It's been some considerable time coming, but at long last arrives The Unbeliever, the debut full-length from South Wales bruisers Shaped By Fate [click HERE for our recent interview]. Having first burst onto the British scene a matter of mere months after their inception in late 2001, thanks to a series of blistering live shows with the likes of Everytime I Die, Bleeding Through and Walls Of Jericho, the five-piece have gradually gone on to establish their reputation as being one of the most hard working and explosive live acts anywhere across the land. Despite the release of a handful of EP's that have been lauded by critics and underground elitists alike, things have since proved far from plain sailing for the band, with numerous changes in personnel hampering their progress and stifling momentum. But with a stable line up seemingly finally in place, The Unbeliever could well signal the true arrival of Shaped By Fate.

A sprawling opus of brutal metalcore, with its colossal compositions frequently soaring past the five-minute mark, The Unbeliever proves to be more than worth the wait. 'Launch The Immortal Fleet' slowly uncoils to reveal itself to be a grandiose slab of gloomy metal akin to fellow Brits Red Stars Parade, while the album's title track ups the ante even further with its intense riffs and twisted guitar lines recalling hardcore standard bearers Botch. The Unbeliever isn't a place for subtleties, with its no holds barred approach repeatedly turning the listener black and blue, never better illustrated than on the appropriately titled 'Of This One Apocalyptic Night' which gloriously takes Until Your Heart Stops-era Cave In kicking and screaming into the late 00's.

Simply put, The Unbeliever is a raging behemoth, the likes of which doesn't come around too often. It's a long overdue battering ram of a release that should help Shaped By Fate's crash past the self-imposed barricades of the underground scene and on to international prominence.

Rating: 4/5 by Dan Jones

Tracklisting

1. Launch The Immortal Fleet
2. The Unbeliever
3. They Told Me You Were Dead
4. That Thing Upstairs Is Not My Daughter
5. Deeper The Knife Slides
6. My Sun Sets To Rise Again
7. From Perfection To Poison
8. Swarm Of Wolves
9. Of This One Apocalyptic Night
10. Destroyed But Not Defeated

Further links

Shaped By Fate online

Home of the Welsh Metalcore band

In At The Deep End (iatde.com)

Official site of In At The Deep End Records, home to Beecher, NCF, Send More Paramedics, and more...