“The most memorable marks of humanity are drawn in blood,” states
Unholy founder and guitarist Jonathan Dennison. How simple it is to
point fingers at government, corporations, or even terrorists, for the
current state of the world. When pointing at an outside factor though,
four fingers always point right back. This often-forgotten truth is
not lost on Unholy, who since their inception have steered clear of
any such dated accusatory pitfalls that countless other bands continue
falling into, face first, like lemmings off a cliff. The problem isn’t
beyond our reach as many assume; humanity is the problem. Unholy
forces this difficult truth on its listeners, and with their
Prosthetic debut “New Life Behind Closed Eyes,” the message is sure to
get across more clearly than ever before. It is the most fleshed-out
Unholy has ever sounded, with the coalescing of Jonathan Dennison’s
unique songwriting approach and Steve Caiello’s unmistakable leads,
and Billy Price’s cavernous growl and intimidating stage presence
tying it all together.
Philosophicaly, Unholy view humanity as a cancer, a fungus that will
devour all in sight and, once all has been consumed, ultimately
itself. Their debut album for Prosthetic Records revolves around this
exact premise, progressing as an end-time narrative of the final days
of humanity delivered by its own hand, and continuing into an
afterlife that is nothing like the heaven we have been promised.
Inspired by the writings and art of Thomas Ligotti, H.P. Lovecraft,
Joe Coleman, and Anton LaVey, among others, Unholy have in mind a life
after death far less rosy than most of us hope for. In death, we are
merely another feast for the insatiable beast that is the order of
humanity.
Unholy activily began in 2006 with the release of their debut EP
“Awaken The Sleep” on NY-based label Closed Casket Activities (Recon,
Another Victim, and The Acacia Strain side-project Cockpunch!). In
2007, Lambgoat Records released the full-length “Blood Of The Medusa”
followed by persistent touring to promote the record. Unholy in 2009
is a seasoned beast, primed for the long haul.
Much like the gluttonous core of our very design, Unholy’s message
that we are born as mere feed for the cancer is channeled through a
throbbing and raw musical vision that brings to mind British pioneers
Carcass and Black Sabbath, American trendsetters Testament, Slayer,
and Crowbar, and of course, the almighty Entombed. Powerful heavy
music, like the earth itself, emits a certain frequency that burrows
itself under one’s skin much like maggots would on a dead body.
Unholy’s “Life Behind Closed Eyes” will grab you from within the same
way death draws you nearer to it on a daily basis.
With a philosophical vision so clear and a musical focus so exact, it
should come as no surprise that in recent years, Unholy have braved
roads alongside bands as respected as Meshuggah, Municipal Waste, God Forbid, labelmates The Acacia Strain (whose frontman, Vincent Bennett, calls Unholy “an amazing band”), Earth Crisis, Soilent Green, Suicide Silence, Death Before Dishonor, 100 Demons, Ringworm, Shadows Fall, Ministry, Nevermore, A Life Once Lost, As Blood Runs Black, and more.
Ultimately, Jonathan Dennison’s perspective on the meaning of human
life is as promising as the touring cycle that will ensue following
the release of Unholy’s “New Life Behind Closed Eyes” this coming
Spring: “If there was a purpose, we’re here to destroy everything
around us, we’re here to destroy the planet, and every form of life
that walks this earth.”