Sinister power in my darkest hour - A review of Unto Others' I Believe in Halloween

Few bands represent the spirit of autumn as well as Portland's gothic metal quartet Unto Others. The idea to release an extended play for Halloween had been discussed for two years and the quartet has finally published such an output only a month after releasing second studio album Strength to very positive reviews. It's a wonderful unexpected gift to the band's growing fanbase as the group keeps releasing high-quality material on a regular basis.

The first song on I Believe in Halloween is entitled ''Out in the Graveyard'' and immediately transmits a gloomy atmosphere that supports the bleak lyrics. The melodic song has steady pace that represents the stress experienced by the narrator of the lyrics. The song surprises with a few vocal effects and repetition of lyrics providing a gloomy atmosphere. The chorus is catchy which explains why this song opens the extended play. The songwriting is as concise as usual in three and a half entertaining minutes. The song's style recalls a mixture of the atmospheric side of electronic rock band Depeche Mode with the energetic side of horror punk band Misfits. The only negative element to be mentioned is that the vocals sound a little bit rushed. A slower pace and longer running time should have given the vocals the time to unfold properly and would have added some additional cinematic atmosphere.

Second and final song ''Dalmatian'' works much better in that regard with slower pace and stronger atmosphere. The track opens with a wonderful bass line and finds the perfect balance between atmosphere and melody. The highlights are the synthesizers employed in the bridge that strongly recall horror movie soundtracks of the seventies from Suspiria to Halloween. The only negative elements are the slightly lackluster chorus and the lyrics that are not as intriguing as the other song's fascinating story.

At the end of the day, Unto Others' I Believe in Halloween is a very appropriate release for this time of year as the two new gothic metal tracks ooze with atmosphere and should be spun at any authentic Halloween party. Right now, these two great tunes are only available digitally on Bandcamp. You can name your price until Halloween which means that you should get these songs as soon as you are reading this review. If you're interested in purchasing a physical copy, you have to wait for the releases on cassette and vinyl one month and a half from here. Fans of gothic rock and metal should certainly purchase one of the three versions of I Believe in Halloween as the creative material presented here has much replay value and confirms the band's status as the most interesting new gothic metal band to be around.

Final rating: 80%