Production: Relatively clear but frothy, sort of diffuse.

Review: One cannot argue that this is not death metal yet a black metal influence in concept and setting pervades. Beautifully harmonic, with melodic flowing lines and the single-string speed picking favored by black metal bands, this release is populated by well-built songs in the rock/heavy metal/Swedish death metal style with a human ear in mind, and the result is metal that is more moody and restless than heavy but extreme enough to exceed its ancestors.

Tracklist:

1. At Dawn/Whispering Shadows (4:27)
2. Blackness of the Fallen Star (4:17)
3. Fire Storm (5:28)
4. Storms from the Skies of Grief (3:38)
5. Through the Gates (3:53)
6. Wind of a Dismal Past (3:58)
7. Silence Ends (1:34)
8. Mournful Twilight (3:25)
9. In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead (4:44)
10. Cold Northern Breeze (4:42)
11. Buried Alive (Venom cover) (3:28)

Length: 43:36

Copyright © 1994 Pavement

Much has been said about the similarities between this band and Emperor. Both have superior songwriting and treatment of melody; Unanimated typically begin a tune slowly, and then build into the main riff, which is usually a dynamically phrased riff without a whole lot of tonal nonlinearity. The result is flowing death metal that periodically stops to bash the hell out of things; although the playing is good, and real guitar solos occur on this album, I'd say the major failing of it would be the repetition and lack of real dynamism and intricacy. The addition of those elements would make this a first-class death metal band.

• Unanimated - In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead (1994)

• Unanimated - Ancient God of Evil (1995)

• Unanimated - In the Light of Darkness (2009)