We are being ground to a pulp, surrounded by a world veering so far past humanity and respect for nature, that we are losing grasp of who we are. Industry owns us, and we’re pretty much at a point of no return unless some radical shit happens really fucking fast. No matter what we do, capitalistic endeavors envelop us.

On “State Dependent Memory,” London-based black metal power Unmother are steeped in industry and the urban concrete slabs, recognizing that while we might not all live in those types of areas, the businesses that operate there do. It’s all around us, these elements weighing on nerves and making mere survival a struggle. The band—vocalist V, guitarist Azoso, guitarist/bassist Declwa (drums were handled by Krzysztof Klingbein)—employs a nice share of experimentation and mesmerizing electronic pulse in their pounding black metal, adding an extra dash of color and intrigue to their music.

“My Armor” starts in eeriness, a voice talking, and then the pace melts, growls punishing as the guitars catch fire. There’s a progressive sense to what’s going on that’ll pay more dividends later, and the vocals turn into unhinged bursts, melodies veering into cosmic terrain, blasts snapping at flesh. Raw wails carve as melodies spill, everything coming to a desperate end. “Bear Hug” feels like one at first, tornadic playing going off, guitars spiraling manically, the vocals retching, mental combustion tearing down buildings, the playing dripping like syrup down a wall. The vocals punish at the temperatures spike, jarring loose the screws and flooding with riffs. “Modern Dystopia” has a similar vibe as Oranssi Pazuzu’s psychosis, and it opens in spacey whir, the vocals warbling into an acidic gurgle, a strange aura spilling into a dream state. Shrieks belt as the guitars grow colder, the drums rumbling as a mesmerizing fog envelopes, the guitars firing out of the other end, swimming through punches and stray rock flying past stars.

“Attiki Victoria” is a cover of a track by Greek synth/punk band ΟΔΟΣ 55, and they add more electricity but also maintain vocal melodies while also bristling. The playing gushes with color, the guitars giving off heat, synth piercing and sending chills down your spine, bleeding into the night sky. The title track opens in the throes of damage, speaking echoing before sinister howls cut into the skin, speed accompanying blistering drums. Guitars swim through a humid atmosphere, smearing psychedelic flames and delving deeper into sonic wonder, even if that has an edge of ugliness. Clean guitars penetrate the barriers, giving off drips of sound, and then everything explodes to life, howls rippling like lightning bolts, riffs spinning out dangerously. Instrumental closer “Magda” basks in swelling organs and guitar murmurs, reverberating and numbing frayed nerves. Speaking folds into time as the bass clouds darken, guitars enrapture, and the final sounds slip into desolation.

“State Dependent Memory” is a record that fills with excitement of new angles and sounds and colors but also reminds we are captured in a time that has become less human and even more about money over everything. Unmother’s direction toward increased experimentation and layering black metal with a plethora of sounds sometimes foreign to this style make for a record that stands apart from what will be thousands and thousands of other albums released in the sub-genre this year. This is both enthralling and sobering, a reminder of the trap we’re in but also a pathway to escape to our true roots.

For more on the band, go here: https://unmother.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album and for more on the label, go here: https://fiadh.bandcamp.com/