FAFF-BEY — Birthday (review)

FAFF-BEY — Birthday album cover Album · 1991 · Thrash Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
UMUR
"Birthday" is the 3rd full-length studio album by Finnish, Oulu based thrash metal act Faff-Bey. The album was released through Poko International in 1991. It´s the successor to "Doesn't Feel like Laughing..." from 1990.

"Birthday" is a rather different sounding release to its direct predecessor and it´s especially the vocal style, which has changed. Lead vocalist/guitarist Maike Valanne still has a raw snarling delivery, but it´s not nearly as aggressive or intense as it used to be, and he even occasionally sings semi-melodic lines. The pace of the music is also generally been lowered, and while "Birthday" still features fast-paced thrash metal parts, it features just as many mid-paced heavy riffs and rhythms. While not directly comparable I´m reminded of mid-90s Coroner (in a much less technical version), and sometimes Testament and Nuclear Assault too, but unfortunately in their less interesting versions.

"Birthday" features a decent sounding production job, but I can´t help feel that the soundscape sometimes feels a little thin and empty. "Birthday" isn´t exactly the triumphant continuation of the high quality aggressive and raw thrash metal of the first two albums, that I had expected it to be, and while change isn´t always a band thing, and the change here actually isn´t that profound, "Birthday" still feels like a weaker album than it´s predecessors. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.
Share this review

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Hin helga kvöl Atmospheric Sludge Metal
SÓLSTAFIR
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Cycles of Suffering Black Metal
BURIAL OATH
Buy this album from MMA partners
Facilis Descensus Averno Death Metal
SAEVUS FINIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Merciless Crossover Thrash
BODY COUNT
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us