UNHOLY

Somebody's been listening to the first few albums by THE HAUNTED. Just listen to the way that album-opening and vaguely SLAYER-ish instrumental intro "New Faith" portends of the thrash to come. When the thrashing "Variola" hits right after it, the influence is unmistakable. More accurately though, Syracuse's UNHOLY plays a more hardcore-inflected strain of modern thrash, but it is not really metalcore. Rather, the "Blood of the Medusa" debut from the band, which features veterans of PATH OF RESISTANCE, GODBELOW, SANTA SANGRE, and ANOTHER VICTIM, is modern metal with a significant thrash quotient that recalls THE HAUNTED, just not as straight up and purely Swedish.

The question then becomes one of worthiness. "Blood of the Medusa" is hard as nails and marked by scorching riffs, a muscular rhythm section with woofer-busting double bass, sufficiently searing solos, and enough melody to make the affair fairly memorable. Vocalist Danny Johnson sings in that Dolving/Aro kind of way that sounds like he's straining hard enough to break his intestines loose, sending them hurling out of his mouth. Incidentally, Karl Buechner (EARTH CRISIS, FREYA) and Bruce LaPage (100 DEMONS) get into the act with guest vocal contributions.

It is apparent some thought went into the songwriting too, as the tempos are varied and there is a nice cross-section of riffs and compositional nuances. For example, "Past this Mortal Flame" stands out for its slower pacing and smoldering feel; the twin leads are especially noteworthy. It is a nice break before "Rise of Sarnath" kicks things back into high gear in, you guessed it, HAUNTED fashion. As for the hardcore bits, it is more of a "here and there" peppering with the periodic use of gang vocal shouts, although it is not as pronounced as one might think.

"Blood of the Medusa" is a fine first effort and does indeed kick a respectable amount of booty, even if it won't turn your world upside down. Those searching for no-frills American metal with a significant thrash factor and a lot of punch should enjoy this one.