Unearthly Trance

On their fourth long-player, New York doom masochists Unearthly Trance focus on different sounds and textures, resulting in a scattershot affair for fans expecting eclectic doom that parallels previous work The Trident. The record opens and closes with too-close-for-comfort High on Fire influences in "Chaos Star” and "Distant Roads Overgrown,” respectively. The punk rockin’ "The Dust Will Never Settle” drags as an unwieldy mix of Motörhead and Obituary, but "Diseased” and "Religious Slaves” salvage sluggish tempos with guitarist Ryan Lipynsky’s burly, Melvins-like clean vocals. "Burn You Insane” has excellent Cathedral-isms, possibly left over from their one-off release, 2004’s In the Red, on Lee Dorrian’s Rise Above Records. But the superb "God Is a Beast” is the standout track, with Lipynsky’s differing throat cultures, neck-snapping chords and Darren Verni’s imaginative drum fills. Ending with four minutes of spacey guitar noise, Electrocution proves Unearthly Trance’s staying power, albeit in small doses.