Unkind - Pelon juuret (2013)

Unkind is a good d-beat crust band from Finland (with singing in finnish). on their new album called Pelon juuret there is nothing really new but they 're good at putting in their extremely well crafted songs just enough dark melodies, epicness or rock'n'roll feel to get and keep  the listener hooked. that's why chances are it's gonna stay as one of the best record in that style for 2013.

check it on their  BC page.

and read this interview I did by mail with their drummer Saku :

-can you present quickly Unkind and its history up to now?

We're a five piece hardcore band which was formed back in 1997 from the remains of a previous crust band Speedapple. Over the years and through numerous line up changes the priorities started shifting more from just getting wasted to actually put a lot more thought into the material we were making.

-what about your new album, how does it fit in your discography?

It's a continuation of the previous releases with a lot of the same sound but with some newer elements as well.

 -what about the choice of singing in your mother toungue and not in english, is it because it's most natural to you or to be sure every people in Finland understand your lyrics?

It has to be the former because the style of singing doesn't really allow for easy understanding all the time even for the finnish speaking audience. All in all it's the most logical choice for our expression and it also makes for a bit more interesting rhythmics for the vocals. In this sort of music it is mainly a rhythm element after all.

-so which subjects are you dealing with in the lyrics of the songs?

Everything from social issues to coping with personal mental problems. Generally anything that frustrates and angers us at any given moment.

-do you think Unkind could be described as part of the "neo crust" wave, I mean bands basing their sound on classic crust foundations but adding more sophistications and melody to it?

That has been one of the most accurate labels so far and it has stuck with us for years along with other less accurate ones. At least your description is spot on so if the common name for it will stay as 'neo crust' we're ready to settle for it for the time being. It's certainly better than 'Dark-ass Tragedy-core'.

-Relapse released your two latest records but I suppose you are used to more DIY ways of functionning, what differences does it makes to you?

We didn't have to change our way of operating much compared to what it was before. The biggest difference is the immense amounts attention we're able to get through them, but all the work regarding that has always been taken care of by them. Probably the only direct major change is that I have to type out a huge amount of interviews around the releases.

-are your more from a punk or metal background, or both? do you think the differences between the different scenes are blurred nowadays?

We've always more been a part of the punk scene. We're even still having some trouble to get 'accepted' in the finnish metal circles and over the years as our sound got more metallic we got the cold shoulder from some of the punks as well so we've sort of been between a rock and a hard place in that respect for quite a long time. It's constantly getting better for us though and seems we're getting more respect on both sides. Overall the lines are getting thinner as labels like Relapse and Southern Lord have begun to introduce the crustier bands to the metal crowds. Hopefully the two scenes will come together in a bigger way as that's how it started back in the day with most of the thrash and grincore bands etc.

-which bands from your area would you recommend?

For hardcore the best ones at the moment are 'Perikato', 'Remissions' and 'Foreseen', for more blastbeat oriented stuff go for 'Famine Year' and 'Deathtoll80k' and for straight punk rock there can be no better than the mighty 'Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät'. There's also a very vibrant scene of doom-oriented bands of which 'Abbot', 'Ward', 'Dark Buddha Rising', 'Hebosagil' and 'Sink' might be worth mentioning. In addition to that there's a slight rising wave of old school speed metal with bands like 'Speedtrap' and 'Ranger' which both have albums coming out later this summer. Be sure to check them out and almost anything that the more prolific underground labels like Svart Records, Ektro Records and Kämäset Levyt put out.

-any advice for someone wanting to start a punk band, what are the key elements to last and achieve something for a band?

Well the main thing is that nothing is worth doing if it doesn't give you enjoyment of any kind. It can feel really hard especially with the multi-way relationship that bands are but most situations are resolvable if you can keep discussing things openly with your bandmates. Also it makes no sense to write material thinking about what others might like - it should always be about what you want to make and what you need to express. There's bound to be some people who'll enjoy it as well if you are sincere about the material you write.

-what does punk means to you? what do you think about the evolution of punk from its birth up to now, how is it relevant today?

It's one of the last forms of music that has a constant sense social commentary and keeps openly observing the world for what it is. All of rock music and Hip Hop which both used to have that rebellious and enlightened side to them have been chained to the industrial machine which has no place for the 'things no one wants to hear'. I guess punk never had too much market potential apart from the fashion clothing et al. that was pushed through Sex Pistols and the like so it never got stuck in the mainstream. The whole punk music has grown into so many different subcultures of it's own that it has earned it's place as an institution. I just wish more people living the life would do more than get wasted and preach their vision of utopia but the frustration caused by the overwhelming state of the world easily leads to pessimistic nihilism and depression. Overall it's one of the last rebellious elements in the western culture, which could do with far more of those, so hopefully more people will some day take heed of it's example and make a move to change it for the better.

-what is planned for Unkind in the coming months? touring a lot and then writing and recording a new record?

Exactly just as you said we're beginning a finnish release tour 3rd of August and after that we'll come over to europe with KEN mode for a three week run. After that we'll indeed lay low for a while and start planning the next album and possible gigs for 2014.

-a final "full of wisdom sentence" to end the interview?

Let your heart and mind decide what's right for you and the world - not rulebooks made by dead and or corrupt people who hunger for power over you and yours.