Unleashed - Dawn Of The Nine

Unleashed

Dawn Of The Nine

by Steinmetal at 24 March 2015, 6:24 PM

Though the vanquished Viking hordes have been celebrated and cheered by glorious Metal acts, especially several of the most profound Swedish bands rejoiced in the blood of ancient enemies, I have always felt that a true pioneer has been spoken about as it should. Since discovering the late 80’s Death Metal act, UNLEASHED, back in high school, it was evident that it was devastating force also I had the pleasure to review one of their previous releases. On the other hand people, I will not share history as I am sure that your inner desire is to know more about their latest creation, “Dawn Of The Nine”. Fire breathing still through Nuclear Blast Records, after the fruitful “Odalheim”, UNLEASHED raised their axes drenched in blood high in the sky, showing the sign of the hammer once more. Though I can’t admit that I was ultimately ablaze, the straightforwardness of this here album had me in its clutches.

Without evening expecting anything, I had that feeling of what I was about to listen as I started playing “Dawn Of The Nine”. UNLEASHED might be considered one of the old school Death Metal relics, yet I have always sensed a much deeper entity that is more than just bash, hail and kill at will. Through the thickness of the music within “Dawn Of The Nine”, I felt that I was elsewhere, back in the lands of legends and fantasy, gazing upon forlorn soldiers in the fields of battle, brutality slaying with conviction against all odds only to be finally saved by their god of thunder, Thor. UNLEASHED chugged with heaviness, clobbered without remorse, assaulted with a kind of bread and butter Death embroiled with staggering pieces of Thrash to unleash more strikes into the fog of war. Time and time again I would enjoy the grand screaming soloing added to the drama within the material converged with the storytelling low end growls by the undying lord Johnny Hedlund bestowing stories that should never be forgotten. How can I lay aside the striding riffery and punchy rhythm section. Occasionally, the band’s downright determination to preserve their style of old went slightly against them as at times it bear a resemblance to drenching in the sludge, yet there was always a way out into a new frontier.

I believe that UNLEASHED, following their lionized legacy of ancient Swedish might, and their thick into the skin music, are still relevant as much as their comrades of AMON AMARTH for example. Charging head on with “The Bolt Thrower” or “A New Day Will Rise”, retaining the old grand of cold Black / Death Metal of the early 90’s with the piercing scorcher like “Where Is Your God Now?” and “Where Churches Once Burned”, or just simply sitting by the fire and conveying the brutish slow tempo Doom saturated “Dawn of the Nine”, attesting to the strength of a giant and for the fortification of the realm of Midgard.

Honestly, there is never a dull moment in this world of the lost, and along with UNLEASHED’s galvanizing melodic edges blazing through the tunes, ascertaining upcoming storms, the passion to understand and stepping knee deep into hallowed depths of imagination will sure to arise. Swear to the Nine and be counted.