Unearthly Rites – Tortural Symphony of the Flesh (Despondent Death Doom Crust)

 

I was first introduced to Finland’s Unearthly Rites through their debut full-length two years ago, Ecdysis, but man do they lay it all out and mess with your fucking head with their latest, Tortural Symphony of the Flesh. You can expect the same death crust energy they brought prior, but now with an impressive amount of experimentation, using their grotesque sound to create something more dynamic. I was convinced they had mastered the art of terminus previously, but this new one was unexpected, at once elevating their sound but also likely to leave the listener conflicted at first. Not for long, though.

   

To be honest this was so different from what came prior I didn’t even recognize the band initially. Even the cover art was a renouncement of the class crust focus upon Earth’s demise, replaced by an aversion to the human condition to an even greater degree. Unearthly Rites here mixes in despondency through doom elements, and even surprising interludes that rely on atmosphere, dissonant acoustics, whispered passages, and even noise as backdrop. These breaks in the assault were, at first, a shock to the flow, but once Tortural Symphony of the Flesh is consumed in its entirety, the entire landscape, in all its immensity, comes together to crumble your last grip on hope for any sort of change in the human condition. At times the level of chaos will overwhelm, but then suddenly permit delicacy to tell their tale, allowing the ripping solos, sepulchral vocals, and generally noxious atmosphere to fully permeate your listening space. Looking forward to what comes next.

 

Unearthly Rites Official Instagram

Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls

Unearthly Rites – Tortural Symphony of the Flesh
Iron Corpse, Svart Records
Cover Art: Jennika Vikman (Hevijevi Art) and Slimeweaver
4.6 / 5