....quite frankly, I've had a hard time getting into any other UT album besides "Electrocution", which is unfortunate for me, because I know their whole catalog is generally praised. But besides the fact that "Electrocution" remains one of my favorite heavy albums of all time, they really seemed to focus on melody, hooks, and a somewhat more straight forward approach to songwriting. I was excited with anticipation to see what they would follow up with. Then I kept reading reviews of "They are back to the molasses paced black metal,etc..." and I was a little let down. Never really gave "V" a proper chance. Until just recently.....my ears woke up, and I'm glad I came around. Not nearly as immediate as "Electrocution", but it's slowly starting to pay off. I really dig the slide in "Solar Eye". What did yuns think of this album?

http://unearthlytrance1.bandcamp.com/

V is the only album I've tried by these guys and was bored. Tried Solar Eye again and didn't do much for me.

I'd recommend giving Electrocution a spin, if "Chaos Star" or "Burn You Insane" don't
float your boat, then it's not meant to be. linky below

http://unearthlytrance1.bandcamp.com/al ... ctrocution

I'm a big Unearthly Trance fan and I'm with you; Electrocution is my favorite and just never really could get into this album. It's probably because the older I get, the more hooks, melody, and straight forwardness appeal to me over being slow, dark, and gloomy.

That being said, I'm now going to revisit the album.

In The Red guy here.

In the Red is the best one. Then The Howling Wind albums and then this one.

Saw them during the In the Red era. Fucking epic!

V was good, though I also liked Electrocution best. The Trident was also excellent, that was my intro to the band, my ex was really into them and she introduced them to me with that record. I'm mot really into them at all anymore, honestly, I sold all their records a couple weeks back.

I was supposed to see them when they were touring for the Trident, but their van broke down. I think they were a very original band with an interesting spectrum of influences; they always reminded me somehow of an urban Darkthrone. For my money, I enjoy In the Red, Trident, and Electrocution about even. V was a solid record and I need to spend more time with it.

I got into them with Trident, which was one of those surprise $3 bin scores. I think I prefer that album to Electrocution and V. Probably I go in that order for preference. Nothing against V, but it didn't grab me the way the other two did. And I don't have the early stuff. But in general I definitely consider myself a fan. Badass trio.

And great the couple times I saw them live.

Seamus, what friggin awesome record store is this in Western Mass where you keep pulling these sweet scores? I'll take note next time I'm out there in indie rock country

That was at Mystery Train at their old (but not original) location downstairs from the Amherst Brewing Company...which itself is now somewhere else. A few years ago I went there for records and came out with a huge score of cds from the cheapo bin, among them Trident and the previously unknown to me first Engine Kid album Bear Catching Fish. There was also for a short time a good place in Chicopee Mass called "Off Beat" where I got my Hawkwind, Prong and Deceased albums at shockingly low prices, but that is now gone.

It is hit or miss, I tend to rely on the fact that hipster (there's that word again) record store employees don't put as much of a value on something like Keelhaul or Taint as they do the Kinks or Stephen Malkmus. Although metal is on one of it's "in" phases the past couple years. 90s post hardcore and 3rd rate grunge albums are still pretty uncool though, as is straightedge hardcore and industrial. So there's 90s deals to be had most places.

Metal might be "cool" around here for now, although it's just in a general way. The record store employees/hipsters know stuff like Sabbath, Priest and Maiden, and the newer more well known and/or trendy bands like The Sword, Boris, Melvins, Big Business, High On Fire and Witch, but that's about where their knowledge ends. There's still generally great deals to be had, and no one knows a band like Unearthly Trance.

Same with the metalcore kids around here. That's been a fad forever, and while those peeps are broadening their horizons, these are people who got into metal through Pantera, Cannibal Corpse, and Hatebreed. As such, they're going to be hip to Down and Kyuss, but have no idea who Unearthly Trance are.

Man, Unearthly Trance fucking rule.

'The Trident' should grab you if you're into 'Electrocution'. Hooky as shit yet a little crustier. And if you can stomach 'V' being so crushing, def give 'In the Red' some time. That shit is evil.

Ryan Lipynsky's voice kills.

"Electrocution" is my personal favorite. I got into them because of "Red". "Trident" was a bit of a shock, but I ended up liking it and listening to it more than Red. Then "Electrocution" just floored me right out of the gate, and for me, that's the one that really sealed the deal for me with UT, and I think that's their defining album, so to speak. The one people can look back on years from now as as the milestone that wraps up UT's sound and gives a good perpective on the band's overall vibe. They did WAY more uptempo, melodic style heavy songs than they did slow dirge. So for me, saying In the Red is their greatest album is unfair to the sheer volume of quality material to be found within their entire catalog. Not that anyone said that here. I've just had that convo with friends before.

I will buy anything from that band, or anything any of its members are in, no pre-listening required. "V" is great, but still can't beat my fave. Rion Lipinksi is one Hell of a god damn prolific individual.

How does their debut compare with everything else? I've never heard it.

The debut is pretty much funeral doom. Not that it's a bad album mind you.

Slow, tortured, blackened doom. Really heavy and oppressive. Emphasis on atmosphere over songwriting, and it's not as adventurous musically as everything that came afterwards. It's not bad, though it was always my least favorite.