While Georgian five-piece Vatican may name-check Meshuggah and Dillinger Escape Plan, their roots are firmly planted in (the original type of) metalcore, owing as much to Earth Crisis and Vision of Disorder (et al) as the latter-day spearheads of discordant “popular” heavy music. Ultra (UNFD) may be the band’s second full-length overall, however with a focus on the sound and style, and with the smooth integration of new vocalist Mike Sugars, it feels like a milestone moment in the definition of what Vatican is as a band, and who they are as an artist. 

What they have been able to create is something cohesive that is more than just one thing – often even within songs – ‘Uncreated Waste’ has elements of Slayer spliced with Converge and Thy Art is Murder, ‘Mirror Dream’ is polyrhythmic crush and math intensity, but palatable and in a consumable way, ‘N.U.M.B.’ brings industrial elements throughout its churn and chug, ‘Where Heavens Collide’ moulds synths and electronics, a clean chorus and slab-heavy breakdowns, and ‘Did You Ever Notice I Was Gone’ works even better as a modern reflective ballad’. 

The underpinning theme through it all is a solid heartbeat of what the band themselves define as post-modern metalcore – an evolution from the bands that first melded hardcore, punk, grunge and metal mentalities, and a commitment to keep things moving and not settling into any one pattern or section for too long; mixing up chugs, rhythms, surges of pace, and rhythm guitar tricks in a way that maintains interest throughout. Ultra also implies that Vatican are going to destroy people and venues once they hit the road, with plenty of dynamic moments of violence. 

It would appear that the next step may be to integrate the cleaner touches better with the more angular so that when they do hit the more reflective moments the songs tie in more with the overall band identity (‘Did You Ever Notice…’ does pull this off, having said that), and being overly critical, it is possible to argue they are lacking a big anthem to hang their (woolly) hats on, but that would be to undermine the get-in, fuck-em-up, get-out attitude that Ultra espouses. Vatican are definitely on to something here. In a pre-apocalyptic world, the post-modern metalcore of Vatican is a worthy and appropriately aggressive soundtrack. 

Buy the album here: https://unfd.lnk.to/Ultra

8 / 10

STEVE TOVEY