For starters, I don't think it's ethically necessary to breed competition between past bands and new projects, so I'll try my best in avoiding too many Mushroomhead comparisons, however considering that is where the bar was set regarding Waylon Reavis' talent, I find myself bridging the gap between said group and A Killer's Confession often while listening to this album. I can also assume that many people will automatically write off this project due to association with Mushroomhead as their throwback nu metal/industrial style, Slipknot feud rumor, and mask appearance may have created a poor reputation. While it may be difficult to separate the two bands, I see this project as a fresh new start and am curious if Reavis can prove himself worthy without eight other band members.
Regarding his background in Mushroomhead, Reavis replaced Jmann in 2004 and went on to record three albums with the group, which most would view as a decent continuation of the band's style. While it isn't crystal clear why Reavis left the act in 2015, it certainly wasn't on good terms. Megadeth bassist David Ellefson's label EMP signed A Killer's Confession, with a lineup consisting of guitarists Matt Trumpy and Paul Elliott, bassist JP Cross, and drummer Jon Dale along with vocalist Waylon Reavis. The group debuted their first self-titled single last year with Brian Head Welch featured on guitar. While the track was strong, it seemed to very much resemble the structure and sound of a Korn song. As for the group's debut LP, Unbroken, the act develops an identity that is more true to themselves, even if it is a bit all over the place.
After an atmospheric opener which is rife with alt-metal cliches such as sirens and distorted deep vocals, the riff for "Spawn of 7" begins. It's a solid song regarding heaviness and hooks, but the vocal production really ruins the impact. I also find it extremely fishy that Mushroomhead's most recent album featured a track titled "Son of 7." I'm not sure if presenting the first actual song of this album with an undeniably similar track name was purposeful or not, but it struck me as certainly strange. Fortunately, the peculiar vocal mixing isn't continued for following pieces. "Rebirth" resembles a radio hit that would've done well in the early 2000's in the vein of Drowning Pool or Mudvayne. "1080P" veers the musical direction in an unexpected turn with clean vocals and an alt-rock chorus/verse. While I found this piece to actually be pretty damn catchy, it was honestly one of the biggest surprises this album had to offer stylistically.
The latter half boasts a large amount of featured guests, a tactic I've found to be quite common in today's alternative/shock rock/metal scene. While I fully understand the marketing strategy and am in support of bringing awareness to other artists that occurs from guest spots as it allows for awareness, I find that cross-pollination may muddy down the actual identity of the artist. The five pieces that finish off the LP have merit, yet blur the lines of what A Killer's Confession musically stands for. "Judas Kiss" and "Purification" are examples of this where Revillusion and HEX are featured respectively on each track and reveal a full-on 90's industrial sound. These come off as completely left field when paired next to the upbeat ballads that Kimberly Freeman from One Eyed Doll creates on "Sympathy" or Amerikan Overdose's appearance on "Letting Go."
To my surprise, Reavis' vocals are quite impressive considering his range and diversity of delivery style in juxtaposition to the Savior Sorrow, Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children, and The Righteous & The Butterfly LPs. If we're playing the comparison game, I don't see Unbroken surpassing the fame and following of Mushroomhead, but admittedly, I have gained respect for Waylon Reavis' perseverance and ability to leave a group and land on his feet. Unbroken isn't game-changing by any means, but the group's effort towards blending mainstream hooks with heavy alt-metal works quite well. I understand that this style isn't for every metalhead, yet if you're a fan of Mushroomhead or have an affinity for radio-friendly alternative/industrial metal, it might be worth your time to give this a try.
Score: 7/10
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddzruJ-l65Y[/youtube]
