Unanimated - In the Light of Darkness

Artist: Unanimated
Album: In the Light of Darkness
Genre: Blackened Death Metal/Melodic Death Metal
Length: 45:47
Track Listing:

1. Ascend With The Stench Of Death 01:49
2. Retribution In Blood 06:43
3. The Endless Beyond 05:50
4. Diabolic Voices 04:52
5. In The Light Of Darkness 04:52
6. The Unconquered One 03:36
7. Enemy Of The Sun 05:49
8. Serpent's Curse 04:44
9. Death To Life 05:22
10. Strategia Luciferi 02:10

The giants of Swedish metal past are returning, and Unanimated's return is as forceful as their exit. Unanimated hasn't released a new album since 1995, but their previous efforts are cult favorites among extreme metal audiences. Their return effort honors its roots, recapturing the sound of the Swedish death scene of the early 90s, and incorporating the Gothenburg sound without submitting to it. In the Light of Darkness also emanates heavy black metal vibes, particularly in the raspy vocals, blast beats, and tremolo-picked guitars, much in line with Unanimated's previous efforts.
The production creates a slightly murky feel, enhancing the dark and heavy feel of the album, but not so much that the melody and texturing it lost. The bass is mixed very low, barely audible at times, but provides low-end support underneath the guitars. The toms and snare are easily audible (in particular the snare), but some of the cymbals and double-bass occasionally get lost in the fray of sounds. This isn't entirely negative, especially compared to the trigger-dominated metalcore acts such as The Black Dahlia Murder.
Dominating groove-oriented rhythms play with slicing, and often tremolo-picked, melodies and pound the listener into auditory submission to the raw power of the album. The riffs are powerful and dominant, but are controlled and even elegant when need be. Solos are present, but are tasteful and add to the texturing and landscape of the song. They don't ramble on longer than they should as filler content, but add a layer of melodic voicing and a powerful statement.
Micke Jansson delivers raspy vocals in a style that's as much black metal as it is death. Both powerful and chilling, the vocals are convey a dark and evil tone even beyond the guitar-work. While a not uncommon vocal style, they don't come off as cliche or stale, but fit perfectly into the style of the album.
The album beckons you in with the eerie and foreboding intro track "Ascend With The Stench Of Death" before dropping you into the tremendously powerful "Retribution in Blood." Unanimated don't leave you many places to hide from their dominating sound, aside of acoustic passages during "Enemy of the Sun," until the outro. Yet, despite it's brutal (yet never brutal for the sake of being brutal), the majesty of the album is never lost.
The sound is somewhat reminiscent of bands like Dissection and Dismember, and captures the feel of the Swedish death scene that has been missing for a while. While not a shoo in for album of the year, this is easily one of the best efforts of 2009 so far. It's time for all the little kids who've been playing around in the melodeath world to sit down because the big boys are back, and they're ready to blow you away.

8/10