Hidden Gems & Guilty Pleasures: Vitriolic (Finland)
Vitriolic (Black/Speed Metal, Finland)
Vitriolic is a satanic speed metal trio from Tampere, Finland. Featuring current and former members of See also: Huoripukki, Infected Priest, Warfare Noise and Unsalvation.
Hailing from Tampere, Vitriolic raise high the iron fist of their homeland’s oft-overlooked blackthrash scene. From the paradigmatic likes of Urn and Flame on to the next generation of Evil Angel, Sadokist, and labelmates Rapid, the power-trio of Vitriolic have been fighting the metal fight for the past five years. Initially, the band self-released their first couple EPs and a live album, and then made their full-length debut in 2021 with »Renegade Ascension« via Headsplit. And while some songs from their second album were forecast in demo form the last few years, at last arrives »Black Steel Vengeance«.
No more perfectly titled, »Black Steel Vengeance« is Vitriolic are at their rowdiest and most powerful. Honed on the live front, »Black Steel Vengeance« is a ten-track assault of old-school, riff-driven metal. Black, speed, thrash, separately or all at once: Vitriolic let loose and live lawlessly on this 41-minute firestorm. Truly, this album is a testament to the burning underground spirit – theirs, yours, everyone’s who believes in Hell’s heavy metal – remaining grounded in the dirt of the past but digging up new graves that smell rottenly unfresh. The flag of hate of the original Teutonic Big Three flies proudly here, but Vitriolic manage to twist the knife in different-yet-honorable ways. As such, »Black Steel Vengeance« is equally at home in 1985, 1999, and 2025, such is its timeless gallop ‘n’ thrust. Raise your sword!
Dying Victims Productions released Vitriolic’s highly anticipated second album, »Black Steel Vengeance«, January 17th, 2025 on CD and vinyl LP formats. Headsplit Records has already released the CD and cassette tape versions for North America.
Courtesy of Dying Victims Productions
Photo by Panu Räsänen
Discography:
• »Vitriol And Fury« EP (2019)
• »And Hell Will Follow…« EP (2020)
• »Three Trumpets Of The Apocalypse – Live At Torvi« (2020)
• »Renegade Ascension« LP (Headsplit Records, 2021)
• »Speed ‘N’ Satan ’22« Demo (2022)
• »Scaled Skin, Vitriol Blood« Demo (2023)
• »Black Steel Vengeance« LP (Headsplit Records, 2024)
Vitriolic is:
Gatekeeper Ares – Guitars, Vocals
Irreverentor – Bass
V Von Vitriolic – Drums
FFO: Nifelheim, Bewitched, Carnivore, Deströyer 666, early Sodom, Desaster, Nocturnal, Bunker 66, Deathhammer, Nocturnal Breed
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well