Guile Rush – “Unholy Dead”

Guile Rush – “Unholy Dead” – Single Review

Interesting tune here from Guile Rush…I feel like folks out there listening will really appreciate the detail that’s been put into this track.  You can hear right from the get-go that the high quality in the recording, production, and performance stands out for all the right reasons.  Ultimately, Guile don’t tend to write about the happiest themes you’re gonna find out there in the scene, or particularly in the darkest corners he tends to haunt…but assuming y’all can get past that, I’d say you’re in good shape to dig this new single “Unholy Dead.”

All-in-all, there’s a distinct gruffness and true grit here that heckin’ Mark Lanegan would be proud of in Guile’s songwriting/vocals, yet you’ll also find that’s fully balanced out by real craft in the musicianship and melody that yields a larger degree of accessibility too.  Guile has always proven to be a songwriter’s songwriter at the end of the day, and I’d reckon that’s what becomes the most engaging aspect of what you’ll find in “Unholy Dead.”  This is that storyteller’s type of tune that possesses such an extraordinary level of attention to detail, that it has you hanging on every note, word, and tone in wonder of what’s to come in the next chapter of this track along the way as it unfolds.  You’ll find no major complaints from me when it comes to what’s happening here…it’s like “Unholy Dead” drifts in on the mist, and once you’re in the thick of it, there’s so much goin’ on from the music to the microphone that you’re happy to be lost in the fog.  The mix has a lot to do with what makes this such a successful single…the distance of many of the elements you’ll hear along the way gives a song like this a massive chasm of dimensional depth, and you can really sink your teeth right into it.  Arguably, it’s got a very tribal-esque vibe to it at its core as well, which creates a spiritual and cultural vibe to “Unholy Dead,” which in turn gives this single multiple gateways into appreciating it in a variety of ways, and quite the crossover sound to be discovered as well.  I think a lot of listeners out there will certainly appreciate the textural way this song works its magic on ya…it’s seriously outstanding to listen to…”Unholy Dead” is the kind of cut that’ll get the hairs on the back of your neck standing up on end in that spine-tingling type of way.  The addition of the violin is really what ties everything together here for me personally…it’s an absolutely award-worthy contribution to this song & there’s not a doubt in my mind “Unholy Dead” wouldn’t be the same without it.  All-in-all, it’s a very strong tune that’s played very stoically, at a steady pace that works for this particular style of writing.

In fact, you could argue that the consistency you’ll find in this song works both for and against it a little.  On the one hand, the way that “Unholy Dead” drifts along like a tumbleweed in Tuscon gives this song a highly mesmerizing & hypnotic quality to it that keeps your attention locked into the moment.  On the other hand, it’s probably also fair to say that Guile’s still got some room to add a bit more dynamism into his vocals as well.  He’s keeping things on a very even keel throughout this performance, and while there’s certainly much to be admired in his detailed lyricism, his tone of voice doesn’t change a whole lot over the course of “Unholy Dead.”  His signature style of Death-Folk/Americana is both a perfect fit, and almost too perfect of a fit at the same time – make sense?  So don’t get me wrong, I like what I hear…tonally it’s bang on…but would challenging himself to add a bit more variation in the way that he sings a song like this produce an even more gripping end result?  It’s theoretically possible, and that’s space for him to continue to explore in his craft as he carries on with his music from here if he feels so inclined.  What I like about the way he sings “Unholy Dead” is that he gives us every opportunity to absorb the imagery and details of his lyricism – it has a very clean sound despite that gruff and gritty charm he inherently has in his voice…ultimately, when you’re a storytellin’ type of songwriter, it’s the words you want people to hear the most, generally speaking.  So he’s gone about things the right way in that regard, though that still leaves space for more vocal dynamics in the lead.  Largely, he compensates for that a bit with the backing vocals added in, and to be fair, you will find that at the most intense parts of the chorus, Guile will give ya a bit more oomph and power in his voice as well…I suppose it’s hard to describe without sounding like I’m flip-flopping around over here on this side of the screen.  “Unholy Dead” does tell a coherent tale & does feature distinctly different parts along the way, even if it feels more honed into a singular moment in time to tell the specific tale that Guile’s designed.  So while the movements and transitions might be subtle, sure…they do exist, and above all, I think that Guile’s got himself a track that’s genuinely interesting…to the point where you’ll get more invested in it than you might actually think you’ll be at first.  I look at it this way…shows like The Wire and Sons Of Anarchy have theme songs that work their magic in a very similar way as “Unholy Dead” does, so in my personal opinion, I’d say that Guile Rush has got a song that could go on to find success in a wide variety of places within film & television, and of course your playlists certainly included in that assessment too.  While it’s true that it builds fairly slowly, and by the time you start to reach the more inspired moments in the finale, you’ll find yourself at the end of this single pretty quickly from there…I’d be the first to tell ya the finale he’s got here is well worth the journey to reach it.  I mean, I’d absolutely be open to hearing an extended version of “Unholy Dead” where we get that final ninety seconds spread out over the course of five minutes if he felt like making one…the four minutes we get here seems to wrap up quickly with the vast majority of the fireworks reserved for the ending of this tune.  Still, I think you can argue that it’s a very focused piece of songwriting in terms of its lyrics, concept, and spiritual/tribal vibe hanging so vividly in the air, with remarkable attention paid to the smallest details from performance to production that really stands out for all the right reasons.

Find out more about Guile Rush from the official website at:  https://guilerush.com

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