Now that mook metal has finally dried up both commercially as well as critically, bands vying for mainstream metallic mastery seem to fall into one of two camps: They either embrace the classically metallic and melodic Gothencore pioneered by the likes of In Flames and the Haunted, or they incorporate a more Americanized style that draws from the hardcore side of things with percussive rhythms that still have people (almost always erroneously) bringing up hip-hop. Upstate New York band Unholy bucks the trends by following them - all of them. Up the middle, drummer Joe Murphy's bludgeoning metronome and vocalist Claude Rains' monotone shriek overwhelm you with their force rather than their technique; however, Jonathan Dennison and Steve Caiello layer solid Eurocentric and Scandinavian dual guitar majesty atop that foundation, making for a potent sound all the way around. Blood of the Medusa lacks the songwriting dexterity heard on the last Lamb of God release, and sometimes you wish Rains would have a vocal range that matched his passion, but as far as debuts go, it promises a very bright future for this well-rounded group.
-Brian O'Neill