It’s strange how companies make stands and then lose their nerve when an oppressive regime makes them turn back on what obviously were decisions they made for disingenuous reasons. Fucking capitalism, man. People with no knowledge of other systems serve the boot, and only a certain type of people are allowed to get by.
Finnish crushers Unearthly Rites have been standing up against abusive power structures (which definitely sounds redundant) and the victims they leave behind. On their thunderous second record “Tortural Symphony of the Flesh,” the band—vocalist Sisli, guitarists Simo and Santtu, bassist Jennika, drummer Tapio—again takes aim at tyranny, vowing to protect the various minority groups that always end up in the gears. They do so with a punishing mix of death, crust, hardcore, and doom, delivering 10 blasts back at a system that never cared about us and doesn’t deserve our empathy.
“Tuonen tulijat, manan menijät” opens and immediately goes burly, Sisli’s howls crushing wills, sweltering and stirring in infernal heat. Guitars swell as the pace kicks harder, trudging as gargantuan fury combusts. “Sokli Fields Forever / A Radiative Picnic” starts with wails gurgling, stomping with a tortured pace, the energy going off as the leads ignite. The attack smothers, guitars choking with exhaust, the vocals letting loose as everything fades in strange noise. “Solstice” destroys as the bass wraps like cords around your limbs, growls spattering soot, the riffs spiraling as clouds thicken. The band then thrashes harder, the guitars staggering and hypnotizing before sprawling away. “A Stygian Winterscape” is an icy terrain, a warped interlude that crawls into your psyche. The title track batters, the leads boiling, the lurching pace tightening its grip as doomy waters begin to flow. The clubbing continues with animalistic wails and a bruising assault that knocks you to the pavement.
“Ignis fatuus” is the longest track at 7:20, the guitars staggering as the heat increases, the ground rumbles, and shrieks burn, the intensity turned up all the way. The atmosphere feels feral and mucky, psyche thunder echoing, destroying as the guitars dizzy. The tempo boils as guitars bend into madness, drilling into the ground. “Metalli, liha, kone” crushes, the vocals hissing, hellish torment meted out in generous portions. Again, doom enters into the mix, blackening skies, testing muscle and putting those in their way to the test. “Absurd Transgression” is trucking, sinewy guitars working with brass-knuckled fists, the chorus smoking as screams mash. The pace goes back and forth, the guitars lighting up, blistering with violent intent. “Not for the Weak” is a final interlude, strings scraping as whispers stir, setting the stage for closer “The Notion of Emerging Totalitarianism” that enters with explosive might and screams tangling. The pace chars as the guitars mount their offensive, sending tornadic waves and adding tons of sludge. The playing continues unloading, Sisli’s vocals punch through chest cavities, and the pressure increases before slowly fading.
“Tortural Symphony of the Flesh” is a record that echoes its time and attempts to lay waste to an oppressive ruling class that is trying to strangle freedom from the world. Unearthly Rites have been warriors against capitalist society ever since they started, and as we’ve seen the bullshit rise, the band meets it with a renewed vitriol. This is metallic defiance that offers some solace and solutions for those who are suffering through this hellscape, and we could use anything tangible like this right now.
For more on the band, go here: https://unearthlyrites.bandcamp.com/
To buy the album go here: https://www.svartrecords.com/en/product/unearthly-rites-tortural-symphony-of-the-flesh/14138
For more on the label, go here: https://www.svartrecords.com/en
Meat Mead Metal 