I've been waiting a fucking eternity for a proper Unholy release to finally see the light, so it's about damn time for this form of intense metallic hardcore to rise up and reclaim the Syracuse legacy – and at the hands of some seasoned veterans no less. For those unaware, Unholy's lineup boasts involvement in numerous other outstanding acts, among them Another Victim, Blood Runs Black, Godbelow, The Promise, Santa Sangre, and When Tigers Fight. "Awaken the Sleep", their debut EP from Closed Casket Activities, unloads seven tracks of absolutely scathing metalcore in about 17 minutes, chock full of everything from chunky power chords and meaty picking patterns with sludgy undercurrents to dissonant melodic accents or borderline caustic bursts. There's a good mix of basic hardcore-ish energy and thrashy crossover stylings, with the general riffing creativity I'd expect alongside Jonathan Dennison's presence, and I'd definitely cite this material as being a touch more metallic than most of the members' past exploits – granted it's pulled off with a sense of inventiveness that creates an identifiable niche that Unholy doesn't really share with any of their contemporaries. I'm all over this shit, kids:

Unholy "Dreams in the Witchhouse"

Also worth noting is that the lyrics are pretty damn intriguing on this outing, certainly carrying with them an apocalyptic sort of "holy terror" edge that you don't see very often these days at all:

Frozen in time, history has repeated itself. There is no purpose in the human condition. The existence of human kind is a curse from the gods of the deep. The existence of human kind is a curse from the caller of the moon. The existence of human kind is a curse planted by demons from another world.

Pick this shit up immediately and learn how this shit's supposed to be done:

@ Closed Casket Activities
@ Surprise Attack Records
@ Very Distribution

"Awaken the Sleep" is also going to be released in Europe by Silentstagnation Records with alternate packaging and a bonus track, so keep your eyes peeled for that gem as well!

Also new from Closed Casket Activities is the debut EP from upstate, New York's very own Recon. "Graves" drops seven tracks in a little under 20 minutes and tends to stay true to the 90's vision of metalcore in terms of utilizing burly vocals and lots of absolutely crushing midpaced mosh grooves amidst faster chord progressions that have that basic hardcore vibe given a thick metallic makeover. The fact that the recording is so damn crisp and dense really amplifies the force of these simplistic breakdowns and power chord rhythms as well, and that's a pretty damn great payoff for a band of this nature to benefit from, believe me! There are a couple of scarce instances where dashes of melody creep in with more of an overt metal feel to the riffing, but for the most part these cats aren't fucking with the formula: They know what they want to do and that's exactly how they deliver it to the listener. Good stuff. I don't know what else to say here. I bet these dudes can incite some serious carnage in the pit, though!

Recon "Nowhere to Run"

The label hasn't added this release to their webstore yet, but it's definitely out and about, so make the grab and do some damage:

@ Surprise Attack Records
@ Very Distribution