Who will give a voice to the people without a voice? Who will stand up for the people that are not allowed to stand up for themselves? I’m willing to to put action into the words I write, & others use the music they create as a weapon of change against the seen & unseen power structure that tries to hold all of us back. One band that uses music as a vehicle for social justice is Finland’s UNKIND, & on their new Relapse release, Harhakuvat, the sense of urgency is evident on every tune. What’s really interesting is that the whole album is sung in Finnish, a language I don’t understand, but I’m still able to relate to every word that they sing. From the very first note, the band brings you into their world with the use of heartfelt, surging dark waves of melody. UNKIND’s vocalist does such a stellar job at spitting out words that are full of conviction & have the power to ignite the revolutionary fuse in us all. Harhakuvat is an album that has the sonics of crust at it’s foundation, but actually is so much more than just one genre. For one, the production on this album is huge, but it still hits you in the grill with a DIY punch. UNKIND are brilliant with the way they use space in their songs, allowing room for the emotion to build. Songs like “Johtajat Ja Uhrit” start to embed themselves into your mind & soul. On the title track on the album, “Harhakuvat,” I hear a perfect example of how UNKIND’s music has an awesome balance between compassion & rage. You can hear the weeping willows’ sorrow, but then the music starts to charge at you like a Mongolian horde. If you dig your crust large & in effect, then UNKIND is your kind!
New Comments