MAGNETIC MOUNTAIN

Just like almost everyone, I stumbled upon Unsoul through their international party hit Dance Your Legs Off and was quite impressed with the group's ability to blend extreme metal with avant-garde and ... dance music!

Ok, I admit that the reach of the song was not as widespread as it might (or should) have been but wouldn't it honestly have been a wonderful alternate universe to live in? Even if my surprise obsession with the band's mega hit was quite overwhelming, the full length album Magnetic Mountain was an even bigger sensation that had spent quite a few weeks on my playlist. Eventually I had to go cold turkey on the whole experience since I started feeling that my obsession had reached horrific levels of intensity. Looking back on this whole experience, I definitely still have a great deal of passion for this somewhat belated sophomore effort from the German collective and taking a trip to their native country for an Unsoul concert experience have not escaped my mind.

Unfortunately now that the sense of perspective have caught up to my experience and I had a few month distance from the album, I can honestly say that I love it a lot but not enough to grant it a rating of a full fledged masterpiece. There are quite a few compositions on this record that might have been even more engaging, both structure and atmosphere wise, have they give the same intense treatment to the material like they did to the hit single (which by this point needs no introduction), Way Less Space and Breaking The Frames. These three stand out tracks create the main bulk that this album relies upon and the rest of the material serves as enjoyable transport distances between these compositions.

I highly recommend Magnetic Mountain to fans of eclectic metal music who enjoy bands like Unexpect and Mr.Bungle. Unsoul might just have something for you on this great record!

***** star songs: Way Less Space (4:49) Dance Your Legs Off (3:16) Post- (1:31) Breaking The Frames (4:55)

**** star songs: Rebel Prostitute (5:40) Swancorpse (4:40) Neverest (4:24) Contratto Senza Piet? (2:28) Pre- (1:56) I Loss (5:11) Secret City (2:40)

*** star songs: Magnitogorsk (1:10)