ALBUM REVIEW: Wrath Encompassed – Unmerciful

There are few things more enjoyable in this life, and indeed any other, than the pure thrill of some good quality death metal. As the drums and guitars lock in rhythm and the vocals hit your ears, there is something truly unique about the empowering sensation that begins to swell when the music is hitting fever pitch. UNMERCIFUL have been working tirelessly over the past two records to formulate a record that provides that feeling from start to finish, with their brand of noodly tech metal getting tighter and heavier with each passing release. Now with their third full length Wrath Encompassed, the band are closer than they have ever been to a truly winning musical formula. 

The tempo is set almost immediately thanks to opening track The Incineration kicking proceedings off with a bang. The blast beats practically cease to keep coming at the listener, providing a barrage of tight snare hits that give the guitars and bass a firm foundation to begin building around. The guitars are primal and aggressive, chugging in the background before providing some interesting lead licks or transitioning to the next breakneck segment of the song. This is the tech metal blueprint done with expert precision, and as a result UNMERCIFUL sound harder and better than they ever have done before. 

The ball isn’t dropped for the remainder of the record, as tracks like Predator to Prey add more chunk into mix with some sluggish riffs that are welcomed against the impressive barrage of drums. The Stench of Fear gives a good tussle for the heaviest track on the record, and songs like this provide a heavier reliance on thick, grooving riffs to break up the sometimes monotonous 200bpm approach most of this record takes. With the band stuck so firmly in one place when it comes to tempo, the impressive drum performance does begin to show signs of weakness, as the double bass trips up on itself more than once. 

The vocals provide a consistent performance throughout the record and give the listener something to really connect to, almost akin to an old on the rails shooter game. The vocals are strong and empowering and passionate, and work so well with the guitar and bass bedrock that it really helps to make Wrath Encompassed the bands strongest work to date. Everything comes together better than ever before, and there is a natural energy to all of the tracks, with smooth transitions and well fleshed out ideas giving the band a tremendous boost, and when coupled with the impressively heavy production and tight performances, it turns this into a genuinely enjoyable affair. 

There is enough AT THE GATES flirting with FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE in their sound to make UNMERCIFUL an intriguing concept as it is, but delivering a record as tight and ferocious as Wrath Encompassed should insert UNMERCIFUL onto the playlist of any death metal fan. This is a tight, consistent, and intense display of relentless technical death metal and proof of a band getting better with each passing release. 

Rating: 8/10

Wrath Encompassed is out now via Willowtip Records. 

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