Unfold are a post-hardcore band from Switzerland and this is their fourth album.
Unfold play a mixture of hardcore, metal, and sludge, all wrapped up in emotive intensity and sophisticated heaviness.
I like that the band aren’t afraid to widen their scope with the material on Banshee O Beast, showing a band that are capable of many different types of attack. As well as plenty of blistering aggression and energetic violence, there’s also darker, atmospheric moments, and calmer sections of introspective contemplation. Of course, the latter aspects mainly exist to further fuel the band when they work up into a rage once more, but all of the nuances spread out over the songs make for a very enjoyable and well-rounded release.
Each song has something interesting and a bit different to offer the listener, whether it’s an atypical riff, a beefed up rhythm section, an unexpected soundscape, or whatever; this is clearly a creative band that are willing and able to spread their wings with their music, much to the considerable benefit of the listener.
Banshee O Beast takes a thoughtful and intelligent route to extremity, demonstrating a keen understanding of dynamics and composition. The band’s sound is an unusual one, falling somewhere between Converge, Norma Jean, Death Engine, and Cult of Luna, as well as lashings of some form of unhinged experimental post-punk act.
This is a very individual and characterful album, one that shows Unfold are definitely leaders and not followers. Forging your own sound is never an easy thing for a band to do, but Unfold pull it off successfully on Banshee O Beast.
37 minutes of apocalyptic pleasure.
Wonderbox Metal 