Foreseen / Upright

Just to clear things up, a Bandcamp version of this exists that has two additional tracks to the original recording, one by each band ('Right Words' is certainly by Upright whatever their Bandcamp might suggest), evening up the balance of the split even though Upright have twice as many songs. That's down to Foreseen writing much longer tracks than their hardcore brethren, who are not quite metal enough for the Metal Archives. In any case, both groups hail from Finland, Foreseen boasting five members to facilitate their crossover thrash, while the hardcore sound only needs four. Apart from nationality, spirit certainly links the groups, since a certain grit and street-level sense of honour dictate the themes and sonic qualities of songs like 'Paving the Way' and 'Right Words'.

At the risk of Upright being neglected, I'll begin with their tracks. These are much briefer than their partner's, totalling just over six minutes and generally getting to the point without much additional content, though the style doesn't actually stray far from the crossover hardcore of d-beat, slamming chords, and gargled vocals. All instruments come through clearly, separating slightly in a rough, raw mix, so that the bass forms a key part of the intro to 'Recognize' and the rhythms pop and click as much as thump. Because of the slight weakness in sound, the songs don't hit as hard as they could, though the faster moments in 'Better Days' will appeal to fans of both bands. The gang shouts and sloganistic lyrics might be a little too overt for your typical metal listener, especially during 'The Devil'; however, I suppose they can be tolerated when the song is only 56 seconds long.

Foreseen feature some similar elements, particularly the ugly shout of a hardcore hard-man that dominates the guitars and drums yet relinquishes control for some lead guitar and moments of pure riffing. These guys aren't the fastest of all the crossover groups I've heard, tending to settle for a bruising mid-pace with some moments of quicker stuff, a little like Power Trip. Barring the solos, classic metal doesn't trouble either song on the split, churning in chuggy hooks and a more decorative d-beat style than their counterparts on the split. Since 'Paving the Way' featured on Foreseen's debut full-length, it's interesting to note that it doesn't sound like the same recording, this earlier version coming across as gruffer and a little less developed, as the 40 missing seconds hints. Fortunately, 'The Hammer' is an exclusive track (so you'd better get the Bandcamp release) that spans a great deal of ground pace-wise, even stopping towards the end before a creeping Slayer-style riff leads to the conclusion.

This self-titled split doesn't seem to show either band on excellent form (as is expected for an early release in their respective careers), but it does well to form a link between bands in the Finnish scene and display potential for future efforts. Naturally, I favour the crossover material to the purer hardcore, not that fans of the genre will find too much to complain about. Great for a taste of the North.