UMUR "Birthday" is the 3rd full-length studio album by Finnish, Oulu based thrash metal act Faff-Bey. The album was released through Poko International in 1991. It´s the successor to "Doesn't Feel like Laughing..." from 1990.

"Birthday" is a rather different sounding release to its direct predecessor and it´s especially the vocal style, which has changed. Lead vocalist/guitarist Maike Valanne still has a raw snarling delivery, but it´s not nearly as aggressive or intense as it used to be, and he even occasionally sings semi-melodic lines. The pace of the music is also generally been lowered, and while "Birthday" still features fast-paced thrash metal parts, it features just as many mid-paced heavy riffs and rhythms. While not directly comparable I´m reminded of mid-90s Coroner (in a much less technical version), and sometimes Testament and Nuclear Assault too, but unfortunately in their less interesting versions.

"Birthday" features a decent sounding production job, but I can´t help feel that the soundscape sometimes feels a little thin and empty. "Birthday" isn´t exactly the triumphant continuation of the high quality aggressive and raw thrash metal of the first two albums, that I had expected it to be, and while change isn´t always a band thing, and the change here actually isn´t that profound, "Birthday" still feels like a weaker album than it´s predecessors. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.