Today's release comes from a Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based outfit comprised of some fairly talented and eclectic up and comers. This one's about technical death metal band Unflesh, an unsigned/independent act with a ton of promise and now a debut full length album under their belt.
Released by the band itself and sporting eight sprawling tracks filled with over 40 minutes of content, Savior stands as Unflesh's first album and features several elements akin to both technical and progressive death metal. The album was also mixed, mastered and produced by Anthony Lusk-Simone of Massachusetts heavy metal group Pathogenic.
First and foremost, I particularly enjoy how Savior opens up with a rather ominous, yet inviting piano score that blossoms into a full-fledged tech death instrumental courtesy of guitars and some percussion. The first eponymous track and its progression leave a promising first impression, with its stellarly written instrumental work, ambiance and overall inspired feel. Another thing that made me like this album quite a bit was the prevalence of guitar solo action, which comes in at least once in every song; and, the vocals are somewhat reminiscient of oldschool black metal or blackened death metal, with a higher pitch than usual, which is a change of pace for sure. Savior, overall, fairly reminds me of Monotheist & AEPOCH, two other bands in this genre who surprised me earlier this year.
The production quality, for me at least, felt a bit off at times for a few different reasons. Also, I wasn't big on the drumming samples used. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the drumming patterns themselves and there wasn't any hiccups with the drummer's technique that I've noticed. However, the sound of the drums, particularly the snare, felt mismatched in the long run.
All in all, while Savior by Unflesh does have some minimal flaws here and there, I still managed to enjoy it for what it was in its forty minute running time. The music is fairly ecstatic with many worthwhile riffs and a bit of novelty thrown in at times. It's a decent release that's worth your time, as this is an independent act that surely shows distinct promise on some fronts.
Fave Tracks: 'Bestowal of Decay', 'Caliginous'
For Fans Of: AEPOCH, Monotheist, Rivers of Nihil
**This release is available now on Bandcamp here!**
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-Review by: Dave Raffy
Musician, reviewer, fan & promoter
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