Last summer, the American black metal one-man project Unwelcome Soul released its debut album Dried Petals digitally, and six months later – a CD version as well, all entirely independently. Little is known about this act, except that it consists of a single person whose identity remains a mystery. This project serves as an emotional outlet for him, helping to release the accumulated experiences of a military veteran – from feelings of social alienation to general hatred, conveying the imperfections of life within the system through abstract terms.
It’s not easy to define the genre of this project with a single word – its foundation lies in black/death metal, which at times slows down to doomy stagnation, and at others speeds up into thrashy profanation. Occasionally, it drifts into post-black territory with a hint of modern vibes, while sometimes plunging into a psychedelic layer of melancholic ambient passages. It weaves between the monotonous primitiveness of one or two riffs per song and chaotic, dissonant extravagance that breaks rhythm and mood. In any case, the adjective “experimental” fits Unwelcome Soul’s music like a glove. There’s a remarkable quality in turning minimalism into avant-garde, which speaks to the originality of the ideas, though at times they feel quite raw, as if unfinished. But maybe that’s the point – to create a sense of rawness, like a canvas with white patches left behind. You feel the urge to fill in those gaps, yet the artist intentionally leaves them blank, and those very gaps become the elements of novelty that edge this project towards the avant-garde. Sometimes, the music sounds so polished that every next move feels predictable, but not here. The feeling of incompleteness and the ability to dive into the abyss of chaos eliminate any chance of boredom. It’s hard to say exactly what effect the Knoxville, Tennessee native was aiming for, but sincerity is guaranteed – this kind of creative outpouring can’t be enclosed.
And yet, there is a certain system to this album, though it doesn’t immediately stand out. Typically, most tracks end with a passage of accelerated rhythm, which enhances the emotional vitality of the music. Almost every composition features a return to heightened melodicism and moments of doomy restraint. Still, the foundation remains rooted in black metal, so all these decorative elements don’t compromise the core of Dried Petals. Only the final track “Shells” hints at a modern flirtations with the post-metal scene, incorporating typical alt. inspired sections and even touches of shoegaze. But not to the extent that Unwelcome Soul could be definitively classified as post-black metal.
Waste Away and the title track “Dried Petals” both open with acoustic intros, showcasing the project’s multi-layered approach and the skilful integration of diverse elements to form a complete and cohesive structure. While “Waste Away” leans toward monotony and a sense of calculated restraint, “Dried Petals” drowns in a dissonant, noisy backdrop – yet somehow radiates major-key vibes, creating a bizarre but captivating contrast. Frequent mood shifts are a hallmark of this one-man project’s debut. For example, “With a Dead Soul” is built entirely on these kinds of transitions. Meanwhile, “Time”, don’t save me introduces solemn ambient elements, gently inviting doom metal into blackened death territory as a kind of ornamental layer. This slightly mutes the song’s dissonance, tempering the otherwise chaotic energy.
The overall sound is quite raw – like béton brut – yet each instrument can be clearly distinguished, except during the most dissonant, messy moments, when everything dissolves into a cacophony of noise and fractured sound functions. The vocals deserve special mention: they’re not so much sung as narrated, but not in the sense of being off-key or in a rap-like manner. Rather, it’s more of an emotionally charged storytelling that channels a wide spectrum of inner turmoil, amplifying the music’s impact. This is where all the social frustration of a former soldier pours out. And since there’s no trace of clean singing anywhere on the album, it’s no surprise that the lyrics dwell on themes of depression, death, and various facets of darkness. All of this is beautifully reflected in the album’s artwork, which symbolizes death, sorrow, depression, and darkness as a whole.
Anonymous one-man bands are far from rarity in the metal scene. Some artists choose anonymity to preserve the authenticity of a new project, avoiding comparisons to previous bands. Others simply don’t want their music to be tied to a personal identity. In the case of Unwelcome Soul, the latter seems to dominate. In today’s world, there’s a constant urge to dig into personal lives of the strangers, often irrelevant, that shouldn’t have any bearing on how the art itself is perceived. That’s why anonymity becomes a powerful tool for allowing the music to be heard as impartially and honestly as possible. Despite its rawness and frequent mood swings, Dried Petals maintains a consistent thread throughout – a unifying line that holds the album together and makes it digestible in a single listening session. Though bursts of untamed fire occasionally smother whatever crawls out of the abyss, the forces of chaos never take full control. Instead, Unwelcome Soul drifts somewhere between aesthetics and grotesque, subtly pushing the boundaries of both in an effort to inject at least a drop of originality into this cruel world.
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