The Funeral Barge

Lasse Pyykkö's is awesome! Though best known for his work with Acid Witch & Hooded Menace, Pyykkö has fronted innumerable side-projects, including Vacant Coffin, Ruinebell, Swarming, & The Skeletal. One of his best projects is Claws -- a one-man show of full-on Florida style death metal with a doomy Finnish twist.

Pyykkö himself writes all the music, plays all the instruments, and delivers his usual rottenesque vocals. This two song 7" is an excellent intro to the project, giving you a quick briefing on what to expect: a mash-up of Florida & Finland (think Leprosy Death meets Demigod with Hooded Menace vocals). Dark and gloomy with a rich sound that allows all the instruments to be heard, this 7" will scratch your old-school itch. Pyykkö may not be a virtuoso but he is shockingly capable at performing/producing this entire project. Clearly his brain is just bursting with riffs and songs as this 7" doesn't even scratch the level of the best material found on the full-length.

This 7" has become shockingly hard to find but I highly recommend it. Pyykkö is obviously prolific and it can be hard to sort through the glut of material he releases. The Claws stuff, though, is excellent and worth hearing.