT ANNOUNCES OR RELEASES, MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW THEM THROUGH THE FOLLOWING LINKS!
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If you want to learn more about Turmion Kätilöt and Omen X, please click the following playlist!
