Sonic Rites is a yearly festival of the darker end of music genres: doom, dark ambient, industrial, hardcore punk, etc. The festival has brought interesting international visitors and the cream of the Finnish underground music scene to Helsinki for several years. Sonic Rites has found a fitting home in Ääniwalli at the old Vallila industrial quarters that provide a fittingly rugged atmosphere. Naturally, we were again keen to see what was going on at the festival that took place on Friday, May 23rd, and Saturday, May 24th, 2025.
Sonic Rites featured a setting of two stages. This year, the outdoor stage, which opened the events at last year’s festival, was scrapped, and all the shows were held inside. The festival wasn’t quite as well-attended as last year, but the main events of both evenings drew a good following. Again, there was a lot to see for anyone interested in the more extreme and dark edges of the music scene.
On Friday, the event opened on the smaller stage with LÄHDÖN AIKA, a Finnish sludge band with over two decades of history behind it. The crowd was still slowly pouring in during the performance, but the veterans pulled their set in style and routine. Next up on the main stage was one of the treats of the day, NADJA X OVO, a collaboration between the duos NADJA and OVO featuring experimental metal and soundscapes; a truly beautiful yet disruptive experience.
Next up on the smaller stage was ENTHEOMORPHOSIS, an avant-garde metal group with doom and drone influences. Slow, heavy, and dark, the band delivered an intense show. On the main stage, then, it was CRANEIUM who covered for LORD BUFFALO, who had to cancel their show a few weeks before the event. CRANEIUM did a good job of filling the hole with their heavy psych set and a lively performance on the stage.
Then again, to the smaller stage and another delightful show, as SVARTA HAVET delivered their hardcore set with black metal influences. A hugely energetic act that showcased the band’s ability to deliver their message with furious drive. On the main stage, then it was time for DÄLEK, an American experimental hip-hop act. The act has interesting touches of noise and industrial in their hip-hop sound.
On the smaller stage, then ORSAK:OSLO took the audience to a slowly jamming psychedelic rock trip before it was time for one of the most expected events, as WITCH CLUB SATAN performed on the main stage. The Norwegian black metal band has taken the genre in some new ways with their feminist and environmentalist views and theatrical shows. No surprise, then, that the show at Ääniwalli was visually shocking, and no mercy was promised to the oppressors of this world.
The evening turned towards the end with the second hip-hop act of the evening, MERYL STREEK. This one was quite a few notches more aggressive, energetic, and political. The performer’s bouncing energy pulled the audience in nicely during the show. The evening then ended on the main stage with the black/speed metal act MIDNIGHT, who kicked the audience in the face for a lullaby; a nice setup all-in-all for the first evening of the festival. Check our photo gallery below…
Lähdön aika
Nadja X OvO
Entheomorphosis
Craneium
Svarta Havet
Dälek
Orsak:Oslo
Witch Club Satan
Meryl Streek
Midnight
