Finland’s Kohti Tuhoa return with a brand new 5-track EP! Picking up where they left off with their highly acclaimed 2019 album Ihmisen kasvot, this Helsinki 4-piece bring you another relentless piece of wax full of raw and catchy hardcore punk. Much like Kohti Tuhoa’s previous recordings, Elä totuudesta (Live the truth) EP has a strong classic-Finnish-hardcore feel to it, but it also shows the band breaking with tradition and bringing in more experimental elements in the closing track “Vesi virtaa”. Thematically the EP revolves around personal struggles and gender equality with the powerful vocal work underlining every word, even spotlighting problems within the punk scene.

Elä totuudesta was recorded and mixed by the band and mastered by Jack Control (Enormous Door). The sleeve includes another stunning painting by Kohti Tuhoa’s trusted artist Jaakko Karjula.

Our take: Elä Totuudesta is a new 5-song EP from this Finnish band that has built an impressive discography over the past several years. I’m always interested in hearing extreme music from Finland, and this record is a perfect example of why. It totally rips! Like my favorite 80s Finnish hardcore bands like Appendix and Lama, Kohti Tuhoa’s music strikes the perfect balance between catchiness and intensity without sacrificing either. The riff to the opening track, “Taas Sivussa,” could almost be a Pennywise song, but it’s played so mean that no one will mistake it for mall punk. The vocals are also great. Like the music, they’re powerful and commanding while remaining clear and catchy, and the timbre and phrasing remind me of another great band, Poland’s Post Regiment. If the references above intrigue you, don’t waste any time checking this one out.