The debut EP from Norwegian thrashers Unchained Beast, “Guiding the Lamb,” is certainly not all that bad and gets the band off to a somewhat decent start to their career but does have some small flaws holding it back.
Exploding into the retro thrash scene, there’s a definite old-school streak washing through the album here. The main segments here are provided by that ever-reliable Bay Area-styled crunch in the guitars which are quite adept at providing this one with plenty to enjoy about it, ranging from a sturdy gallop to a remarkably heavy mid-tempo chug that seems quite appropriate at what’s attempted here. The fact that the majority of the music is kept to a mid-range pace manages to effectively utilize those chugging-style riffs to generate the heaviness on display here while fully forming the remaining part of the rhythm here. As well, by keeping this so simplified in its approach through those riffing styles, it can also morph into other areas quite adeptly which is what happens here with the use of a slow, sprawling set of riffs that seem more accustomed to doom bands such is the speed of their slow dirges. Still far from being a typical doom band as the band still remains all-out thrash, these sprawling riffs act more as a mid-ground breather of sorts against the thrash by slowing the energy down and letting the song breathe for a second or so, an odd choice since this never really reaches a max effort style pace anyway. As well, with the accompaniment of acoustic guitar notes for some melody-tinged intros, there’s some nice stuff here.
In addition to the riff-work, the rest of the album contains all the hallmarks of the old-school scene. The drums hit quite hard here despite never really gaining a lot of speed or intensity with the majority of the tracks keeping that mid-tempo pace here, yet when it does there’s a strong sense of technically-dexterous patterns here that definitely make for some thumping energy. As well, it fits into the sprawling paces here quite well by letting the harder patterns match the pace and tempo of the sluggish material in this. The heavy use of thumping bass-lines also adds to this by keeping a rather light air to this which is handled quite well against the crunchy riffing and pounding drumming throughout which is all fine and keeping in the old-school spirit. That still leaves this one with the one fundamental flaw in this one being so scattershot and all over the place in its writing that it can take a toll on listeners. Managing to infuse this old-school thrash crunch with the sprawling, atmospheric paces and a series of melodic interludes has the potential to be quite impressive if the interstitial change-overs are handled with more grace and fluidity rather than simply appearing due to the bands’ wish to utilize that element in their songwriting. The formula is there, it just needs some fine-tuning.
On the whole, the album certainly isn’t all that bad. Instrumental intro ‘First Breath Taken’ sets it up with light wind howls and grandiose keyboard washes for an epic soundscape. Getting into the proper songs with the title track which features charging riffs, pounding drumming and crunchy rhythm section slowly turns into plodding tempo against the occasional outburst of double-bass blasts into plodding riff-work throughout the main sections into a strong solo section and utterly frantic finale which sets them up quite nicely in here. ‘Gates of Dumbr’ uses the old-school touch of melodic guitar noodling turns into raging riff-work with thrashing drumming, dexterous rhythms and heavy crunchy patterns that wind through up-tempo paces with fiery riffing along the stellar solo section throughout with frantic thrashing riff-work along into the final half for the album’s best track. The blistering ‘The Infection of Mankind’ utilizes stuttering start/stop drumming and swirling intertwined soloing throughout the first half with the sprawling paces before kicking into faster, more intense rhythms and pounding drumming that continues along quite nicely into the extended soloing of the finale for another infectious offering. The slow, churning ballad-like ‘Split of Conscience’ starts with melodic acoustic guitars turn into slow, sprawling riffing and sluggish drumming with a lack of energy throughout the first half with the romantic atmosphere and lighter rhythms holding up against the tight mid-paced crunch along the mid-section with pounding drumming swirling through the epic solo section into the finale for a softer brand of thrash for a whimper of a finale.
There’s clearly a lot to like here with the group who are quite adept at this style of utilizing a slew of mid-tempo old-school thrash rhythms against some plodding paces and a general sense of melody, and this certainly sets them up in the future to go even further when this gets hammered out. They are definitely one to look out for if you’re a thrash aficionado or looking for something more than the usual cut-and-pasted Bay Area worship in the scene.
There's a prevalent stereotype that nearly all of the current adherents to the rebirth of thrash metal are little more than speed obsessed knockoffs of either the Teutonic or Bay Area/New York crossover scenes, and it does have a sizable list of prominent examples to substantiate its existence. However, there is a sizable collection of bands that are taking a very different approach, even those with a claim on the most obvious of influences from the good old days, namely Metallica. Enter Unchained Beast, formed from the remains of a defunct tribute band for said California pioneers of ruined necks and banging heads, with a debut EP in Guiding The Lamb that listens like what passes for a full length album in many quarters.
Much like the other prominent former Metallica tribute band Evile of Great Britain, there is a clear commonality in style with Hetfield and company circa 1983-88 with this Norwegian outfit, but it's a lot more subtle and pulls from different areas than most others with a taste for either Master Of Puppets or Kill Em' All. In fact, the album that this one resembles most from the glorious 80s is Ride The Lightning, having a somewhat nimbler feel to the riff work and a more nuanced mixture of fast and slow. Along for the ride is a clear affinity for Metallica's occasional flirtations with classical influences in their balladry, with a mixture of acoustic guitar work littered throughout the album that's almost dense enough to remind of Iced Earth at times.
Surprisingly enough, in contrast to both Evile and this band's fellow Norwegian thrashers Tantara, the contrast between what is heard on this album and all most Metallica's seminal offerings doesn't end with a few musical nuances. Vocalist/guitarist Adrian Olsen sings with a gritty quality, but has a lighter and more punk-like persona than the typical Hetfield clone, almost as if Joey Belladonna had attempted the often imitated Bay Area gruff approach. Combined with the slightly less punchy guitar tone than your typical thrash album, this EP almost listens like a faster and harder hitting version of early Metal Church at times. Not to mention that the introductory song “First Breath Taken” almost sounds like an instrumental prelude to a late 90s European power metal offering.
If there is any defect in this album to be pointed out, it's the fact that it is so well rounded and diverse in its approach that it's a little difficult to follow, lacking the heavy repetition of ...And Justice For All, yet offering songs about roughly the same length and scale. The shortest full length song on here “Gates Of Dumbr” manages to start off in a somber place not all that far from the acoustic intro of “To Live Is To Die”, before launching into a blistering thrash assault that incorporates the cruising feel of “Battery” with a slight bit of a late 80s Testament feel. Guitar solos occur with a fair level of frequency and manage to be flashy enough for Kirk Hammett, yet just a bit more nuanced and slightly less mechanical in feel.
Unchained Beast is definitely a band to watch, particularly for those that are hungry for something a bit different than the consistently fast and highly methodical red thrash flowing out of Greece and South America, to speak nothing for the crossover craze being maintained by Gama Bomb and Municipal Waste. Guiding The Lamb showcases pure thrashing power with an eye for eclecticism and precision that is pretty tough to come by, and have carved an interesting niche for themselves that offers a lot of future possibilities.
Originally submitted to (The Metal Observer) on March 31, 2014.