After returning last autumn from an extended break from releases and live shows, the Helsinki-based five-piece DIRT release their first single of the year, “Sunder”. The track offers a glimpse into the world of the upcoming second album, which they’ve been crafting carefully over the past few years. “Sunder” deals with a theme that is timelessly relevant to many: breaking free from a difficult and harmful relationship—and dealing with the aftermath.

DIRT released their debut album “Deadbeat” in 2022 and quickly emerged as one of the most interesting new names in Finnish heavy rock. After an active touring period, the circumstances within the group led to an extended break. During the past couple of years, DIRT focused on rebuilding their internal communication culture from scratch and began untangling long-standing tensions between members. Following these productive discussions, DIRT are now stronger than ever, and new material for the upcoming album has been flowing at an impressive pace.

“We had around fifty ideas sitting in the vault when we started outlining the direction for the second album. Just going through them was overwhelming. With this track, however, the choice was immediate—it stood out right away as one of the priorities thanks to its head-nodding, ’90s-inspired NYHC bounce groove,” the band says.

“We also broadened our horizons by trying co-writing for the first time. JC Halttunen (known from WOLFRAM) helped us refine the track. The idea originally came up years ago at the Music x Media conference between JC and our guitarist Kasper, and putting it into practice was absolutely worth it. With the final touch from our producer Juho Salaterä, we ended up with something we’re more than proud to present as DIRT à la 2026.”

The release of Sunder, produced by Juho Salaterä and mastered by Riku Kuikka, is celebrated this Saturday May 25th at Kuudes Linja in Helsinki, Finland. The extended set will feature DIRT’s most popular tracks from the years as well as new, yet-unreleased songs from the upcoming second album. The mood for the evening is set by promising newcomer Honey Juice.