I went into the album with not a ton of hype, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. Is it quite as adventurous as I’d like overall? Not entirely, but it was definitely a lot moreso than I expected, so I’m happy enough with what we got. I still don’t like how the drumkit sounds, but Svensson’s playing is a lot more varied and simply alive for me, and Iwers’ bass is far more audible here as well. Along with more acoustic guitarwork and clean passages, it’s a big step in the right direction if the guys in THE are as committed as they are to making this more than just a one or two-off side project in the long run. Stanne’s harsh vocals are better overall on the album, and his clean vocals are utilized better here than on DotL, even if it’s in the same amount of songs as on that album. Almost everything here is a step up, though it does feel as ‘constructed’ (I don’t want to say inorganic because that’s not it, but something like Colony felt more natural) as DotL does. It’s definitely making me reconsider if DotL is as good as I originally felt it was, and honestly? I’m very happy with that.
1. Conspire To Deceive- 9.5/10 for me, absolutely love it, super kickass opener that I hope becomes a staple in their setlists
2. Detonate- 6/10, just gonna be real, I haven’t cared much for this one since it came out, and my opinion constantly sinks lower and lower. Good news is that it’s by far the lowest point in the album, and it’s an anomaly in that respect for me. I get why it’s here, it’s their safe lead single, and it at the very least has a faster tempo than you’d expect for that, but Shadowminds clear it any day.
3. Our Channel To The Darkness- 9/10, love this one, feels very much like Conditional, but not in a way where I want to go back and listen to something better. That much a big problem with Detonate, but from the bombastic guitars in the chorus, the acoustic intro, and the smooth bass that comes alive in the song, it very much has enough of its own flavor to separate itself and satisfy me.
4. Cruel Perception- 9/10, huge Endtime Signals feel in the best way possible here. With the consideration that the entire album is more recognizably Niclas’ and Jesper’s work than DotL, it actually feels rather refreshing to have something DT-sounding, especially since we’ve had higher tempo, thrashier tracks before this one. It’s really well-placed in the album, and I love that.
5. What We Become- 8.5/10, genuinely surprised that this is the new single, it’s not what I would’ve picked since it very much just sounds like what you’d expect from THE. That being said, the keyboards are really mesmerizing, there’s a massive thrash feel with the guitars in the hook (This is what I envision with Engelin’s motto, “Obey the riff”, and I’m glad we’re finally getting the real riffs on this album), the chorus works really well, and the solo feels just like classic In Flames. It’s a grower more than anything, and while I would’ve put it at 7.5 last night, it’s already sinking its hooks in me quite nicely.
6. This Curse of Silence- 9.5/10, glad to hear the intro to March’s music video actually made it onto the album. Fucking love it, this was sorely missing from DotL.
7. March of the Unheard- 8.5/10, I didn’t like this too much when it first came out, but it’s also seriously grown on me.
8. Forever Astray- 9/10, love this one too, lots of IF melodies paired with Stanne’s harsh and clean vocals. That’s the general expectation I’d have for the band at the bare minimum, and it does well in that regard.
9. Between Directions- 10/10, easily my favorite song on the album, this is exactly what I want from these guys. Almost black metal style intro with the strings, but with some wonderful crackling bass and syncopated, almost funk-style drumming. It’s so fucking good there, the chorus reminds me of Katatonia at their best, and the solo is peak classic In Flames. Not just my favorite song from the album, but my favorite song from the band in general.
10. A Death That Becomes Us- 8.5/10, absolutely love the southern drawl of the guitarwork and groove feel in the intro and verses, absolutely love how it speeds up in the hook, but I think the chorus drops the ball a bit— Moreso with Stanne giving just a standard chorus that, as mentioned above, is rather close to Shadowminds. The solo is some classic In Flames goodness though, so all of the things I enjoy here brought it from an 8 to an 8.5. Also as mentioned above, it does seem like Stanne’s overworking and repeating himself a bit too much, and this track is one of the more apparent instances of that.
11. The Burning Point- 8.5/10, didn’t like this too much (Probably like 6.5/10) when I first heard it, but it’s another one that’s really growing on me. Mikael’s harsh vocals are a lot better here than on other songs, and along with the guitarwork being so melodic, it thankfully carries what could’ve ended up being your standard filler song.
12. Coda- 10/10, my other favorite on the album. In execution, it’s a beautiful mix of the Acoustic Medley from Black Ash Inheritance and Themes and Variations from Clayman 2020 with how it draws from and seriously expands upon This Curse of Silence, March of the Unheard, and maybe other songs in the album with a little Everlost Pt. 2-style splash of bluesy guitarwork in there for good measure. Along with Between Directions, this is exactly what I wanted from the album.
Overall- 8.83/10 averaged out. Part of me would expect it to be at least a 9/10 (Though not much higher), but it’s another reason why I say that I wonder if I previously overrated DotL. This delivers a lot more of what I want, and I have far fewer hangups here than I do with that album. I’d say Detonate sank it, but The Most Alone seriously sunk DotL for me as well. I went into this with a ton of hesitation, but truthfully the title track grew on me a lot as time went on, and both Cruel Perception and Forever Astray gave me quite a bit of hope for the album. Not to mention, it was really nice that compared to how we got five singles (Counting In Broken Trust on release day) spoiling half the album for DotL, we only got four (Counting What We Become on release day) spoiling a third of March if you don’t count them fucking up with Forever Astray. Both albums definitely held their best cards close to their chest until release, and I’m seriously glad about that, as I’ve been pleasantly surprised both times. Couple that with the tempos actually being more varied this time (112 for Detonate, 140 for the title track, 174 for Conspire to Deceive, etc.), it really feels like the band didn’t just tread old ground structurally like on DotL. I think for all of those reasons, March of the Unheard is absolutely a triumph for the guys, and it’s (in my opinion) a pretty big step up from DotL in so many ways. I expect my scores and overall feelings on most of these songs to only get better with time, and I can’t wait to be able to actually purchase the album.
