Existence Indiffirent

It doesn't take very long at all for Atakhama's debut album, Existence Indifferent, to reveal their debt to uncompromisingly speedy and technically proficient extreme metal bands such as Behemoth and Zyklon, which is all well and good since these Finns show themselves quite adept at exploring — if not necessarily redefining or improving upon — the increasingly gray area demarcating death and black metal's more uncompromisingly brutal common ground. Over the top vocalist Jimmy Salmi gargles razor blades in the most guttural, death metal Cookie Monster fashion, while, at the foundation, drummer Timo Häkkinen produces some of the most incessant blastbeats discernible as actual rhythms by the human ear. Inside the maelstrom that lies between, guitarists Simo Rahikainen and J-V Hintikka alternate buzzing rhythm riffs with piercing semi-melodic lead squeals, while bassist Matti Honkonen (better known for his work with doom masters Swallow the Sun) attempts to sneak a note or two in edgewise. This proves to be a mostly fruitless endeavor, as Atakhama only rarely slacken up their furious pace to make way for anything four-stringed and groovy like the slower portions of "World to Dominate." The remaining whirlwind, while effective enough in setting one's adrenalin pumping (or exploding, as they near the album's 40-minute mark), ultimately feels too uniform and featureless to carve the band's name alongside those of their heroes on the altar of metal just yet. But Atakhama have all the tools in place, so here's hoping their creativity and imagination make better use of the base materials next time around.