UNSOUL : MAGNETIC MOUNTAIN
Setalight Records
I’m sure there’s a theory of art that explains why so frequently the ‘avant-garde’ becomes something with its very own blueprint; whilst some bands are happy to throw together what’s currently deemed ‘progressive’, there are others who are haunted by the spectre of this failure, and go all-out to be as different and difficult as possible, often with mixed results. In the case of Germany’s Unsoul, there’s an undeniable urge to be genuinely weird and wonderful rather than opting for some ‘off-the-peg’ eccentricity, and while there have been releases from this act in the past, it seems that “Magnetic Mountain” is the album they’ve chosen to make their mark on the world.
At its core, this is melodic, grooving death metal, with plenty of pace and a prominent ability to pack in real force, especially on the super-punchy “Way Less Space”. What makes it ‘different’ is firstly a taste for tricky rhythms; the lively mischief that characterises the beginning of “Rebel Prostitute”, for example, or the jazzy kinkiness of “Pre-”. Secondly, the band has a truly outlandish relationship with keyboards, often deploying them as a major feature in one of their compositions – see electronic space monkey odyssey “Dance Your Legs Off” – but also keeping them in reserve just to unsettle and disorient the listener, as with the mellow organ and horns that give a strange flavour to “Way Less Space”.
How effective you find Unsoul’s oddness partly lies with you; while there are progressive sighs that might remind you of, for example, Amorphis (“Swancorpse”), there are also outbreaks of, well, space dub, for lack of a better description. If you’re not willing to go a little with the unconventional flow, or if you’ve a particular loathing for all things Hammond, you won’t get a kick out of “Magnetic Mountain”. The other part of the contract lies with Unsoul, and how well they’ve strung together the little lighthouses of method that illuminate their madness. In the main, they’re surprisingly successful; tracks like “I Loss” are dramatic and thoughtful, with excellent interaction of bass and lead guitar, whilst “Rebel Prostitute” has the kind of big sound that requires a lot of planning and song-writing ability.
Sure, there are times when you feel Unsoul are being ‘out-there’ for the sake of it – the aforementioned “Dance Your Legs Off” might be the moment for you, or maybe something as trivial as the unattractive discordance during “Neverest” – but in a way I’m more impressed by that than by the usual retreat into well-worn formulas. Additionally, there’s some fine melodic death sensibilities at play underneath the freaky horns and odd loops, proving that Unsoul have the technical abilities to do whatever they damn well please.
76/100
ELLEN SIMPSON
