Valoton

Hey, Valoton, what's with the anonymity? I appreciate any weird black metal band that take their misanthropy to such extreme heights (dudes don't let any info slip, but the record label claim they're from Finland in the band's otherwise totally mysterious bio), but it's a bit misplaced. Beastificate is a great blast of Finnish black, mowing down all things at full speed, not unlike a slightly more memorable 1349. But with a touch of female vocals (the title track), barnyard samples ("First Ray from Satan's Sun") and a vaguely fascistic-sounding track ("Jaws of Abaddon") thrown in, it all becomes rote, good as it is. What it comes down to is it doesn't matter who you are unless you're doing something way different. And different Beastificate is not; solid, heavy and enjoyable black metal that's more or less devoid of frills, however, it is.