The Finnish extreme metal band Saasta, hailing from Kotka, has released a 12-track album titled “Cesspool”. The new record makes no pretense of being anything other than what it is: rotten, heavy, and merciless. The album is divided into two parts: The Sanctum and The Abyss. The first builds a lie; the second destroys it.

“This isn’t a story of growth. This is a documentary of decay.”

The sound is dynamic, intense, and unsettling—surging straight ahead, at times even painful to listen to. On the vocal side, Leevi Kärsämä uses his entire vocal range, from the lowest growls to piercing screams, which bind Topias Jokipii’s raw guitar sound, Janne Hietanen’s brooding bass, and Jimi Lahtinen’s aggressive drumming into a single cohesive whole. Each song is part of the same pressure that builds and eventually collapses under its own weight. 

“When everything is stripped away, all that remains is what can no longer be hidden.”

The album was recorded at Saasta’s home studio in Kotka during 2025. Ben Jones handled the mixing and mastering; his touch can also be heard on Saasta’s previous release, “Black|Death|Doom” (EP, 2023).

Photo: Uljas Blind Visions