scalping screen twelve out of chamber

Released: 25 January 2010 Label: Kneesplitter Records

Some albums like to introduce themselves with a polite handshake or gentle kiss on the cheek. Not so Twelve Out of Chamber from Finns Scalping Screen, which prefers to put you in a headlock and smash out a few teeth by way of greeting.

The pulsating opening of Two Bladed Sword and Turning Point set the tone for what is to follow, being slabs of brutal hardcore overflowing with anger, passion and visceral rage. The energy does not let up for any of the tracks that follow and by the time Infected brings the album to a close a mere thirty minutes later, you are left reeling.

Nominally at least, Scalping Screen are clearly a hardcore band, particularly in attitude. But there are enough metallic flourishes to suggest appeal to a wider demographic. There are moments where Lamb of God or even Pantera at their most vicious spring to mind, even if the Finns may lack the subtlety and lightness of touch displayed by both those bands.

If that makes Twelve Out of Chamber sound suspiciously like a metalcore album, it kind of is. But metalcore in the purest sense – an aggressive, high velocity crossover of metal and hardcore – so don’t allow the genre police to put you off.

Short and not so sweet, Twelve Out of Chamber is hugely enjoyable but should be approached with caution as it might just make you want to break stuff.


by Marcus Jervis