Unprocessed is in action.
Still independent, the band composed of Manuel Gardner Fernandes (vocals/guitar), Christoph Schultz (guitar), David John Levy (bass/keyboards), and Leon Pfeifer (drums) will release Angel at the end of 2025.
We kick off with 111, a first track with an unsettling sample followed by a veritable carnage of modern and explosive riffs, over which Manuel soon begins to scream, revealing a very raw aspect that contrasts with a much more airy chorus in clear vocals. The fairly gentle finale leads into Sleeping With Ghosts, which takes a similar approach, highlighting the band’s Djent roots and the slamming bass sound that enhances the moments of fury, but a synthetic voice quickly leads us to Beyond Heavens Gate, which exploits the tranquility of Progressive Metal. The track remains relatively dreamy while offering complex and elaborate patterns, much like Sacrifice Me, which begins with a crystalline sound but doesn’t hesitate to feature heavier passages while the vocals remain relatively calm, except during the central mosh part. Snowlover immediately offers a more abrasive sound that is counterbalanced by very refined moments, but also confirmed by some vindictive hardcore influences and a devastating groove, while Terrestrial quickly reveals a disturbing sound with furious saturation. I can already imagine the lights designed to kill epileptics live on this track, which is officially one of the most violent on this album, but also one of the darkest with its heavy atmosphere that rubs off on Your Dress and its… strange introduction. The trap touches remain consistent with the band’s sound, which flares up from time to time, offering us a heady finale before moving on to Where I Left My Soul and its jerky, vaporous introduction, to which the vocalist’s plaintive voice is grafted. The track continues with its airy artificial tones and imposing riffs before blending the two together with keyboards and joining Solara, where the band welcomes Marc “Zelli” Zellweger from Paleface Swiss, who lends his vindictive screams to reinforce an already angry track that is tailor-made for the stage. We then enjoy a moment of respite with the piano of First Tongue, followed by soft vocals and electronic tones, before Perfume once again lets the strings express themselves, first in a soothing manner, then with a haunting heaviness and a complex, modern touch. The track gives way to Head in the Clouds, featuring Jason Aalon Butler (Fever333), who gives it a whole new feel, mixing slow rhythms with a raw flow, sometimes rapped for variety. Then, with the devastating Dark Silent and Complete, the band ends the album, offering the maximum violence it is capable of, both in terms of explosive rhythms and wild screams in the first part, followed by a very dreamy passage before the saturation returns one last time.
Although quite long, Angel lets Unprocessed reveal a whole range of tones, each as modern as the next, alternating between violence, technicality, and much softer sounds. Fans of polished mixes have something to savor!
80/100