22nd August 2026

Review: “Torn Pages” by Withered Petunia

A third record from Finnish Melodic Death Metal act Withered Petunia finds the band in uncharted territory, exploring the impact of drugs on both individuals and society over a pair of fresh conceptual cuts. Having formed in 2022, the quintet have established their sound with a self titled debut EP in January 2025 and a stand alone single in “Fragility of a Mind” in September of the same year, enriching it with Death Metal and Hardcore elements, however on the surface at least, this new record is of much darker subject matter. So what does the culmination of four years of fine tuning look like for vocalist Leevi Raatikainen, bassist Tuure Honkonen, drummer Mikael Kalkku alongside guitarist duo Joel Eskelinen and Juuso Hytönen?

A tale of two halves, “Page 1: The Craving,” addresses the topic from an outsider’s perspective, criticising the user personally lyrically with shriller harsh vocals from Raatikainen and an almost gang chant like backing vocal from Hytönen. The contrasting tones are a nice touch on a vicious Death Metal track that leans towards the technical side of the genre without quite reaching those heights, the pacing, energy and atmosphere capturing rage of the outsider perfectly. All the damage is inflicted with rhythmic aggression, the barbed riffs hinting at influences in Death Thrash as the voices of pure hatred scaled the ear drums.

“Page 2: The Needle,” explores the user’s perspective on their own situation – namely society’s reluctance to help individuals suffering from drug problems, the melodic bridge between the two cuts being burned down by the time that the vocals start. Tight rhythms with an undercurrent Scandinavian Melancholia give this one another dimension as well as instant head bang appeal, the snarling vocals a level above anything Dave Mustaine has offered up in a long while. The only negative is the drum sound with the cymbal crashes sounding distinctively flat but that is counterbalanced by a little almost flamenco moment at the end. Overall this concept record bodes well for the bands debut album which we hope isn’t too far away [7.5/10]

Track Listing