By Monk
Sometimes it is really hard to know where to start with an album review. Sometimes, it is merely a case of writer’s block. At others, it is genuinely wondering what you can actually say about said offering, either to do it complete justice (which is often impossible) or so as not to rip it to equally complete shreds (which is far easier). In the case of this, the second album from Unto Others, it was a case of there being so much going on, so many influences at play, bouncing off and around each other, that it needed several listens to actually get to grips with what I was listening to… To add to the confusion, their first album was released under a different name…
At first glance, I thought I was dealing with a Christian band: after all, they take their name from the so-called “golden rule” of the Christian bible – that’s the one that roughly translates as “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”, to save you Googling it – and the lead single was called ‘When Will God’s Work Be Done’. But it very quickly became clear that this was not the case… nevertheless, getting into the psyche of the band didn’t prove any easier, as the myriad of influences they obviously brought to the table immediately started to bubble to the surface, from dark, gothic mysticism to indie-pop sensibilities, both welded to classic heavy metal miens.
Opening track ‘Heroin’ comes across like The Mission jamming with Volbeat, especially in the vocal department, while there is a punk energy to its speed and chugging riff and, not for the last time, the middle section possesses an Iron Maiden feel, while the solo would fit neatly into any thrash song. Yep, there are a lot of ingredients in this particular sonic mix: more than enough to have Jamie Oliver’s brain spinning in perplexity as to how to mould them into something appetizing and wholesome. Well, appetizing this particular recipe certainly is; wholesome maybe not so, especially given some of the lyrical thematics explored across the album’s 12 tracks.
‘Downtown’ has another of those rollicking Maiden-esque guitar miens, while that aforementioned single is the first song that could be described as “pure goth”, with a density and sweep reminiscent of Fields Of The Nephilim at their most majestic. ‘No Children Laughing Now’ and ‘Destiny’ take us further down the theatre-goth rabbit hole that the likes of Ghost have explored so effectively in recent years, leading us to one of the album’s highlights, the atmospheric and haunting ‘Little Bird’, which, to my mind at least, evokes the spirits of Depeche Mode and Joy Division as much as it does the likes of Type O Negative, bringing together more aural nuances which permeate the album’s overall soundscape. And to throw in a cover of Pat Benatar’s ‘Hell Is For Children’ shows how far the band are prepared to push their, and our, boundaries.
‘Strength’ is an album of many layers and, to refrain the earlier Biblical analogy, many colours. It combines so many different sounds that it could easily have ended up a confusing mess. What Unto Others have managed to do is blend them into an intriguing and interesting listening experience. However, I have a feeling it will alienate as many listeners as it will earn them new fans, as it could be one as one of those Marmite albums. Me? I’m quite partial to a bit of Marmite, especially in my peanut butter…
- ‘Strength’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
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