KOURISTUS (Fin) Demo 2022, Demo 2019 & Teurastamo

More reviews of KOURISTUS were posted, check it out:

METALHEADS.IT Webzine:
(Visceral Circuitry Records ) Dal 2013 i Kouristus di Tampere, Finlandia, suonano un grindcore/hardcore punk che da quell’anno è stato diffuso attraverso release su formati disparati. Il demo del 2022 contiene due pezzi e si caratterizzano per una tendenza crindcore-crust, mentre il demo del 2019 contiene cinque pezzi sferraglianti, registrati in maniera approssimativa, cruda, con cariche a testa bassa e continui scatti impetuosi per un grindcore estremo a tratti, nettamente d’estrazione hardcore in altri frangenti. Hardcore punk molto veloce, molto duro, d’impatto, esasperato ma sostanzialmente hardcore ”Teurastamo”, l’EP del 2019, il quale però non manca di punte grindcore ma dalla durata breve. I Kouristus sembrano dei punk a dir poco arrabbiati che estremizzano lo stesso codice di stile del punk, a tratti superandolo e sforando nel grindcore, mentre in altri veleggiando in scariche di crust e hardcore essenziali ma devastanti. Tra queste mazzate alcune non sono mai state pubblicate in formato fisico. Visceral Circuitry Records, etichetta francese, pubblica questa raccolta in CDr e in formato digitale QUI.

CANADIAN ASSAULT Webzine:
I had never heard of this Finnish band before, but it appears they have been releasing music for a decade now. The music on here is a wild, violent, high energy and pissed off sounding hardcore punk music that is mixed hints of grindcore. The songs are good, always fast and driving with some catchy tempo variations. The vocals are classic hardcore punk with some crazy screeching and inflections that remind me slightly to The Accüsed vox. Check it out if that sort of thing is for you.

BRUTALISM Webzine:
Kouristus are a Grindcore/ Punk band from Finland that are about as ‘underground’ as one can get. With a variety of demos, EPs, and a live album out there, those who like the ferocity and grimness of extremely early Leviathan and the aggressive, yet catchy barbs of earlier Napalm Death and less guttural than Nasum, the result is a TON of short tracks that last less than 2 minutes. While with a lot of Grindcore or Noisecore tracks, these short bursts hit relentlessly and with little mercy. Some Hardcore elements are also mixed in that are a bit grittier than your average Hatebreed or earlier Earth Crisis, but the groove is certainly infectious (such as on ‘Haaveita vakivallasta’ from “Demo 2019). These tracks are rare and few between as many of them barely eclipse the 1 minute mark, and are just short machine guns bursts of aggression that sound like a less bass-y Insect Warfare. Your average Metal fan who even has delved into the short 2 minute hits from the likes of Cannibal Corpse or Superjoint Ritual which sounds like them amped up on rage-roids will find this a bit hard to stomach with the level of aggression that Kouristus delivers.
It should be noted that these guys have been raging since 2013, and don’t have much out there as far as information, so that adds to whole ‘underground’ mystique which makes them all the more intriguing. Their demos are demo quality so expect a rather raw, noisy approach that is just fast, fast, fast with little in between or variety. That’s the double edged sword of Grindcore- you get a lot of fast, same sounding tracks versus longer, more drawn out ones with room for more variety. That’s what makes this a bit of a niche genre, and Kouristus do fall into it quite well and deliver quite well between the albums they have so far. Their “Teurastamo” EP will have the best ‘quality’ sound- especially in the drum department- and less in the groove. The levels of Punk and Hardore bleed through the noise with almost a Speed Thrash approach, but Kouristus aim to the Grindcore standard of making their music abrasive versus pleasant, even with the barking vocals amidst almost pained screams (such as on ‘Sairas unelma’). Still, it isn’t as aggressive or uncomfortable to sit through compared to a band like Nails as this band tries to retain some sort of sensible listening to grab listeners. But these ‘grabs’ tend to be almost too short, so it is kind of like dealing with the claw machine at the mall as one’s ears snatch to try to get that prize of a really good riff or vocal delivery line.
The new tracks from the 2024/ 2022 demo showcase a bit more of a shift in sound for the band as tracks like ‘Perintolahja’ are more bass laden, and while still retain the Grindcore elements of their earlier work, the Punk and Hardcore bits are much clearer, and the overall thicker sound is a better. One could even say they ‘slowed down a bit’ to aim more for groove than annihilating the ear, but it isn’t by much. Kouristus have a lot going for them, and whether or not fans will see a full length album in the near future is hard to say, but these guys have a good mix of Hardcore and Punk mixed with Grindcore. The vocals tend to shy away from the typical guttural growl or grunt of the better known bands out there, so those who are expecting something along the lines of more recent Napalm Death might be disappointed. If one can absorb the short bursts of music without getting frustrated that they aren’t hearing enough, then maybe there just might enough here with Kouristus to give a near 20 minute listen of aggressive, yet head banging fun. This one is a true ‘underground’ gem so expect it to be raw, unapologetic, and avoiding the typical tropes of ‘mainstream’ Metal.

