‘Pushing you down, A life at the bottom, Enemies around, Hide in the shadows, Losing hope, Going under’ (The Gutter Is No Home)

As society fractures under the weight of an insatiable economic system, it becomes ripe for exploitation.  Somebody must be to blame.  Of course, not those manipulating the system for their own gain. But rather those already forced to the margins – those having to juggle two jobs just to get by, those unable to afford a stable home, and those forced on to the streets.  Punch down and look the other way.  This is the bizarre dichotomy that Unarmed set about dismantling on Gloomy Skies, Screaming Vultures.

Hailing from Sweden, and featuring members of Exploatör, 3-Way Cum, and Verdict, Unarmed were initially active in the mid-1990s, releasing two split EPs.  They then returned with a new 7-inch in 2022, before now unleashing this, their debut full-length.  Their sound is rooted very firmly in the traditions of 1990s crust.  The waves of metallic riffage are liberally laced with flares of melancholic melody and propelled by galloping d-beat rhythms, while the roared vocals, alternating between Swedish and English, are utterly cavernous in their brutality.  Highlights include the bleakly melodic Blinded by Hate, Driven By Fear, the choppily insistent Overseas, and the loose limbed swagger of King Of Nothing.