Terveet Kädet is set to release their new album Subterra in February

Active since 1979, Terveet Kädet has garnered fans worldwide, including the metal band Sepultura, Lee Dorrian (ex-Napalm Death, Cathedral), and Mike Patton, and has toured extensively both at Finland and across the Atlantic. A recording hiatus of nearly four years will come to a fitting end next February when the group, led by Läjä Äijälä, releases their new album Subterra. Guitarist Ilari Kinnunen is thrilled with the result and the evolved working process behind the album.

"The creation of this album was a bit different than before. I wrote the music, while the lyrics were a collaborative effort between the three of us: Läjä, Lene (bass), and myself. We didn't spend much time hammering the songs into shape beforehand compared to the past, but after just a few rehearsals—and especially once we started laying down the backing tracks in the studio—everything just fell into place naturally."

Subterra's opening track and first single Nylkijä is out now.

"Originally, the Nylkijä [Skinner in English] skins a great love, so I suppose we're talking about a sadist? One cannot be happy without the other's pain or suffering..." muses the band's founder and vocalist Läjä, reflecting on the inspiration behind the lyrics. According to guitarist Kinnunen, it was far from certain that the song in question would make the final cut for the new album.

"‘Nylkijä ended up becoming the album’s opening track and first single almost by accident. It was originally intended for the second Lapin Helvetti album, but we arranged a slightly more straightforward version of it. At first, I thought we could just leave the song off the record entirely, but lo and behold, it turned into a hell of a great track!"

Subterra is out on February 5, 2027.