Contamination

Want a short, straight-to-the-point review of Valkyrja's 2010 offering, Contamination? OK, here we go -- "A runaway freight train of metal." That may sum it up, but that simply won't cut it for an album review, so let's proceed a bit further...this Swedish extreme metal outfit is all about pushing metal to the max. All of the prerequisites for an extreme metal band are present, but somehow, the Valkyrja chaps take it all to the next level. Picture the perfect soundtrack for a speeding roller coaster with a brake malfunction (how's that for a description?) and you still wouldn't come close to understanding how unbridled and crazed Contamination sounds. You'll probably be best served by just simply strapping yourself in and preparing for impact, as such ditties as "Oceans to Dust," "Catharsis (Contaminate the Earth)," and "Welcoming Worms" are among the most ferocious compositions to be committed to tape (or perhaps more fittingly in the early 21st century, "audio file") in recent memory. ~ Greg Prato