Album of the Week: Jesus Piece - ...So Unknown

Philadelphian metallic hardcore band Jesus Piece sure know how to start a record, taking less than two seconds to rip the lid off their new record, as opening track In Constraints assaults the listeners ears (in the most pleasurable way possible) with an all-out onslaught of guttural screams, blast beats and overdriven distorted guitars, wasting no time on things like “intros” or “build ups”... and their sophomore album …So Unknown is all the doper for it.

After releasing their acclaimed debut album Only Self back in 2018, Jesus Piece fans have been patiently waiting half a decade for a new full-length, as the band teased us with the recent singles Tunnel Vision and Silver Lining hinting as to the album’s depth and experimentation within the realms of metal-laden hardcore, offering interesting compositions with post-punk influences.

Short, sharp and sweet (in a heavy way), …So Unknown weighs in at 10 tracks, with an average run time floating around the 3-minute mark, which could risk the record falling into formulaic territory - but not Jesus Piece. Striking a satisfying balance between cohesion and diversity with more experimental and interesting compositions, the album traverses a range of tempos and styles, touching on everything from nu-metal to grindcore, while remaining crushingly heavy yet melodic and full of groove throughout.

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On their new album the band say ‘Everything about us has always been a very unknown situation. We didn’t know what we were supposed to sound like, we didn’t know who we were supposed to tour with, and that’s stuck with us from the start. We’re a very enigmatic band.’

With …So Unknown, I think we can more agree that Jesus Piece are “a very enigmatic band”, and a very heavy, awesome and important one at that.

Buy Jesus Piece - ...So Unknown (Vinyl)