The album's title is absolutely what this album is about. The band's nature is more of an old school doom/metal sound so it isn't very aggressive. However, it is very, very, very heavy. This band is a three piece and they are more dense and weighty than bands with double the members. However, the riffs are what makes the album so unrelenting. A band can be heavy without actual riffs.
This band has actual, true to form riffs and they just don't stop.
The rhythm section is also extremely potent---the bass is fuzzed out to the extreme and the drums are crisp and ultra tight. They are a powerhouse of a trio and really fill up the sound----not one second on this album is wasted.
Some of my favorite moments across the album happen when Raul plays a solo. Because he is the lone guitarist, vocalist Aaron backs him up with tremendous bass. These moments are monumental and prove that not every band needs a second guitarist.
But the band is at their best when they deliver all out jam sessions---like a stampede of ravenous raptors going in for the kill with never tiring attacks.
The album begins with "Black Swordsman," and clean tones, which are clearly well on their way to building up towards the riff attack at the 42 second mark. Despite how brazen and monstrous the riffs are, the song smooths very smoothly. This is indicative of the album as a whole, making it a very easy and entertaining listen.
The five tracks and their forty minute runtime will breeze by. This is definitely an album that can be jammed over and over again. The clean vocals are what is expected of this style and they definitely work. There are rougher style vocals here and there which also do a lot for the band. Nothing is every forced and the different vocal styles arrive when needed.
Case in point, around the halfway point in this song, the band throws out the doom jams and then rougher vocals appear and make the moment all the more better. The solo near the end is short but clever, with Aaron backing up the notes perfectly.
As it slides back into the riff mountain, Juan's drums bring it all home again--this guy is a beast on the kit, very subtle with a different sort of intensity.
"Purgatory" has a ripping opening, fuzz drenched bass crackling and popping its way through my headphones. Here the band throws in some groove, a little swampy and smokey. I like the vocals here, totally compliments the music. The music sort of glides along until the mid section when the riffs/bass drop like hammers---a slow, crushing moment that threatened to cave in my head. The shouting vocals that follow are just what the song needed before breaking into a movement features muddy riffs flowing in between some solos.
The bass drops the fuzz and goes for pure lead for the opening of "Submersion of the World Underwater." The drums are particularly great, heard and heavy but not overbearing, much like the music and album as a whole. The rhythm of the vocals are very catchy and transition effortlessly to a type of rough clean grow. The vocals work great against the low, heavy riffs that suddenly speed up. The drums rampage and build up the excitement before the water breaks. This one of my favorite songs on the album because the music is on a constant high.
"Suffer More," is one of the heaviest on the album--a very dark song that is almost cavernous and much more "brutal" than many bands of this style can do. I like it low, slow, and hard....this song is gives me that in spades. If someone asked me for an example of doom metal, I could do much worse than offering this track up as an example.
The slow yet melodic solo just after the halfway point is another highlight for the song---very hazy and sets up the riff attack that delivers the song to another great solo.
The final song is 'Exhumed' and it is a banger. The first moment is bold and thick has a tree trunk. The music speeds up a bit to match the extremity of the vocals---a very good performance here and I hope he continues to balance his smooth cleans with this other style because it is very commanding.
This song is nearly twelve minutes in length but you'll never realize it because every note, every moment, is exactly where it needs to be.
All in all, Earthen have released a very strong debut album with "Unrelenting" and I am very excited to see where they go from here. Any fans of heavy metal, doom, or just heavy music in general will definitely need to add this to their list. An early highlight for the year.
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