Finland has produced many stellar metal bands over the years. From Amorphis to Nightwish, Rotten Sound to Impaled Nazarene, and all bands in between, the country has long been a home for heavy music. It should come as no surprise then that one of the most exciting young bands in traditional and speed metal should come from the capital city of Helsinki. Satan's Fall released their debut album, "Final Day" in 2020 (a year which must have felt particularly apt for such a title) and it was received warmly. Now, the group prepares to release their sophomore, "Destination Destruction" and if it's a sign of things to come, we'll be hearing much more from them in the future.

Of course, if a band takes their name from a staple song by a legendary band, they have to deliver, and Satan's Fall does that straight away with "Lead The Way." It's an exciting song containing everything that makes this kind of metal so much fun, including a wailing guitar and breakneck speed. These are common traits on "Destination Destruction," with "Afterglow" being another standout track that follows this pattern that recalls the Dio-era Sabbath classic, "Die Young." Meanwhile, "Garden Of Fire" is just as thrilling, with a touch of sleaze for added flavour.

It's not all fast and furious though, with "Monster's Ball" providing an eerie introduction before becoming melodic, yet fierce, with a stomping tempo. This song comes at just the right time on the record, stopping the speed from becoming mundane, although the track before, "Swines To Slaughter" has a great swing to it with a bombastic chorus. Similar things could be said of "Dark Star," which feels epic, but not grandiose, keeping the vibe of "Destination Destruction" intact.

There are two covers to be found on the album as well, one you've no doubt noticed is the theme from Mighty Morphing Power Rangers, which was always ripe for metal bands to take on. It's a pretty faithful rendition, offering a little more speed and grit but still more or less the same song. The other cover, "Es wird viel passieren," itself the theme of a German soap opera, is very well done and for those unaware of its origins, would come across as an exciting uptempo metal track.

All in all, "Destination Destruction" is an absolute blast from start to finish. Fans of old-school eighties metal will want to seek out this record as soon as possible because Satan's Fall really delivers here. There are many young bands who replicate their heroes of the metal's glory days, but very few can capture the magic of that era or the sheer exhilaration of performing heavy metal music. Satan's Fall, however, really understands their influences and the music they play, culminating in this fantastic love letter to old-school heavy metal which will win over plenty of new fans.