This year of plague has taxed even the heartiest of metal heads. A year without our usual fix of moshing and headbanging with our metal family, makes a bleak world that much more desolate. Thankfully the metal gods provide with new music seeping up from the underground. The latest album by Hate Unbound called Darkness Becomes All is the salve we seek to fill the void.
Darkness Becomes All is the second full length album from Detroit’s Hate Unbound. The band is largely intact with Daryl Mitchell and William Cundiff on guitars, Art Giammara on vocals, and Franklin “The Foot” Hannah on drums. The exception to the roster this time around is bassist Sean Demura. Sean played on the album, but has since left the band. Hate Unbound found Toledo’s Deanna Kaczala to pick up where Sean left off.
A thunderhead of growling guitars and marching drums explodes into a battering ram of deadly riffs on the opening track called “Crawling Through’. Immediately you feel the marvelous burn of unfettered aggression coupled with technical precision. However, instead of a technical w*nkfest that sounds mechanical and dull, Hate Unbound infuse this album with a raw metallic bite. The effect is admiration for the songwriting and performance while destroying your neck in the process.
There isn’t a missed opportunity on Darkness Becomes All. Each track is packed with tasty riffs, menacing vocals, and jackhammer percussion. The production is also top notch. This is an album that allows you to hear each instrument, including the bass which is often sacrificed in a lot of metal mixes.
While every song is masterful, there are a few that deserve special recognition. Starting with the track “Bleed For Me”. The intro rockets into oblivion and showcases the powerhouse drums of The Foot. His technique is spotless with a penchant for achieving a brutal groove. The bridge lends itself to a superb guitar solo by guest artist Seth Earl from Recorruptor. The chord sequence evokes memories of the band Death and Seth Earl is channeling the late great Chuck Schuldiner with gusto.
Another fantastic tune is “Casket Eater”. Art roars through the intro with vehemence. Visions of a rabid dog tearing flesh from bone come to mind. What makes this song is the stone smashing yet melodically orgasmic riffs. You’ll want to crush every single invisible orange as the music pours through you. Then you’ll need to try to avoid drooling as the guitar solo invoke demonic ecstasy. The physical aggression captured in this song is violent and enjoyable.
Darkness Becomes All by Hate Unbound is a skin shredding death metal assault. Each song is designed to deliver a sonic attack packed with bone crushing power. Hate Unbound may not have the name recognition of a Lamb Of God or Vader, but this album is right in league with these heavyweights. Fans seeking maximal brutality and technical riffage, should seek out Darkness Becomes All. Let the menacing riffs of Hate Unbound fill you with the warmth of devastating metal music.