Stark and bold. That’s the impression given by the bleak, black and white artwork for Ecdysis, the debut album by Finnish five-piece UNEARTHLY RITES. Having risen through their native underground scene, friendships among the band were forged through a DIY ethos and potent old school death metal inspiration. The desolate graphics of the cover art are mirrored in the brutal and uncompromising sound that UNEARTHLY RITES have committed to tape. With a targeted aim at corporate greed and those who would exploit Earth’s resources for profit, there’s a gravity to be found within the riffs.
The bleakness illustrated from the cover is echoed on opener Hellscape, which is appropriately titled given the subject matter UNEARTHLY RITES are looking to tackle. A mournful instrumental awash with feedback and unsettling discord, it sets the mood in a classic death metal style. This gives way to a caustic deluge in the form of Deep Drilling Earth’s Crust, where the roots of the musicians from a DIY underground punk and metal scene are fully displayed. While there is a core heart of death metal, the trimmings are laced with frenetic punk-based energy giving the track an urgency, all while the DIY ethos lends a raw and impassioned feel to the mix with the lyrics sitting in the midst of the swirling instrumentation. As one may have guessed from the title, this is a track that harnesses a lot of the band’s core beliefs.
Ecdysis is an unrelenting brutish album. The music is often to be found straining at the lead with elements constantly competing with one another. The percussive, rhythm-driven numbers such as the title track and the excellently titled Fuck Ecofascism offer up a glimpse of what UNEARTHLY RITES could develop if they went down a more structured death metal route. The latter of those tracks still hangs on doggedly to their punkish identities with its short runtime and chaotic guitar lines. The doomier Sacrifice Zones stands out as the best track on the album. It holds a captivating pace throughout, with aggression held in check by a combination of more structured riffs and a powerful rhythm section pushing the colossal wall of sound. It’s the one track on the album that has a specific hook and groove feel that warrants repeated listening.
This is also an uncomfortable album. It’s full of primal rage and both the vocal delivery and instrumentation reflect that to a tee. It rages at ecological devastation and the exploitation of nature and human life for profit, and it points an accusatory finger not only at those who cause the problem but also those who actively choose apathy towards the issues raised. This is prevalent on closing track Doomed with its tone set firmly as a challenge rather than resigned acceptance.
The rise from the underground and an attitude of DIY is always to be applauded. UNEARTHLY RITES have generated a snarling sound that encapsulates the fury felt by many and translates it very well. However, there are moments when the progression of the music gets unstuck. The Master’s Tools, for example, has a lot of weight to it but the mix comes across as slightly muddied and the track loses some of its power as some aspects become indecipherable. Elsewhere too, sections of otherwise standout tracks fall foul of the overwhelming wall of sound in the mix.
Unbridled anger is chaotic and that is what Ecdysis occasionally suffers from. However, once one has unlocked the layers there’s a wealth of riffs to be enjoyed and the passionate wrath of UNEARTHLY RITES is intoxicating.
Rating: 7/10
Ecdysis is set for release on May 3rd via Prosthetic Records
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