Puerto Rico

Unzane, Test Of Time (Too Loud Records 2021)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Classic-style metal band Unzane crack out a new album, Test Of Time.

The band started out in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2000 and relocated to the mainland in 2009. They have released four previous albums, including Unzane (2005), Justice Is Our Cradle (2006), Tampering With Evidence (2011), and Nation Attack (2017). On the new one, the musicians show their experience while continuing to hone their metal muscles. The band is Ricky Leon (guitars), Alfredo Vargas (bass), Alex Hernández (drums), and David Carrión (vocals).

The musical style of the band is classic heavy metal, leaning on grooves the crowd can bang their collective head to and solidifying the effect with forceful, melodic vocals. The guitars are heavy, the rhythm is thunderous, and the road is straight ahead.

There are ten tracks in all on Test Of Time, each landing in the radio length of two-to-three minutes. “Emotional Coaster” has a feisty drum lead-in and a cooking melody. It is the perfect curtain-up rocker to get your blood going. “Brave Heart Warriors” has a taller presence and it is more vocally ambitious. The lead work goes front and center with an early tingle that pushes the song to the next level.

The song that really got my attention was “Boogeyman” because it has such an all-out charging approach that draws you in. Following immediately is the high-temperature track “Extreme Ferocity,” and the pairing works a nimble implacability. “Life Cruiser” is another favorite – the chopping opening riff gets you through the door and the party starts on the other side. And “Life Expectancy” joins the list of songs that stick because of its memorable chorus and peppery rhythm. There is a lot here to admire.

Test Of Time is available now. The quickest catch is at the Bandcamp link below.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://unzane.bandcamp.com/music

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/UNZANE-Fan-club-122870541074885/

Too Loud Records, https://www.tooloudrecords.com/unzane/

Unzane, Test Of Time (Too Loud Records 2021)

Necronemesis, Some Things Should Remain Underground (HPGD 2021)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

The first full-length studio album from Necronemesis is a milestone in the long career of the Death Metal band.

The band is from Puerto Rico, and they started out back in 2000. Over the years their style and approach evolved toward Death Metal, and the title did too until it landed on the current Necronemesis. In 2005 they released a demo under the same title as the new record, and then an EP in 2008. The recording front has been mostly quiet since then until the present. According to the Metal Archives the band is Raymond Flores (drums), NecroJay (guitar), Angel David (vocals), and Sigfredo “Pirulo” Machado (bass). Rick Rozz (of Death fame) is reported to have played on this album as well.

There are seven tracks on Some Things Should Remain Underground. The music is an old school brand of Death Metal and the mix has a DIY feel to it with the percussion going a little poppy and the levels somewhat discordant – the result gives the album a sense of being recorded live.

“Cranial Disfigurement (By Fist)” winds you up from the jump with speed and aggression. When the vocals start it catches you by surprise – in a good way. Not the typical sound for this type of band, the singing gets your attention with its gruff mid-range presentation and occasional Black Metal hisses. A short lead guitar break slides in and there is a plenary scream toward the end to push the conclusion. The next song is “They Live In The Attic” and it features a more schizophrenic path that takes your balance away. And then the third track is another altered state all its own. The set keeps you guessing.

The highlights are “Horrorpit” for its absolute reckless abandon and the title track for its insistent darkness and sheer relentlessness. This album has a lot to admire and I hope we get more music from Necronemesis preserved in a permanent form so we can come back to it over and again. Recommended.

Some Things Should Remain Underground is available on Friday, June 4th from Horror Pain Gore Death Productions.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://necronemesis.bandcamp.com/

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/necroquebradillas/

Horror Pain Gore Death, http://horrorpaingoredeath.com/

Necronemesis, Some Things Should Remain Underground (HPGD 2021)