ALBUM REVIEW: Gold – Unprocessed
UNPROCESSED have come on leaps and bounds since their formation back in 2012. In the space of ten years, they have created a brand new exciting genre of metal, perfectly combining chunky, progressive guitar riffs and impactful vocals with elements of pop and electronica. Currently at the helm of the European rock and metal scene, UNPROCESSED are truly onto a winner here and their new album Gold shows us exactly why. The band teased us immensely with three promotional tracks to be featured on the release; Closer, Fabulist and Dinner and now we get to hear this amazing album in all its entirety.
Following on from their previous three concept style albums, it seems as though the band are ready to try something new. Gold is a collective of work that comes straight from the heart and soul; unapologetically UNPROCESSED. Opening track Rain instantly trickles into the listener’s memory, with some intriguing instrumentals at the forefront. It sounds as though it could be a BILLIE EILISH B-side, but with a little more pizazz to make it truly sparkle. Redwine is the perfect combination of electronica and metal. The chorus has very much a SLEEP TOKEN feel to it with the sudden riff drop. However, UNPROCESSED are most certainly not copycats, evolutionising this particular genre all on their own. The Longing begins with a R&B infused verse before leaping right into a belter of a chorus which is sure to get stuck in listeners heads quickly. It soon evolves, adding more metalcore elements towards the end to make for an all-round fantastic song.
Orange Grove starts off as a continuation of its predecessor, but this track is packed full of emotion courtesy of vocalist Manuel Gardner. The final thundering guitar riff really helps to put UNPROCESSED on the map, that’s for sure. As soon as we get to Mint, we have truly realised the band’s obvious musical talent. Gardner‘s vocals are unprecedented on this track. We are more than ready to experience the rest of the album at this stage. Snake is another memorable single, which sounds as though it could have been created in the 90s – what a nostalgia hit. The instrumentals throughout are remarkable and intriguing, with Gardner‘s delicate croons making the track complete.
Closer is on an entirely new level, with the personability just seeping through from start to finish for a track which more than elevates UNPROCESSED to greater heights. Velvet incorporates slick R&B instrumentals combined with effortless vocals to create something very special. In Scorpio we are introduced to a highly emotional synth focused ballad which sounds as though it should be an entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. Throughout the track we are completely hooked on every word that Gardner is singing. You can really sense the raw vulnerability seeping through every chord – absolutely incredible.
Dinner starts off strong with another SLEEP TOKEN style riff taking the lead, however just like the previous offering it captures your full attention all the way to the final note. The progressive metal riffs within this song are insane and incredibly catchy. The Game catches us out by being more energetic than the last couple of tracks. The chorus is infectiously captivating in nature and is definitely one of the best songs on the release by far. Ocean seems similar to what we have already heard, but then in typical UNPROCESSED fashion, we are completely caught off guard. In the midst of the track, a memorable progressive riff inspired by AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR catches us by surprise.
Whilst Fabulist is another little burst of powerful nostalgia, Portrait well and truly brings us back down to earth with some haunting opening instrumentals. Berlin is up next, which is sung completely in German. It really mixes things up at this stage of the record, combining interesting synths with inspiring prog style riffs while still managing to incorporate their roots into the song. As we slowly creep to the final title track Gold, we are definitely in awe of this band. What an outstanding end to a fantastic album.
Even though this is UNPROCESSED‘s fifth body of work now, you can observe that they are very confident in what musical direction they are taking. This is a genre that we haven’t heard much before in the past and we were absolutely mind blown from beginning to end. It’s a record that has a lot to offer; irresistible progressive riffs, ever changing synthesisers and a ton of raw emotion and relatability. UNPROCESSED have clearly taken the time to try out what sound works best for them and it’s safe to say that they have hit the nail right on the head with this record.
Rating: 8/10
Gold is out now via Airforce1/Spinefarm Records.
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