ALBUM REVIEW: Ultraviolet – As Everything Unfolds
Second albums can be hard, especially if your first album was as well received as AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS‘ was when they released Within Each Lies The Other in 2021. That album catapulted the Buckinghamshire rock band onto the stages of multiple festivals, including Download, Rock For People and Graspop. Since then, the quintet have gone from strength to strength, having also been nominated for a Heavy Music Award for Best Breakthrough Live Artist, and now they present their excellent sophomore effort Ultraviolet.
The album kicks off with its title track, and the band are not messing around here. It hits you in the face with an almighty sledgehammer of a nu-metal breakdown before vocalist Charlie Rolfe comes in with calm and sweet singing, her voice sounding as smooth as silk. Don’t be fooled though; she can unleash some mighty screams, switching from one to another with ease. This song does unfortunately slow down to a slight halt before the bridge, but thankfully things pick right back up for a headbanger of an ending. First impressions count, and AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS have made a brilliant one as they hit the ground running.
Felt Like Home focuses a little more on the synth-rock aspect of the band. Thankfully, this does not hurt the album; in fact, it just showcases another side to the band. They make themselves at home, and the track gives Jon Cass as chance to show off his fantastic synth work. The catchy sing-along chorus is utterly infectious too. Slow Down also utilises synths as the backbone of the song. They mix really well with the drums, this track making for an angry number, full of rage, which gives Rolfe a fantastic chance to flex her screams, especially during the last minute. The rest of the album showcases that the band do not just stick to one genre. As an example, Saint Or Rogue is a rock song, leaning slightly into pop-rock, whereas Blossom is a gorgeous metal song. Whilst all these genres changes could sound like a mess, they all work well together.
It’s not all great though. Infrared takes the form a peculiar interlude, which seems to almost serve as the halfway mark of the album. It is a nice bit of experimentation, with eerie synths, but being sandwiched between a slow metal song and Flip Side, a post-hardcore song, it feels a little unnecessary and almost as if the band are playing for time. Thankfully, Flip Side fixes this when it does come in, unleashing some of the heaviest screams we’ve heard from the band. There are even some guttural vocals thrown in for good measure. Twilight is almost the exact opposite, with more focus on singing. However, there’s never a bad time to throw in a scream or two.
Another thing that is exceptional about the album is the production. Sometimes when musicians combine synths with more ‘traditional’ instruments like guitars and bass, it can be hard to differentiate them, as one often drowns out the other. Thankfully this is never the case on Ultraviolet. For example, the guitars are brilliant on Rose Bouquet as they become the backbone of the song. In fact, the second half of the album seems dedicated to guitar-heavy songs, with closing track All I’ve Ever Known being perhaps the most accessible AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS have ever sounded; its indie rock chorus is the epitome of having fun and letting go off your worries, with some fantastic synth work at the end thrown in for good measure.
Overall, despite a few hiccups along the way, Ultraviolet is a joyful, polished, and well-executed album. It showcases why AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS are one of the most exciting bands in the scene right now. For the most part this album goes from strength to strength, with the band cherry-picking different genres and moulding them into their own creation. There is no stopping AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS; they’re just getting started.
Rating: 8/10
Ultraviolet is set for release on April 21st via Long Branch Records.
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