After a long and succesful career, Sweatmaster decided to call it quits in July 2011.
BIO
I remember seeing Sweatmaster live for the first time in the very early Noughties. Second on the bill at the local, cramped, now sadly defunct, University punk venue, they were, despite the slight clumsiness and understandable newcomer shyness, in one word, convincing. The trademark Sweatmaster qualities were already there: the...
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After a long and succesful career, Sweatmaster decided to call it quits in July 2011.
BIO
I remember seeing Sweatmaster live for the first time in the very early Noughties. Second on the bill at the local, cramped, now sadly defunct, University punk venue, they were, despite the slight clumsiness and understandable newcomer shyness, in one word, convincing. The trademark Sweatmaster qualities were already there: the sharp-edged pounding rhythms, the proto-punk roughness, lead singer Sasu Mykkänen's soul-powered vocals and the singalong rapture.
Having just witnessed them sovereignly champion their home turf (that is Turku, Finland) once again at a hellishly sweat-hot, jam-packed club in July 2010, sporting a setlist bursting at the seams withgreat Sweatmaster favourites as well as previewing a number of brand new songs off the current, slightly gloomier and heavier "Dig Up The Knife" album, the word that still comes to mind and describes the show best is convincing.
One will be pressed to find a tighter, more unified and self-confident rock trio. At peace with themselves, and the world (including the rock business), the band on stage seem more relaxed and - yes - convincing than ever.
Sweatmaster got a fine jumpstart to their career soon after those early gigs. Boosted by the hype around Nordic rock at the time, the band were signed to legendary Danish garage label Bad Afro and got to tour around Europe and even test the waters in the UK, one of the hardest markets in the world, experiencing being interviewed by Bruce Dickinson and supporting The Darknessin London for their sold-out breakthrough show.
Always a bit of outsiders of the garage boom both musically and conceptually, in the 2010s Sweatmaster remain one of the great survivors ofthe Scandirock 'movement', releasing records on Finnish indie Fullsteam and still working on their craft and enjoying being the best kept secret, and quite frankly, the best rock band in Finland.
If in the early days Sweatmaster were a mix of 60s garage, Misfits punk and 90s stoner rock - kind of Music Machine meets QOTSA - their latest effort, "Dig Up The Knife", introduces the band still catchy, sharp and powerful, but also quirkier, darker and more thoughtful, even cynical, than ever. The album sees Sweatmaster maybe heavier on the hard rock pedal, yet bringing in more scope and dynamics, even sensibility. They still have the vocals, Matti Kallio's recognizable hard-hit drums and Mikko Luukko's wailing guitar work and raw, dissonant peculiarities, but also new, haunting tones, slower tempos and production tricks. A new album from Sweatmaster, more than just more of the same.
Mikko Lappalainen
MEMBERS
Sasu Mykkänen - vocals, bass
Mikko Luukko - guitar
Matti Kallio - drums
Domestic
