ALBUM REVIEW: Strength – Unto Others
When IDLE HANDS powered into the lives of thousands in 2019, many were celebrating the emergence of a brilliant new outfit. The quartet from Portland, Oregon, made a real statement with their debut record Mana, and the anticipation of what would come next was sky high. Then, the pandemic happened; then, they were forced to change their name; and THEN guitarist Sebastien Silva had issues returning to the US to record new music that were largely – and sadly – race-related. Sometimes, however, the greatest adversities bear the sweetest fruits and, now going by UNTO OTHERS, the band’s sophomore album Strength is released on September 24th via Roadrunner Records.
The secret to a great second album is consolidating everything that made your debut so impressive, but adding a few new elements to entice new fans, please the current ones and show more strings to your bow. What made Mana so exceptional was the blending of gothic overtones and NWOBHM-style guitars – at times it sounded like Pete Steele fronting IRON MAIDEN – and Strength continues to have a plethora of those moments. The big example is most recent single Downtown, a masterclass in classic metal solos with a massive chorus; if you haven’t checked out the video yet, it’s also suitably retro. There’s also Summer Lightning which, although slightly more polished than anything on Mana, could have easily slotted on there given its style and tone. The rumbling bass in the background does brilliantly to hold it all together and the keyboards, a new introduction to the record, gives an extra layer to delight in. Oh, and there’s cowbell.
Elsewhere though, the expanse of UNTO OTHERS has gone in more of a riff-orientated direction, sometimes even further; opening track Heroin is more in line with modern day METALLICA than anything they’ve done before, both in terms of the thrashier elements to the guitars and the double bass kicks that also pop up on the brooding When Will God’s Work Be Done and Destiny. There’s also a cover of PAT BENATAR‘s Hell Is For Children towards the end which, importantly, sparkles in the band’s own style and, perhaps more crucially doesn’t feel out of place in the context of the album, which has befallen other acts in the part. The production as well is superb; the idea that the aforementioned Summer Lightning being more polished than Mana is a negative aspect is not the case, because the added slickness allows an emphasis on the gothic side of their sound, which in turn makes for a more immersive experience when combined with a good pair of headphones.
It’s a sign of a special band when you run out of superlatives to describe them – UNTO OTHERS have done that in the space of two albums. Strength is an absolute joy from start to finish and the fact that this is only the beginning is a mouth-watering prospect. Drink this in to the full and then get down early to the BEHEMOTH/ARCH ENEMY tour next year; you would be an absolute fool to miss this lot tear it up on stage.
Rating: 9/10
Strength is set for release on September 24th via Roadrunner Records.
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