FATAL UNDERGROUND Zine:
Willkommen im unerbittlichen und unbarmherzigen „geordneten Chaos“! So oder so ähnlich könnten die allerersten Gedankengänge sein, wenn man sich die 15 Tracks, welche sich in gerade mal in gut 16 min. über einen ergießen, zum ersten Mal reinzieht. Dass bei den seit 2012 rumrödelnden Finnen die Songlänge irgendwo zwischen 30 Sekunden und knapp 2 Minuten liegt, lässt ja schon mehr als erahnen, dass das hier   definitiv nix für zarte Gemüter oder irgendwelche Melodie verliebten Metaljünger sein wird. Ne ganz im Gegenteil, hier musst du schon recht hart im Nehmen sein und sowohl deine Seele wie auch dein Herz vollkommen der extremen Ausrichtung verschrieben haben. Denn in erster Linie heißt es hier, schnell, schneller, immer in Richtung Hochgeschwindigkeitstempo, ohne hierbei mal wirklich großartig was an Abwechslung, Innovation oder unnötigen „Ruhephasen“ mit reinzubringen. Aber der eingefleischte Fan von Grind und Crust, welchem auch ne gehörige Prise an Punk wohltun, braucht so ein Scheiß eh nicht, wenn er mal wieder so richtig ausrasten und volle Pulle abgehen will. Roh, laut und schnurstracks geradeaus ist das Motto, mit dem man hier jede Party in eine absolut ausartende Orgie verwandeln wird. Natürlich passt das limitierte Tape auch soundtechnisch mehr als hervorragend zu dieser musikalischen „Gewaltaktion“. Wer bei Bands wie „Nasum“ oder auch „Napalm Death „in Schwitzen kommt, der muss nach dem Genuss dieser Scheibe ohne jeden Zweifel auch sein T-Shirt wechseln. (LEO) 

ENCOMIUM Zine: Zine
Kouristus is a grindcore band from Finland. They have been spreading their kind of musical chaos since 2013. This release, which is a compilation of sorts, by the way, contains 15 tracks clocking in at just over 15 minutes. Two short songs from their 2022 demo start the disc. Both tracks explode straight away, there's no time to catch your breath, ha-ha... That's what I call dedication, hats off to them. To my surprise, the sound production is very good and enjoyable. Then we have 5 songs from their 2019 demo. These short cuts sound a bit rawer, nastier and crazier, partly because of the hysterical vocal outbursts. It's really cool when they suddenly slow down to break the fast pace with some ultra-heavy and groovy riffs and then explode again with new energy. It's not a mindless mess, it actually has great riffs and song structures, just played really fast. The second half of the disc is the 8 songs of the "Teurastamo" EP from 2018. This EP sounds incredible. I'm not sure of the purpose of this disc, but it's limited to 50 copies, so Kouristus fans should act fast. In any case, I warmly recommend this Finnish band to grindcore, hardcore and punk maniacs. They are definitely worth investing in. I hope we get more music from them in the near future, but in the meantime, try to get this stuff from Visceral Circuitry Records!!!

CRYPT OF DR GORE Zine :
Je sors pour une fois de l'aspect glauque et morbide de la scène finlandaise (j'avoue adorer bon nombres de leurs groupes de doom/death) pour vous embarquer, au travers de cette compile qui ne dit pas réellement son nom, dans l'univers de Kouristus (de Tampere).

Ici, il est uniquement question  de grindcore frénétique quoique fort bien calibré et réalisé de main de maître.

Leur nom signifie « spasmes » et au travers de ces trois enregistrements (au son évidemment un peu différent d'une sortie à l'autre), on comprend très vite pourquoi.

On se retrouve à fréquemment à taper du pied et à appuyer sur « repeat ».

Croyez-moi sur parole si je vous dis que cela n'est pas du uniquement au format très court des titres, mais aussi à leurs qualités évidentes.