Well, they got a new vocalist. I wasn’t sure how to react to it at first, but Jonathan Thorpenberg has helped shaped the ever evolving sound of The Unguided, especially with their recent release of “And The Battle Royale”, and let me tell you, they will be slaying the metal giants in a battle royal situation. The Unguided, who are composed of former members of Sonic Syndicate and Dead By April, have released “And The Battle Royale” on November 10th via Napalm Records.
Talk about yin and yang, opposites attracting, brutality meeting nice little sweet sentiments, and Beauty hooking up with the Beast. Such is the vocal combinations of Jonathan Thorpenberg, who brings the roses, and Richard Sjunnesson covers them up with a black veil and a shrill from his screams. The breakdowns are sick and the guitar work is infected with a pandemic of sickness while the synthesizers sweep you away like a wicked witch in the first two tracks “Death’s Sting” and “The Heartbleed Bug”. The beauty of The Unguided is that blend of brutality and that sweet serenity of the beauty that they offer in the music. It is surely a rare combination that is offered in the metal world.
The artistry of The Unguided continues with the new wave/Industrial synthesizers in “Legendary”. Henric Liljesand on the bass and Richard Schill on the drums provide the thunder and the driving beat. “Legendary” sounds like a perfect blend of anthem and brutality. This is art from The Unguided. I have no further way of describing it.
“Dark Metamorphosis” is that fist in the sky pumping to the beat. “Legendary” was more melodic, this track brings it back to the old-school feeling of The Unguided. The chorus absolutely soars in this track.
It didn’t take me long to adjust to the new vocalist, which tells me that The Unguided is selective about the notes that they play and the craft that they continue to hone. If you want to listen to the perfect blend of beauty and brutality, then look no further than “And The Battle Royale” by The Unguided as this record gets 9 out of 10 stars from Madness To Creation for its complete and utter brilliance, and a metal band that thinks about the art behind the metal.
Check out the track listing below!
- Death’s Sting
- The Heartbleed Bug
- Legendary
- Dark Metamorphosis
- A Link To The Past
- Anchor Stone (Of The World)
- Manipulate Fear
- Force Of Nature
- King’s Case
The Unguided is providing support for Soilwork at Katalin in Uppsala, Sweden on Tuesday, November 14th! If you’re in Sweden, go check out the show!
Check out the music video for “The Heartbleed Bug” below!
Find The Unguided at the following locations:
