Unmothered was formed in Austin, Texas, in 2013. The COVID pandemic hit them pretty hard and they partially split with the core of the band relocating to Columbus, Ohio. Most of the sound is Fuzzy-Doom Metal, but they bring in elements of Sludge and Melodic Metal to craft a broader, deeper sound that touches different parts of the brain. Multiple short instrumentals on this album allow for a quick rest, giving the brain time to prepare for what comes next. The tones on this record are gloomy, dark, and haunting, providing a soundtrack to the deepest subsections of the band’s collective minds, so sit back and take a journey through the hidden recesses of the human condition.

https://unmothered.bandcamp.com/music

Band Members:

  • Matt Walker – Guitars/Vocals/Synth
  • Ryan Chamberlain – Bass/Synth
  • Josh Dawkins – Drums

Released:

December 8, 2023

Tracklist:

  1. Corridors       
  2. Voiceless
  3. Perihelion
  4. Wave Theory Of Light          
  5. Refraction
  6. Mirror Maker
  7. Aphelion
  8. Static Conspiracy
  9. Barrens
  10. Last Limbs
  11. Apsis

There is no way to place this album in a single category, which makes listening to it more fun. There are no clean vocals and the guitar riffs are moderately paced for the most part. There are faster and slower rhythms in different areas, but that just adds to the overall aesthetic of the whole album. Changes in tempo add texture, crafting something that allows for there to be Melodic and Sludge/Fuzz Metal in the same track. “Corridors” is a perfect example of this. In a little under five minutes, you get at least four different genres crossing over each other. Isn’t mixed Metal glorious? I think so.

The short instrumentals tend to be more ethereal and ambient. They appear to be brackets that surround the track “Wave Theory Of Light.” Both track titles refer to light in their own way. Maybe I’m jumping to conclusions, but that’s how I see it. “Wave Theory Of Light” has a killer chugging riff between verses and one of the faster rhythms on the album throughout the song. I do appreciate how there seems to be an intro and outro to this song. This type of writing elevates the highlighted track.

With four of the eleven tracks being instrumentals, this record almost feels like it has sections and the instrumentals act like transition points. Having said that, this does not sound like an album that has four distinct, different sections or sounds musically, more like those sections have different themes, divergent thoughts on life, and how everything connects with the world around it. Musically, this album has a very cohesive, thematic sound that carries each song forward to the next in a logical sequence, avoiding the “choppy” sound of some albums that have a bunch of individual tracks that are not related in any way.

Overall, Unmothered has crafted a solid, coherent album that keeps you engaged in the songs whether you are actively listening or have it on in the background as you go about life and just let the music wash over you. This is an album that can appeal to more than just one single fanbase because of the variety of influences it draws from.

MZ Ratings:

Musicianship:

  •             Guitars – 9
  •             Rhythms – 9
  •             Vocals – 8
  • Songwriting – 8
  • Production – 8

Overall – 8.40