
II is (not very surprisingly) the second e.p. by this Finnish trio. As I said in the previous paragraph, they like to call it rock music but there's a lot more going on here. In merely five tracks, ranging from 1.30 to 5.41 minutes they've succeeded in blending everything they can get their hands on and giving it a raw, unfriendly edge.
The music on this e.p. is as heavy as doom, as relentless as hardcore, as dirty as rock 'n' roll, as vile as death metal and raw as punk. Besides, it's played with a huge sense of experimentation and intensity. The brutal vocals (in Finnish, so I have no idea what they're pissed off about) range from traditional folk to hardcore and cary the same intensity as the music.
So I have no idea what I've been listening to in the past hour but that's perfectly fine. This is indeed rock music at it's most naked and punishing. It takes some getting used to but after a few listens the uncompromising power of Kantamus really gets stuck in your head. My recommendation: check it out, and then check it out again and maybe a third time, just to make sure. You'll be surprised, I promise.
Serge