Maximum Metal Rating Legend

The Firstborn - The Unclenching Of Fists - 2005 - Procon Media

Track Listing1. Torn From Within 2. To Roam The Endless Plains 3. Perception 4. Path Of The Mindwalker 5. Voyage 6. Fire Channels 7. Movement For Practising The Way 8. The Roaring Voice Of The God Of Death 9. Of Time And Its Absence 10. Ten Offerings To Mahakala 11. Golden Lebation 12. Absolute 13. The Unclenching Of Fists

Where do you really start to even describe something like this? I will just say up front that I am definitely not an experienced extreme listener, just doing my part to bring the metal journalism to you, my beloved metal reader (and all that jazz). "The Unclenching Of Fists" is the fourth album from one of Portugal's largest metal bands, The Firstborn. I will say that the only other Portugal band I know of is Moonspell, and this band is nothing like that. Instead The Firstborn are a chaotic mix of ambient influences mixed with blast beats, death metal vocals, black metal vocals, keyboards, and a sitar.

The hardcore metal enthusiast will appreciate the fast, quick guitar fury found here, all of which is pretty fast romps with plenty of thrash elements. At times the band reminds me of early Sepultura crossed into another realm of experimentation. Obviously the band is very talented and skilled with their instruments, with precise and diverse playing across the board here. "The Unclenching Of Fists" is based on Tantric Buddhism, mostly based on the "Bardo Thodol". The album apparently took almost four years in writing and a full year of recording. The end result shows off a complicated and very diverse metal sound that should appeal to fans of the extreme.


--EC 11.27.05