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It had been awhile since I had treated myself to some Sargeist and I remembered them rawer and more chaotic than on this release. A little trip back into their past albums (the ones I own, anyway) proved that to be right. Fear not, as while Unbound is more polished than their past material, it's not like the band has gone all commercial on us. It's fast-paced, all-guns-blazing dark-sounding black metal, the kind that you'd expect from Scandinavian black metal. So, nothing new here really, but the execution makes up for the fact that this is "the kind of stuff you've heard before"(TM). The vocals are out of this world and add a lot of punch to the dark, apocalyptic and desperate atmosphere that can be felt throughout the album. There are a few more melodic bits here and there that are kind of surprising when they pop up, but they're strategically placed and that works well here. Unbound may not be the most original album out there, but it's expertly played and doesn't need to beg you to get repeated listens.