In Slaughter Natives

Last year, the long-awaited self-titled debut finally appeared on vinyl. Now the series continues with Enter Now The World, the second album by Jouni Havukainen's project. Originally released by Cold Meat Industry in 1992, it remains, for many listeners, the project's masterpiece.

The elements that defined In Slaughter Natives were already present on the debut. On Enter Now The World, everything became larger, heavier and more detailed. Thunderous percussion, heavy electronics, brass and string samples, operatic voices and Jouni's deep, rasping vocals create an enormous wall of sound. The orchestral parts bring no relief; they only add more pressure. The whole album feels like a series of paintings of hell, filled with religious dread, torment and damnation.

Sacred Worms and To Mega Therion are among the album's most direct attacks. Temple Of Flesh And Metal is a massive industrial ritual. Saducismus Triumphatus is oppressive and unsettling, while Skin Sore Eyes (Final Structure) brings hammering percussion together with cold orchestral drama. The ten tracks move between violent rhythms, symphonic weight and dark ambient passages, but the pressure never lets up.

Back in 1992, what would later be called symphonic or martial industrial was still taking shape. Enter Now The World became one of the records that defined it, and its influence spread throughout the industrial scene. Thirty-four years later, the album is still overwhelming, unhealthy and devastating.