Turmion Kätilöt - Technodiktator (2013)Release ID: 4340
At this point, Turmion Katilot released 4 albums in which each one reached higher into the Finnish charts while losing a slight bit of appeal. The band was determined to keep climbing up to the charts, but their mission and their career was almost cut short by a near-disaster for one of the band members...
December 2012 may not be the end of the world, but it almost was for vocalist Petja Turunen who suffered a stroke that caused the band to take a break for over a month for MC Raaka Pee to recover from that health-scare. Then they went back onboard to record a new album released later on in 2013. Technodiktator hit #4 in the Finnish charts, but is it worse than Perstechnique? Nope! It is stronger than U.S.C.H!, and having the band's best sound since Hoitovirhe. Not reaching the debut's perfection, but very close.
Opener "Silmät sumeat" (Blurry Eyes) is a great track to start, and it's hard not to see its appeal. "Antaa palaa" (Let It Burn) maintains the intensity while in a slower tempo. With that, there's more emotion with the techno-synth-filled instrumentation. Everything's balanced here, except for the odd usage of saxophone that's not used often and it just comes out of the blue near the end. "Nimi kivessä" (Name Engraved in Stone) once again has what the previous song has but slower. The instrumentation focuses less on the techno-synths that only support the heaviness in the drums and guitars. It's a bit overwhelming, but not shocking.
The track that I consider my favorite here is "Pyhä maa" (Holy Land). This is a fantastic track I would revisit quite often as the techno beats are blended well with some of the heaviest riffing by the band. "Jalopiina" (Noble Torment) is a bit strange. It takes on a more Wild Western vibe in the drums and guitars, and sometimes they would teleport to the Eastern Lands within the instrumentation. If there was a music video for that, it would show the band travelling to different edges of the world. "Elävä koneeksi" (Living into a Machine) shows the band make a perfect tribute to 90s dance, combined with fast relentless metal instrumentation. The beat would sweep you away all over the dance-floor like a moshing tornado.
"Rehtori" (Principal) is where things get even stranger. The speed changes happen in bizarre times, going from fast to slow in no time flat. A bit of a hiccup there but still fine. I would say the same about the lyrics that seem to be about school principals. "золото/Beibe" (Gold/Baby) is one of the best examples of the band's industrial metal here. "To Be Continued Act 1" is a bit confusing. Not just in the name, but it's also the band's longest song. Now I like long epics, but this one would've been better if they removed the 4-minute silence at the end and shortened the rest to around a length of 6 minutes.
If we're only counting the first 5 Turmion Katilot albums, Technodiktator would be my second-favorite behind Hoitovirhe. They throw back to the best aspects of the debut while having their heaviest work at that point. This would certainly fit well in both a nightclub and a metal concert, and it's guaranteed that you would move to the music. Keep calm and party on!
Favorites: "Silmät sumeat", "Antaa palaa", "Pyhä maa", "Elävä koneeksi", "золото/Beibe"
