Oldschool Union – Herra Ja Hildalgo (Digital/CD Album – Oldschool Union)
Five years after their previous release, the Finnish EBM duo Oldschool Union return with their fifth album. While their last three records came out on the Italian label EK Produkt, the label’s hiatus forced the band to release this one independently.
The trademark style and raw power of Oldschool Union remain fully intact. This is uncompromising old-school EBM, driven by their distinctive—and often incomprehensible—Finnish vocals. Apart from one track in English and the occasional scattered word, they stay firmly rooted in their native language. Yet the band also bring a personal edge to their sound: alongside the hard and aggressive framework, they weave in Electro-Pop flourishes and sparse melodic touches, adding nuance to the otherwise raw, unpolished power of their production.
“Herra Ja Hidalgo” will certainly appeal to fans of DAF and Orange Sector, and stands, in my opinion, as their strongest work to date. (Rating:8).
Listen to “Captain Body”:
Read the news on ‘Herra ja Hidalgo’.
About Oldschool Union
Oldschool Union was formed in 2009 in Finland by Seppo Ahlstedt and Janne Vilen. The duo self-released the debut album “Vanha Koulu” the same year, then signed with EK Produkt for “Älä Ole, Elä!” (2012) and “Perjantai” (2016). Vesa-Matti “V-M” Pekkola replaced Vilen as vocalist for “Vartalovasara” in 2020.
All Oldschool Union material is sung in Finnish, built around the concept of “sisu”, a Finnish term for resilience. With EK Produkt on hiatus, the duo of Ahlstedt and Pekkola self-released their fifth album, “Herra Ja Hidalgo”, independently.
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I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
