Few bands can claim to have waited fourteen years between albums, let alone between debut and follow up. Then again Confessor never were constrained by conformity. 1990's "Condemned" opus came straight out of left field in a market then flooded with grinding death metal clones. Edgy and a homage to Trouble and Sabbath, bands long since out of fashion in the speed driven 90's were gore was the new God. However as the world beckoned label in fighting caused the band to self combust into pieces it would take over a decade to put back together.

Out of the adversity and tragedy of the death of original guitarist Ivan Colan and the need to help raise funds to help Colan's wife with pay with the now mounting medical bills, came the news of a full time reformation.  The result of which is "Unraveled". For those fans feeding from mere scraps of live and various other bootleg material, the release of "Unraveled" was welcomed with rapturous open arms. Timing in at just over 45 mins, this 9 track offering is a mixture of brand new and previously aired material. For those who were lucky enough to pick up a copy of the "Blueprint Soul" demo or the "Sour Times" EP prior to the albums release, will no doubt find many of the songs familiar.

The first notable change from the Confessor of old is that of the vocal style of Scott Jefferys. Gone are the high pitched wale's and screams, to be replaced with a more sedate, shall we say, traditional vocal style. Heresy I hear you cry, and to many die hard fans it will indeed take some getting used to. Evolution is however the name of the game here and the blend of Doom / Death / Rock we have come to expect, nay demand from Confessor, is here in abundance.

If there is a criticism of "Unraveled" it is that a nine song album, three of which have previously been aired on earlier releases isn't what many would hoped for after such a lengthy hiatus. It is with the old analogy in mind however, it is quality not quantity that makes for a great record. While "Unraveled" many not be the great album we'd have hoped for, can any of us honestly hand on heart say our expectations were achievable and years of new material starvation had left our expectations unassailable? Highlights include the downright text book Confessor tune "Wig Stand" and the ten tone album opener "Cross The Bar". Love them or hate them it's impossible to argue Confessor's impact on a generation and in "Unraveled" this influence can only grow larger.