REVIEW: BLIND CHANNEL- EXIT EMOTIONS

Finnish nu-metal band Blind Channel are back with their 5th LP, ‘EXIT EMOTIONS.’ Fusing elements of pop and hip-hop into a more alternative sound, the group found rampant success with their previous record, ‘Lifestyles of the Sick & Dangerous’ and its Eurovision single ‘Dark Side.’ Less than two years later, this new album continues to solidify the group as a force to be reckoned with.

Blind Channel make a statement on the opening track ‘WHERE’S THE EXIT,’ urging the listener to ‘get the fuck up right now;’ with overdriven guitar riffs and a gigantic chorus, the song makes this a very easy command to obey as they kick the album off strong. None of the cuts on ‘EXIT EMOTIONS’ ever outstay their welcome— even the longest song fails to break the four-minute mark— but instead speak of a band who have refined their rage-fuelled, hook-centred style of songwriting into a filler-free experience. 3rd single ‘DEADZONE,’ as a prime example, mixes claustrophobic trap beats and rapping in with a chorus sure to get entire arenas singing along, and does so with the confidence of a group on the rise. ‘EXIT EMOTIONS’ may not be a sweeping reinvention of the band’s sound, but it hardly needs to be as tracks like ‘XOXO’ and ‘KEEPING IT SURREAL’ keep things fresh, modern and all-around exciting.

That’s not to say that every creative decision throughout the album’s blistering 35-minute runtime is a success. ‘NOT YOUR BRO,’ with its oddly-placed synthesised vocal samples and half-hearted breakdown, stands as a notably weak addition to a generally consistent album. The record also teeters on the edge of melodrama at times, with the Nickelback-esque hard rock riffs of ‘HAPPY DOOMSDAY’ and the heavy-handed lyricism of lead single ‘FLATLINE’ bringing the second half of the album down a touch. These criticisms are, however, only minor blemishes on what is otherwise an extremely polished and electrifying release in the nu-metal sphere.

While ‘EXIT EMOTIONS’ hardly reinvents the wheel, it sure does keep it turning fast and pointed somewhere exciting. The group have continued to use their performances at Eurovision and Download as a springboard, delivering a record sure to please any fans of the genre. Vocalist Niko Vilhelm claims that “it’s this feeling of never being enough is what drives us forward.” With this new release, it’s safe to say they can finally lay those fears to waste.

Words: Jay Kirby

Cover Photo: Christian Ripkens