UNSIGNED AND UNHOLY: IS YOUR BAND BETTER THAN MEDIOCRE?

Now that you guys are all catching onto this Unsigned & Unholy biznass our inboxes have been flooded with requests by bands to check out their music. Which is great, because that was the point. But you know what I’ve found to be the most surprising element of this whole experience? That the overwhelming majority of bands are mediocre. Not terrible, not great… just so-so. Used to be you’d get a lot of laughers, but the access and low cost of today’s recording technology has really leveled the playing field. Still, that doesn’t mean “any band can just get famous on the Internet” as detractors of today’s recording technology claim… it just means that we have to start judging by other criteria like, ya know, songwriting and originality… and eventually the quality of the band’s live show. Anyway:

• Unto Acheron: One “Brett Jones” sent us a link to Unto Acheron, claiming, “Hey, you should check out this band! They’re pretty fucking badass.” Hey Brett, here’s a tip: if you’re going to pretend to be a band’s fan instead of an actual member of said band, try sending email from a fake name or at least taking your name off the band’s page. Fucking idiot. Your band’s music shows about as much intelligence as you; I made it as far as the breakdown in the first song and turned it off in disgust.
• Apostate: Another serviceable but unspectacular melodic tech-death band. This Czechs suffer from breakdown-itis.
• Solipsist: Definitely better than serviceable and mercifully no breakdown-itis. These guys are solid; they remind me of a God Forbid for the ought-ten generation.
• Armor Column: Bonus points for funny band name, minus points for re-thrash. Like all re-thrash bands these dudes can play their instruments quite well, and like all of these re-thrash bands they possess nary an original idea. The singer’s got some serious high-pitched pipes, though, so there’s that.

-VN