Unanimated - Victory in Blood • GRIMM Gent

Swedish melodic blackened death metal formation Unanimated is one of the most notable bands that shone through during the nineties. Throughout their history the quintet has proven to be true leaders of the Scandinavian scene. Unanimated was formed in 1988 by guitarist Johan Bohlin (ex-Desultory) and bassist Richard Cabeza (Dismember) joined by Micke Jansson (vocals). Despite being around for three decades their discography includes only three albums which are all considered to be among my all time favorites. Since their 2009 comeback album ‘In The Light of Darkness‘ Unanimated drifted in a transformation of style and showed an ability to hold the essence of modern melodic black/death metal. However, the band took almost nine years to release the follow-up EP ‘Annihilation‘.

Musically, Unanimated brought its own brand of melodies which differentiated them from other Swedish bands like At The Gates. Their approach to melodies offered a darker and somewhat blackish sound. The fourth album ‘Victory in Blood‘ reflects on the vicious aggression with three hitters in the lineup including Jonas Deroueche (guitars) and Anders Schultz (drums). The tight performance of the quintet comes with all guns blazing, but make no mistake, as the intro riff strikes on the album title track, the scorching melodies cut through the explosive drums. The majority of the songs are fast, delivering plenty of aggression played with black’n’roll flair. The guitar work is absolutely top-notch and brings a manifold dose of tremolo-picked riffs and layered guitars, while still having the intensity of raw black metal.

‘Seven Mouths of Madness‘ is structured on the blasting drums, where the guitars showcase an excellent talent, bringing plenty of catchy rhythms and the tremolos are as flawless as a cut diamond. The solid combination of melody and aggression on the following track ‘As The Night Takes Us‘ begins with a chilling acoustic intro. Heavy guitars and pounding drums move together to bring a blackened rocking tempo. Unanimated‘s fourth album offers a wide range of solid riffing: guitarist Johan Bohlin and Jonas Deroueche exemplify the melodic and aggressive aspects of blackened death metal. ‘The Devil Rides Out‘ transitions into incredible speed with sharp guitars, laden with tremolos and soaring rhythm, followed by hyper blast beats sections. The songs are more direct and wittily written and they’re succinctly presented with the acoustic interludes well placed across the songs.

‘With a Cold Embrace‘ is a short atmospheric interval which quickly morphs to ‘Demon Pact (Mysterium Tremendum)’, highlighting the drumming skills of Anders Schultz. The riffing patterns are just amazing and rife with catchy tremolos. Especially, the slow tempo sections are full of catchy rhythms. ‘Victory in Blood‘ is a punchy black metal album, driven by fierce guitars and heavy pounding drums. The significant aspect of the album lays in tackling the raw style of black and death metal. While coming across a song like ‘XIII‘ the guitars gear into heavy grooves and the dynamic drums erupt in an aggressive tempo. Meanwhile, the shimmering acoustic section comes more as a surprise when the clean vocals along with the harmonizing solos add such a freezing sensation.

Other elements of black’n’roll are applied on the next track ‘Scepter of Vengeance‘. The fierce attack of the drums and throaty black metal vocals work brilliantly, yet the music here lacks catchy melodies. The guitars in general spontaneously combine plenty of brutal death metal riffs. They are focused on the modern style of death and black metal. Though I must say that the melodies are the most apparently missing elements on ‘Written in Victory‘, there is still a clear talent among the members. ‘The Golden Dawn of Murder‘ and ‘Divine Hunger‘ are a whirling maelstrom of brutal death/black metal that features rapid drums and solid riffing, but compared to the previous songs it fails to offer anything. ‘Victory in Blood’ is the band‘s most aggressive output, but it feels more on the average side.

It is clear that Unanimated has opted for a ferocious sound, still there are some elements that don’t really work out that well. Even though the drums drive the momentum of the songs, the whole album feels uninspired and lacks their usual modus operandi, while most of the songs strife to capture attention. The composition overall doesn’t resemble anything the band has released in the past. However, regardless of the solid songwriting ‘Written in Victory‘ doesn’t live up to the fan’s expectations. It just sounds like a generic album, written by a different band. The final track ‘The Poetry of the Scarred Earth‘ offers an interesting blend of guitar melodies and aggression with the boast of the lead guitars adding hooks to the song.

The versatility of the songwriting and individual talent showcasing their brand of melodies makes it one of the most enjoyable tracks on the album. Unfortunately, Unanimated‘s fourth album is a step back from its predecessor.