Hidden Gems & Guilty Pleasures: Unearthly Rites (Finland)

Unearthly Rites (Death Metal / Crust Punk, Finland)

Finnish death metal band Unearthly Rites has recently signed to Prosthetic Records and will be releasing their debut album, »Ecdysis«, on May 3rd, 2024 via the Los Angeles label. Alongside the signing and album announcement, Unearthly Rites has shared the title track with an accompanying music video. On their first full-length Unearthly Rites offer up a cavernously old school approach to the genre as a rallying cry against corporate greed and ecocide.

Pre-order »Ecdysis« HERE.

Speaking on the signing announcement, Unearthly Rites’ Simo Perkiömäki (guitar) comments: “We’re thrilled to announce our signing with Prosthetic Records for our absolutely mind snaring debut album Ecydsis, coming out on May 3. “Vocalist Sisli Piisilä adds: “»Ecdysis« is a dystopian journey in defense of nature, from the filthy bunkers where old school death metal and DIY punk attitude shake hands.”

Of the title track and music single, Sisli continues: “The title song came from a scene I walked by in the wilderness, a deer that had been ripped up in pieces by wolves. Its fur covered the ground everywhere, leaving only bare bones in sight as the carcass had already offered a feast for the animals of the forest. »Ecdysis« is about disappointment with modern humanity, wishing to shed one’s skin to join something earthier instead.

Formed in 2020 through existing friendships in their native underground extreme metal and punk scenes, Unearthly Rites’ members’ mutual adherence to DIY methods and principles of creativity and community resulted in a self-titled EP in 2021. As with their preceding release, »Ecdysis« once again saw the band record to tape with drummer Tapio Lepistö at the helm of the sessions at Black Floyds Analog Studio between May and September 2022. The ominously stark black and white cover also sees bassist Jennika Vikman once again take on art and logo duties.

At the beating heart of »Ecdysis« lies Unearthly Rites’ insistence for a better world, with the perilous effects of capitalist interests taking precedence over nature and human life at the core of the group’s concerns. Through their collective work in environmental activism, including anti-mining campaigns in the arctic north, »Ecdysis« is less a despairing cry as it is a plea for change.

The band’s caustic approach to barbarically punishing death metal adds a feverish urgency to proceedings, with the rhythm section of bassist Vikman and guitarists Simo Perkiömäki and Santtu Markko evoking the genre’s most cavernously brutish traits against Sisli Piisilä’s visceral vocal delivery. Despite their rage and despondency at institutional apathy on the title track and the harrowingly doomy highlight cut »Sacrifice Zones«, album closer »Doomed« shuns inaction and resigned complicitly by directly challenging the listener to choose their side for humanity’s sake and future.

Hailing from Finland, Unearthly Rites revive that 80’s feel where crust core and death metal shook hands. The band’s potent songwriting offers a rallying cry against corporate greed and environmental negligence, with a scathing rebuke of those culpable of ecocide and climate destruction.

Filthy and moldy, bone crushing and skin ripping, dystopian death metal from the void of unspeakable evil, Finland.

Courtesy of Prosthetic Records

Discography:
• »Unearthly Rites« EP (Eternal Decay / Iron Corpse / Grindestroy, 2021; Life After Death, 2023)
• »Ecdysis« LP (Prosthetic Records, 2024)

Band members:
Sisli Piisilä – Vocals
Simo Perkiömäki – Guitar
Tapio Lepistö – Drums
Jennika Vikman – Bass
Santtu Markko – Guitar

Links:
Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

For fans of Corpsessed, Witch Vomit, Bastard Grave, Tomb Mold, Sepulchral Curse, Gatecreeper, Solothus

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well