Namesake alone says a lot about what to expect when it comes to certain metal acts. Finnish quintet Rifftera for example don’t play around in their amalgamation of thrash, melodic death, and groove-style songwriting on this latest EP Coda. Since arriving on the scene in 2010 they’ve released three demos and two albums, the last one Across the Acheron hitting the market in early 2019. The time away has expanded horizons especially on the vocal front, as the dual abilities between guitarist Janne Hietala (harsh plus clean) and second guitarist Mikko Kuoppamaa (clean) offer more versatility to match the variance present by compositional framework.
The three original songs emphasize a burly riff attack surrounded by groove or alternative / atmospheric touches. “Carved in Skin” for example starts off very quiet before the militant Children of Bodom-ish drum/guitar syncopation levels the playing field, a crunchy synthesis of power thrash and melodic death metal while the vocals shift between hoarse screams and clean, ethereal melodies. The follow-up “Quicksand” has interesting keyboard runs surrounded by a swirling mix of mid-tempo groovy riffs – the contrasts between harsh to clean vocals similar to Soilwork or Mercenary. The most commercial offering is “No Turning Back” – the main musical hooks similar to 90’s-era Metallica, although the 80’s-style synth intro plus haunting background vocals add cinematic tension to the arrangement, a ripping guitar/ keyboard instrumental volley ideal for this highlight cut. Most will probably be surprised to hear Rifftera take on “Moonchild”, the first song on Iron Maiden’s classic Seventh Son of a Seventh Son record. The band readily admits that no one can duplicate the ‘Air Raid’ siren’s prowess vocally, so they just chose to ride it out in 80’s fashion, allowing the guitars to propel the hooks and make this a fun tribute to the band’s long-lasting legacy.
Hopefully we will get a third album quicker than five years, as Coda feels like a decent placeholder for things to come. Rifftera has the ideal blend of thrash, melodic death metal, and groove-oriented stomp to garner decent following from all three camps.