UNSANCTUM -

UNSANCTUM - IGNITE THE SKIES - CACOPHONOUS
Unsanctum is a new English band formed as recently as autumn of 2001 and staffed by four seventeen and eighteen-year olds. Unfortunately, the band has the same level of maturity. The band's song writing is relatively unskilled. The simplistic songs, which come without much backbone, plus the speed of the band gives the young four a certain hardcore feeling. Having said that, the processed vocals of Tom take the band into a certain subterranean metal territory. A riff like the one that kicks off Dawn The Black Winds is clearly metallic in nature and showcases the band's influences as much as the no-frills overall delivery. The band can easily be criticized though. It might be the band members' young age or a lack of experience doing the talking, but the complete absence of lead guitars, the monotonous drum playing and its associated light sound and a general lack of interesting chords on the album render it worthless to all but the undiscerning of listeners. The quartet does vary the speed occasionally, but the breadth of the material is simply strangulating the blaze. The issue with Unsanctum, to sum up this review, is that the band's crossover sound is a little confused, a little boring, a little too soon and mostly forgettable in the sea of releases assaulting and choking the market at this point. - Ali "The Metallian"