Meet Daggerplay, Finland’s pop-punk outfit. They recently dropped their album Subterranean Reality.
Made up of Pekko Mantzin (vocals, guitar), Tommi Luostarinen (vocals, guitar), Sirpa Immonen (drums), and Bryan Ugartechea (bass, vocals), Daggerplay got together in Helsinki in 2011. With a sound amalgamating rock, punk-rock, and power pop, the band shared the stage with Bob Wayne in Vantaa, Finland, as well as having the album included by Soundi on their “Best Right Now” list.
Encompassing 14-tracks, the album gets things going with “Red Sky,” a potent rock-a-billy number powered by gleaming guitars and a rumbling groove. Hints of country filaments flow through the tune, giving it a tasty savor.
From a purely subjective perspective, the best tracks on the album include “Don’t Give Up,” a vibrant power-pop tune with beau coup punk aromas riding a compelling rhythm. Tight tenor vocals infuse the tune with jaunty colors, as backing vocals add radiant depth and dimension to the song. Wall-of-sound bridges give the tune brawny harmonic shifts.
I love the swirling muscular intro to “Black River,” flowing into a powerful rock tune rife with surging resonance and skiffing accents. Tints of pop energy inject the harmonics with infectious colors. A thumping breakdown provides a delicious energetic pause, prior to ramping back up.
“Days Like These” travels on sizzling guitars and Thor-like percussion that escalates to new levels of fierceness on searing guitars on the chorus. “Same Old, Same Old” features a captivating power pop melody infused with Celtic rock-a-billy flavors. A scorching guitar solo kicks the tune into the dynasphere, like a punch to the solar plexus.
“NW2” rolls out raw punk-pop textures on a hecka-potent rhythm. “Ghosts” delivers another pop-punk tune full of visceral heft and driving guitars. The bridges on this track are scrumptiously seamless, reminiscent of The Bobby Fuller Four.
The final track, “Sinister Blues,” features wicked bluesy colors atop a burlesque-flavored melody that segues into a rampaging hardcore punk tune.
Frankly, I was pleasantly surprised by Subterranean Reality and the knack Daggerplay exhibits for ferocious energy. Give this one a listen; it’s excellent.
