Whether you merely chance upon this album or actually buy it on the basis of its cover art and song titles, UK quintet THE MORE I SEE will go a long way in restoring your faith in independent music. Previously signed to SPV, whose lackluster backing of the band’s promising first effort got them nowhere, the band has since moved in with the Transcend Media group for album two. The offspring of this union, The Unholy Feast is their latest attempt at carving a niche for themselves in the no-man’s-land between Gothenburg melo-death, old school thrash, and US metalcore.
Knowing that first impressions last, the band makes well on the hook-laden, guitar driven opener What Is Worse Than The Truth. It’s here that frontman Chad Sutherland’s voice sets him apart from almost everyone singing in metal these days; his is rough, gruff, and leathered. No screaming or hoarse grunts from him, anywhere, throughout the album. Another of the band’s assets is the guitar duo of Giz Butt (formerly of the English Dogs and Prodigy) and Gav King (from Fields Of The Nephilim). With their guitar tactics rooted in Metallica and Judas Priest as well as the newer flare of Arch Enemy; these two shred-heads cram so many leads, solos, and duels inside each song, it cannot fail to please your average metalhead.
While The Unholy Feast proves an exceptional listen in its entirety, the best cuts are the title track, the grooving headbanger Fear Of Death, the adrenalin charged Bloodline, the power metal charm of The Siege Is On, and the thrashing Soul On Auction. The band also refuses to shy away from variety, which explains the brooding tempo of Empty, where Chad Sutherland contemplates all the sad stuff, and the ‘core-ish album closer Veiled By Greed.
Blessed with original lyrics, hefty doses of aggression, and enough hooks to make the kids into Trivium and In Flames worship this new band, THE MORE I SEE find themselves sitting on one atom bomb of an album. Problem is, they’re popularity hasn’t exactly been spreading like a wildfire. Oh well, such are the vagaries of underground metal. Anyway, no bullshit now, listens to this album and you’ll be glad THE MORE I SEE can become your little secret. The kind of awesome band nobody’s heard of except for their most ardent fans.