Description
Unanimated – Victory In Blood – 180 Gram Double Vinyl Record
Unanimated – Victory in Blood, released in December 2021 via Century Media Records, marks the triumphant and long-anticipated return of one of Sweden’s most influential yet often overlooked melodic blackened death metal bands. Known for their classic 1990s releases—particularly In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead (1993) and Ancient God of Evil (1995)—Unanimated were among the earliest bands to effectively merge the raw ferocity of black metal with the melodic sensibilities and precision of Swedish death metal. With Victory in Blood, their first full-length in over 12 years since 2009’s In the Light of Darkness, the band reasserts their legacy not through reinvention, but through refinement and a ruthless focus on what they do best: crafting dark, aggressive, yet strikingly melodic extreme metal with unwavering conviction.
From the very first moments of the title track “Victory in Blood,” the album explodes with buzzsaw guitars, searing tremolo picking, and relentless drumming, invoking the early Swedish death metal sound but channeling it through a more sinister, blackened lens. There’s no hesitation, no prelude—just a blistering, violent thrust into chaos. Throughout the record, Unanimated deftly balances brutality with atmosphere, never allowing melody to soften the edges but instead weaving it through the carnage in a way that evokes both despair and grandeur. Tracks like “As the Night Takes Us” and “The Devil Rides Out” highlight this contrast especially well, layering eerie leads and mournful harmonies over unrelenting rhythmic assaults, crafting a sonic landscape that feels both epic and intimately menacing.
The album plunges into spiritual darkness, esoteric philosophy, and mythic violence. As with their earlier works, Unanimated remain committed to exploring the occult and apocalyptic, but with a poetic touch that elevates the material beyond mere shock value. The atmosphere conjured is ritualistic, often ceremonial—less about overt horror and more about existential dread and liberation through chaos. These themes are underscored by the album’s production, which walks a fine line between raw aggression and polished precision. The guitars retain their gritty texture, the drums punch with clarity and weight, and the vocals—harsh, commanding, and laced with venom—sit front and center, narrating the descent into darkness.
Despite the long hiatus, Victory in Blood feels neither nostalgic nor overly modernized. Instead, it embodies a sense of timelessness, as though Unanimated were simply lying in wait, unaffected by trends, ready to strike with precision when the moment was right. This is not a comeback album that begs for relevance; it is a declaration of dominance, a reminder that Unanimated helped shape this genre and can still hold their own—or even surpass—bands half their age. Clocking in at under 40 minutes, the album wastes no time and leaves no filler, maintaining momentum with tight song structures and dynamic pacing, while still allowing for more expansive moments such as on the brooding, multi-layered “Demon Pact (Mysterium Magnum, Part 3)”, which hints at deeper conceptual underpinnings.
In the broader context of extreme metal, Victory in Blood stands as a vital reaffirmation of the melodic black/death tradition, drawing comparisons to the likes of Dissection, Necrophobic, Dawn, and even newer acts like Gaerea and Uada—bands who owe a clear debt to Unanimated’s foundational influence. But where many peers lean heavily into either atmosphere or aggression, Unanimated masterfully maintain both, creating a sound that is feral, haunting, and oddly beautiful in its devastation.
Victory in Blood is more than just a return—it’s a resurgence with teeth, a furious and focused work that honors the band’s past without being bound by it. For fans of Scandinavian extreme metal who appreciate a balance of melody, darkness, and authentic aggression, this album is not just recommended—it’s essential. Unanimated have returned not to simply join the conversation, but to lead it once again from the shadows.
LTD. Gatefold 2LP With LP-Booklet, Art-Print & Etching
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Victory In Blood
Seven Mouths Of Madness
As The Night Takes Us
The Devil Rides Out
With A Cold Embrace
Demon Pact (Mysterium Tremendum)
XIII
Scepter Of Vengeance
Chaos Ascends
The Golden Dawn Of Murder
Divine Hunger
The Poetry Of The Scarred Earth
Satanic Lust (Sarcófago Cover)
