Band:	Unanimated
Album:	Ancient God Of Evil
Style:	Melodic black metal, Melodic death metal
Release date:	1995
Guest review by:	Troy Killjoy

01. Life Demise
02. Eye Of The Greyhound
03. Oceans Of Time
04. Dead Calm
05. Mireille
06. The Depths Of A Black Sea
07. Ruins
08. Dying Emotions Domain
09. Die Alone
10. Storms From The Skies Of Grief [2008 re-release bonus]
11. Outro [2008 re-release bonus]

Unanimated's debut album In The Forest Of The Dreaming Dead set the tone for their follow-up masterpiece, Ancient God Of Evil. Both albums contain melody, raw production, and excellent musicianship. That being said, Ancient God Of Evil surpasses anything the band have released with its catchy riffs and impaling guitar solos, not to mention a few other elements that were perfected since their debut.

One such element: keyboards. The keyboard work on this sophomore release deserves appraisal merely for its ability to penetrate the aggressive overtones with a morose atmosphere, a combination reiterated the following year with a certain little gem, Slaughter Of The Soul (without the keyboards, mind you). "Eye Of The Greyhound" is a perfect example of this feat, starting out slowly with an acoustic interlude before picking up speed and completely transforming into a quick-paced melodic death metal anthem, then switching back to a slower pace as the guitar solos begin (similar to The Jester Race). At The Gates? In Flames? You can be sure that Unanimated are in league!

These Swedes do an excellent job adding heaviness without sacrificing melody. In fact, "Oceans Of Time" and "Ruin" are both heavier tracks with melody to spare! The drum work is especially noteworthy during the last few songs, with "Dying Emotions Domain" the standout track for its combination of every element Unanimated are known for: demonic speed, burdensome atmosphere, ripping solos, and most importantly flow. Where the Gothenburg-era-influenced bands of today look simply to prove their guitar skills without focusing on song structure, Unanimated are very particular about how each individual track plays out from beginning to end, and where it fits overall in the album.

Some albums suffer from poor song placement; others, poor song structures. Ancient God Of Evil suffers from neither of these oversights, and in fact goes on to establish itself as one of the most purposefully rendered melodic death metal albums in the history of the genre. For lovers of this Swedish sound, be sure to check out this underrated piece of art, one that not only compares to the aforementioned bands above, but also other acclaimed acts such as Dark Tranquillity and Unleashed.