Jumalvauhti, a hardcore outfit from Helsinki, isn’t here to dress things up. Their third EP, JVIII, hit the ground running in early 2025, breaking a two-year silence. Recorded deep in the chaos of Vallila Rat Hole and dropped through Graavi Lo-Fi, the EP screams DIY.
Back in 2020, Pesi and Lohi started Jumalvauhti with one thing in mind: keep it simple, keep it fast, and don’t overthink. Songs were born out of gut instincts, not endless debates. After dropping their first two EPs, they pulled in Teemu (drums) and Kalle (bass) to crank up the energy for live gigs. From Finnish basements to sweaty DIY festivals in Sweden and Latvia, they’ve made their mark.
Songwriting still starts with Pesi and Lohi trading ideas, but the whole band gets their hands dirty before the songs see daylight. Their mixed musical influences sneak in through the cracks, adding some unexpected twists.
The lyrics are Lohi’s corner. He dives into everyday messiness—those raw, first-person stories that hit close to home but with a punk edge.
“We don’t preach,” they admit. “We’re as much a part of the problem as anyone else. But we like to ask—what the hell can be done about it?”
Finland’s punk scene is alive and loud. There are old warhorses still in the game and fresh blood bringing the noise. Bands don’t just stick to big cities—smaller towns are getting their share of the action. Beyond the music, the DIY spirit is strong. Eemi Kettunen’s Kohina zine captures the raw vibe of underground shows and took the cover shot for JVIII at Lepakkomies, a Helsinki venue soaked in history.
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Meanwhile, The Goldmine collective films bands in rehearsal spaces, including a recent video of Jumalvauhti tearing it up in Vallila Rat Hole.
Jumalvauhti is determined to keep that momentum going. They’ve got gigs lined up in 2025, starting with a triple release party at Käpygrilli on February 15 alongside Kismet and Kit & the Daggers, and a show at Oranssi with Motorboat and The Regulator on March 21. March 22? It’s TBA for now, but it’s happening.
Here’s a special track by track comemntary for each song off their new EP:
Ross 308
This song is a typical Jumalvauhti masterpiece. A lot of speed in the beginning untill it opens up in a bouncy carneval in the end. Ross 308 asks why we don’t appreciate the workers that make our lives so easy: Bus drivers, cashiers and cleaners. The demand for efficiency is combined with a reference to livestock, the broiler.
Antiautoritäärinen jannu
As a song, this one is a weirdo with all the hardcoreness combined with groovy disco vibes. It’s about the dilemma of having an anti authoritarian mindset while working as an authority with the youth in everyday life. Even in one’s freetime it’s difficult to avoid authorities, because the punk scene has it’s own rules and highly appreciated people as well.
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Lomalla viimeinkin
We spent loads of time trying to figure out how the groove in this track works. It seems to be a distant relative to cumbia music with its stickiness. Lomalla viimeinkin sees tourism as a form of neocolonialism. Even if you try to be aware and interested, you easily end up
experiencing a light version of a foreign culture.
Heimo
Lohi still has a whistled demo of the ending riff. It was too difficult for him to play with guitar, but luckily Pesi is more talented. Heimo is about the sad realization that every community seems to have abusive people. Even the right minded ones.
Heitä neljä
This is probably the most straightforward song on this EP. The song is about hard headed sauna people who dominate public saunas by pouring too much water on the rocks and making it difficult for regular sauna goers to enjoy. Like many Jumalvauhti lyrics it has an everyday situation that tells a lot about our weaknesses and ignorance.
Työn iloa…
This is a grimm and arty song about secretly trying to fill working life’s hard expectations while trying to be seen as a chill dude in public. About believing that work is easier for many others, while knowing it’s not really true. The outro is cool, something that we’ve never done before.
JVIII might have taken longer than planned, but it’s worth the wait. With their fast-and-loose approach back in full swing, the band is ready to hit the road and keep the scene alive. If you’re around Helsinki, catch them live at Käpygrilli or Oranssi this spring.
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15.2. Käpygrilli, Helsinki w/ Kismet and Kit & the Daggers (triple release show)
21.3. Oranssi, Helsinki w/ Motorboat and The Regulator
22.3. TBA
