The Unguided - Father Shadow (2020)

How you feel about the latest album of Swedish metalcore stalwarts THE UNGUIDED, will depend on how well you perceived their previous record And The Battle Royale. Long gone are the days of their destructive debut Hellfrost and they are continuing on with their new clean singer Jonathan Thorpenburg, who now resides as a permanent member of the quartet after making his presence known in 2017.
While And The Battle Royale was an adjustment period after the departure of long-time founding member and fan favourite Roland Johansson who left due to personal reasons a few years ago, Father Shadow is THE UNGUIDED finally finding their footing. Eyebrows were raised and there were worries from diehard fans of the band that it could see the end of their trademark sound that had been in place since the early days of their ex-band SONIC SYNDICATE. Fortunately for them, that isn’t the case and Jonathan is a more than capable replacement for Roland and now two albums in has firmly found his place in THE UNGUIDED going forward with his vocals actually being a highlight of the album.
Childhood’s End opens the album in theatrical fashion and you are hit straight away with the familiar sound of Scandinavian metalcore. There are riffs aplenty with an orchestral backing rolling alongside the barked, slightly indecipherable verses from harsh vocalist Richard Sujunnesson until you’re introduced to a clean-cut chorus. It features a tasty solo leading into the break before another dose of melody in the final chorus.
It’s followed by the fist-pumping anthem Never Yield which stands out as an early album highlight. You’re already made aware of how this album will go early on with the song structures being quite predictable. Be this at it may, they have created a formula that works for their sound and the transitions from harsh to clean vocals are generally quite masterful. The guitar solo stands out again here and appears to be an aspect the band have worked on from previous records. Never Yield is home to one of the bands biggest arena-sized choruses and should be a live favourite going forward.
After Never Yield we start to see the cracks showing in Father Shadow. As decent as these songs are, that tends to be all they are, decent. A few tracks in and the standout moments tend to disappear. Case in point with the slower, more brooding track Where Love Comes To Die. While a change of pace is welcome it ends up falling a little flat and fails to hold your interest. Luckily proceedings pick up with the single Crown Prince Syndrome. It features a catchy riff that bounces throughout the track with a KILLSWITCH ENGAGE-like swagger. The harsh vocals rip through the verses once again but once more the chorus steals the show.
Aside from the vocals and guitar work which are well crafted throughout, the drums in Stand Alone Complex are particularly impressive. They can be easily overlooked in a genre such as this but while they are never too flashy, they do stand out during certain tracks and adds to the urgency in moments of aggression. Seth is another great example of the drum work being a key feature. The track is a nod back to their earlier work and is one of the heavier songs on Father Shadow.
The choice of adding in re-recordings of old SONIC SYNDICATE tracks is an intriguing one. In some ways, it could be seen as the band moving on from Roland once and for all, or they see it as a way to show fans of the band, where they have come from previously. Their work in SONIC SYNDICATE has obviously had an effect on their sound going forward and the albums cleaner production has certainly given the tracks a new lease on life.
Father Shadow is an album full of good metalcore tracks, but with a lack of any real truly standout moments, that’s all it ends up being. The talent that lies within these guys is undeniable and while Father Shadow is a step up from And The Battle Royale, it fails to bring any genuine excitement and memorability to the table. It’s more of the same from THE UNGUIDED and for some, that’s enough.