Review: “Self Titled” by Unjoyful Play

A fictional storytelling about a dystopian future in which humanity is plagued by dictatorship and resistance in constant battle before the apocalypse comes to destroy mankind is the concept behind the debut self titled EP from Unjoyful Play. The project is the work of Sami “Zamael” Lustig of Hautajaisyö and Uhriristi fame, who handles guitars, bass, synth, backing vocals and song writing while bringing on board a myriad of guests to assist him. On this one Tomas Ahlroos of Omniversum provides clean vocals while Jimi Myöhänen of Swansong provides the drums, the trio creating what they call Finnish Alternative Death Metal…

As gunfire rattles off in the distance and the troops of doom march through the city Lustig brings “Stand For The Empire” with his bloodcurdling vocals during a first verse armed with groove laden Death Metal riffs… then things change dramatically as Ahlroos clean vocals and synths come into play. A fleeting first moment seemingly inspired by 80’s Traditional Heavy Metal and bands like Europe, it raises an eyebrow before the band shift back to the original style in bludgeoning fashion. However there is more in a grand finale, bold and brave that sits surprisingly well in eclectic combination, as if taking inspiration from bands like NightWraith in putting together something a little more organic and less restrictive. A Death Thrash opening verse gives “Fight Till The Last Man” a real edge before the predictable style shift for a vibrant clean chorus from Ahlroos that feels as if it has its roots in Power Metal. Switching back for some powerhouse rhythmic aggression and a dark spoken word feels almost inevitable, as its demise for another soaring clean chorus underpinned by blasting and jackhammer footwork from Myöhänen. A play on darkness and light it’s a powerful track that lacks a little in both transition and spontaneity, the lack of a surprise either way seeing some of its momentum dampened.

Topi Pitkänen of Swansong adds a sublime solo to “Annihilation“, which repeats the previous patterns by raging out of the gate like a hellhound before allowing Ahlroos to inflict damage during the chorus. Fortunately Unjoyful Play have avoided the slowdown for the chorus which plagued a wealth of Metalcore bands, instead underpinning those bright clean vocals with the harsh uncleans to give everything more edge. A punchy Death Thrash inspired tune, this one strikes a better balance than it’s predecessor. Sombre and sobering “Barrel Organ” finds mankind swaying like marionettes to the melodies of eternal damnation. Rich clean vocals soar over Melodic Death Metal riffs and pummelling percussion in perfect harmony before breaking out for some unclean vocal power. Slowing down for a melancholic moment before rising once more ensures this seven minute surpassing tune is the finest of the collection. All in all a mixed bag that has plenty of potential, this will leave you wondering what a full length might sound like [7/10]

Track Listing

1. Stand For The Empire (ft. Iiro Juntunen of Defiled Icon, Devious Imp, Solacide)
2. Fight Till The Last Man
3. Annihilation (ft.Janne Partanen of Hautajaisyö, Martin Pick and Topi Pitkänen of Swansong)
4. Barrel Organ

“Self Titled” by Unjoyful Play is out 19th September 2024 via Inverse Records and is available over at bandcamp