Sotajumala

Teloitus

Woodcut Records 2008

Finland has a burgeoning death metal scene these days and at the forefront is Sotajumala.  One their second full length we see a traditional death metal approach that walks upon well trodden fields of Morbid Angel inspiration.  Taking huge doses of these Floridian masters and doing very little new with it.  Some might feel a comfort within this approach but I am not among them.  Opener Tappaja Ja Tapettu could literally been pulled off of MA's Domination album and no one would be the wiser.  Arkku Vailla Vainajaa is a tightly wound coil of rhythmic death with skillful musicianship and some killer double bass drumming.  Yet I somehow fail to be moved towards caring.  Kuolinjulistus is more of the same, with a chugging chorus spitting acidic vocals.  This is about the only time on the album I find myself nodding my head with metallic glee rather than just plain nodding off to sleep.  Riistety Viattomuus' rhythms are strongly reminiscent of Morbid Angel's God of Emptiness.  And for the most part so goes the rest of the album.  Basically Sotajumala are rehashing the glory days of Eric Rutan era Morbid Angel and almost nothing else, content to reside within those well explored confines.  It's not that it is bad or poorly executed because it is actually quite good and the execution is tight.  However I am bored as I have heard this done a million times before and Teloitus fails to breath anything fresh into this dead horse.