UNARMED – Gloomy Skies//Screaming Vultures – LP (Phobia Records)

BACK IN STOCK!!! Hailing from Sweden, and featuring members of Exploatör, 3-Way Cum, and Verdict, Unarmed were initially active in the mid-1990s, releasing two split EPs.  They then returned with a new 7-inch in 2022, before now unleashing this, their debut full-length.  Their sound is rooted very firmly in the traditions of 1990s crust.  The waves of metallic riffage are liberally laced with flares of melancholic melody and propelled by galloping d-beat rhythms, while the roared vocals, alternating between Swedish and English, are utterly cavernous in their brutality.  Highlights include the bleakly melodic Blinded by Hate, Driven By Fear, the choppily insistent Overseas, and the loose limbed swagger of King Of Nothing.

90’s crust is not dead yet! Unarmed is back in full force with 10 new songs recorded in spring/summer 2025, mixed and mastered by Kenko, Communichaos Media Clay Station.