Band:	The Unguided
Album:	Hell Frost
Style:	Melodic death metal
Release date:	November 30, 2011
Guest review by:	iaberis

01. Inherit the Earth
02. Phoenix Down
03. Betrayer of the Code
04. My Own Death
05. Serenade of Guilt
06. Collapse my Dream
07. Green Eyed Demon
08. Iceheart Fragment
09. Pathfinder
10. Where the Frost Rose Withers
11. The Miracle of Mind [Spark! cover]

I'm sure most of you will have heard of Sonic Syndicate, or at least those interested in the Swedish melodic death metal scene and the lovers of the Gothenburg sound. The Unguided is a band consisting of three members, previously involved in the aforementioned group. More specifically, the vocalists and guitarist that took part in the Only Inhuman album, the one that took the band a few steps higher in popularity.

In cases like this, where a band is formed by departed members of another band, I have no idea how to perceive the release and what to expect. Is it really a new group that has nothing to do with the old one, or is it an effort to hook up and continue from that time when the band took a different musical direction? Well, judging by the band's logo and the track names on Hell Frost, I'd say it's the second... This thing makes the expectations even bigger for a fan of Sonic Syndicate like myself.

After the first listen, I tried to categorize it, like if it was a Sonic Syndicate album, where would it be in their discography... I'd probably say it would best fit after their second album, Only Inhuman. But I'm not quite sure on that, since it has some of the rawness from Eden Fire but also the catchiness of their second and third albums. It does have the electronic sound that makes it somewhat mainstream but it also has a taste of rejection if I may. I don't know why, but I get regularly the feeling that this is something like B-sides or leftovers from Sonic Syndicate. I also feel it lacks the chemistry of the first band, making the sound a bit incomplete. It does feel good to have back the great duet of Roland and Richard on the vocals, but I'd like the whole band of that golden era back. Nonetheless, this is better than We Rule The Night!

This is may not be the best this combo has to offer but it surely is a nice comeback and continuation from where the band shouldn't "turn". I'm also not sure if this is how The Unguided should be labeled, since it does have the prospects to be a new, independent band and I think that's the way it should be taken. We will see I guess in their next release. Ending this, I'd say that I would buy this album, if it weren't for the economical crisis! No spare money to spend on an average album these days!