It took them five years to get a full length album out, but since then things have moved fast for the Finnish shoegaze ‘n noise-rock quartet Murmansk. Their debut ‘Chinese Locks’ was released last year to critical acclaim and already they have a followup out and international attention picking up.

Founded in Helsinki in 2003, Murmansk – sharing name with the biggest city north of the Arctic Circle in extreme northwest Russia – deserve that attention. Their recipe seem at first listen simple: soaring guitar walls-of-sound, loads of reverb and delay, heavy drumming, intricate bass lines and an expressive female vocal. However, layers keep surfacing and, more important, they have some really good songs.

Opening track ‘Sweet Trio’ is one, sporting one of the best choruses on the album and a class example of singer Laura’s main strength (expression), brilliantly bleak single ‘Moth’ another. ‘Sumac’ tears you apart in a colossal attack on all senses, ballad ‘Paper Dust’ offers room to breathe while closer ‘Before Kitchen Knives’ gets about as close to pop as this outfit probably will ever be (don’t worry, though, plenty of pleasing noise here, too).

Mumansk’s uncompromising dedication to their expression does mean that ‘Eleven Eyes To Shade’ lack a little in variation, but crank the volume and allow yourself to get swept away by their tidal wave of sound and you will soon find yourself in an unforgiving, barren land where life seem to exist in spite. And there’s a pretty good chance you’ll want to stay…

Genre: Rock/Shoegaze/Noise-rock
Who: Murmansk
Album: Eleven Eyes To Shade
Label: Ranch/Spinefarm Records
Year: 2009
Country: Finland
Language: English
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Recommended tracks:
Sweet Trio – Sumac – Paper Dust – Moth – Before Kitchen Knives