BLOODPIT – Mental Circus

Bloodpit are big stars in their native country Finland. They have released several EPs over the years which are all sold out. Mental Circus is their first full-length album release.

This foursome has played a lot of gigs all over Finland and some in Italy this year, and after a few spins of the album, they sound very tight as a band, but maybe not as well-established as the big rock stars out there. Bloodpit was founded back in 1995, and during the years they have had members coming and going. The current line-up, however, has been steady since 2001.

Mental Circus was released in Finland in August and the first single out, “Platitude,” jumped straight to the top of the Finnish singles chart. This is not a happy song, however, and the lyrics are a bit depressing. They sing that there is no sanctuary, no shelter, and no grace –- so it’s better to go hide in a shell. This is one of the calm tracks on the album, with some nice guitar solos, and some great parts by the drummer. The vocals have some problems during this song, and are drowned out in some parts by the bass, which is too loud. Overall, though, this is a nice song, but maybe a bit too commercial.

Another song worth a few words is “Bad Ass Blues.” This is the highlight of the album. It is filled with great attitude and it is an up-tempo song that gets the listeners in a good mood. The lyrics are quite fun too, like the title says – bad ass!!!

The band plays Modern Heavy Rock with some ties to the rock scene of the 80s. The melodies are pretty plain, and most of them very commercial with average bass and drum work. The album is not amazing, but it sure has some great tracks -– and the band has got good potential to become known outside Finland. Thumbs up for the grooves, the riffs, and the melodies on this release. The voice of the singer is not always on the top, though, and it is like he doesn’t suit the rhythms some places. He’s definitely no better than average.

The production is almost perfect, though, adding nice atmosphere and providing a clear sound. Due to the riffs (some superb guitar work to be found in almost every song), the driving rhythms and the balanced arrangements, Bloodpit has a lot of potential for a bright future.

Lineup

ALEKSI KERÄNEN – bass
MATTHAU MIKOJAN – vocals and guitar
ALARIK VALAMO – drums
PAAVO PEKKONEN – guitar